‘Beyond Evil’ by Nathan Yates

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

In Soham in 2002, two ten-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, went out to go and buy some sweets, but they never came home. Among the volunteers who came forward to help in the search for the missing girls was school caretaker, Ian Huntley, who also put himself forward as a spokesperson for the community. However, even though his girlfriend, Maxine Carr, gave him an alibi, police soon had Huntley in their sights as a suspect.

Written by journalist Nathan Yates, who was among the many reporters on the scene during the search for the missing girls, this is a chilling account of two brutal murders that shocked the nation. In several meetings with Huntley, the author gained some insight into the odd and sometimes bizarre behaviour of the killer as he strived to hold onto the image he presented to the community as a caring individual, despite a series of stupid mistakes that eventually led the police to his door.

Upsetting and disturbing, this is nevertheless a thoughtful and respectful account of one of Britain’s most horrific murders.

Back to the Blog