LAW & CRIME

Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder

by Rachel McCarthy James
St. Martin’s. May 2025. 272p. ISBN 9781250276735. $28. CRIME
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While the book’s title might entice those looking to learn more about gruesome crimes, true-crime writer James (The Man from the Train) offers more than that. Though there’s a healthy amount of grisly axe-murder details, the book intends to foster an appreciation of the pragmatic purposes of axes while also noting the tool’s fall from societal worth after the introduction of newer technologies that made the axe an afterthought. Writing in a genuinely reflective tone with sporadic hints of humor, James outlines an intriguing historical perspective of the axe, from its purely primitive use as a tool of survival and necessity to its silent yet notable societal symbolism in films (The Shining; So I Married an Axe Murderer), cartoons (Peanuts), and infotainment (commercials).
VERDICT This book is an informative one-stop shop that is sure to provide a little something for a wide range of readers.
Reviewed by Thomas O'Brien , Apr 01, 2025
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