The Good Nurse

Description

After his December 2003 arrest, nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed “The Angel of Death” by the media.  But he was no mercy killer nor a simple monster. Cullen was, at times, a trusted colleague, a beloved father, and a best friend. He was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history, implicated in the deaths of as many as 400 patients.
 
Cullen’s murderous career spanned sixteen years and nine hospitals. Now, in a riveting piece of investigative journalism, Charles Graeber uncovers how Cullen gamed the system, and tells the unbelievable true story of the confidential informant asked to risk her life and career to betray a friend and finally stop a serial killer.   Based on extensive never-before-seen evidence and years of exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself, THE GOOD NURSE is a mesmerizing and irresistibly paced portrait of medicine and madness. This book will make you look at hospitals and the people who work in them in an entirely different way.
 “Put this one on the shelf next to Ann Rule’s classic about Ted Bundy, The Stranger Beside Me – it’s that good. Grade: A“—Entertainment Weekly“A stunning book…that should and does bring to mind In Cold Blood….the story appeals to prurient interests, as does any graphic tale of true crime. But THE GOOD NURSE succeeds in being about much more than Mr. Cullen’s murderous kinks. The causes of his pathology are not interesting. But the eagerness of ambitious hospital administrators to cover up his misdeeds is revelatory. And the police investigation that brought him down is a thriller in every sense of that word.”—Janet Maslin, New York Times“The most terrifying book published this year. It is also one of the most thoughtful…. From a long series of conversations with Cullen, the detectives who solved the case and Amy, a nurse who once was Cullen’s best friend and eventually got him to confess, among many other sources, Graeber has crafted a book that is a revelation. THE GOOD NURSE is gripping, sad, suspenseful, rhythmic and beautifully documented (the endnotes to this book are impressive).”—Kirkus Reviews“Graeber doesn’t pull punches… A deeply unsettling addition to the true crime genre.”—Publishers Weekly“Riveting”—People“A standout true-crime book, one that doubles as both a thrilling horror story and a cautionary tale, and frightens and frustrates in equal measure.”—The Boston Globe“Absolutely frightening.”—The Detroit News“Alarming”—CNN.com“The story is consistently incredible, but credit it you must, for it is the truth… I couldn’t put this book down.”—PopMatters“Fascinating and frightening… A scary page turner about one man’s quiet reign of terror, those dedicated and brave enough to end it, and the dangers that can lurk in the places we may feel safest. “—BookReporter“A very scary book. It will reach out and grab you and not let you go. You will forgo food, talking, work, anything just to get to the climactic moment of this true crime story.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette“Engrossing…hard-to-put-down.. On one level, The Good Nurse is an absorbing story of a serial killer operating within the walls of what most view as a trusted institution. On another, it’s an intriguing detective story. And on another it’s an indictment of the hospital industry.”—The New Jersey Star-Ledger“A literary thriller with legs… Meticulously crafted… a book that demonstrates the transportive power of literary journalism while simultaneously helping to restore its credibility.”—The Brooklyn Rail“A remarkable new book…gripping and brilliantly written.”—Healthcare Risk Management Review“A gripping look into a killer’s mind…THE GOOD NURSE is as suspenseful as any crime novel.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Additional information

Imprint	Twelve
Format	General Trade
ISBN-13	09781538743256
ISBN-10	1538743256
Author	Charles Graeber
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	BIO017000, PSY022080
Subjects	BIO017000, PSY022080