When Dennis Nilsen was arrested at his Muswell Hill home, little did the police know that the proverbial can of worms was about to be opened. Within days, the civil servant had admitted to killing fifteen men and the name of Dennis Nilsen was about to be added to the list of Britain’s most notorious murderers. Here, with the assistance of Nilsen himself, Brian Masters tells the detailed story of the ‘Muswell Hill Murderer’.

Ever since watching the TV series, Des, which starred David Tennant as Nilsen, Killing for Company has been a book I have wanted to read. This review is based on the audiobook which is superbly read by Jason Watkins, the actor who played Brian Masters, the author of this book.

This is a very in depth look at the life of Nilsen and I particularly enjoyed the earlier chapters which chronicled his childhood in Scotland. The research into his family life was very detailed, and it was fascinating learning about the history of his family and how certain events could have, possibly, played a pivotal role in what was to happen in the future.

The details of his crimes are not for the faint of heart although I do not feel that the descriptions are too graphic. For me, the most chilling part of this case is Nilsen’s ability to carry on with life as normal, knowing that there were the remains of several young men at his home. While Masters makes it clear that some of Nilsen’s stories may not be 100% true, he certainly provides a valuable insight into what became one of the murder cases of the century.

This is a well-written, superbly-researched book that provides a fascinating look into the life and crimes of one of Britain’s most infamous killers.