new books by Judith A. Yates
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Shadows in Fire - A rare female serial killer – arsonist tells her story
Everywhere that Shirley Winters went, fire followed. Children died. Pain and terror ensued.
Surviving a horrific past, Shirley Winters hid the anguish as a survivor of a dreadful childhood while attempting a conventional family life. Diagnosed with lifelong mental health illness and personality disorders she later claimed were fabricated, Shirley precariously balanced marriage, children, addiction, and the gnawing self-sabotage that smoldered. She left four children dead in her path, people who escaped doom, and fires. A lot of fires.
Now for the first time, Shirley Winters is telling her story. Drawing from years of research and correspondence, award-winning author and criminologist Judith A. Yates blends a story of the pain, anger, loss, love, joy and madness within a rare criminal: s female serial killer and serial arsonist.
With an Introduction by internationally recognized Arsonist Profiler & Fire Investigator Edward Nordskog.
Reviews
for "Shadows in Fire"
“This book is not an easy read, but that is exactly what gives it its power. It avoids shock value and instead offers a careful, deeply researched look into the life of Shirley Ruth Baron Winters, a convicted serial killer and serial arsonist. Built over years of correspondence and investigation, the story feels personal without ever feeling indulgent.
The author is clear from the start that this is not about excusing harm, but about understanding how such harm came to exist. One of the strongest aspects of the book is the honesty in how the relationship between the author and Winters is handled. With a background in law enforcement and victim advocacy, the author listens without losing perspective, allowing Winters’ own words to appear raw, flawed, and at times unsettling. Winters admits to manipulation, memory gaps, and the role of mental illness and substance abuse, refusing to hide behind convenient explanations. The recurring fire metaphor works naturally, reflecting both the chaos of her crimes and the difficulty of truly understanding the person behind them." -- Andrew Dodge, Host of "Unforbidden Truth" (Features exclusive interviews with convicted criminals and criminal justice professionals.)
“Understanding the correlation between child sexual abuse and criminal behavior is a continuous, ongoing study. A perpetrator’s admission should be taken skeptically, while thoroughly researching the case. The criminal justice professional and the layman need this research to understand the mind of a serial offender for prevention and treatment, before it is too late for potential victims. In Shadows in Fire, author Judith A. Yates has given us all a look into the case of a female serial killer and serial arsonist, using the offender’s own words to describe how such heinous crimes can progress from as far back as childhood.” -Rachael Bell, MS, MS, LPC Renowned Criminologist, creator of the Savannah Crime Expo, Author of Sexual Obsessions Gone Wrong
Irma Grese -
becoming the
hyena of auschwitz
Shy schoolgirl and farmer's daughter turned vicious Nazi concentration camp guard IRMA GRESE is one of the most notorious female perpetrators to emerge from the Hitler regime.
What created Irma Grese? Was she a killer given the right tools at the opportune time? Was she a true sadist? Or was she attempting to heal childhood injuries?
Criminologist and award - winning author Judith A. Yates details the life of Irma Grese and those around her. Dispelling ageless myths and questioning long-held beliefs, Yates exposes the truth on how Irma Grese became "THE HYENA OF AUSCHWITZ."
With an Introduction by serial killer expert Peter Vronsky, PhD, author of "Female Serial Killers."
Includes:
- Irma Grese's letters from death row & her poetry
- Color images
- 100+ photos & documents
- Holocaust survivor interviews
- Rare images
Praise for "Irma Grese"
“The most comprehensive book on a complex female criminal to date. Irma Grese’s life is meticulously researched.” - New York Times Best Selling and award winning author Burl Barer
“Judith Yates’ incredible investigative techniques and ability to tell the story shines in ‘Irma Grese – becoming the hyena of Auschwitz.’ By detailing Grese’s’ life and her world, from birth to execution and the legacy, the author explains why and how it was easy for a simple farmer’s daughter to assist in systematically annihilating over 15 million souls in a few years. This book will stay with you.” - John Borowski, award-winning author & filmmaker
"This book is fascinating and the research you have done is impeccable! There is an incredible array of unique photos." - Dan Zupinski's True Murder Podcast
"An exceptionally well researched book, destined to become top biographical source material for Irma Grese. The author's research spans both sides of the Atlantic with a lot of original sources in German. The book's focus is on how a person can develop into such a monster -- in this case, the "Hyena of Auschwitz" -- but the most touching part of the book is the author's personal relationship with a Holocaust survivor and how that became the impetus for writing the book." - Ann Marie Ackermann, historian, award-winning author
“I couldn’t put this epic piece down. The story of this young nazi conveyor of cruelty is a wild ride and story that should be appreciated. Author Yates attacked this tale with the fervor it deserved, and the inclusion of the amazing color images, letters and documents made a great book into an amazing one.
This will appeal to readers of history, psychology and violent pathology as well as anyone else that wants to be riveted by a fine piece of work.” - Stephen J. Giannangelo, Special Agent Ret., serial killer expert, author
