Killer Stories: A look inside the minds of South Africa's serial killers

Sara-Jayne Makwala King interviews Dr Brin Hodgkiss and Nicole Engelbrecht, authors of Killer Stories.

Listen below.

If you, like King, are captivated by the darker aspects of human psychology, Killer Stories will be a compelling read. 

This book delves into the minds of those responsible for some of South Africa's most horrifying crimes. 

Drawing from real interviews conducted by Dr Brin Hodgkiss with some of the country’s most infamous serial killers, it explores the underlying motives that drive these individuals to commit such unspeakable acts.

Killer Stories weaves together the killers' perspectives, the true crime stories they inspired, and an analysis of these tales through the lens of narrative psychology. 

Hodgskiss uses each interview, along with the principles of narrative psychology, to guide readers into the minds of the killers.

He reveals how the narratives these men crafted about their own lives shaped their paths to violence – and how, unsettlingly, these narratives aren't so different from the ones we all create about ourselves.

"If there's anything that comes across from the book, it's what happens when your inner narrative and the story you tell yourself about yourself goes wrong."

- Dr Brin Hodgkiss

As the creator of the True Crime South Africa podcast, Engelbrecht was already well-versed in these cases.

Yet, as she delved into the interviews, she says that she found herself both surprised and deeply challenged by many of the offenders.

These encounters offered unexpected insights – not just into the minds of the criminals, but also into her own psyche.

She explains that despite their convictions, a deliberate choice was made to keep the criminals anonymous.

This decision stems from the fact that we often approach such cases with preconceived notions – something she admits to doing herself – about who these offenders are and how their stories should unfold.

By withholding their identities, the book challenges readers to confront their biases and question the assumptions they bring to the table.

"We'd like readers to, at least on the first read, approach these as though they have never heard these stories before."

- Nicole Engelbrecht

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.