Murderer Brady's book goes on sale

Moors Murderer Ian Brady’s book The Gates of Janus was going on sale today amid a storm of controversy.

The serial killer has penned his thoughts on prominent murderers such as Peter Sutcliffe, but does not discuss the atrocities he committed with Myra Hindley.

The pair were jailed for life in 1966 for the murders of Lesley Ann Downey, 10, John Kilbride, 12, and Edward Evans, 17.

In the mid-1980s Brady and Hindley confessed to killing 12-year-old Keith Bennett and 17-year-old Pauline Reade.

The Gates of Janus was written from Ashworth Hospital, Liverpool, where Brady, now 62, is being force-fed after trying to starve himself to death.

His work is the result of discussions with crime specialist Colin Wilson over a period of 10 years.

The book was originally intended to be written under a pseudonym, but once the decision was made to leave the work in Brady’s name, a court action was brought to prevent the book being published.

The injunction failed and Turnaround Publisher Services backed publication.

Managing director for Turnaround Bill Godber said: ‘‘We thought long and hard about the various problems associated with the title but we believe that it will be of considerable interest to criminologists, the police and the general reader.

‘‘Demand to date has been exceptional. The book has already sold out in the US and a reprint will be put in hand immediately.’’

Brady wrote defiantly from his cell about his book: ‘‘You will presently discover that this work is not an apologia. Why should it be? To whom should I apologise, and what difference would it make?’’