The Name of Death

Book excerpt: The powerful true-life story of one of the world's most prolific professional killers Julio Santana grew up in a poor fishing family in Brazil. At the age of 17 he committed his first murder in exchange for food for his family. Santana went on to become a killer for hire on an almost unimaginable scale, murdering more than 490 people. Yet, despite his appalling crimes, he was far from a monster. Santana was a loyal son, a family man and a devout Christian who was tormented by his conscience with every killing shot. Klester Cavalcanti, an acclaimed investigative journalist, became fascinated with the story of a normal man who happened to be one of the world's most prolific murderers. Over the course of seven years, Cavalcanti interviewed Santana by phone, and used his skills as a journalist to trace the path of his life and infamous career. The result is an extraordinary and chilling insight into a killer.