Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Appointment for Murder

Appointment for Murder
Appointment for Murder
Author: Susan Bakos
Genres: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Nonfiction
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
reviewed on + 242 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


This is a true crime book about a well respected dentist, Dr. Glennon Engleman, who murdered at least 7 people during a period of 22 years. Dr. Engleman is a study in contradictions. On the one hand he helps people with low incomes get dental work by not charging them much but on the other hand, he kills, or tries to kill, anyone who opposes him. He also murders people he can benefit from by setting it up ahead of time with insurance schemes. He's a loving father to his children but thinks nothing of killing people who are survived by children. Dr. Engleman's motto was the only way to make money is illegally. That no one can expect to get rich legally. For all the work he did setting up these murders with relatively little gain, Dr. Engleman, if he had focused on his dental practice, would have been able to make a pretty good living. But at one time point during his confession, his true motive comes out when he states how much he likes killing people; that the thrill of it could never be equalled in anything else. The fact that Dr. Engleman is a smart, professional man who could have had a decent life with one of the many women who were attracted to him, makes this case study a very interesting book.