Theorising the puzzle that is Harold Shipman.

Despite a lengthy inquiry, why the serial killer, Harold Shipman, committed his crimes remains a puzzle. However, the issue still needs to be confronted. This article tries to move beyond the usual individualistic explanations of serial killing towards a wider analysis that embraces a more structural approach whereby we can begin to understand the meaning of serial killing at a societal level. Sadly, we argue that the actions of serial killers can be used to identify social breakdowns