Member Reviews
An inside look at FBI profiling written by one of the pioneers of the profiling of serial killers. Very well written.
I really liked this book. It covers several high profile cases and discusses them from a behavioral analyst view. He (the author, John Douglas) went over every case, the major facts from beginning to end. Then he discusses the behavioral aspects and his interviews with each offender. I knew of all of the cases, so I was very interested in what he had found when doing his analysis. There was no big surprises for me, but it was so very fascinating. I have enjoyed all of his other books that I have read, and this was no letdown, either. It is well written and it really held my attention. I really had a hard time putting it down. I highly recommend this book!
This is a fascinating crime account from John E. Douglas (aka Mindhunter) about criminal profiling and some of his work with the FBI. He takes us through his interview process with 4 major criminals, and explains the methods he used to interview them and gather information. He details each of their crimes, and also mentions several other criminals along the way.
This book is a bit different than your typical true crime narrative. While he does delve into the details of the killings, his focus is more on the methods he uses to engage the killers. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this and all of the insight he had to offer on the minds of criminals. I enjoyed it enough that I immediately went and placed most of his other books on hold, as well.
I'd recommend this one for true crime fans who have an interest in criminal psychology.
I have read all books published by John Douglas and this is by far my favorite. The continuity and flow blends effortlessly with sidebar information included for people who haven't read any of his previous work. Of course, the copy I am reviewing was provided as an unproved copy, but there were many instances of typos, punctuation errors, and missing or duplicated words.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy of the book. The opinions expressed above are my own.
Fascinating, terrifying, and utterly riveting. Monsters don't lurk under your bed, they lurk right outside your door, in your neighborhood, or down the street. It's enough to make one wish to never leave the house again.
Super! I've been waiting for this book since watching the Mindhunter mini-series on Netflix. A real, fleshed-out (sorry for the pun) version of what actually happened.
The way the author has of drawing you into the situations he faced is amazing. You feel like you are there in the room with him, interviewing these people. And the way he has of getting these monsters to open up to him is incredible. You would have to think that if the author wasn't a law enforcement professional, he would have made a great priest, getting people to confess their sins.
While only covering a handful of cases, the author is given time to delve deeper into each case. The result being a great read!
I can't wait for his next book. And for the next season of Mindhunter!
As a big fan of Mindhunter, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. This was a gripping, first-hand look into the minds of people who commit unspeakable acts. While the details were sometimes nauseating (the description of a child's rape and autopsy is not exactly pleasant morning reading), the narrative was gripping and fascinating enough to carry on. I'll definitely be picking up a copy for my library.
My blog post will be posted on Thursday June 13th. This book is a must read for all true crime fans! It is chilling! Very well written!
Another great book by John Douglas mining his knowledge of profiling serial killers. Although he limits himself to only four profiles, Douglas does enough name dropping of other serial killers to keep you interested. The book's intent is to look at "why" the serial killers did their deeds, not so much the pursuit and capture. The only problem with the writing is that it seems a bit too procedural and text book. This is an intriguing book that will make you look at your fellow human beings with a questioning eye.
John Douglas books are sort of their own mini genre. He has a unique perspective on murder investigations, having had such a long career profiling and interviewing the scummiest, most depraved murderers around. This is a fine example of his work, dealing with some lesser known child murder and serial killing cases from the 80s-90s. His conversational writing style and compassion for the victims (especially for the family of Joan D'Alessandro) makes the book a very fast, engaging read. I wouldn't necessarily read this if I hadn't been familiar with Douglas' books - Mindhunter or The Cases That Haunt Us are better starting points - but if you're interested in criminal profiling and are looking for some more obscure case studies, this is a solid choice.
While this book has some interesting content, I was disappointed by the overall presentation and tone.
The basis of the book is an overview of four killers Douglas interviewed. We learn about their lives, from childhood up through their crimes, and then we're told about the interviews Douglas later did with each of the men. Direct quotes are included, so we get a good sense of their thought processes. I found these parts informative and interesting.
Unfortunately, the content gets kind of messy as Douglas continually strays from the subject at hand. We wander off into long passages about various killers featured on the Netflix show Mindhunters in which Douglas took part. These killers are far more notorious and well known, but their stories are unnecessary and distracting. Many of the passages are so long that, by the time we got back to the original story, I'd forgotten the point of it all. Tossing in tidbits for comparison would've been fine, but the volume and tone felt gratuitous, as if we had to keep being reminded about the Netflix show and all the infamous killers Douglas worked with.
The writing style is conversational. While the topic is dark and disturbing, the book itself is an easy read. In fact, for me it's a little too light. I was hoping for something more science-based, and the tone here is very much pop culture.
Finally, I have to mention the Epilogue, because, well, it made me cringe inside. Douglas talks about Dr. Stanton E. Samenow, a forensic psychologist whom he praises as "a hero". Samenow, in my view, is anything but. He wrote a book in which he claimed that genetics, upbringing, poverty, and environment have absolutely nothing to do with the making of a criminal. All our actions are choices we make from equal ground. He spoke about a man who'd sexually abused dozens of children, calling his crime an "irresponsibility". Another man who'd been arrested for possession of child porn was only looking for "a relief from boredom", and Samenow authoritatively stated that the man should not have received such a harsh prison sentence. I know this is not a book about Samenow, but when Douglas referred to him as a hero, I had to stop and question this author's judgement.
"The Killer Across the Table" is a deep dive by author John Douglas (with an assist in writing from Mark Olshaker) into his career working as an FBI profiler focused on serial killers. This book focuses intently on 4 specific serial killers and their victims with detailed descriptions of Douglas' interactions with the murderers. In the process of telling these stories, Douglas takes the reader through the development of criminal profiling and how it has been applied in other cases since its inception.
My first impressions of "The Killer Across the Table" were that the writing was clear. It will need a little more polish before it goes to print, but the authors convey their points succinctly. It also lists two authors but is written with one distinct voice, which is not always easy to do, especially in non-fiction.
The stories are pulled from personal experience and evidence and there are numerous direct quotes from the serial killers themselves, which lend authoritative weight to the narrative. I also think the content would make good source material for anyone preparing to write a serial killer based thriller or mystery. It puts me in mind of the television show "Criminal Minds" but the author actually helped inspire the Netflix show "Mindhunter".
At times, it can feel like you are reading a best-selling thriller, but then the horror sinks into your soul, because all of this is real. It actually happened and is likely to happen again. At times I had to stop reading and go think some happy thoughts. These are truly unpleasant stories, but they are told with professionalism.
The author(s) comes down somewhat strongly on those who believe in the rehabilitative potential of these killers, dismissing their professional appraisals as naive, at best. It conveys the divide between law enforcement's perceptions versus the mental health community's, which is an important aspect to consider that is often overlooked.
The conclusion reads like a lollipop at the end of a painful doctor visit. These stories fascinate people, but Douglas does an excellent job of helping to explain why we are drawn to these horrific tales. It is an unexpectedly profound soliloquy on the human condition.
Criticisms: There is a story that seems to go nowhere regarding the Atlanta child killer. As far as I can recall they never circle around to clear that one up. Douglas frequently introduces additional stories in the middle of the larger narrative about these serial killers, and if the reader doesn't pay close attention, it can feel disorienting.
As a Librarian, this one would be tough to recommend, mostly because of the graphic descriptions. I would probably only be able to recommend this one in the context of a reader who was looking for true crime or source material to write their own thriller. However, with the rise in popularity of true crime murder-based content (think: television shows like Mindhunter, Criminal Minds, Making a Murderer or podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Serial.) this book could definitely be included in the context of a true crime book display.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I have read and watched Mindhunter, so when The Killer Across the Table by Douglas and Olshaker became available-I jumped at the chance to read it. Although this book was broken down in to four main sections, each dedicated to a particular criminal, other relevant examples (people) were discussed and expertly woven in. One of the main points given when they discuss these cases is: how + why = who. Also, Douglas made the valid point that his job wasn’t to figure out if rehabilitation was necessary/possible, but rather to figure out why these people committed the crimes they did, with hopes to gain insight and prevent future criminal behavior. Nature versus nurture was discussed as well as the notion of truly being “insane.” True crime has many facets. Attempting to understand and uncover patterns of behavior is not an easy or lighthearted task. This book does not glamorize or present these cases in a gratuitous fashion. I highly recommend this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had previously watched the Netflix show Mind Hunter and knew immediately that I wanted to read this book. It takes on a different side of the crime and the creepiness of the how the mind of a killer works. True crime is interesting but to read on the side of the detective is even more complex. This book will make you question all the people around you, even the normal neighbor that lives down the street.
I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting to see from another perspective. I also liked the way the book is broken down making it easy to follow along.
Last week I finished reading The Killer Across The Table, by world renowned FBI criminal profiler John Douglas (The Mindhunter) and Mark Olshaker. Douglas examines four notorious serial killers in his latest well-written and thought-provoking book.
No, I’m not talking about Ted Bundy or the BTK Strangler, though, they are briefly mentioned in the book as a comparison to Joseph Kondo, Donald Harvey, Todd Kohlepp and Joseph McGowan.
Douglas sat with each killer, interviewing and profiling them, in the mean time, striving to learn their motivations behind their behavior and desire to kill.
After twenty years at the FBI, Douglas was one of the first to begin advocating for interviewing serial killers to gain useful insights that could help him and others in shaping profiles of murders.
He practically wrote the FBI book on criminal profiling. I was amazed at how accurate and spot on his profiling could be. By just reading the police files, murder book and investigation notes, Douglas puts together a detail and accurate profile of who the police should be looking at.
I found the book to be an exhilarating read, not so much for the killers profiled, although, that was interesting too, but for Douglas’ profiling methodology.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
FBI agent John Douglas and Mark Olshaker take a deep dive into the fascinating and terrifying psych of some of the worst serial killers of the modern era. This is one book that will keep you awake at night.
I enjoy true crime, and this book did not disappoint. I have read may boooks that offer behind the scenes reasons for the serial killer mindset, this was a new look,
It's not often you get to hear from the creator of a science or technique that changes how we view the world. John Douglas is such a creator, the man who in his career with the FBI, created the terms serial killer, organized vs. disorganized killers, and who, with his colleagues, created a scale by which these killers could be categorized. During his time with the agency, he worked on the cases everyone interested in true crime recognizes; The Green River Killer, Son Of Sam, BTK, Lake and Ng, and Ed Kemper. In this book, Douglas opens his case files and with his co-author, uses four cases to talk more about the types of killers and how they can be differentiated.
The first case is Joseph McGowan. He killed a seven-year old neighbor who came to his door to collect money for Girl Scout cookies. McGowan was a local science teacher, a twenty-seven year old man who still lived with his mother. Douglas included this case to talk about how a killer often chooses a victim in ways that seem unlikely; this was his neighbor and one would expect him to be suspected. As with Kemper, McGowan had a domineering mother, who had broken up his engagement. He needed to reinstate control over his environment and chose this method of doing so. Although McGowan only had one victim, Douglas has been instrumental in keeping him from gaining parole, as he is sure McGowan would offend again.
Donald Harvey is one of a series of serial killers many don't consider. He was a nurse's aide and probably killed close to a hundred people before he was caught. This is common, as with Harold Shipman in Britain, who killed several hundred patients. These medical killers are under the radar. Their victims are the elderly and infirm, most of whom are expected to die anyhow, so their deaths don't seem surprising. Unlike the killers who get press, there is nothing sensational about their crimes; they don't abduct victims and they don't have an issue with disposing bodies. With most killers, there is an automatic recognition of murder and an immediate police investigation; those factors are not seen in these killers. Harvey was also a charming man whose polite manners kept him from being suspected.
Joseph Kondo killed several victims over the years. The unique factor in his case, to Douglas, was that he killed the children of people he was close to. He never had any empathy for others, so to him these victims were just the easiest to gain control of. He was the known friend of their parents, and in one case, even knew the safe word that the parents had taught their child to expect if they ever sent someone to get them. This made finding his victims easy and he did not distance himself from the families or investigations afterward.
The final killer was Todd Kohlkepp, who killed several times over a period of years in South Carolina. This was the only case I had heard of, as it is recent and close to me. Kohkepp killed four people in a motorcycle shop; the case went unsolved for over a decade. Then he kidnapped over months, two couples he hired to help him clean up brush and outbuildings on a farm he owned. He would immediately kill the men and then imprison the women. One woman was killed after several months of captivity while the other was found in time by law enforcement. Kohkepp was unusual in that he was well off, a real estate broker with his own agency and was highly intelligent. He was also unusual because of his attempts after capture to work with Douglas to understand his motivations and what made him kill.
Readers who are interested in true crime, and whose interest lies in trying to understand how people can be so far out of the ordinary, will be fascinated by Douglas' discussion of these cases. He constantly goes back to his scale and uses it as a framework in which every killer can be categorized. It is a privilege just to be able to view how he looks at cases and how he was able to help so many police forces solve cases. This book is recommended for true crime readers.
Reading about the process used to study and gather information from convicted killers is fascinating. Reading the details of the crimes can be disturbing, as a warning to readers. This book is informative, interesting, and disturbing.