I really enjoyed reading about Dr. Ann Burgess and how her serious work on researching sexual violence eventually got her to working with the FBI. She helped refine their work on interviewing serial killers so that it would be more useful. Burgess also shares her experiences on different cases during her time with the FBI in the early days of profiling. Good history here and a woman’s perspective on the subjects for a change. For true crime lovers. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Ann Wolbert Burgess, and the publisher.

Wow! Criminal Profiling A-Z. This in-depth look at the FBI Behavioral Science Unit will chill you to the bone. Ann Burgess joined the group over two decades ago and shows us the science used to track down serial killers and understand why they do what they do. Hopefully, this will help law enforcement stop them!.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this, in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

What a fascinating, clear-cut take on not only criminal profiling, but the development of the process! Burgess breaks down the history of the BSU, and the way the methods it uses has evolved with time and new knowledge. It's the truest form of "true crime," examining the criminals as well as their victims, then using it all to find the next suspect.

I was particularly fascinated by the profilers' ability to predict tiny, seemingly impossible details about their killers, right down to taste in television and wardrobe. But it's all done with dignity and respect for the people involved on all sides of a crime, without editorializing or preaching at the readers. Truly a must-read for fans of Criminal Minds, Mindhunters, or any serial killer documentary this decade.

An extremely interesting read. From the introduction, Ann grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. True crime buffs and fans of mindhunter definitely need to pick this book up. However, this book contains a lot of graphic material that may be disturbing to some people, so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re easily troubled. It is to be expected though, given the nature of her job. If this doesn’t bother you, definitely give it a read!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for a honest and fair review. When I started this book I expected more of the same as those written by John Douglas and Robert Ressler - of which I have read almost all! I was surprised and delighted in the way and Burgess addresses the topics of sexual violence and women’s experiences. I was also pleased to discover that the author was a psychiatric nurse and moved into academics to address the these issues on a broader scale. I had no idea Ann Burgess was on of the first thinkers to consider rape as power thing and not necessarily a sexual thing. Her research is a game changer.

To be honest I wasn’t sure there would be much value added here but it was a refreshing an interesting take! I feel like this topic is largely covered by male authors and Burgess did a great job writing about this topic through the lens of women. I think this work is a lovely intersection of how women’s perspectives are needed when looking at violent crime and behaviour - from both sides. The only criticism I have is that it may have been a touch too long - it could benefit from some tightening up In terms of repeated ideas etc. But overall this was a riveting and engaging read!

A fascinating look into the early days of the BSU from a voice that is refreshingly not John Douglas or Robert Ressler. A must-buy for collections where true crime is popular.

I found this book to be very serious, not just in its subject matter but in Dr. Burgess' no-nonsense personality. There are few if any light touches in this book, and clearly Dr. Burgess doesn't see her profession as allowing for anything but hard, serious focus. The Netflix series, Mindhunter, had a character based on Dr. Burgess, and similarly, Dr. Wendy Carr was on the grim side. Dr. Burgess is ever-mindful that victimology is foremost in importance, not only because the victim/the family deserve all available help...but because something(s) about the victim usually activates the psychopathic rapist or killer and offers clues. Some reviewers of this book have noticed that more focus is on sexual predators than serial murderers unlike the John Douglas books.
I recommend this book as a guide for those interested in the science of finding violent criminals through psychological clues. Dr. Burgess has dedicated her career to caring for victims (starting with her years as a nurse). When they are missing, she helps in the search. When they are found alive, she is involved in their care and in finding their attacker. Her methodological tracking of perpetrators in partnership with her team greatly raises the odds of the criminal being brought to justice.

It's no secret that I love to read true crime. So when I saw this one I HAD to request it!
I really enjoyed this book, I actually really enjoyed the perspective of Ann. I enjoyed that she told the readers about her background before she even joined the FBI. While the book kind of reinforced things that I already knew reading some of the other books on profiling, it was still nice to get a full picture from a different perspective.
I do have to say that this book wouldn't be for the weak-hearted, she does go into some difficult cases. I do like how she focused on the victims to help with the profiling, she doesn't forget that they are people too. I also liked her perspective that we glorify serial killers and not really focus on the victims as a society.
I enjoyed how she mixed her psychological experience with the whole profile setting, it was also interesting to get the perspective from a woman's point of view. I knew who she was because of John Douglas's books but I liked how she kind of brought a fresh breath of air to the cases and the process.
This book is very eye-opening, chilling as she describes the process, and a must-read for any true crime fans! I will say this I have read John Douglas's books and this one was a different pace and very hard to put down. If you love true crime or even the psychological aspects of profiling then this is definitely one that you should pick up ASAP! Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Books for the opportunity to read/review this one I thoroughly enjoyed it and will lookout for more books by this author!

This story was utterly captivating! It focuses on the author's experiences working in a field that deals with violent criminals. It has many layers to it. With a unique perspective of a woman's point of view during a time and in an occupation, when woman were still limited and held back because of their sex in a field dominated by white men. It did a great job getting and holding my attention throughout the whole story. The writing was excellent. It gave all the critical information without feeling like a text book or info dumping. It looks at how her career started as a nurse. Because of her specific interest, ground breaking research and perspective, she was able to make leaps and bounds, in regards to how victims of sex crimes are treated as well as how to deal with offenders. Because of her tireless efforts on this subject, she caught the eye of the FBI agents. I have read many true crime books as well several on profiling, however this book stands out for me. It showed the back breaking work that not only Ann put in, but all the members that first made up the BSU. How they each brought priceless aspects to developing criminal profiling and the criminals that made up their database. They looked at their horrible deeds and how each one played a crucial role in order to understand the minds of these individuals, which can lead to capturing them. I highly recommend this book!
Trigger warnings included but not limited to: Kidnapping, rape, murder, dismembering, etc..
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

I received this advanced copy of A Killer by Design thanks to @netgalley . This story follows the conception of the FBI Behavioral Science Unit. I really enjoyed hearing the history if this organization and different cases the author was involved in. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in true crime.

I adored this book. I find the profiling of the criminal mind to be incredibly interesting. This is a book for anyone who likes to watch CSI, Dexter, or anything similar--"listening in" as Ms. Burgess discusses cases and how profiles were made was my favorite part of the book. I highly recommend and will keep an eye out for any other titles by this author!

I first want to thank Netgalley and Hachette Books for a chance to chance to read an advanced copy for a true and honest review.

I really liked this book...I have always been amazed by the job of profiling...how this is used to get a line on criminals...but specifically serial killers...I have read "Mindhunter" and watched the show on Netflix...I have read many other books on the department...including how the division started...Some of the book covered things that I was already aware of...but this didn't diminish it...it was from a new perspective by the author Ann Burgess...it was great to read her background before joining the FBI ...but she details several cases and how all of the participants come together to form the profiles...it was interesting to hear about the background work...like the teaching of classes and the presentation of information to agents to get them thinking about profiles....there were times that the psych aspect dove deep and made me think but that also was welcome...it wasn't fluff...it was deep analysis of what the process is and how they use it ...but not to the point that it was a turnoff...and then the final determination of where and how ....she also dove into the people she worked with ...to get more of a feel about them as people....which I found very interesting as most other books gloss over this as..I am sure the thought process is that most people wouldn't be as interested in the people but were looking just for the cases....but to know what drives the person to do this work...was very revealing...

Thanks Ann and Steve for the great book...another interesting read about such an enthralling topic...

An extraordinary read and perfect for those of us who are true crime addicts! I am also a writer and this book will be an excellent reference for me.

This book was a different read for me. It was a true crime meets biography. When I read the description I was intrigued by it. A look into the psychology of killers and the whole idea of how to characterize these killers.

What I did not expect was to be reading the real story of the Netflix show Mindhunters. Ann Burgess is portrayed on the show just under a different name. When I connected the dots, I wanted to read this book even more!

Ann Burgess is honestly an awesome woman who helped change the FBI and how they look at crimes. The set up of the book is clever and within each chapter Ann Burgess connects one of her crimes she was on to psychology, gender and how killers are developed.

If I think about their major cases, they have interviewed some notorious killers. But she also brings into light some smaller cases and how it was working with others to develop profiles of killers.

After reading this, I realized what impact Ann Burgess had not only in the psychology at the FBI but also showing women can be more than just secretaries in the FBI.

I was given an ARC to this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books for the ARC of this book.

This book is a must for any true crime fanatics. A fascinating read into how exactly the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit came to be. Unifying and standardizing how serial killer information is taken in order to better understand killers and the methodology of their minds was captivating to read.

This is a more technical look at how the author worked with FBI agents to combine her psychological experience to create and expand the profiling techniques that have proven to catch serial killers. The process of building this initally underfunded data on serial killers was intriguing and its expansion and adaptations proved successful in multiple examples of cases shown in the book.

The line between being overly invested in serial killers and learning about them to stop future ones was extremely well balanced. The author makes a point to absolutely reject the obsession with serial killers that has grown more common over the past decades with the commodification of media heightened serial killer information. The author makes a point to instead focus on the victims, how the killers actions came to be and how they manifest with triggers and experience acting out their darkest thoughts.

If you’re a fan of Mindhunter, you’ve met Ann Burgess’ tv counterpart, Dr. Wendy Carr. Card is based on Burgess and her real-life work as first a psychiatric nurse, then as a criminal profiler who worked with the BSU since it’s inception.

Burgess lays out some of the BSU’s most famous cases, as well as the thoughts of the offenders she hemorrhage interview. It is not an easy read- many sections of the book are graphic, but never salaciously so. Burgess has respect for the victims and their families.

If you’re a reader of true crime or interested in the darker aspects of psychology, this is the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette books for the ARC in exchange for an honesg review.

An interesting read on how behavioral science was created and used by the FBI. A good true crime read with interesting stories and cases.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
I was interested in this book because the description stated the author worked with the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit back in its formative days, including with John Douglas who was a pioneer at the BSU. I enjoyed Douglas's famous true crime book "Mindhunter." and the Netflix series based on it, and Burgess is undoubtedly the figure behind Anna Torv's character on that show.
While I wondered what Burgess might bring new to the table that previous books and the TV show hadn't already explored, it quickly became apparent that there was sufficient untapped material for this book. While the "Mindhunter" book and show greatly focus on serial killers and how the FBI began utilizing the idea of profiling killers, Burgess doesn't focus as much on those famous aspects. While they are mentioned, as she was one of the main people to begin that whole process, the focus in this book is more on sexually violent offenders and those who weren't as much in the limelight or weren't even serial killers, but perhaps killers of one or two victims.
Without the hoopla of going into detail about more notorious criminals and instead describing more of the psychological process that she introduced into the profiling scheme this book could have made for some very dry reading. But the narrative flows very well and in a manner that makes you want to learn more about the process behind the system and how it shaped the way law enforcement deals with these violent criminals today. 4.5/5*

Posted on Goodreads:
*I received a review copy from Hachette for an honest review.

For those who have read John Douglas' <i>Mindhunter</i> and Robert Ressler's <i>Whoever Fights Monsters</i>, you already know Ann Burgess -- the psychologist behind the groundbreaking studies which drove the development of criminal profiling as a crime-fighting technique. She's authored and co-authored several books, but this is the first I've come across which provides her point of view before, during, and after the development of those profiling techniques.

This is a fascinating, fast-paced look at Burgess' experience with the FBI and some of the most striking cases she explored.

It is not for the faint-of-heart. She opens with the murder of two young boys in Nebraska. This case is used to illustrate the profiling process and, as such, contains brutal details -- all of which are necessary to understand why the profiling team comes to the conclusions it does.

Burgess' focus is always on the victim of the crime. We mustn't forget that there are real people, some still suffering, because of these murderers. As Burgess herself points out, we (true crime fans) often have a tendency to place serial killers on a pedestal -- Who is YOUR favorite serial killer? -- which is one of the risks with attempting to explain these violent offenders' reasoning and thought processes during the most transgressive acts one human being can perpetrate on another (rape and murder). But Burgess leaves no doubt that these killers are definitely the bad guys.

While the stories, explanations, and case studies are fascinating in their own right, I personally found the inter-relationships between the profilers almost MORE interesting.

For example, I'd read about Ann Burgess in John Douglas' <i>Mindhunter</i> many years before, so I already knew who she was and what she'd done...from Douglas' point of view. In my mind, Douglas has dominated the criminal profiling conversation for decades. His stories have led to multiple bestselling books and one badass Netflix series. It was very intriguing to hear the same stories told from a psychologist's (and a woman's) point of view.

This book is really excellent. It's written by a doctorate in criminal psychology, so this person has a serious command of the English language. She takes you through her experiences with both the offenders and the sometimes offensive guys at the FBI Behavioral Unit.
If you are interested in the nuts and bolts of crime prevention, detection and understanding this book is for you. It isn't full of bloody gore although that is sometimes necessary to convey. This isn't a movie car chase or scary horror book. it's serious and in my opinion that's what makes it great.