The Killer Across the Table audiobook

In The Killer Across the Table :Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI’s Original Mindhunter , Mr. Douglas and co-author Mark Olshaker take a close look at four predatory killers while detailing the profiling process and strategies used to unlock the minds f some of the country’s most notorious killers. I had not read (or watched) Mindhunter before this book, so it was an entirely new experience for me. The FBI’s former special agent and master of criminal profiling, John Douglas, has studied and interviewed many of America’s most notorious killers. In this book, the author has attempted to go deep into the life and crimes of 4 of the most infamous killers. He tries to uncover the factors that led them to murder and how he used his interrogation skills to expose their means, motives, and true evil. Douglas recounts his encounters with these four killers—revealing for the first time his profile methods in detail.Each of the 4 major chapters, profiles one killer in detail. It gives a brief profile of the killers and the crimes they have committed. He then goes, step by step, through his interviews and connects each killer’s crimes to a ‘trigger’, and contrasts these encounters with those of other deadly criminals to show what he learns from each one. He also uses the knowledge he gained from other famous cases, killers and interviews that have helped him deconstruct these killers. As a Warning, the crimes committed by each killer are really gruesome and the details are truly disturbing to read.Having read many books from the ‘True Crime’ genre, this book is unlike any other I have read so far. Douglas’s insights into the minds of the killers are completely unparalleled. He can decipher even the seemingly obscure remarks or even faintest of body language in an expert manner. He attempts to answer questions such as the reasoning for their offenses and how the offender themselves tries to justify their actions. Douglas gets them to open up about their motivations and triggers. In a way, he guides the readers through the complex labyrinth of the human mind to understand what true evil looks like.While the book covers only 4 cases, each of these four cases is truly unique in nature. Douglas does not make try to heroes of these killers or evoke sympathy for them, nor does he sensationalizes their crimes (many books are guilty of doing that). What sets the book truly apart is the way Douglas examines the minds an actions of these criminals, casting a critical look at their past to find their ‘triggers’. Having said that, the narrator has a habit of going back to old cases, to make a finer point, which gets confusing at times. If you are looking for something on the lines of unsolved cases or ‘crime-solving’, this book may not be for you. This book is more about personalities, of both the criminals and Douglas interviewing them. Overall The Killer Across the Table is a well-written and insightful look into the mind of murderers. It is a book which goes beyond the sensational narration of crimes and focuses more on the criminal psyche and the book is a great way to understand the true origin of some of the despicable criminal acts. This is a recommended read for anyone interested in crime, criminal profiling, and psychology. Many thanks to the publishers HarperCollins, the author John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker and Edelweiss for the ARC.

The real-life FBI profiler who inspired the TV program, Mindhunter, reveals his secrets within these pages. He details some of his most high-profile cases and his interviews with the criminals. He delves deep into their crimes and their minds. I’m a fan of true crime and of all things psychological. This was a disturbing look into some truly diabolical minds. Their utter lack of humanity and empathy is the stuff of nightmares. Are psychopathic killers born or are they made? And if made, what experiences molded them into cold-blooded killers devoid of the characteristics that makes us human? By sitting down with convicted killers and using interview techniques specific to the criminal mindset, he explores potential answers to these questions. By doing so, the author unlocks the secrets to profiling, which improves the odds of identifying and apprehending these monsters. Well-written and narrated by the actor from MIndhunters, this is the perfect book for true-crime devotees who are interested in criminal profiling. I recommend this one only for those who can stomach the graphic details of the crimes and can tolerate being inside the minds of serial killers. I highly recommend this on audio. Don’t miss the interview at the end between the narrator and the author. This was another fantastic buddy read with Marialyce. For this and other duo reviews please visit her blog @https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...

Together with longtime collaborator Mark Olshaker, John “The Original Mindhunter” Douglas is at it again, interviewing the iciest of killers to find out what makes their cold hearts tick. Since he is retired from his old home at the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, John—now an independent contractor—takes his four psycho-killer interviews wherever he can find them: one commissioned by the New Jersey State Parole Board, two for a prospective MSNBC pilot, and one for a six-part ID Network documentary series entitled Serial Killer: the Devil Unchained It is obvious, though, that John Douglas isn’t in it just for the money. He never accepts interviews with run-of-the-mill murderers; no, he only seeks dialog with the most intriguing cases, subjects who can help him answer a compelling question or two about how exactly predators think.Take Joseph McGowan, for example. What compelled the 27-year-old high school chemistry teacher to murder the 7-year-old Brownie from across the street who had come to his door to deliver two boxes of Girl Scout cookies? McGowan was an intelligent man, but the murder was extraordinarily reckless: the girl was known to him, lived across the street from him, and his house was most likely known to be her destination. Why did he choose her—and that particular moment—for his first and only murder?Then there is Joseph Kondro, who evokes in Douglas’ mind a similar question. Kondro, locked up for the sexual assault and murder of two young girls—one eight years old, one twelve, a decade apart—knew both of his victims well and was a close friend with their two families. Why not pick strangers as victims instead? Why take such an obvious risk, even once? And why take it twice?The third killer, hospital orderly Donald Harvey, known as the Angel of Death, took care to make all his murders seems to be from natural causes, and thefore managed to commit three dozen to five dozen murders before he was eventually caught. And Douglas’ fourth interview, the apparently reasonable real estate agent Todd Kohlhepp, unknown perpetrator of the notorious “Superbike Murders,” and then, years later, two cases of couple abduction and murder. Each has particular aspects to his case that interests Douglas and motivates his interview.There are more than a few gory details here, a score of illuminating references to some of Douglas’ better known cases, and a few inspiring passages as well (Rosemarie D’Alessandro, mother of the murdered Girl Scout, is a courageous and memorable woman). But the real interest here is in Douglas’ cat-and-mouse game with his four subjects. Each of these four devious men still has his secrets, and Douglas—ever patient, ever the good listener--is just the right man to smell them out.

“To understand an artist you have to view his art. Likewise with a predator to understand him you have to understand his art, because that’s what it is to him.”This book is brought to you by the writers of the thriller series “Mindhunter” on Netflix where FBI agents interview serial killers and try to get into the brain of the villain.( It’s based off of the book as well.)“The Killer Across The Table” is in that same vein...It’s such an intense and truly frightening insight into the life of an FBI Profiler and his conversations with murderers. After 25 years in the business he has learned how to successfully help the police by figuring out what’s inside a convict’s head in order to bring them to justice. It’s amazing the crucial information that you can get out of a conversation. He calls this “behavioral profiling.”“The aim is not to be a friend. The aim is not to be a foe. The aim is to get to the truth.”The goal from sitting across the table from these disturbing individuals was to get a motive. Why? How? Is there a common denominator between them all...similar personality trait, diagnosis; background? He found 3 common traits throughout their interviews: manipulation, dominance; control.“It is a verbal and mental chess match without any game pieces. A sparring session without body contact. An endurance contest in which each side will seek out and exploit the other’s weakness and insecurities.”I think that this book scared me even more; made the chills run a little bit deeper, because the setting is at the Maximum Security NJ State Prison in Trenton and I live in New Jersey. Yikes!This book is divided into four sections, one for each killer that was interviewed, each man just as horrifying as the next. “...Any prison interview of this type begins as a mutual seduction. I’m there to seduce the convict into believing that my sole purpose of being there is to help him get out and he’s there to seduce me into believing that he’s worthy of getting out.”The conversations are beyond bothersome—you’ll find that these are people that live in your neighborhood, friends that you trust with your children, men that can look you in the eye and have no regard for another human life or the friends and family that their malicious deaths will affect. They have no regrets, even after being incarcerated. “Had you not been identified would you have kept going? Yea. You would’ve kept killing? Yea. You felt comfortable with that? I felt real comfortable about killing. I mean killing for me was just like second nature, ya know?”The truth will haunt you. Their words will devastate you. Tread lightly with this book, it’s true crime at its most gruesome— one on one with a killer. If I learned anything it’s to be careful being too vulnerable because this characteristic more than anything else will lead you straight into the path of a psychopath. These words are rough, so make sure you can handle it before you step inside this manic world of brutality.—Here are some examples below:“He then unbent a wire coat hanger and fed it through the catheter puncturing the bladder and intestines. Gilbert went into shock from internal bleeding and then sank into a coma.”“ He was “Uncle” Joe to her, yet he thought nothing of beating her viciously strictly as means to a perverse end before he sexually assaulted and murdered her.”“She had to be terrified and fearful for her own life, particularly when he showed her the grave he had dug for her.”5 ⭐️

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Killer Across The Table is the latest book by John Douglas, pioneer in behavioural sciences at the FBI, and the inspiration behind the character of Holden Ford on Netflix’s Mindhunter. In this latest book he examines four different murderers, ranging in victims and signature, as he delves into their mind and discusses the why, what and how of their crimes. Douglas always has an interesting way at examining these kinds of criminals, casting a critical look at their past to find their ‘triggers’. As he states, to understand this level of behaviour you need to examine every aspect of their life. They didn’t start to exist the day they came to jail. The writing, as usual, is also good and flows well. John uses a lot of past cases as evidence to support his ideas and the reasons he believes these criminals behave the way they do to great effect. He also never glorifies the criminals, or sensationalises the crimes. Particularly with the first case, which surrounds the death of a child, Joan D’Alessandro, he’s empathetic to the victim and family and shines a light on what the family has done to reduce child murder since her death. He also spends time discussing the great lengths that the family went to ensure the child’s killer remains behind bars. The criminals do not ever come out of Douglas’s books with a good reputation. As they shouldn’t. I found the section on Joan D’Alessandro and her killer John McGowan the most interesting, and the most well researched. Douglas masterfully dissects McGowan’s behaviour, and the reasons behind the killing, bringing up interviews from his colleagues and neighbours as well as his own time talking to McGowan and other similar killers to discern the real reasons behind why he did what he did. As mentioned, he also touches on the work of Joan’s mother in particular, and demonstrates what a truly inspirational woman she is.I do think that sometimes he repeats himself quite a lot, rehashing sections of his book ‘Mindhunter’, or repeating comments he’s already made earlier in the book (such as mentioning, twice, that police brought in ‘self-proclaimed experts’ to help solve satanic ritual crimes) which at times I found annoying. However for the most part I found this interesting and insightful. Information is presented here in what I would call an objective way, although with an obvious passion for the subject, that is easy to understand. I also found Douglas’s personality to be less ‘in your face’ than previous novels. Here the criminals and their behaviour take centre stage. Interesting read, obviously written to coincide with the success of the Netflix show Mindhunter, but worthwhile for fans of true crime and Douglas’s unique insight into criminal behaviour.

Really solid book if you love Mindhunter and enjoy learning about criminal profiling!

5, 10, 12 brilliant stars! THIS NOVEL IS IT!!! I have found my perfect book soulmate! “The Killer Across the Table” by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker is like a real-life Criminal Minds (my favourite TV show by the way). In this novel, former FBI criminal profiler John Douglas discusses four of his most prolific cases, and the criminal minds behind them. He uses his knowledge, background and FBI experience to try and understand why the criminals do what they do, what triggered their violent actions, and what exactly makes them different from everyone else? A non-fiction, in-depth examination of four intensely violent crimes and the disturbed brains behind them, “Killer” is completely un-putdown-able. Mr. Douglas touches on other cases he examined (such as the BTK killer, Son of Sam, and other infamous criminals) and draws comparisons, while he tries to figure out what makes killers “tick”. Douglas was apparently the person that Jonathan Demme used for the “Jack Crawford” character in Silence of the Lambs (one of my favourite movies), so there are some references to “Buffalo Bill” (from the movie) and the real murderer the character was based on. I cannot go on enough about this book. It’s utterly fascinating, gripping, page-turning and every ounce a powerful and disturbing story. For those who are interested in the workings of the criminal mind, look no further. (And don’t worry, Douglas reassures us that being “interested and obsessed with the criminal mind” does not mean we are destined to be criminals ourselves. So go ahead, read away!).

4.0 StarsThis was a gripping piece of true crime. Normally I struggle with non fiction because I often find it dry or too slow paced, but this one held my attention quite well. Readers should be aware that the crimes described in this book were very disturbing and often gruesome. I appreciated the attention on the victims. The best aspect of the book was the exploration of criminology as the authors discussed the psychology profiles of these serial killers. 

By all intents and purposes, John E. Douglas is an interesting character with a fascination for interesting characters. He was one of the FBI's first criminal profilers and a celebrated serial killer "whisperer" for the duration of his career. In this book, he delves into criminal psychopathy and attempts to answer questions such as: are killers born or made but also investigates the reasoning for their offences and how the offender themselves tries to justify their actions. Douglas’s great insight was to recognise apprehended serial killers not as monsters to be thrown down a deep pit and forgotten – but an untapped reservoir of knowledge and insight. Who could better understand, and decipher, these debased crimes than the criminals perpetrating them?So despite being considered as unorthodox at the time, Douglas decided to go to the direct source. Time after time he charmed and gained the confidence of criminals such as Charles Manson, Ed Kemper and Ted Bundy who gave up their darkest secrets. This is an interesting true crime book which gets to the crux of the issue through some intriguing, lesser-known cases. Sometimes the way in which it is written can come across as quite sensationalist, and we have to remember that these crimes had victims, but I can also see that Mr Douglas gets giddy when uncovering new information, so it may just be that. This is one of the better true crime reads and recommended reading for those interested in crime, criminal profiling, psychology and psychopathy. Many thanks to William Collins for an ARC.

RTC

If you expected a profile named "Miss Murder" to rate this book less than 4 stars then I'm gonna have to ask you to log offThis takes true crime novels to a whole new level, as John Douglas' experience with criminal behavioral analysis profiles all of the contemporary infamous serial killers. My favorite piece was Ed Kemper's analysis, as he's quite a character (obviously). Regardless, every killer profiled in the book is analyzed enough to make your skin crawl. It's my favorite when I get the heebie jeebies. Just go and read it. I know you want to.

Fucking fantastic. 100% recommend if you like true crime.