The Killer’s Shadow audiobook

Candace Owens, a conservative black pundit, recently (September 2019) tweeted that “White supremacy… is not a problem that is harming Black America” (https://thehill.com/homenews/house/46...) Ms. Owens is, of course, perfectly entitled to her opinion, but if she is going to make a statement of fact insinuating that white supremacy and white nationalism is not an actual problem in the United States, then she may need to get her facts straight.Here are some statistics:*Numerous law enforcement agencies, according to data collected by the FBI, reported 7,314 hate crime incidents involving 8,559 offenses in 2019. This was 294 more incidents than the previous year.*A vast majority (55.8%) of “single-biased” incidents (bias based solely on one aspect of “otherness”, such as race, religion, or gender) were motivated by race or ethnicity.*2019 saw a rise of 14% in anti-Jewish crimes. Anti-Hispanic crimes rose nearly 9%.*According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, formation of white supremacist groups increased from 100 chapters in 2017 to 148 in 2018.*The Anti-Defamation League reported a 182% increase in the distribution of white supremacist propaganda.*A recent FBI report, based on a several years-long investigation, uncovered infiltration at some of the highest levels of law enforcement across the country by white supremacist groups.* More than “just a few” of the rioters who have been arrested for their actions during the January 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C. were white supremacists and white nationalists.To Ms. Owens: To say that white supremacy is not a problem in this country is simply not true. It may not be a problem for you, personally, and to that I say, simply, congratulations. If you, a black woman, have made it through your whole life without being bothered by racists and white supremacists, then more power to you. I hope you continue to be personally unbothered by them.Unfortunately, for many other black people in this country, white supremacy—-often in the form of white privilege and hidden bias that lays the foundation for systemic racism—-is a huge problem. Then there are simply the outspoken racists who have no qualms about committing hateful crimes of violence against black people for no reason other than the fact that they’re black.White supremacy has been an insidious cancer that has eaten away, gone into remission several times, metastasized, and re-metastasized the socio-political landscape of this country, starting with the first slaves to arrive on this shore over 300 years ago.John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, authors of dozens of books about the pathology of serial killers, murderers, and terrorists, in their latest book, “The Killer’s Shadow”, recounts the manhunt, capture, and death of Joseph Paul Franklin, one of the most infamous white supremacist serial killers in American history.Franklin began his killing spree in the late 1970s and committed countless horrific hate crimes and murders until his capture and arrest on October 28, 1980. His targets were often black and Jewish men, women, and children. He proudly admitted to all of his crimes, including the assassination attempts of Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler magazine, and Vernon Jordan, a civil rights activist. He also targeted President Jimmy Carter during the 1980 presidential campaign. He was executed by lethal injection in 2013.Douglas admits that, of all the serial killers he has been responsible for capturing, Franklin was one of the most disturbing, mainly due to the frightening nature of white supremacist beliefs. Unlike other types of serial killers, white supremacists often have a following of fellow believers who consider them heroes and martyrs for a cause, that cause being the eradication of blacks, Jews, Hispanics, and other non-white groups. According to Douglas, white supremacy has the horrific tendency to be self-propagating.We’ve seen this, most recently, in the actions of the insurrectionists of January 6, 2021, who—-because of a president who not only continued to not downplay white supremacists but actually egged them on (“Stand back and stand by”)—-broke into the Capitol Building, vandalized and destroyed federal property, and, in some cases, were prepared to do bodily harm to unarmed Senators and House members.Even now, the FBI and law enforcement agencies are still on alert for acts of violence that have been threatened by white supremacist groups.We can no longer afford to either sweep racism under the carpet or claim that it is not a problem. The day of reckoning is upon us, and we are all going to have to pick a side, whether we want to or not. As Douglas says, “The journey to reckon with our nation’s searing history of racial hatred, intolerance, and discrimination is ongoing, and there are no neutrals in that struggle. (p. 367)”Sources(https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hate-cri...)(https://www.factcheck.org/2019/03/the...)(https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we...)(https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...)

If you like books about criminal profilers from the FBI, and the seriously twisted killers they are after, this book fits the bill. Back in the late 1970s, profiling was just beginning to get a start, with it getting a chance to be used outside the FBI by other agencies. This case would help to highlight its effectiveness and bring it more into use, if all went well as John Douglas took off to try and help catch the guy who’d been shooting people at random all over the country. His name was Joseph Paul Franklin, but he also used many false names as well.Profiler Douglas had been requested to assist police as things got bad, with Franklin randomly killing minority folks and mixed couples, showing his hatred for non-whites. He would even go after prominent white people, if he felt his reasons were good enough like when he wrote his letter to President Carter. He also wanted to show how he felt about Jewish people as well, so he began targeting them too. Franklin grew up with a lot of mistreatment and he wanted to let out his anger and rage when he felt like it. Abusing his wives wasn’t enough. He had this “mission” that he had come up with to kill as many of his targeted types of people as he could, and he was going to follow it through. Franklin became fairly proficient at robbing banks to keep himself going while he was on his mission. I found it to be an excellent look at a not too well known killer who was active in the 70s for 3 years. The case helped bring profiling into the mainstream as it helped them narrow down who to look at more, and who could be ruled out. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, authors John Douglas & Mark Olshaker, and the publisher.

When reading a gruesome murder mystery, you always think, "At least it couldn't happen in real life". But it can and does. John E Douglas was an FBI profiler when the BAU was not as famous as it is currently. He is the author of the Mindhunter book, yes the one the Netflix series is based on. This is the story of the FBI's hunt for John Paul Franklin, a serial killer whose victims were racially chosen yet had nothing in common. This made the investigation and ultimate capture very difficult. The story is more thrilling than your average fictional phycological thriller, and worse, it's true. An absolutely engrossing read that left me with much more information on how the FBI investigations work.

This book is a return to John Douglas and Mark Olshaker at their best. Engrossing, well written, and difficult to put down, this story of an abhorrent, hate-filled serial killer was noteworthy because Joseph Paul Franklin didn't fit the mold. If he hadn't pulled a Bundy and screwed up royally, he probably would have never been caught.Douglas dives into the perfect storm of nature and nurture that created the monster known as Franklin, and describes how these dangerous conditions are formed and how difficult it is to avert them once the course has been set.I was settling on a four-star rating until I got to the end, when the authors talked about the implications of Franklin's crimes and how they still continue to fuel hate even today. With an eloquence bordering on the poetic, they warn us of the darkness of the path we're currently on.It's shocking we don't hear more about Franklin, considering all the innocent people he murdered. But, in light of what's said at the end of this book, perhaps that's a good thing.

Y'all John Douglas did not come to play when he wrote this one. I tend to have mixed feelings on Douglas's stuff. Mindhunter was great, and so was The Killer Across the Table was pretty good too, although I don't know how much of my sheer enjoyment of that book came from the writing or Groff's narration. The Cases That Haunt Us was fine, nothing special, and to be honest, I didn't enjoy Journey into Darkness all that much. But this one was different--this was less about the formation of the BSU or Douglas's career as much as it was a focused case study on one particular person. That, and you could actually feel Douglas giving a middle finger to white supremacy, which was super entertaining. I mean, Douglas has never held his tongue when it comes to what he thinks of the crimes committed by the people he chases, but this particular book just felt like Douglas was 1000% done with everything and everyone.It was kind of a mood. What dropped this book a star for me was the lack of information in two areas that I would have liked a little more elaboration on. I would have liked a little more information on how racial tensions--especially during the times of the earliest crimes--may have informed the prosecution. That, along with an analysis of how to alter trial strategy based on racial tensions would have interested me immensely. (Honestly, I could read a whole book on that. Maybe Douglas will get around to it eventually, since he did briefly mention using behavioral science in the trial strategy for the Atlanta Child Murders.) I would have also liked for Douglas to have given a more specific opinion on where he thought what might trigger a racist to start murdering people. He dances around it, but doesn't really specify what his personal opinion on the matter was. That said, this book was unusual in that there wasn't a long chase sequence or a big whodunit. It really did just look at one person's crimes, his mindset, and the larger problem at hand.

I talk about details of my thoughts in this wrap up video.

Perfect for today's uptick in white supremacist violenceOne of my favorite authors, John Douglas (with Olshaker) goes into detail about possibly the most prolific serial killer in American history. And his murders were based solely on killing Jews and any white person who would even consider dating a black person and vice versa. If he even saw a male and female of separate races talking, he would kill them like a sniper, with long range weapons, hoping to start a race war.At the end, Douglas ties this kind of killer (and there are more and more of them) to the increased propaganda online and a president who encourages these groups to use violence to act out their hate.He makes it clear that these killers are losers with absolutely nothing worthwhile going on in their lives, whereas their victims were good people with great lives ahead of them - nurses, teachers, people who helped others and were killed by this lowlife before being able to complete their important work on earth.I learned q lot from this book. The writing of this team is always compelling - John was one of the original FBI profiles and mindhunters, who understands the mindset of such killers better than almost any other living person.His research and ability to find patterns and connect the dots are legendary and he takes you along with him through his adventures.I hope he writes a lot more because everything he has to say is especially important during these fraught times where even the president threatens civil war, and the barriers have gone down that kept most people from becoming violent.Maybe this and other books will take the sheen off of violence and show it for what it is - cowardly acts perpetuated by loserd.

This story is interesting but it doesn't reach the bar that I have gotten used to with any John Douglas book. Now this story follows Douglas as he is trying to profile a guy who has a real knack for murdering africanamerican people as well as interracial couples. As well as caucasian females who say that they prefered african american or jamicain men. The killer also made sure that everyone knew how he felt about jews as well. Franklin grew up in a dysfunctional home with a lot of mistreatment and later on he decided that the killings were rooted to his mother in a way. While he was on the hunt for his victims he was pretty good at robbing banks to supply the money needed for his targets and his activities. He did have wives and he did not treat them very well as well as a daughter that he never really got to know because he saw his mission to be more important than his wife and child. I did enjoy the book but its not one that i would actively recommend to anyone who loves true crime. I would recommend if you are a fan of Douglas and looking for something to read.

You pretty much know when you pick up a John Douglas book what you are going to get. A deep dive into the criminal mind, what motivates them; the how's, when's and why's. Sticking to his tried and true method, Douglas uses this book to pick apart a cowardly sniper/serial killer.Although the events in this book take place in the late seventies and early eighties, there is a timely appeal to the content. If you loved Mindhunter or any of the subsequent books by John Douglas, or enjoy true crime reads, this book is for you.

At this point, I've read probably close to a dozen books written by John Douglas. His stories of his experiences starting the profiling program in the FBI and of the buffet of crazies he's chased and interviewed...well that's just as good as it gets for me. However, he does repeat himself from book to book, and he's not ashamed to pat himself on the back. I'm maybe a little more tolerant of him doing this than other people because despite his flag-waving, the man is brilliant. Audible often features his books on their sales, and I buy them for when I need brain candy.In this installment, he focuses his attention on Joseph Paul Franklin. Douglas was called into the case early in his career not to profile unsolved crimes, but to help the authorities track him down after he escaped captivity. As he does, Douglas studies everything there is to know about Franklin, and almost slips into the soul of the offender to understand how he works.Franklin's legacy, if you will, is that he was a self-admitted white supremacist, inspired by Nazi beliefs, aiming his hate towards African Americans and Jews. This hate compelled Franklin to travel around the country, hunting innocent folks and picking them off with a sniper rifle. He also bombed one of his targets, and robbed banks to fund his killing spree. He also had aspirations to assassinate Jimmy Carter, but that never came to fruition. All told, he murdered over twenty individuals throughout ten states, wounded many more, served four life sentences and was put to death by lethal injection. Douglas had opportunities to interview Franklin in prison, and from these interviews expressed that what made this man dangerous (besides the obvious) was his potential to inspire a race riot. What I love about Douglas's books is that he unpacks not only the facts of the cases, but the personality disorders of the violators, the turning point that sent them down the path of a serial killer, and the methods in which Douglas was able to profile them. If you are the type of person who reads about these monsters and constantly ask WHY WHY WHY, this guy is going to give you some answers. Likewise, after you read a few of his books, you will hear all you need to hear about how he started the science of profiling, how he and his partner interviewed hundreds of serial killers to get an understanding of their psychopathy, how he nailed his profiles and helped catch criminals, and how amazing he is. You'll hear about Bundy, Kemper, Ridgeway, Rader, Berkowitz and Manson, over and over again. I don't get tired of it, but it gets on some people's nerves.Holt McCallany narrates this audiobook, and I've never heard him narrate before but he does play Bill Tench in Mindhunter so he is familiar with the topic. He has a booming baritone voice and it worked well.

Recommended for those who want to see the details of a crime, including the perp's psyche and their trigger and upbringing. Why they do what they do and how to recognize the similar traits.To start my adventure of true crime with John Douglas sets my bar a little too high. I get everything I want in this under 300 pages book: engaging narrative, the thorough investigation of a case (cases), the casual info dump which I appreciate so much in Non-fiction. Even when the story strays a little, it doesn't get boring nor irrelevant. It's just that good.This book particularly tells about Franklin, a racist serial killer who targeted Blacks and Jews. Franklin was anomalous in many ways (his MOs are not exactly similar in each killing, he was both organized and disorganized, he operated with personal hatred but he didn't want to come close with his victim). We will see how Franklin's hatred grew and what triggered his violent behaviour. Was it nature, or nurture, or was it both?John Douglas doesn't teach you the killing method and how to get away with it. He places his narrative in the investigators' POV, therefore it treats the readers as observers and learners. It shows the smallest detail of the case and a possibility where the perp will make a mistake, and that's when you can catch them.It's brilliant, articulate and simply astounding. This book makes me happy and knowing the man writes more than five books makes me even happier.

Thank you to Harper Audio for the complimentary copy of this audiobook.I don't typically read true crime novels but given the current political climate a book about a white supremacist serial killer seemed oddly compelling to me. Combine it with the fact that it is the same author who wrote the book the Mindhunter series was based off of and I was sold. And bonus the audiobook is narrated by Holt McCallany, the actor on the Mindhunter series.The book centers around Joseph Paul Franklin, a White Nationalist serial killer, who wreaked havoc in the late 1970s. The book is a fascinating look into a serial killer, his crimes, his background and his motivations. The book also outlines the beginning of the FBI profiling program and the methods they were rolling out. While the book outlines the murders that occur, it is not overly graphic or gory as Franklin was primarily a sniper.As I was listening to the book what really struck me was the underlying racism that fueled Franklin. So many of the sentiments really rang true with what I see happening with white supremacists in the US now. Overall I think this is a very timely and interesting book. The narration on this audiobook is top notch. With Holt McCallany I felt like a FBI profiler was telling me his story.

The Killer's Shadow is not your typical John Douglas case. This latest installement from famed FBI profiler deals with the case of Jospeh Paul Franklin, a white supremacist who is believed to have killed 20 or more victims during his reign of racial terror. I had never heard of him. Which in part may be a good thing since he wanted the notoriety. His hatred for African Americans and Jews led him to murder many in his desire to start a race war. JPF was vile and disgusting and his lack of remorse and his views on race are infuriating and despicable. Sadly this kind of thinking and action against other races still exists today. As for the writing, I love John Douglas but I continue to believe that he thinks way too highly of himself. Sometimes it's hard to overlook his grandstanding.

Stop the presses everyone! I read a John Douglas book and I didn't hate it.I honestly don't know how to handle this feeling.Sure he's still a randomly egoistical blow hard, but I'm either desensitized to it or he does it a lot less in this book. And as I tend to highlight every time he does it, I honestly think it is column B.This book follows one case all the way through - John Paul Franklin - with a few minor dips into others (including the Atlanta Child Murders where he goes again his previous words in Mindhunter, hmmmm....) And because of that the narrative is strong enough we don't have to constantly hear about how great John Douglas is. Yay!Honestly, it's a good read that didn't make me want to pull my hair out.