Mindhunter by John E. Douglas (1995)
Douglas began his FBI career serving in a variety of ways but gained some notoriety in his work with hostage negotiations (largely due to his background in behavioural psychology). From there he created what is now known as the Behavioural Analysis Unit, the department responsible for trying to figure out who might be behind a series of crimes. In 2024, this all seems fairly straightforward and standard operating procedure for an organisation such as the FBI, however in the 1970s there was pretty much no procedure at all for this kind of thing until Douglas and his team began their work. What didn't help their cause was the constant perception among the older guard that this "profiling", which Douglas argued was and is essential police work, was nothing more than voodoo hocus-pocus and should not receive any funding or be taken seriously. Thus when Douglas and his team worked on a case, they had to be right 100% of the time otherwise their entire unit would be shut down. And with that backdrop, this book makes for a pretty thrilling read.
He begins by traveling the United States, interviewing some of the most notorious serial killers known to man. From there he starts to form the opinion that most of this type of crime can be attributed to having some sort of sexual origin. Of course, this did nothing to keep the non-believers at bay. Indeed the calls to have this department disbanded became even louder. However, the problem for the naysayers is that he continued to be right. Every single time.
Each case followed uses a similar pattern of storytelling. Typically we begin with a series of appalling crimes, followed by a complete lack of evidence, motive, or likely suspect. In every case, the police department working it have little to nothing to go on. At their wits end, they bring in Douglas and his team to try and put together a fit for who might be committing these crimes. Reading the intricate thought process behind each of his assertions is absolutely fascinating. For example, one of the most famously baffling cases of the time was the Son of Sam - who terrorized New York City between 1976 and 1977, committing random acts of violence and taunting the police the entire time. From simply the crimes committed, the nature of them, and the actions behind them, Douglas was able to pretty much completely nail the profile of who might be committing such a crime. Down to the minutest detail. Turns out, once again, that he was right and David Berkowitz fit the profile exactly, thus allowing the department to survive another day.
As with the TV series, a large swathe of this book follows the case of the Atlanta Child Killer. This case is absolutely wretched and we don't need to go into details but during the entire investigation, Douglas' team found themselves on the brink, with more victims piling up. Under unimaginable pressure, he creates a profile and even a modus operandi of body disposal, that breaks the case wide open. Catching a killer in one thing, breaking him in court is entirely another. After all, these aren't normal people and can manipulate the emotions of a jury like no other. The chess game between the prosecution and the suspect is the high point of this read. Indeed it was this case that made Douglas' name and finally gained recognition for his work among the entire Bureau.
But that particular case, more so than even the others, really showed how on the edge the team had to operate in those early years. There are so many times they seemingly hit a dead end and the axe looms heavy overhead, only to be bailed out in some heroic fashion at the last. Now this in itself would make for a fascinating read. But coupled with the fact that he is chasing real life monsters in an attempt to bring justice for the victim's families and stop these people from striking again, well, the stakes don't get much higher.
If you're at all interested in criminal psychology, or true crime in general, this book is an outstanding addition to the genre. It tackles some deeply unpleasant parts of the human psyche and some acts that are beyond comprehension, but delving into the mind of the man responsible for keeping these things out of our lives is an enthralling experience. His insights into the behaviour of not only the criminally insane, but also us a species, are ones that stick with you for a long time. Towards the end, Douglas mentions the question he gets asked more than any other - "how do you stop someone from becoming a serial killer in the first place?" (or words to that effect). His answer may surprise you. It did me, and I've personally carried it with me every day since.
★★★★☆
JB.
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