Mindhunter: Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit, the Bestselling True Story (Now A Netflix Series)

· Random House
4.6
86 reviews
Ebook
448
Pages
Eligible
75% price drop on Nov 1

About this ebook

The bestselling true story and inspiration behind the hit Netflix show, looking at how one underfunded FBI team became the first to explore the dark world of serial killers.

'John Douglas knows more about serial killers than anybody in the world' Jonathan Demme, director of The Silence of the Lambs

John Douglas is a former FBI Special Agent and expert in criminal profiling and behavioural science. He made a career of looking evil in the eye - and understanding it.


No wonder that he was the inspiration for Special Agent Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs, as well as the film's consultant on the reality of serial killers.

Now in Mindhunter, Dougals explains how he invented and established the practice of criminal profiling, submerging himself in the world of serial killers in a quest to understand why they killed, and to help prevent more innocent lives from being ended by future killers.

Taking us on the journey of his serial crime unit developing from a derided two-bit operation in a dingy officer to one of the FBI's elite task forces, Douglas discusses some of the most terrible crimes of the age, including those of Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and the Atlanta child murderer.

With the fierce page-turning power of a bestselling novel, yet terrifyingly true, Mindhunter is a true crime classic.


Praise for Mindhunter:


‘John Douglas is the FBI’s pioneer and the master of investigative profiling’ Patricia Cornwell, bestselling crime writer

'A frightening look inside the mind of the depraved' JOE's 100 books to read before you die

'A cracker of a book' Esquire

A must read if you are interested in crime and particularly the criminal mindset.’ ***** Reader review

‘A real-life page-turner’ ***** Reader review

‘Had me hooked from start to finish’ ***** Reader review

A brilliant insight into serial killers and criminals, I just couldn't put it down!’ ***** Reader review

Discover more

Ratings and reviews

4.6
86 reviews
Celine Penn
September 25, 2019
Fascinating, human and honest. It is relentless in its detail and manages to convey hard to swallow stories with enough care that it isn't centered around the horrible men committing these violent acts, but rather the psychology that helped take them off the streets.
2 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?
Lidia Baric (LidiaB)
December 31, 2020
Interesting in parts. The author is egotistical and mysoginistic. It was difficult to listen to at times due to this - his description of some of the victims, and his personal life. I much prefer the TV series which is based on this book however the actors play much more sympathetic characters.
Did you find this helpful?
Nicholas Hudson
April 11, 2020
Inspired to read the book after watching the TV show, I was surprised by the narrative and approach. It is far more personal than I expected, exploring the impact of this work and the career context. However, it was a fascinating insight into this area of criminal psychology.
Did you find this helpful?

About the author

John Douglas joined the FBI in 1970, starting his career as a sniper in a SWAT team and progressing on to become a hostage negotiator. In 1977 he transferred to the Behavioural Science Unit (BSU), where he taught applied criminal psychology. He created the FBI's Criminal Profiling Program and led this division of special agents through harrowing and groundbreaking cases, including those behind Anthony Hopkins' role as Hannibal Lecter. Douglas lives with his family in the Washington, DC area.

Mark Olshaker, author of four novels and producer of the Emmy-nominated The Mind of a Serial Killer, lives in Washington DC.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.