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The Cases That Haunt Us
Violent. Provocative. Shocking. Call them what you will...but don't call them open and shut. Did Lizzie Borden murder her own father and stepmother? Was Jack the Ripper actually the Duke of Clarence? Who killed JonBenet Ramsey?
America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders.Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case.
The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results.
America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders.Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case.
The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results.
487 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
1269 people are currently reading
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About the author
John E. Douglas
45 books2,845 followersJohn Edward Douglas is a former United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, one of the first criminal profilers, and criminal psychology author. He also wrote four horror novels in the mid 1990s. -Wikipedia
During his twenty-five year career with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, a name he later changed to The Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995), John Douglas became the leading expert on criminal personality profiling and the pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. Through his research with serial criminal’s, Douglas learned how criminals think and what makes them do the things that they do, and why. Douglas can determine many personal traits and habits of an offender just by examining the crime scene; it’s evidence and victimology (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Interviews John Douglas has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the world’s most notorious serial offenders, which include: - Charles Manson, and three members of the Manson clan. - Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy. - John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer that killed 33 people. - David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. - James Earl Ray, assassin of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Ted Bundy - Unsuccessful assassins of Gerald Ford and George Wallace (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Captured In addition, Douglas’s profiles aided in numerous arrests of serial offenders, some of which include: - Wayne Williams, the .22 caliber killer. - Carlton Gary, the stalking strangler. - Robert Hanson, the Anchorage Alaska baker who would kidnap, hunt, then kill local prostitutes. These are just a few of the cases that John Douglas aided in throughout his twenty-five year career as a profiler with the Behavioral Science Unit, which he later renamed the Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Contributions to Psychology Douglas and his colleagues outlined in an article that explained the goals of a serial offender in the September 1980 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. They are as follows: - What leads a person to become a sexual offender and what are the early warning signals? - What serves to encourage or to inhibit the commission of his offense? - What types of responses or coping strategies, by an intended victim are successful with what type of sexual offender in avoiding victimization, and - What are the implications for his dangerousness, prognosis, disposition and mode of treatment (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995)?
During his twenty-five year career with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, a name he later changed to The Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995), John Douglas became the leading expert on criminal personality profiling and the pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. Through his research with serial criminal’s, Douglas learned how criminals think and what makes them do the things that they do, and why. Douglas can determine many personal traits and habits of an offender just by examining the crime scene; it’s evidence and victimology (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Interviews John Douglas has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the world’s most notorious serial offenders, which include: - Charles Manson, and three members of the Manson clan. - Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy. - John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer that killed 33 people. - David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. - James Earl Ray, assassin of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Ted Bundy - Unsuccessful assassins of Gerald Ford and George Wallace (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Captured In addition, Douglas’s profiles aided in numerous arrests of serial offenders, some of which include: - Wayne Williams, the .22 caliber killer. - Carlton Gary, the stalking strangler. - Robert Hanson, the Anchorage Alaska baker who would kidnap, hunt, then kill local prostitutes. These are just a few of the cases that John Douglas aided in throughout his twenty-five year career as a profiler with the Behavioral Science Unit, which he later renamed the Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Contributions to Psychology Douglas and his colleagues outlined in an article that explained the goals of a serial offender in the September 1980 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. They are as follows: - What leads a person to become a sexual offender and what are the early warning signals? - What serves to encourage or to inhibit the commission of his offense? - What types of responses or coping strategies, by an intended victim are successful with what type of sexual offender in avoiding victimization, and - What are the implications for his dangerousness, prognosis, disposition and mode of treatment (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995)?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 900 reviews
May 28, 2012
I enjoyed this, but the author irritated the hell out of me so I can't give it any higher than 2.5 stars.. For one, I believe he should have left out the Ramsey case because he's clearly biased and not playing fair with the reader. Second, he has a fat head, if Douglas could downsize his ego and stop mentioning all of his accomplishments every other paragraph it would make much easier reading!
That said, I did like this book. I loved the variety of the cases and that different perspectives were presented evenly (other than the Ramsey case as I've said). I also liked that the pictures of the ransom notes and such were included.. Too often in true crime books you get the crappy 'generic bit of dirt outside their house sort of near where they live pictures' haha.
That said, I did like this book. I loved the variety of the cases and that different perspectives were presented evenly (other than the Ramsey case as I've said). I also liked that the pictures of the ransom notes and such were included.. Too often in true crime books you get the crappy 'generic bit of dirt outside their house sort of near where they live pictures' haha.
February 10, 2019
The Cases That Haunt Us follows Douglas as he explores several unsolved cases through history, ranging from Jack the Ripper, the Black Dahlia to JonBenet Ramsay, using his unique insight into criminal profiling to try and answer the ultimate question: who dunnit?
This was an interesting read, helped greatly by Douglas having turned down the personality just enough to present himself as the expert he clearly is without being overbearing during his presentation of the cases. He goes through each one methodically and logically, and it’s easy to see where his conclusions lead. A good amount of background knowledge and an obvious flair for writing also help to propel what could otherwise be quite a static book. The chapters also flow together well, starting chronologically at Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden, with linking statements in later cases to the behavioural assessments of the former, which was a nice touch. The little additions of past cases from his time working within the FBI to support his theories was also nice to read, and added a level of authenticity to his conclusions.
I found the Jack the Ripper case particularly interesting - which surprised me as other than a trip to the London Dungeons I’ve had no interest in the macabre murderer of the Victorian era. However, I thought Douglas was able to provide a detailed and succinct retelling of the facts without diverging too much into the many weird and wonderful theories that surround the brutal killings. In fact, I think this is really where this book appealed to me as it didn’t go off on a tangent and stuck (mainly) to the facts and most reasonable explanations for the crimes.
My only real sticking point came with an overall feeling of ‘incompleteness’, which can only come from the cases all remaining unsolved. Obviously this is something that can’t be helped in this case, but I was left with an empty feeling at the lack of closure. A nice addition to the true crime genre, but it still wasn’t as good as Mindhunter.
This was an interesting read, helped greatly by Douglas having turned down the personality just enough to present himself as the expert he clearly is without being overbearing during his presentation of the cases. He goes through each one methodically and logically, and it’s easy to see where his conclusions lead. A good amount of background knowledge and an obvious flair for writing also help to propel what could otherwise be quite a static book. The chapters also flow together well, starting chronologically at Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden, with linking statements in later cases to the behavioural assessments of the former, which was a nice touch. The little additions of past cases from his time working within the FBI to support his theories was also nice to read, and added a level of authenticity to his conclusions.
I found the Jack the Ripper case particularly interesting - which surprised me as other than a trip to the London Dungeons I’ve had no interest in the macabre murderer of the Victorian era. However, I thought Douglas was able to provide a detailed and succinct retelling of the facts without diverging too much into the many weird and wonderful theories that surround the brutal killings. In fact, I think this is really where this book appealed to me as it didn’t go off on a tangent and stuck (mainly) to the facts and most reasonable explanations for the crimes.
My only real sticking point came with an overall feeling of ‘incompleteness’, which can only come from the cases all remaining unsolved. Obviously this is something that can’t be helped in this case, but I was left with an empty feeling at the lack of closure. A nice addition to the true crime genre, but it still wasn’t as good as Mindhunter.
December 1, 2016
I have always enjoyed reading books by the famous FBI profiler John Douglas and this book certainly didn't disappoint. Douglas reviews several famous cases, gives his views on them and then profiles several killers who were never caught including Jack the Ripper.
Others included the Zodiac Killer and the Lizzie Borden ax murders.
If you enjoy reading books in the True Crime genre and are interested in famous unsolved cases you should enjoy this book very much.
Others included the Zodiac Killer and the Lizzie Borden ax murders.
If you enjoy reading books in the True Crime genre and are interested in famous unsolved cases you should enjoy this book very much.
June 13, 2009
Douglas is one of the first criminal profilers in the country--and he lets you know it. He should have called this one "The Me Me That Me Me." This book is full of statements like "I flew across the country (at my own expense--I had since refused any and all payment for my services) to interview so and so. . " It starts out well, but soon devolves into Douglas patting himself on the back and talking over your head.
November 8, 2021
Yet another unputdownable read by Douglas and Olshaker! They take an in depth look at all those cases that grabbed the attention of the public and have yet to let our attentions go. Loved the coverage of Jack the Ripper and The Black Dahlia in particular, always something new to learn on those. Highly recommend for any fan of true crime.
June 6, 2019
Violent. Provocative. Shocking.
Call them what you will...but don't call them open and shut.
Did Lizzie Borden murder her own father and stepmother? Was Jack the Ripper actually the Duke of Clarence? Who killed JonBenet Ramsey? America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders. Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case. The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results.
It's interesting to learn about the most famous murderers and murders. From Jack the Ripper to JonBenet you get the incite of before and after the murders and the suspects and what the police and such feel about the cases. I enjoyed it a lot.
Call them what you will...but don't call them open and shut.
Did Lizzie Borden murder her own father and stepmother? Was Jack the Ripper actually the Duke of Clarence? Who killed JonBenet Ramsey? America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders. Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case. The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results.
It's interesting to learn about the most famous murderers and murders. From Jack the Ripper to JonBenet you get the incite of before and after the murders and the suspects and what the police and such feel about the cases. I enjoyed it a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2018
I'm very hesitant about this book. Although Douglas is a well-respected and almost singularly talented profiler, having read one of his other books I found him to be exceptionally arrogant and dismissive about facts that don't fit into his theories. I would never admit to knowing more about this subject than John Douglas but leaving out evidence has never sat well with me, no matter how revolutionary the man is. But I'm really trying to go into this book with an open mind- I'm especially interested in his take on the Jack the Ripper and The Black Dahlia cases.
September 9, 2015
John Douglas uses his experience with profiling to give his take on various famous unsolved Crimes such as Jack The Ripper, Lizzie Borden, The Lindburgh Kidnapping, JonBenet Ramsey and The Black Dahlia.
He presents the evidence and explains what he believes from it. He debunks some theories with his explanations as to why.
It as an interesting book and I like that he supports his reasoning with his FBI experience of profiling crimes.
These are cases that likely we will never know the answers to for various reasons which he acknowledges, yet they intrigue us and it is fascinating to get his opinions on them along with his reasoning.
He presents the evidence and explains what he believes from it. He debunks some theories with his explanations as to why.
It as an interesting book and I like that he supports his reasoning with his FBI experience of profiling crimes.
These are cases that likely we will never know the answers to for various reasons which he acknowledges, yet they intrigue us and it is fascinating to get his opinions on them along with his reasoning.
January 23, 2016
To me this was just a rehash of a bunch of old cases I've heard about a million times, with no new or special insight into them.
November 6, 2008
I don't read true crime like I used to, because I'm older, I have a kid, and reading about sex murders isn't fun any more, and thanks to C.S.I. crap, everybody thinks forensics is cool, and that makes it less cool. But I've read all of John Douglas' books (except the Unabomber one--yawn, and the novel, because who cares?), and this has been in my "to read" pile for years, and I thought it would be a creepy Halloween season read.
John Douglas is the inspiration for the Scott Glenn character in Silence of the Lambs, you know; he pretty much invented the behavior analysis that the F.B.I. uses to profile killers. This book is sort of a true crime greatest hits, in which Douglas takes some of the biggest unsolved (or incorrectly solved) cases of all time and applies his techniques to the evidence, giving the reader his theory as to what kind of person would commit each crime, and why the prevailing myths might be wrong. Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, the Zodiac Killer, the Black Dahlia, the Boston Strangler and more are covered here. The final chapter deals with JonBenet Ramsey, a case in which Douglas briefly served as a paid consultant, and this chapter is the weakest, as Douglas is obviously still defensive about the heat he took for declaring the Ramsey parents innocent. He does make some strong arguments in their favor, though, and I believe him more now than I did at the time.
Anyway, this is an entertaining book if you like this sort of thing. Lots of fun to talk about.
John Douglas is the inspiration for the Scott Glenn character in Silence of the Lambs, you know; he pretty much invented the behavior analysis that the F.B.I. uses to profile killers. This book is sort of a true crime greatest hits, in which Douglas takes some of the biggest unsolved (or incorrectly solved) cases of all time and applies his techniques to the evidence, giving the reader his theory as to what kind of person would commit each crime, and why the prevailing myths might be wrong. Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, the Zodiac Killer, the Black Dahlia, the Boston Strangler and more are covered here. The final chapter deals with JonBenet Ramsey, a case in which Douglas briefly served as a paid consultant, and this chapter is the weakest, as Douglas is obviously still defensive about the heat he took for declaring the Ramsey parents innocent. He does make some strong arguments in their favor, though, and I believe him more now than I did at the time.
Anyway, this is an entertaining book if you like this sort of thing. Lots of fun to talk about.
February 2, 2018
Famed former FBI profiler John Douglas took a thorough look at several historical cases that have kept people interested for many years, going through victimology and profiling of the UNSUB. I learned many interesting facts about these old cases that I didn’t know and I enjoyed his analysis of the crimes. It was interesting to get the perspective of a profiler on cases that happened long before profiling was a thing. He didn’t have all the answers to solve the crimes, but he had some interesting opinions on what may have happened.
July 23, 2020
I read this book for the Goodreads' book club: Diversity in All Forms! If you would like to participate in the discussion here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
"America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders.Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case.
The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results."
"America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders.Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case.
The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results."
February 9, 2020
“The Cases that Haunt Us” re-evaluates some of the most notorious, unsolved crimes in history, and looks at them with the modern technologies and theories that exist in the 2000’s. Written by John Douglas (former FBI profiler) and his writing partner, Mark Olshaker, this novel delves deep into the world’s most violent and memorable crimes, from Jack the Ripper to The Black Dahlia, The Zodiac and Jon Benet Ramsey, to name a few.
Douglas evaluates the cases that everyone is familiar with, introducing new information both obtained through modern means and the parts of the crimes that were kept secret by police or authorities. He then analyzes each crime and poses new questions, coming up with alternate suspects and motives that were previously uninvestigated due to lack of knowledge or resources.
Douglas does not SOLVE any of the cases, but he definitely looks at them in new ways.
Well- written and deeply informative, this novel starts with Jack the Ripper, and moves forward in time. Who were the suspects at the time? What new information have we learned since?
This novel is a must for anyone who has a deep interest in the criminal mind, or for anyone who enjoys true crime. Douglas speaks from personal experience in some of these cases, as he had physical involvement in some of them (The Ramsey case being one) .
Definitely a novel not for the faint of heart, as some of the details are quite graphic, “The Cases that Haunt Us” provides insight into society’s assumptions, media misrepresentation, and police mismanagement behind some of the world’s most notorious crimes.
Douglas evaluates the cases that everyone is familiar with, introducing new information both obtained through modern means and the parts of the crimes that were kept secret by police or authorities. He then analyzes each crime and poses new questions, coming up with alternate suspects and motives that were previously uninvestigated due to lack of knowledge or resources.
Douglas does not SOLVE any of the cases, but he definitely looks at them in new ways.
Well- written and deeply informative, this novel starts with Jack the Ripper, and moves forward in time. Who were the suspects at the time? What new information have we learned since?
This novel is a must for anyone who has a deep interest in the criminal mind, or for anyone who enjoys true crime. Douglas speaks from personal experience in some of these cases, as he had physical involvement in some of them (The Ramsey case being one) .
Definitely a novel not for the faint of heart, as some of the details are quite graphic, “The Cases that Haunt Us” provides insight into society’s assumptions, media misrepresentation, and police mismanagement behind some of the world’s most notorious crimes.
October 20, 2020
This book still haunts me years after reading it. True crime lovers will want to read this one for sure.
June 27, 2021
First of all if this man wanted to write a good book, what he should have done was left out all the things and all the places where he talked about himself and all of his accolades and all the amazing things he’s done and just focused on the case at hand. Second, I think his last sentence of the afterword explained what this book was missing: that the cases that do not get attention are the ones that haunt him just as much. To pay true homage to the cases that haunt us, he should have focused on the cases, where there is one news clip and not ones where we know so much, we don’t even know what we know.
Further, this book while shrouded in fact, is really just opinion. Presenting the facts of the case and then launching into a tirade about how he would have solved it or how things could have been done better, is purely opinion and really takes away from the book. Hindsight is always going to be 20:20, with these most famous of cases, that people revisit, profiler or not. Overall, I wasn’t impressed with this book, as much as I had hoped to be.
Further, this book while shrouded in fact, is really just opinion. Presenting the facts of the case and then launching into a tirade about how he would have solved it or how things could have been done better, is purely opinion and really takes away from the book. Hindsight is always going to be 20:20, with these most famous of cases, that people revisit, profiler or not. Overall, I wasn’t impressed with this book, as much as I had hoped to be.
March 4, 2021
I actually enjoyed this. I read the audible version. Only my second ever book on true stories, just makes you wish you could go back in time and re-investigate and possibly catch who done it.
June 5, 2021
5/5 stars, criminology is one of my favorite things about psychology
My plans for the future involve psychology, specifically therapy and counseling for patients but that doesn't mean I don't love all aspects. I remember my love for both psychology and criminology started when I watched Criminal Minds for the first time when I was 11. I thought it was so cool that the profilers could basically paint an image of an unsub (the person who commits the crime) based on such subtle hints. The human condition is what draws me to psychology, why we as a people, fall into similar patterns of behavior and do the things we do. It was a great experience reading this book.
"On it's most essential level, criminology is about why people do the things they do, that is, it is about the human condition" (1)
Going through this book, written by the man who wrote mindhunter by the way (one of my favorite shows, haven't read the book yet) and was genuinely an FBI agent, watching him explore how criminology has changed was fascinating. It was awesome to see how human's understanding of each other has expanded to be better able to predict how they act. All of the crimes committed were unspeakable, any murder is, but he focused on the unsolved ones that haunt a lot of people's dreams.
As he spoke about each case, he first told the reader the details of the case, and I actually learned a few things from each. I have studied each of these cases before, whether that be in a psychology class or for my own interest. I don't try to dwell on them too much, as they make me extremely heartbroken, but it is interesting to see how the cases were handled not so long ago. It was cool to see the types of profiling evolve as time went on.
Other than that, it was just interesting to read. I don't really have any complaints and I'm glad I read it. Just look up trigger warnings for sure before you dive into this book!
My plans for the future involve psychology, specifically therapy and counseling for patients but that doesn't mean I don't love all aspects. I remember my love for both psychology and criminology started when I watched Criminal Minds for the first time when I was 11. I thought it was so cool that the profilers could basically paint an image of an unsub (the person who commits the crime) based on such subtle hints. The human condition is what draws me to psychology, why we as a people, fall into similar patterns of behavior and do the things we do. It was a great experience reading this book.
"On it's most essential level, criminology is about why people do the things they do, that is, it is about the human condition" (1)
Going through this book, written by the man who wrote mindhunter by the way (one of my favorite shows, haven't read the book yet) and was genuinely an FBI agent, watching him explore how criminology has changed was fascinating. It was awesome to see how human's understanding of each other has expanded to be better able to predict how they act. All of the crimes committed were unspeakable, any murder is, but he focused on the unsolved ones that haunt a lot of people's dreams.
As he spoke about each case, he first told the reader the details of the case, and I actually learned a few things from each. I have studied each of these cases before, whether that be in a psychology class or for my own interest. I don't try to dwell on them too much, as they make me extremely heartbroken, but it is interesting to see how the cases were handled not so long ago. It was cool to see the types of profiling evolve as time went on.
Other than that, it was just interesting to read. I don't really have any complaints and I'm glad I read it. Just look up trigger warnings for sure before you dive into this book!
August 4, 2025
This didn't blow me away by any means. In fact I found myself rather underwhelmed during its reading.
Douglas purports that he will apply his criminal profiling to each of these cases to build a profile based on the evidence presented. Hmmm. Really? The book instead feels like this:-
* These are the facts of the case (but lemme just throw in a few random assumptions and judgements too yeah?) Goes on to dissect all the grisly details of each case in great detail, seriously how many times can you read about Jack The Ripper's victims having their intestines lashed over their shoulder or their vagina removed! Wtf!
* These are the leads/suspects they had at the time (not really any mention of forensics or evidence, mostly just eye witness accounts).
* Erm so yeah we can't really build that much a profile cos the crime was like years ago. Maybe this is how we would have approached it as profilers ...... or maybe not, we're not sure.
* So yeah, we still don't know who this dude was and he was never caught! But hoo boy, wasn't that an interesting case?
The end!
A bit disappointing.
Douglas purports that he will apply his criminal profiling to each of these cases to build a profile based on the evidence presented. Hmmm. Really? The book instead feels like this:-
* These are the facts of the case (but lemme just throw in a few random assumptions and judgements too yeah?) Goes on to dissect all the grisly details of each case in great detail, seriously how many times can you read about Jack The Ripper's victims having their intestines lashed over their shoulder or their vagina removed! Wtf!
* These are the leads/suspects they had at the time (not really any mention of forensics or evidence, mostly just eye witness accounts).
* Erm so yeah we can't really build that much a profile cos the crime was like years ago. Maybe this is how we would have approached it as profilers ...... or maybe not, we're not sure.
* So yeah, we still don't know who this dude was and he was never caught! But hoo boy, wasn't that an interesting case?
The end!
A bit disappointing.
September 26, 2018
3.5. FBI profiler and inspiration for many a TV and movie character John Douglas examines some of the most infamous unsolved American murders (plus Jack the Ripper) and works his mindhunting magic on them. I liked it because it's much less about him than the Mindhunter book (sorry, but if you're not going to tell tales of driving to Chicago with your cats in the car and your mustache blowing in the wind like Jeffrey L. Rinek I don't want to hear that much about your personal life, stick to the ghastly stories we're here for.) (I did take some creative license in imagining what his mustache was doing at that time.)
Each section walks through the story of a case - Jack, Lizzie Borden, the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Zodiac, and JonBenet Ramsey, with Black Dahlia and Boston Strangler as quickies. His behavioral and profiling analysis was predictably interesting, even for cases that have already generated discussion and theories ad infinitum. The Black Dahlia one was the least enlightening, I thought, and Lindbergh was really interesting, even having already been schooled on it by a particularly informative Nova episode.
With the Zodiac he made me see why people go nuts trying to figure that one out. He also gives the most unintentionally hilarious description of that paper bag hat costume with the clip-on sunglasses. I know this is a murderer and he took someone's life while wearing it and that is unbelievably horrible, but in case you haven't considered the breakdown of that costume, it is just so so ridiculous. And did you know that he wrote a ton more "This is the Zodiac speaking" letters, not just the two or so that always get quoted? And that he wanted people in San Francisco to wear Zodiac buttons and got really fussy when the police didn't pass that request along? I did learn a lot from this book.
But then John Douglas becomes that bored lady in your office who can't resist gossiping even though she's been told to knock it off so as a compromise she withholds one little identifying bit. He gives details of a few possible suspects in some of the cases, like someone who claimed his bloody knife was from killing chickens on the day of the aforementioned clip-on sunglasses attack, but he doesn't name names or really go into enough detail. Which, fine - these people weren't tried and convicted so what can you do, but still. It's unsatisfying somehow.
And the bulk of each chapter is recounting the crimes and key details, which are interesting if you're not already familiar with them and less so if you are. Sometimes his expert analysis is just a quick couple of pages. I thought it was still worthwhile, but maybe only if you haven't read a ton of other material on any of the cases involved.
And then there's JonBenet. I'm not exactly clear what his involvement was, he's transparent that he was paid for his work there, but it didn't seem from my reading that it was at the Ramseys' behest, yet elsewhere it seems they WERE the ones who paid him? I don't really know. Regardless, I see his points in favor of the intruder theory and cutting the Ramseys a break here and there (still thin compared to the alternative) but I just don't buy it, and he seems to have a vested interest in asserting they had absolutely nothing to do with it.
And at this point it kind of seems like just about everyone everywhere agrees that they had at least SOMETHING to do with it even if it was an accident? He contradicts himself a little bit here and it has a someone dost protest too much feeling. I do think he knows that of which he speaks for the most part but this one is mighty suspicious.
Interesting enough but it did read like he was holding back on some of these, and I'm sure sometimes he had to. I like his idea of a traveling interdisciplinary investigatory expert supersquad though. We should do that instead of Space Force.
Each section walks through the story of a case - Jack, Lizzie Borden, the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Zodiac, and JonBenet Ramsey, with Black Dahlia and Boston Strangler as quickies. His behavioral and profiling analysis was predictably interesting, even for cases that have already generated discussion and theories ad infinitum. The Black Dahlia one was the least enlightening, I thought, and Lindbergh was really interesting, even having already been schooled on it by a particularly informative Nova episode.
With the Zodiac he made me see why people go nuts trying to figure that one out. He also gives the most unintentionally hilarious description of that paper bag hat costume with the clip-on sunglasses. I know this is a murderer and he took someone's life while wearing it and that is unbelievably horrible, but in case you haven't considered the breakdown of that costume, it is just so so ridiculous. And did you know that he wrote a ton more "This is the Zodiac speaking" letters, not just the two or so that always get quoted? And that he wanted people in San Francisco to wear Zodiac buttons and got really fussy when the police didn't pass that request along? I did learn a lot from this book.
But then John Douglas becomes that bored lady in your office who can't resist gossiping even though she's been told to knock it off so as a compromise she withholds one little identifying bit. He gives details of a few possible suspects in some of the cases, like someone who claimed his bloody knife was from killing chickens on the day of the aforementioned clip-on sunglasses attack, but he doesn't name names or really go into enough detail. Which, fine - these people weren't tried and convicted so what can you do, but still. It's unsatisfying somehow.
And the bulk of each chapter is recounting the crimes and key details, which are interesting if you're not already familiar with them and less so if you are. Sometimes his expert analysis is just a quick couple of pages. I thought it was still worthwhile, but maybe only if you haven't read a ton of other material on any of the cases involved.
And then there's JonBenet. I'm not exactly clear what his involvement was, he's transparent that he was paid for his work there, but it didn't seem from my reading that it was at the Ramseys' behest, yet elsewhere it seems they WERE the ones who paid him? I don't really know. Regardless, I see his points in favor of the intruder theory and cutting the Ramseys a break here and there (still thin compared to the alternative) but I just don't buy it, and he seems to have a vested interest in asserting they had absolutely nothing to do with it.
And at this point it kind of seems like just about everyone everywhere agrees that they had at least SOMETHING to do with it even if it was an accident? He contradicts himself a little bit here and it has a someone dost protest too much feeling. I do think he knows that of which he speaks for the most part but this one is mighty suspicious.
Interesting enough but it did read like he was holding back on some of these, and I'm sure sometimes he had to. I like his idea of a traveling interdisciplinary investigatory expert supersquad though. We should do that instead of Space Force.
June 9, 2014
I read this some time ago...after my "true crime" period. Occasionally something will click and I'll look up a book on a given subject. Douglas was an FBI Special Agent and one of the earliest criminal profilers.
Here he takes a look at several "interesting" high profile cases from the past and (the book's) present. The Zodiac Killer (a case never solved), The Black Dalia (also never solved), Bambi Bembenek (accused of murder, escaped, recaptured and awarded a new trial. She finally agreed to plead to a lesser charge for a sentence of "time served" and was freed), The Boston Strangler (Albert DeSalvo condemned but now there are questions as to his guilt), and the JonBenét Ramsey case.
He also looks at Jack the Ripper, the Lindbergh kidnapping, and Lizzie Borden (who no one ever seems to remember was found not guilty...though Mr. Douglas seems as if he might disagree with that verdict).
I found this an interesting even absorbing book. If it's a topic your interested in you might try it. For what it is I recommend it.
Here he takes a look at several "interesting" high profile cases from the past and (the book's) present. The Zodiac Killer (a case never solved), The Black Dalia (also never solved), Bambi Bembenek (accused of murder, escaped, recaptured and awarded a new trial. She finally agreed to plead to a lesser charge for a sentence of "time served" and was freed), The Boston Strangler (Albert DeSalvo condemned but now there are questions as to his guilt), and the JonBenét Ramsey case.
He also looks at Jack the Ripper, the Lindbergh kidnapping, and Lizzie Borden (who no one ever seems to remember was found not guilty...though Mr. Douglas seems as if he might disagree with that verdict).
I found this an interesting even absorbing book. If it's a topic your interested in you might try it. For what it is I recommend it.
January 8, 2016
I am starting to find some interest in True Crime as a genre. For years, I have read mystery fiction; now I am becoming interest in real cases as well.
The author, a former FBI profiler for over 20 years, has focused on cases that have haunted a lot of us---not haunted as in supernatural---but haunting in their effect on us and the controversies that surround certain cases. I mean, it is over 100 years ago and we are still fascinated by Jack the Ripper.
Of course, these are still only the opinions of Mr. Douglas and his co-author. I did not agree with all of his reasoning---but I found his arguments well researched and thought-provoking. He does not solve the cases he selects--but he examines what the current theories are in each cases and supports or refutes them. The segment on Jack the Ripper and the Lindbergh Baby Murder-kidnapping the most interesting segments of the cases profiled.
Recommended for fans of true crime; non-fiction and history.
The author, a former FBI profiler for over 20 years, has focused on cases that have haunted a lot of us---not haunted as in supernatural---but haunting in their effect on us and the controversies that surround certain cases. I mean, it is over 100 years ago and we are still fascinated by Jack the Ripper.
Of course, these are still only the opinions of Mr. Douglas and his co-author. I did not agree with all of his reasoning---but I found his arguments well researched and thought-provoking. He does not solve the cases he selects--but he examines what the current theories are in each cases and supports or refutes them. The segment on Jack the Ripper and the Lindbergh Baby Murder-kidnapping the most interesting segments of the cases profiled.
Recommended for fans of true crime; non-fiction and history.
March 19, 2018
Famed "Mindhunter" profiler examines famous cases from the past, i.e. Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, Zodiac, etc. There are no answers here, but Douglas offers his thoughts on how to analyze the evidence. I found it interesting that he believed that Borden was guilty, as was Bruno Hauptmann, and that John and Patsy Ramsey had nothing to do with their daughter's death.
March 29, 2016
I love a good mystery, even more so when it is focused on real life events. I read this book years ago and keep having my mind focus back to it. Gruesome and sad stories make you ponder why another human being would be guilty of such a terrible crime. Spooky and eerie, I recommend this book.
November 24, 2019
I found the Jack the Ripper profiling particularly interesting as well as the Boston Strangler case. This book also offered a new perspective on the murder of poor little Jon Benet, one which I have to say I now agree with.
May 20, 2015
A very interesting book, with enough information and tantalizing clues to stimulate any armchair detective. My second time of reading, and I find it just as fascinating as the first time around.
September 29, 2021
I first read this book 20 years ago, when it first came out and when Ann Rule and Dateline dominated the true crime book and tv scene. A lot has changed since then and true crime has become a mainstream obsession, for good reason. We're fascinated by the evil ones among us and decade after decade we try time and again to understand the incomprehensible acts they commit. John Douglas has the distinction of having developed the science of criminal profiling during his career with the FBI. In this book he looks at some of the best known and most perplexing unsolved cases, from Jack the Ripper to JonBenet Ramsey. (He also reviews the Lindbergh kidnapping of which there was someone convicted and executed, yet there is consensus that the primary perpetrator actually escaped justice.) He applies his profiling techniques to rule out some suspects and highlight others, offering his opinion of who likely committed the crime. It's fascinating stuff. Yeah, his famous ego is on display, but the man has earned it, hasn't he? He remains an advocate for justice for all, including all the victims of many lesser known crimes. His comments at the end expose his frustration at trying to implement strategies that could help solve crimes quickly, but which require much cooperation among states and cities - something insurmountable, it seems. I should check if any of this has changed in 20 yrs. Apparently in Canada we did implement at least one of his recommended strategies and it's working well. He has a couple of new books out and I'm eager to read them, now. Great narration, highly recommended for true crime aficionados.
November 8, 2023
As soon as I saw that this book featured the JonBenet Ramsey case I knew I absolutely had to grab it because that case has fascinated me since the beginning. I remember being a kid and reading about it in my grandmothers trashy gossip magazines and being horrified and captivated. I think that’s probably where my love of true crime started actually! The first two chapters about the Ripper and Borden were a little bit boring, I’ve read just about everything there is to read about those cases. But I wasn’t really reading the book for those chapters anyways. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it!
June 4, 2018
I was hoping for a little more opinion on some of these cases (especially the Lizzie Bordon case). I was already familiar with the majority of the cases, but it turns out there was a lot about the Lindbergh case I didn't know.
There was a small chapter that briefly deals with a few crimes where Douglas suspects the real killer hasn't been caught. He mentions the Boston Strangler, for with Albert DeSalvo confessed, but based on the crimes he was committing after the murders (rapes) it does seem unlikely that he could have de-escalated his crimes. And although I use to assume that Laurie Bembenek (Run Bambi Run) was guilty, I now think that the evidence against was not enough to have her prosecuted.
The book was written in 2000, so when Douglas gets to the section about the JonBenet Ramsey murders, the theory that her brother might have accidentally killed her wasn't mentioned. It's clear Douglas thinks the parents are innocent, and he definitely brings up some good points about how, based on the evidence, it makes sense that there was an intruder. I'm still not sure what to think about the crime, but obviously that's what makes it so compelling.
Unsolved murders aren't really my thing- although I am interested in True Crime, my anxiety usually requires the killers to have been caught. Most of these cases are decades old- Jack the Ripper, The Black Dahlia, Lizzie Border, the Lindbergh Baby- and in those cases there's not much Douglas can really add other than the facts and even some of those are questionable. Overall this was an interesting read of famous, unsolved cases. It wasn't a huge page turner- I've been reading it in bits and bursts for several weeks- but I'm glad I finished it!
There was a small chapter that briefly deals with a few crimes where Douglas suspects the real killer hasn't been caught. He mentions the Boston Strangler, for with Albert DeSalvo confessed, but based on the crimes he was committing after the murders (rapes) it does seem unlikely that he could have de-escalated his crimes. And although I use to assume that Laurie Bembenek (Run Bambi Run) was guilty, I now think that the evidence against was not enough to have her prosecuted.
The book was written in 2000, so when Douglas gets to the section about the JonBenet Ramsey murders, the theory that her brother might have accidentally killed her wasn't mentioned. It's clear Douglas thinks the parents are innocent, and he definitely brings up some good points about how, based on the evidence, it makes sense that there was an intruder. I'm still not sure what to think about the crime, but obviously that's what makes it so compelling.
Unsolved murders aren't really my thing- although I am interested in True Crime, my anxiety usually requires the killers to have been caught. Most of these cases are decades old- Jack the Ripper, The Black Dahlia, Lizzie Border, the Lindbergh Baby- and in those cases there's not much Douglas can really add other than the facts and even some of those are questionable. Overall this was an interesting read of famous, unsolved cases. It wasn't a huge page turner- I've been reading it in bits and bursts for several weeks- but I'm glad I finished it!
January 29, 2018
It was a great review of a few high profile cases.
John Douglas is clearly a smart and confident profiler HOWEVER .... the self-stroking in his books is more than a little annoying. I enjoy him pointing out where other law enforcement officers took a different approach but it comes with an exhale of hot air as he pats himself on the back for his "superior ideas." This behavior is far less prevalent in this book (until you get to the Jon-Benet Ramsey chapters) than in his other books, perhaps because he had a co-author.
As for the remaining cases there was a TON of information that seems to get lost in other books that only "touch" on the crimes so the book was worth it overall.
John Douglas is clearly a smart and confident profiler HOWEVER .... the self-stroking in his books is more than a little annoying. I enjoy him pointing out where other law enforcement officers took a different approach but it comes with an exhale of hot air as he pats himself on the back for his "superior ideas." This behavior is far less prevalent in this book (until you get to the Jon-Benet Ramsey chapters) than in his other books, perhaps because he had a co-author.
As for the remaining cases there was a TON of information that seems to get lost in other books that only "touch" on the crimes so the book was worth it overall.
December 23, 2020
2.5
Ugh. I feel tired after reading this. Just something about the way this was written felt like such a slog to get through. Unfortunate, because it was an interesting topic. This one was a workout though 💀
Ugh. I feel tired after reading this. Just something about the way this was written felt like such a slog to get through. Unfortunate, because it was an interesting topic. This one was a workout though 💀
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