The Devil's Dozen: How Cutting-Edge Forensics Took Down 12 Notorious Serial Killers

by Katherine Ramsland

What led authorities to the murder castle of H. H. Holmes? What cast a cloud of suspicion over cannibal Albert Fish? What drove Russia’s Killer X to confess?
How many victims were actually buried on that Vancouver pig farm?

In The Devil’s Dozen, Katherine Ramsland explores the true stories of twelve of the most notorious serial killers of the last century and the cutting-edge forensics that delivered their downfalls. Through their compelling case histories, she traces the fascinating evolution of forensic investigation. What clues did these killers unwittingly leave behind? How were the unpredictable twists and turns of their criminal behavior thwarted by the weapons of science and logic?

From the developing stages of the nineteenth century’s earliest investigative tools and ingenious police procedures to the first DNA dragnet to the remarkable twentieth century CSI advances, The Devil’s Dozen provides a fascinating window into the world of those who kill—and those who dedicate their lives to bringing them to justice.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Science, History, Psychology, Sociology

317 pages, Hardcover

First published February 20, 2009

About the author

I've loved books since I was 3, and the library was a highlight of my childhood. I've been fortunate to be able to find great joy in what others have written and sometimes to give this to readers. I follow my own muse, because it leads me on interesting adventures. I began my writing career with "Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice." I had a bestseller with "The Vampire Companion." Since then, I've published 69 books and over 2,500 articles, reviews and short stories. I have also been an executive producer for "Murder House Flip" and "BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer." From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, I have taken on a variety of dark subjects, mostly in crime and forensics. I hold graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, creative writing and philosophy. Currently, I teach forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. My books include "I Scream Man," "How to Catch a Killer", "Confession of a Serial Killer", "The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds", "The Mind of a Murderer", "The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation", "Inside the Minds of Serial Killers", "Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators", and "Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers". My background in forensic studies positioned me to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, "The Cases that Haunt Us", and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, "The Unknown Darkness", as well as "Spree Killers" with Mark Safarik, "The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist" with Henry C. Lee, and "A Voice for the Dead" with James Starrs. I speak internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Dr. Oz, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood. Currently, I'm working on a fiction series, The Nut Cracker Investigations, which features a female forensic psychologist who manages a PI agency. "I Scream Man" is the first one.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I found this an interesting and enjoyable read I do have a slight problem with a comment made by the author at the end of the book

"These stories are better than fiction, so let's hope for some real-life sequels."

while I agree that true life crime stories are better than fictional ones and I do enjoy reading them I am not hoping that more people are murdered so that I'll have something to read.

[no elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

save yourself the trouble and just read the final overview chapter. i'm unsure how the author could take such an easy (in that it's inherently interesting, imo) subject and make it so boring. the only thing it really has going for it is that its major focus is primarily on more obscure killers.

also: "These stories are better than fiction, so let's hope for some real-life sequels." really????? let's hope for more serial killers to systematically target and attack, rape, and murder primarily women and children so we have some new fun stuff to read? REALLY? way to end your already boring book on such an inexplicably sour note, lady.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could of gave this book Zero stars I would have. I only made It to page 20 or so when the Author made a huge mistake. She wrote that Karla homolka's middle Sister Lori had some how been involved in killing the youngest sister tammy lynn homolka which is completely Untrue!! I figured if the author could make a huge mistake that early on in the book, That there would be other complete fabrications later on. With that being said I do NOT recommend this book. if you want to read a true crime book pick one that actually tells the truth.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Interesting novel. Liked that we were able to see how forensics was used to catch serial killers. Explained really well.

Can't wait to read more of this author's books!!!!

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

From reviewers:

Noelle says:
"These stories are better than fiction, so let's hope for some real-life sequels." really????? let's hope for more serial killers to systematically target and attack, rape, and murder primarily women and children so we have some new fun stuff to read? REALLY? way to end your already boring book on such an inexplicably sour note, lady.

Karen says:
"These stories are better than fiction, so let's hope for some real-life sequels."

while I agree that true life crime stories are better than fictional ones and I do enjoy reading them I am not hoping that more people are murdered so that I'll have something to read.

J.A. White says:
What really annoyed me about this book was the way the author talked about rape and kept using euphemisms instead of calling a rape a rape, had this book been from the 70s I might not have been that annoyed by it but it's from 2009. I also did not like when referring to a Russian case it was said that after interviewing several homosexuals the person in charge of the investigation had a sound picture of an underworld of sex and violence without explaining what said violence had to do with homosexuality.


I say:

Wow. I have no other words.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at how 'cutting edge' forensics apparently took down 12 serial killers - each chapter has an overview of both the killers and their crimes, the investigations and what tools were used to break the case, from letter tracing to DNA and from psychological profiling to brain fingerprinting.

More like a Channel 5 documentary than an in-depth look, I would have liked a little more depth regarding each investigation - instead of following developments and leads we skipped lightly over the details until we got to the point the author wanted to talk about, which she then dispatched rather quickly. Some of these tools didn't seem that cutting edge to me with the way they were described a little fuzzy, and I didn't feel that some of the cases illustrated what the author was trying to achieve, sometimes showing instead the incompetence or bad management of the law enforcement side (particularly when it came to Robinson and 'the sting', which he would have got away with if he hadn't been persuaded to seek treatment for some injuries).

That said, I did get lots of suggestions for further reading which got this book a further point.

[Kathrynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed at how the chapters were organized and without sugarcoating my main pet peeve I'm going to just say it.

This book was horribly written.

I can't think of a worse way the information could have been presented. Ugh!

Did the author even read what she wrote? Did anyone read it to see if what was written made sense? If I were a gambling person, I'd bet "No."

Each chapter should have begun with a breakdown of the date and city/country, names of officers involved, names and nicknames of killer. Often, I had to flip through the chapter to determine this. The information jumped around and often I had to piece what should have been laid out methodically together to determine what the heck the author said. Sometimes, I couldn't and just moved on. The author would mix things up and left me wondering if she was copying and pasting notes (out of sequence).

I gave up on finishing this over 3/4s into the book.

On a positive note, it appeared the chapters were in chronological order. The early killings to the more recent. Woo-hoo!

[Tanya Wadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is appropriately named... "Devil's Dozen". These serial killers are horrible, devilish individuals. The stories are interesting, and the forensic techniques that have put them away are great. I have an appreciation for the people involved in these tedious investigations... their persistence, care, and genuine wish to help the victims and their families is admirable. I'm also very thankful for the ongoing progress in forensic tools that may continue to aid in the prosecution of criminals.

Some of these stories are so horrifying that I don't know how I could live day to day without keeping it in perspective... the chance of being harmed by one of these people is so very small. I want to feel safe in this world, and it's so sad to know that there are some apparently normal, nice people who are not at all as they seem. I don't know what else to say... these people are just horrific... the makings of all or our collective worst nightmares.

[J. A. White · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does contain some interesting tidbits of information but some of the cases really seemed to have little to do with the changes that were supposedly linked to them.

What really annoyed me about this book was the way the author talked about rape and kept using euphemisms instead of calling a rape a rape, had this book been from the 70s I might not have been that annoyed by it but it's from 2009. I also did not like when referring to a Russian case it was said that after interviewing several homosexuals the person in charge of the investigation had a sound picture of an underworld of sex and violence without explaining what said violence had to do with homosexuality.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book includes capsule reviews of many cases you've read about before but also has a couple I, the True Crime Queen, have never heard about before in my life. Focuses completely on the cutting-edge forensic techniques used to beard serial killers in their lairs. This is my first Katherine Ramsland and I was quite pleased in spite of the fact that most of the cases in here were strictly review for me.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forensics are always evolving and Ms. Ramsland showcases it brilliantly in how new forensic techniques help the police in capturing and prosecuting the criminals. Many are familiar cases (HH Holmes, Dennis Rader, Albert Fish) but some are not (Harvey Robinson, Jack Unterweger). There were some factual errors I saw but all in all an itneresting read

[Kristianna Mays · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been enjoying this book a lot, as a true crime buff this was right up my alley. What did bother me was the misinformation about Karla Homolka and her younger sisters involvement in the crimes. I also did not like a lot of the verbage used to describe sex workers and mentally disabled individuals.

I think she could have cleared those things up a bit and did some more research and it would have been worthy of 5 stars.

[Audiaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was mostly a historical summary of 12 serial killer cases. The murders were briefly described as well as how the criminals were ultimately identified and in some cases tried and convicted. I don't think that much described in this book was actually "cutting edge" though some of it might have been at the time. I didn't really learn anything new about forensics, and I don't know that much to begin with. Some of the techniques, esp. DNA testing, were described awkwardly as if by someone who didn't really understand them. Mostly this book was about the shock value of the cases and the often arrogance of the criminals believing that they would not be caught.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting read about individual serial killers. The stories are organized by chapters, and the focus is on the way that they were caught. It was fascinating to read about the determination of investigators over, in some cases, years, to get the perpetrator.

Most of the stories have already been rehashed in other books of this type. It would be a good read for fans of true crime or forensics.

[joolz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book for those interested in the evolution of murder investigation. The book takes 12 cases from around the world and shows how each was a key case in moving investigation methods forward. From handwriting analysis, DNA profiling to analysing computer usage, each case is important in itself for breaking new ground and improving scientific knowlege.

Recommended for those interested in crime, forensics or psychology.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting to read about the scientific advances that led to these criminals being caught and there was a decent sized overview of each killer that was mentioned without getting into too much detail. Interesting to read about the Pickton case, as I wasn't aware it was the most expensive case in the world, and of course is still ongoing so therefore the price will be even higher.

Overall it wasn't a bad read if you're interested in true crime.

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

the one thing I liked the most about this book was that the author profiled men I had little or no knowledge of; so it wasn't rehashing the same stuff. I read a review where the writer had stated that the author wished for more material and I was very interested in this, but when I got to it, I didn't read it the same way. I think the author was talking about the forensic technology, that she hoped for continuing break-throughs. That's how I interpreted it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended only for the buffest of true crime buffs. Ramsland's writing is straightforward and direct, and given the grisliness of some of what she's addressing, it can come across as cold or downright weird. I was hoping this would be more like "Opening Skinner's Box," a comparable anthology style collection of landmark psychological experiments, but it wasn't at all.

I admire Ramsland's grasp of information, but this book is pretty boring for being so gruesome.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got bored because it was written in a very simplistic manner.

Outright LIE about Karla Homolka's sister who was a victim, not a participant in the crimes.

Also, when describing H. H. Holmes, way too much attention to a victim named Pitezel and children. H. H. Holmes killed many many more people as a chemist in his "hotel" in Chicago, 1880 world's fair. Didn't even seem like the same person. ugh

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had potential, but fell very short. Despite the implication of the subtitle several cases had nothing to do with “cutting-edge” forensics. In several cases the author seemed more focused on providing excessive graphic detail of what was done to the victims, rather than the tools used to capture their killers.

Then to end the book with the sentence, “These stories are better than fiction, so let’s hope for some real-life sequels.” Based on context I think she was referring to the successful investigations that apprehended the killers discussed. But why didn’t one of her editors point out how that sounds and make her rephrase the conclusion?

There are far better authors, with a less salacious approach to this type of subject.

[Kasey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very, very disappointing read. Besides being mediocrely written at best, this book did not live up to what it promised to be. Many of the stories did not have anything to do with forensics at all, and those that did woefully lacked any sort of detail whatsoever. That is true for the details of the crimes as well—there was a focus on the violence of specific instances but not the overall case, which would’ve been fine had the details about the forensics been even close to sufficient or satisfying. I am very frustrated with this book and now perfectly understand why it was on the bargain shelf in B&N.

[Debra Barstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

some interesting facts on different serial killers, well some of the ones in this book I knew first hand about there were some that I did not know. Forensics is becoming the tool that alot of investigators are using to bring cases to a close but it still is not fool proof of a person's guilt or innocence. Until the science of understanding how a brain works there is no definite way we as people can positively know without a doubt what makes a person do what they do. This is only theory and hopes that it can be used to determine guilt or innocence.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I Love this book! I definitely agree with the first person on the list H.H.Holmes. I have read about him before and he is just one disturbing individual. I also agree with Albert Fish making the list along with BTK. A few of these cases/ individuals I have never heard of before, but I enjoyed reading and learning about them. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes true crime or anyone interested in criminal justice.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of this one. I was expecting more information on the forensic techniques, which is what led me to this book in the first place, but it really just described a few serial killers, and then at the very end mentioned the forensic technique used to catch the killer in like one sentence. Also, most of the cases were exactly the same. The serial killers seemed to be committing the exact same kind of crime, so it was like reading the same chapter over and over again.

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was relatively entertaining. However, there were certain spots where you could tell her research was spotty at best, she was inconsistent when talking about rape and homosexuality, and seemed only kind of interested in maintaining the integrity of the book. Also, the last sentence? What the heck "lets hope for some real life sequels"??? She seemed pretty unsympathetic considering the material she is writing.

[Adrianna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. I love the suspense. My favorite case has to be the H.H. Holmes. The way that they solved the case without giving up is incredible. He went back to what he knew first and solved the case like that. The writing style is also amazing. I loved how the writer did not have chapters and that they were all mini-stories about each case.

[H. Woodward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author writes compelling and very well informed information. She doesn’t hold back any details, which makes for fairly uncomfortable reading about the sex acts of serial killers. I really enjoyed the chapter on H H Holmes. Most of the killers featured in this book are from a variety countries and dates.

[Mwalenski · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should have been much more interesting than it was. Unfortunately, it was poorly written and marred by a superficial, sensationalistic approach that would be more appropriate for the tabloids than a book purportedly about forensic science.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I believe this book had some interesting points to make about detectives staying in-touch with new scientific developments that could be used to aid in investigations, the writing overall felt a tad simplistic, especially for a book about forensics and written by someone with a doctorate.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a well researched book. Each chapter had a lot of detail and I learned some interesting things. I did take a break from the book because chapter after chapter of people being being violently murdered is a bit of a downer, but I am glad that I read it.