There are two parts to every crime story: how they did it and why they got caught.This book is about the second part, and how it changes the way we catch serial killers.
No two stories about the capture of a serial killer are the same. Sometimes, the killers make crucial mistakes; other times, investigators get lucky. And the process of profiling, hunting, and apprehending these predators has changed radically over time, particularly in the field of criminal forensics, which has exploded in the last ten to 15 years. Laser ablation, video spectral analysis, cyber-sleuthing, and even DNA-based genetic genealogy are now crucial tools in solving murders, including the recent capture of the so-called Golden State Killer. This first book in the new Profiles in Crime series tells the history of forensics through the “capture stories” of some of the most notorious serial killers, going back almost a century.
The killers include: Rodney Alcala, a serial rapist and murderer sometimes called “Dating Game killer” for his appearance on that TV show. No one knows the exact number of his victims. Takahiro Shiraishi, the suicide killer from Zama, Japan, who dismembered nine victims and stored their bodies in his refrigerator. Aileen Wuornos, one of the rare female serial killers. She shot seven men in Florida and was turned in by an accomplice. Jeffrey Dahmer, the “Milwaukee Cannibal,” and Bobby Joe Long, both identified by survivors Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”), who both made mistakes Ludwig Tessnow, who killed several children in Germany, and was caught through new methods in forensic investigation that could distinguish human from animal blood
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.
General overview of the perpetrators, some widely known, others not as familiar. Ramsland made a long career studying, writing and teaching about killers, their crimes, possible motivations and psychopathy. This book proposed to link advances in forensic innovation through the thirty capture stories contained.
Some of the killers included in this book are so many of the ones we have all heard of before: Bundy, Dahmer, BTK, the Golden State Killer, Gacy, H H Holmes, Israel Keyes, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker), Aileen Wuornos, & Ed Kemper, but there are even more that you may never have heard of, but will now haunt your thoughts. . Fun fact: I majored in Forensic Psychology & Criminology for 3 yrs in college (then I got preg w/ my twins & quit school.) I wanted to be a forensic profiler. Now I just read about them, but it all still fascinates the heck out of me & I love reading books like this one, not to mention watching all the serial killer documentaries & listening to podcasts about them as well. . This is such a good read for anyone into the whole "true crime" scene like I am. Be sure to check out some of Ramsland's other books. There are so many great ones to choose from! I plan to read several more of her books now. "How to Catch a Killer" is available 4/21.
Being a pretty big fan of true crime in general, there wasn’t a lot of new cases in this book that I hadn’t heard about before (there were a few though, like The Soap Maker of Correggio…holy crap!), but this is an excellent collection of reference material. Not only that, but the books biggest purpose and selling point is detailing how a lot of these cases presented, had something within the case that lead to an advancement in forensic science.
If you’re a true crime fan, there might not be a lot of new stuff here for you. But if you’re a collector of these type of books; the good writing, concise, quick chapters on various serial killers of all types, the info on how these cases were cracked, and how they lead to systems and techniques to stop other potential serial killers, makes this one that is worthy for your book shelf.
One last item of note here: this book is not for the squeamish or those with weak stomachs. How To Catch A Killer pulls no punches and does get extremely graphic at times. I audibly exclaimed my disgust at many parts within these pages. I felt that that something that needed to be said here because you get the FULL details of these cases and all of them are bad, but some are beyond comprehension at how someone could do such vile acts of depravity and pure evil. Reader be warned
The author provides brief synopses of serial killers in modern times. The killers and their crimes are chronicled according to the manner(s) that law enforcement used to investigate the crimes and arrest the perpetrators.
Ramsland provides a brief summary after each synopsis, explaining what techniques were used and what new techniques or information came about as a result of what was learned through that investigation.
DNF Po chyba 2 latach stwierdzam, że nie dokończę tej książki. Poznawanie historii rozwoju kryminalistyki poprzez sprawy morderstw które zostały rozwiązany jest ciekawą koncepcją. Jednak każdy rozdział który jest poświęcony jednej sprawie jest mocno powtarzalny w swoim obrębie. Dodatkowo, nie wiem czy to kwestia tłumaczenia, czy tak po prostu ta książka była napisana, ale jest bardzo sucha. Powiedziałabym, że nekrologi są często pisane bardziej barwnym językiem. Z jednej strony to może plus, ale mnie zniechęciło do dalszej lekruty. Myślę, że jeśli ktoś jest zainteresowany kryminalistyką samą w sobie znajdzie tutaj coś dla siebie.
How to Catch a Killer promises to highlight the development of forensic techniques across time and how they helped solve specific cases, including new developments that reach into the past and solve cold cases. Ramsland stays on topic at first, but soon writes much more about the killers than crime solving.
This book has a profound element. Ramsland’s includes cases “from underrepresented populations, which might help erode misconceptions about who commits serial murder.” Profilers believed white males comprised the vast majority of serial killers, with others rare anomalies. Why? Ramsland points to police bias against marginalized victim groups and an erroneous belief that woman weren't capable. Ramsland shares lesser known cases from South Africa, Japan, Mexico to this end, but mostly documents notorious U.S. cases.
The book covers thirty serial murderers with chapters spanning 8-10 pages, including photos. The writing sometimes loses clarity in this short format with so much to condense. The chapters can be confusing as the timeline jumps around, many names are introduced, and occasional trivial facts included. It's not always a smooth read, at times overly complex sentences slow the reader down. Finally the ceaseless catalog of depravity is a sickening overload. A book to read a few chapters here and there, not straight through.
This book was a very interesting read. I really liked that there were a lot of very known killers, but there were also killers that I had never heard of including a lot from different countries.
I stumbled upon this author watching a documentary about Serial Killers and Human Behavior. I was very impressed with her knowledge and ability to speak on the topics, so I decided to pick up a few of her books.
My first thought when reading before reading this book was "I wonder how dark this will get." And I am *warning* you now, if graphic depictions of rape, murder, torture, etc. (any of that) bothers you, you're going to want to take a pass on this one.
We've all heard of Ted Bundy and H.H. Holmes, but the story about the "Soap Maker of Correggio" and the "Choke and Stroke Killer" will stay will me for a very long time (maybe forever!) . . . The author does a fantastic job of telling each well known, and not so well-known true crime story. Sometimes even changing up her style of writing to accommodate the atmosphere surrounding the horrifying events, which I grew to appreciate.
My main issue with this book is that there is a lot of random bits of information thrown into paragraphs that becomes more common as the reader proceed towards the end of the book. The first half is very compelling and well organized, though the latter half becomes overwhelmed by these random references to past days, events, people, etc.
This would not be so much of an issue if it wasn't so confusing, and at times, almost impossible to figure out what or who the author is referring to. However, this is mostly an editing issue in my opinion and does not necessarily reflect the quality of Ramsland's work.
I recommend this book to anybody who is interested in Criminal Science, Forensics, or Human Behavior.
This was an interesting one! I am enjoying these Profiles in Crime books--they give me a good mix of killers/cases I'm familiar with, in addition to some I've had zero clue about. This one was no exception.
I am probably unfairly downranking this book, but if so, it's only by a little. The productive complaints: (1) the book is definitely NOT about how to catch a killer, which really miffs me, because, you know, the title, and (2) the writing is cold and an absolute slog to get through. The unproductive complaint is that the content is truly horrible, and I had the worst time reading through it. I had to race through parts, skimming because I really couldn't take it. Yes, the book is about serial killers, but I don't want to know intimate details of the crimes. And the details were there in more abundance than necessary. I do enjoy forensic science and learning about the various methods to catch and prove crimes. That "Forensic Files" show is great; an excellent binge. This book is nothing like that. There is minuscule attention devoted to the actual crime-solving methods: the DNA tests, the blood tests, the psychological profiles, the evidence-gathering methodology, computer forensics, the internet. All that stuff is freaking cool yet the book is largely devoid of it. And isn't that how you truly catch a killer? So the title was so disappointingly deceiving. 2 stars, firm. Read for the Robison book club.
I was excited to read a new work about serial killers and was hoping to read something new about the types of serial killers, or perhaps the methods used to catch them. I found this to be a brief synopsis of information that has been given for the past three decades (at least). The information about the serial killer was interesting, but little could be provided over the course of a single chapter. This is not one of the better books on the subject I have found.
In this true crime book, the author categorizes the ways that killers are caught by the police and then gives a short overview of various killers who fall into that category. Some of the methods include killer mistake, forensic evidence, self-surrender, witness reports and police procedure.
Many of the killers described will be ones familiar to the true crime reader. These include Ted Bundy, the Golden State Killer, Aileen Wuoros, Son of Sam, the BTK Killer, Sam Little and Richard Ramirez. Others will be new to the reader as there are also examples from other countries. Each outline gives an overview of the killer's crimes, his or her background and how they were caught along with the number of victims they killed.
Katherine Ramsland is well known in the field of deviant psychology. She holds graduate degrees in forensic psychology, criminal justice and clinical psychology. She teaches forensic psychology and criminal justice at the university level and has written over seventy books on the subject. Her book on the BTK killer, Dennis Rader, came from an extensive correspondence with the killer over several years going back into his childhood to trace the beginnings of his obsessions. Whether an overview like this book or a more in depth profile of one killer, her writing style makes the material easy to understand for even a beginner in the field. This book is recommended for true crime nonfiction readers.
How to Catch a Killer briefly mentions the crimes, capture, and overall takeaway of different killers spanning different centuries. It separates the captures into five different categories: forensic innovation, police procedure, mistakes and miscalculations, witness reports, and self surrender. I enjoy the way in which Ramsland organized the book and it seems like it flows from one case to the next. It hits some of the well-known cases like the Golden State Killer, the BTK Killer, and The Son of Sam and also some of the unknown but very interesting cases like the Mad Carpenter and the Bundy Wannabe. Overall I would highly recommend this book if you want a brief recap of many different killers. I did give this book five stars, but beware that because it goes through so many different killers, some of it is over generalized. In other words, they over simplify it. It really is not an issue if you just want a brief summary, and I would not recommend this book to write an in depth paper about one particular person. Quite honestly, I enjoyed it because it was generalized. It was easy to not get bored and move on to the next chapter. It also has a handy table of contents at the beginning if you are looking for a specific killer!
As the author has written 69 books on serious crime related topics, I was expecting more than a long list of serial killers and details of their crimes, something I could have Googled. Many of these people live on my bookshelves already and much has been written about them, so I was expecting more of the why and less of the what, but sadly no. It purported to be about how they were caught but was pretty much a long list of serial killers and their crimes. However it is fair to say that having them all in the one place enabled me to appreciate once again the things that they have in common: overwhelmingly male, a large number were adopted and those who weren't often come from homes where the parents separated at an early age or else they stayed together in a violent or abusive relationships. Many were farmed out to drunken or abusive grandparents or other relatives. So it seems that the same circumstances that produce borderline personality disorder set up children for the risk of becoming serial killers. Perhaps they are extreme versions of borderline personality? But you would never glean any of that from this book which is simply an extended list without much analysis.
This book delves deep into the minds of serial killers and those whose job it is to bring them to justice. With 30 different stories, author Katherine Ramsland shares just how these different types of killers were caught. She includes warning signs, psychological profiles, and demographics in her studies. Also, she gives brief details on the murders committed, and the sentencing received by each convicted killer.
This one took me a bit to get through because it was a lot. As a true crime fan, I was so excited to get to see more of the other side of things, the profiling and the behind the scenes. This book did an amazing job of this! However, there were points where I had to set it down because it was just too graphic at the time, or I was getting too upset. That being said, for any true crime fan (caution weak stomachs!) I would say that this book is a great read. It truly takes you on another path and makes you think about what kind of monsters are committing these crimes.
This book tells of various serial killers (globally) who were caught and sentenced and how they were caught.
that being said, most of the serial killers were able to blend into society for quite a long time killing people before they were caught. Some of them had been accused of some of their actions yet the police didn't check into them thoroughly to stop them earlier.
The case that got me the most was the male nurse in the hospital who killed and got away with it and when the hospital started getting suspcious or fired him he moved and started again in another hospital/another/state/another county and more people started dying.
I hope that because of the serial killers who have been caught, investigators have improved their methods to find them before they kill again and again.
I liked this book allot I felt that it was really interesting to focus not just on the crimes of killer but how they were eventually caught. I also liked how we get to see criminals across different countries and centuries which gave a nice twist to the usual american focus led stories. Of course there were the criminals you would expect to see such as the moors killers but there were some new ones as well. Sometimes this was abit repetitive however which is what made it 4 stars
I wanted to give this a 5 star at the beginning, but as I read towards the end the less I enjoyed it. The stories are intriguing (and can be very, very graphic mind you) but the way they were written bugged me by the end. I felt like the book could have used another few runs through the cutting room to make it more effective. Overall, a very informative book that I hope to see future editions of.
This book is a definite must read for all who study true crime. It provides a quick snapshot of 30 different serial killers, mainly focusing on how they were caught. It’s succinct while still managing to tell the story in enough detail that the reader can understand the whole picture of what occurred. This book is a great reference to refresh on details of highly known serial killers, as well as providing information on some I have never heard of. It’s definitely one I’ll be returning too!
This well written true crime book surveys many different sensational serial killers from around the world. I enjoyed reading about some of the lesser known serial killers such as the Italian "soap lady" who has given me brand new nightmare fuel. Although this book is topically about how famous serial killers were captured, Ramsland quickly drifts off-topic and delves more deeply into serial killer psychology, theorizing how these vicious killers were created.
Katherine Ramsland does a great job of writing abridged accounts of crimes and their perpetrators in How to Catch a Killer. I find alot of true crime books are filled with TOO MUCH (and sometimes useless) information that doesn't pertain to the story but this author keeps it simple and to the point. She covers not only notorious murderers but also lesser known cases from around the world
I thought it was going to be educational, more on the background of how catching a killer came to be. It was that about 15% of the time….but a lot of it was just story telling of all these killers and honestly it was pretty gruesome and I skipped some stories. I had to force myself to pick this up and finish it. I didn’t want a D.N.F. so early into my book challenge for this year.
This book was an average read for me. I enjoyed that this book offered both well known cases as well as little known ones. I thought this book was going to go more into the ways of catching killers but instead only talked about cases and then mentioned a little about things like DNA and blood testing.
This was so good. I received this as a gift and I kept it at my bedside table, where I got into a routine of reading one a day before bed (yes, I like reading serial killer books).
This book was very well researched, and gave great explanations to what happened and how the murderers were caught. It made me research further into most cases, in fact.
This book is kind of misleading. The beginning of the book was learning about what crimes caused innovations in forensic investigation. Instead, it was like 30 chapters of new killers & shortened their cases and gave bare minimum. Idk I couldn’t get through this it was dragging. I’ve definitely read better true crime.
Jeśli ktoś siedzi w tematyce seryjnych morderców lub słucha dużo podcastów kryminalnych, ta książka będzie dla niego nudna. Wiele tych spraw zostali już przemaglowanych przez podcasterów na wszystkie możliwe sposoby, a ta pozycja nie wnosi niczego nowego. Może być dobra dla kogoś, kto dopiero zaczyna z tą tematyką albo od czasu do czasu lubi poczytać coś w tym klimacie.
This book highlights different reasons (or has specific reasons) that lead to the cature and arrest of a variety of serial killers. I enjoyed the summaries, how it went into different time periods, and how each serial killer had something that caused people to rethink or reshape their understanding of why someone could commit such grusome crimes.