The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds

by Katherine Ramsland

The bestselling author of The Forensic Science of C.S.I. examines the real-life cases behind the hit television series Criminal Minds

Week after week, the hit TV show Criminal Minds gives viewers a look inside the psyches of the fictional serial killers tracked by the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit). This elite team of FBI agents travels the country assisting law enforcement officials by examining the crime scene, "profiling" the perpetrator, and aiding in arrest and interrogation. In this book Katherine Ramsland reveals how reality differs from fiction and how forensic psychologists actually use their knowledge of human behavior and motivations as consultants in criminal investigations-as well as detailing the real cases that influenced some of Criminal Minds 's most memorable episodes.

Genres: Psychology, True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

307 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2010

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

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just don't see why people are disappointed about this book not being centered around Criminal Minds. It's the forensic psychology OF Criminal Minds, not the forensic psychology AND Criminal Minds. This isn't some book padded with extras from the show- you'll actually learn something if you read it.

You get explanations about serial killers, psychopaths, and a lot of details about specific real life cases. You do also get the tie-ins with Criminal Minds cases and episodes, but the book is based mainly on teaching the average viewer about the basis for the show Criminal Minds. My lack of enjoyment probably stems from knowing a lot of the information to begin with, since I'm a Criminology and Criminal Justice major with a minor in Psychology, so the more general information was skim-worthy for me. If you don't know a lot about the profiling and forensic psychology fields, then this is a great book. It doesn't read like a textbook and is pretty interesting once you get to the cases.

I'd recommend this to someone who has seen Criminal Minds and is thinking that they want to go into a job like that, but obviously wants more information. Anyone who is wondering what the profiling field is all about, or where reality meets the Criminal Minds world would enjoy this too.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Ramsland’s The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds was recommended to me by my psychology teacher, and as someone who enjoys procedural police shows and true crime stories I thought it would be an interesting book to read. I found it to be an excellent assessment of how real-life criminal profiling differs from what is seen on television and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about criminal profiling.
The book breaks down the different psychological elements of the popular TV show Criminal Minds and describes how real-life criminal profiling differs from what is seen on television. Ramsland provides an extensive description of how behavioral analysts go about creating a profile of an unknown suspect and assisting in his or her arrest. Throughout the book she analyzes numerous real-life cases that influenced some of the most memorable episodes of the show, detailing the different methods of crime scene investigation and profiling involved as well as the notable distinctions between real and fictional cases.
As a work of true crime nonfiction, the book successfully portrays the thoughts and behaviors of the criminal mind in an engaging and informative manner and offers the reader a look into the darker side of psychology. The numerous criminal cases described provided ample support for the author’s claim that police procedural shows like Criminal Minds often glamorize the work of real-life forensic scientists and psychologists.
Again, I would recommend The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds to people who like books dealing with true crime stories and criminal psychology. Those who enjoy reading books like The Devil in the White City and watching popular television shows like Criminal Minds, Law and Order, and CSI will like reading this book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had a choice to live many lives, I'd choose different careers for each one. In this one, I've been a teacher. In the next one, I'd like to be a forensic pathologist (find out how those dead bodies died!!!!!!) And another one, maybe two, I'd like to be a forensic psychologist, specifically a profiler (My undergraduate minor was psychology).

Ok, ok, don't half the people in the world want to be profilers?????

Anyway, I read anything and nearly everything I can get my hands on regarding forensic psychology. Since this book had that in the title AND my favorite TV series of all times - Criminal Minds - you can believe I wouldn't miss it.

And it's great! The author is not authorized by the series, but she does allude to some of the episodes throughout the book to illustrate her points. Since the book was published in 2010, you're only getting a few years' worth.

Ramsland is not an author who recites the same ole same ole. She structures her work so that you run through the profiling just as it is done - developing a profile, psychological victimology, linkage analysis, determining whether a crime is suitable for profiling, risk assessment, etc. She also discusses the good and bad points of each. For instance. profilers can get stuck in the conception that all serial killers are male. Or are white.

This is a great book for anyone interested in forensic psychology. And a great one for fans of Criminal Minds!

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend in a reading group came across this book and recommended it. Since I'm interested in the show (and similar investigative shows and books) I started reading right away ... and was immediately rewarded.

I found the book to be masterfully written with the right balance between case studies of actual crimes (with a nod to their corresponding episodes) and the science and effort behind them. I took notes and used flags while reading, not because the book was difficult or confusing, but because I wanted to be able to locate items of interest easily.

The book follows behaviour profiling from its inception to today. It catalogues the difficulties and challenges as well as the misconceptions in the popular culture about it.

This book also contained a lot of definitions and their meanings and ways of application as well as a very useful glossary at the end. I shelved it with my reference books.

[Dr. Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Rare,
That I attribute 5 stars. For my own personal level of satisfaction, this book had to mean something to me and bring me new insights. This is precisely what Katherine Ramsland's remarkable book did in fact.

From cover to cover the book is filled with knowledge, insights and fascinating case studies. The explanations behind the history, evolution and development of psychological forensics is simply top notch. The writer has an obvious grasp of the subject matter and her writing style make it an enjoyable encounter it despite being a non-fiction title.

While it is obvious from the title that the book also contains numerous references to the Television series "Criminal Minds," this was, for me anyway, one of the least interesting parts of the book. The balance between the realistic information being presented and the flipping back and forth to various episodes I found tedious. Those who follow television and this series might otherwise enjoy these lapses into fiction.

Despite this minor gripe the work is amazingly complete and keeps you turning the pages long after you should be sleeping instead.

Definitely recommended

[Renee Primeau · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF… this is a first for me. Ultimately it just didn’t deliver on what I expected. I expected to learn about what might be behind the motivation for criminal activity. I wanted to read some sort of explanation for why criminals do the terrible things they do. Instead it was just examples of real world crimes and how they inspired stories in the series and very little “why”… even conjecture if not conclusion.

I feel bad about the poor rating given that a big part of my rating is based on my expectations. However, I’ve watched the series and have an interest in the topic so I feel that if it was better written with a more cohesive approach then I would have rated it higher even if it didn’t deliver on my expectations.

[Patricia English · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book, it has so much information!!! I mean I want to go back and read it again. It was very well written!! Just piles and piles of info and great writing.

[Bridget Bernstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

2019 Reading Challenge: 9/24

I would say this is more like 3.5 stars, but I don't feel strongly one way or the other about it since it was for my forensics class.

[Lori Schiele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am interest in serial killers and even more so by the BAU--the criminal psychopathy previously called the BASU--Behavioral Science Unit in the FBI (not called the BAU--Behavioral Analysis Unit) and is shown every week on the TV show "Criminal Minds".
I have always enjoyed watching "Criminal Minds" so I purchased the book off of Amazon, however it wasn't what I had expected. I had expected a listing of what the TV show did and did not do correctly. I was glad to see that the show was mostly accurate from what I could tell (although the information gained by several actual FBI profilers was sometimes ignored and the scripts were more "Hollywood"-for better ratings). Plus many of the cases were based on actual cases--many names, dates, chases,etc changed--based on interviews from former members of the actual BAU (then, the BSU-Behavioral Science Unit).
Although there was a claim on the book title that this was the "Forensic Physiology of 'Criminal Minds'", very little was mentioned about the actual TV show, as well as a number of practices used in the show that aren't lawfully permitted in real criminal cases.
It doesn't really matter though. The book explained the origination of Forensic Science throughout the centuries, the different various parts incorporated and how they work together, and real-life cases were captured due to this specific Unit and much more.
Ad now. with so many profiling groups being created around the world--and the new computer-generated profiling programs ( that won't do away with the human component, but have been shown to make linkage much faster than the human mind) and with the two working together, serial killers, rapists, kidnappers, arsonists, etc will hopefully have to come up with more difficult and fanciful ways to stay below the radar--and will hopefully be much easier to locate and arrest.

[Blythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with this book is that the audience for it is surprisingly specific. If you're new to criminology and want an overview of profiling, this is a pretty solid choice: comprehensive, but still approachable. If you're interested in it because you're a Criminal Minds fan, you're likely to be disappointed: after the first chapter, most of the ties to the show are just the author presenting various cases and mentioning which episodes they inspired. There's a few points where Ramsland compares techniques used on the show to their real life applications, but those are few and far between.

If you're interested in it because you like to read criminology books, then you can easily skip 2/3 of this one without missing anything--up to chapter 9, there was nothing I hadn't already picked up from reading books by John Douglas and his former colleagues. And if you're interested in specific cases, you're actually not going to learn a lot here. Ramsland is mostly providing condensed summaries of what Douglas and company have in their books. You're better off going straight to the source and reading their first-hand accounts--you'll get a lot more insight into the cases by hearing how each agent approached them and applied specific profiling techniques.

This isn't a bad book, but unless you're in that specific audience, it's highly skimmable.

[Vivian Cortez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book “The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds” by Katherine Ramsland is about how behavior analysts create suspect profiles, psychological autopsy, victimology, and analyzing the victim or criminal suspects lifestyle, routines, and habits. This book talks about so much history back in the days, the background behind forensic psychology is so interesting because the crimes that were convicted many years ago were way more crazier than now.. This book teaches you so many things about forensic psychology and what really happens in real life instead of fake crimes in the show called “Criminal Minds”. In this book every chapter teaches you something different in forensic psychology such as developing a profile, psychological autopsy, victimology, deviance, analysis, negotiations, and many more things. The book also compares real life crimes and the crimes in “Criminal Minds”, once they talk about a real life crime they compare it to one of the episodes. In forensic psychology you “parent for guardianship. Crystallizing the influences on false confessions, and testing eyewitness accuracy”.
If you are interested in being a forensic psychologist i highly recommend this book! I want to be one and this book taught me so much about it that now can't wait to be one. This book gives you everything you need/want to know about forensic psychology it's a must read book!

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty decent study of criminal profiling, covering its history as well as its current status, and its errors as well as its triumphs. However, the book has VERY little to do with the Criminal Minds TV show. The show isn't discussed in detail and sometimes many pages will go by without it being mentioned at all. People wanting to read about the TV show will be disappointed. Fortunately I've only seen a few episodes and I got the book to learn about criminal profiling, and so it suited my needs.

[J.m. Herriott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little tedious to read in places but still worth the effort. I bought and read the book for research purposes in my writing about criminals. For that purpose the book was satisfactory, but not quiet as fact filled as I expected. I would recommend this to anyone interested in short background on some serial killers but if you are looking for more detailed information look elsewhere. For my needs it was sufficient. Depending on your objectives for reading about psychotic criminals this book might or might not be what you would want.

[Don McQuinn]

For anyone interested in writing about crime in any form, this book is invaluable. It provides exhaustive insights into how the eternal chess game between criminal and law enforcement actually plays out. For those who enjoy reading about crime, the same insights will greatly increase one's ability to evaluate the book at hand and appreciate the experience of the characters, both protagonist and antagonist. Unreservedly recommended.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. I enjoy the fact that Ramsland gives the reader an introduction in forensic psychology, in particular the profiling part, and episodes of Criminal Minds as examples. I would recommend this book for those who are interested in forensic psychology and enjoys Criminal Minds. Just be aware that this book does not go into the show, it just uses the show as examples of what is being talked about.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was excellent. It was almost a 4.5 star rating book for me. However, for some reason,the author chose to base this book off the television series Criminal Minds rather than have the book stand on its' own. As a result, her reflection back to episodes of an unrealistic television show detracted from the book. Final Goodreads rating 4/5 stars.

[May B · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the reality behind the 'story'. Though as far as life behind the writing goes its not that great. A bit dated and seems to rely a bit more on CSI than it does on Criminal Minds. But still a half way decent look at the inspiration behind the episode for the show.

[Jordan Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative. A nice addition to those of us who are interested in Forensic Psychology and enjoy Criminal Minds. Decent amount of background and a decent explanation of some of the more technical terminology. A decent read, I recommend it

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers a broad overview of the actual science and practices used by profilers portrayed on the TV show Criminal Minds. I recommend this to readers who enjoy the show as well as those who enjoy reading murder mysteries and non-fiction on crime.

[Cheryel Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, lots of information. I'm glad I own a copy, because I see myself rereading it several times.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. You don't have to be a fan of the show to enjoy this book. Discusses many actual cases in detail.

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was really interesting, especially if you are looking for a quick history of FBI profiling, but it just wasn't what I was expecting.

[Rachel Bayles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankfully this book is primarily about forensic psychology, limiting its references to television. As someone who does not watch crime shows, I found it to be a good, basic intro to the topic.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothin' special 'bout this one. Like a hyped-up essay paper, with some fancy names thrown around.

[Briana rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this on a plane and could not put it down because each story was so insane and it was interesting to learn about criminals thought process.

[Momma Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little history, not academic at all, read like true crime novel. I read TCN but not what i was hoping for here.

[Angela Tonoyan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was boring.

[Clàudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very educational, a basic intro to criminology, forensic science, and forensic psychology.

[Rtimmonst84 · Rating 3 out of 5]

decent review of criminal minds. Provides insight into the mind of criminals.

[Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Criminology has always fascinated me, and I will readily devour any book about the science of profiling. The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds sat on my shelf for several months before I considered picking it up, for no real, pinpointable reason. And then I did start to read it: holy wow. For what it is, I cannot recommend it more.

The writing and order of story is engaging, snappy and eloquent enough to keep one curious even during overviews of well-documented or more stomach-turning cases. There are a variety of cases, as well - both cases from the fictional universe of Criminal Minds and from real life criminals and serial killers of all kinds.

The analysis is sound and neatly laid out. Perhaps this wouldn't be a go-to for someone who knows nothing about criminology, but for anyone with a basis and a want to learn about both the execution of the science and previous examples of the application. It's clear from the opening pages that Ramsland has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, and the book reads as a glorious sharing of intellect, opinion, science, and the macabre.

I often hate to sound to so enthusiastic about a book whose main focus is why we as a people are so focused on crime and death, but truly: The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds is an analytical gem in the realm of criminology, and mental understanding.