As someone who enjoys the occasional true crime podcast and book as much as the next person, I was excited to pick up A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind by Ann Wolbert Burgess. Instead of following the crimes and story of a specific serial killer, this book goes behind the profiling process, as told by a woman who made a career of perfecting the process.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that explores Burgess' time as part of the Behavioral Science Unit, or BSU, with the FBI. It was her exhaustive research that focused on rape victims that led the FBI to reach out to her. She would help in creating the BSU, a team of individuals who specialized in profiling suspects for some of the countries most heinous and disturbing crimes. Some well-known serial rapists and killers are mentioned, including David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam"), Dennis Rader ("The BTK Killer"), Henry Louis Wallace ("The Taco Bell Strangler"), and even Ted Kaczynski ("The Unabomber"). During her time with the BSU, Burgess would help the team in creating a research-based approach to identifying serial killers, hopefully getting them identified, caught, and convicted as soon as possible, leaving them little opportunity to continue their killing spree. As Burgess moves through history, lessons are learned and their process changes with each killer they help catch.
My Verdict: In the author's note, Burgess makes a point to say that the book will discuss sensitive topics such as murder, sexual assault, abuse, sexism, racism, and mental health. Some of the stories are difficult to read, and the people who committed the crimes are discussed in detail, along with the atrocities they committed, adding a depth to the events that many people may not want or need. Most lovers of true crime will be fine, maybe even fascinated, though that fascination is something Burgess has learned to be careful with. I appreciate that she touches on the idea of a person having a "favorite" serial killer, and just how fascinated and infatuated people can be with the topic. For Burgess, her research started with the victims, and they are the reason why she continues her work. And her storytelling is just as impressive as her career.
Favorite Chapter: The entire book is interesting, but I found "Chapter 15: Ego Will be Your Downfall" to be particularly fascinating, as it chronicles how authorities were able to find the Unabomber by appealing to his need for attention.
Recommended Reading: I have recommended it several times, and I'll do so again: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara is an engaging account of the search for the Golden State Killer.
No comments:
Post a Comment