A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind
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- Create Date：2021-12-13 11:21:18
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Ann Burgess
- ISBN：1668604108
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Summary
A behind-the-scenes look at the creation and development of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit， written by the pioneering forensic nurse who transformed the way the FBI studies， profiles， and catches serial killers
Directly beneath the progressive activism and sex positivity of the 1970s， a dark undercurrent of violence rippled across the American landscape， resulting in the alarming rise of sexual assault and homicide cases nationwide。 Under a shroud of secrecy， the FBI created a specialized， top-secret team-the Behavioral Science Unit-to track down the country's most dangerous and violent criminals and bring them to justice。 But narrowing down a seemingly infinite list of potential suspects seemed daunting at best and impossible at worst-until Dr。 Ann Burgess stepped on the scene。
In A Killer By Design， Burgess reveals-for the first time-how her pioneering research into the assessment and treatment of trauma and sexual abuse victims caught the attention of the FBI， and launched her right into the middle of a pivotal murder investigation in Nebraska。 As the brilliant mind behind the now common practice of criminal profiling， she teamed up with the BSU and helped them identify， trace， and interview hundreds of terrifying serial killers and notoriously violent criminals， including Ed Kemper （"The Co-Ed Killer"）， Dennis Rader （"（"BTK"）， Henry Wallace （"The Taco Bell Strangler"）， Jon Barry Simonis （"The Ski-Mask Rapist"）， and many more。
Featuring never-before-seen interview transcripts and crime scene drawings， A Killer By Design pulls us directly into the investigations as Burgess experienced with them， providing readers with unprecedented insight into the minds of these deranged killers， the victims they left behind， and the agents who were forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about crime。 As one of the first female consultants for the FBI， this memoir also sheds light on the evolving culture of not just the agency itself， but the criminal justice system nationwide。 Thanks to her keen observations and invaluable intuition， Burgess became one of the most sought-after experts， male or female， in a male-dominated field， breaking through the bureaucratic glass ceiling and clearing the path for generations of talented women to follow in her wake。
Combining a riveting personal narrative of fearless feminism and ambition， bone-chilling encounters with real-life monsters， and a revealing portrait of our ever-evolving criminal justice system， A Killer By Design will inspire， terrify， and enlighten you in equal measure-and begs the question， "What drives someone to kill， and how can they be stopped？"
Directly beneath the progressive activism and sex positivity of the 1970s， a dark undercurrent of violence rippled across the American landscape， resulting in the alarming rise of sexual assault and homicide cases nationwide。 Under a shroud of secrecy， the FBI created a specialized， top-secret team-the Behavioral Science Unit-to track down the country's most dangerous and violent criminals and bring them to justice。 But narrowing down a seemingly infinite list of potential suspects seemed daunting at best and impossible at worst-until Dr。 Ann Burgess stepped on the scene。
In A Killer By Design， Burgess reveals-for the first time-how her pioneering research into the assessment and treatment of trauma and sexual abuse victims caught the attention of the FBI， and launched her right into the middle of a pivotal murder investigation in Nebraska。 As the brilliant mind behind the now common practice of criminal profiling， she teamed up with the BSU and helped them identify， trace， and interview hundreds of terrifying serial killers and notoriously violent criminals， including Ed Kemper （"The Co-Ed Killer"）， Dennis Rader （"（"BTK"）， Henry Wallace （"The Taco Bell Strangler"）， Jon Barry Simonis （"The Ski-Mask Rapist"）， and many more。
Featuring never-before-seen interview transcripts and crime scene drawings， A Killer By Design pulls us directly into the investigations as Burgess experienced with them， providing readers with unprecedented insight into the minds of these deranged killers， the victims they left behind， and the agents who were forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about crime。 As one of the first female consultants for the FBI， this memoir also sheds light on the evolving culture of not just the agency itself， but the criminal justice system nationwide。 Thanks to her keen observations and invaluable intuition， Burgess became one of the most sought-after experts， male or female， in a male-dominated field， breaking through the bureaucratic glass ceiling and clearing the path for generations of talented women to follow in her wake。
Combining a riveting personal narrative of fearless feminism and ambition， bone-chilling encounters with real-life monsters， and a revealing portrait of our ever-evolving criminal justice system， A Killer By Design will inspire， terrify， and enlighten you in equal measure-and begs the question， "What drives someone to kill， and how can they be stopped？"
Reviews
Petra sinking in the bottomless emotional pit
，
Criminal profiling。 CSI in hardback！ I love these books。 I always wonder what a murderer is like。 I know people who could get angry， who could slap or punch someone， but I cannot imagine anyone who could plan and then kill a person and then carry on with their lives as if nothing happened。 I think that the fascination of these books is that wonder I might be able to imagine them， not intellectually， but as people I might meet。Although that shouldn't be so hard really since I did have someone try Criminal profiling。 CSI in hardback！ I love these books。 I always wonder what a murderer is like。 I know people who could get angry， who could slap or punch someone， but I cannot imagine anyone who could plan and then kill a person and then carry on with their lives as if nothing happened。 I think that the fascination of these books is that wonder I might be able to imagine them， not intellectually， but as people I might meet。Although that shouldn't be so hard really since I did have someone try and kill me， run me down in an alley where there was scarcely room for the car。 I ran。。。 He/they didn't try again。 。。。more
Bonnie Kernene
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What a great book！ I knew who Ann Burgess was before getting this book， so I was excited to read it。 And it was worth it！ The book is well-written and flows very well。 She explained how she became part of the profiling team at the BAU when it began and gave her input as a forensic researcher that specialized in sex crimes。。 I think her research and input was so invaluable。 She included stories from offenders and different investigations she was involved in。 I think it is a great book， one of the What a great book！ I knew who Ann Burgess was before getting this book， so I was excited to read it。 And it was worth it！ The book is well-written and flows very well。 She explained how she became part of the profiling team at the BAU when it began and gave her input as a forensic researcher that specialized in sex crimes。。 I think her research and input was so invaluable。 She included stories from offenders and different investigations she was involved in。 I think it is a great book， one of the best I read this year。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Bobby Hattaway
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A brilliant book outlining the development of the BSU at the FBI。
Laura Peden
，
Ann Burgess’s research on sexual assault & trauma caught the FBI’s attention at a crucial time。 They were at the beginning stage of creating the Behavioral Science Unit。 This true crime memoir takes you behind the scenes as these “Mindhunters” study and hunt serial killers， but from the perspective of a female。 She works alongside John Douglas & Robert Ressler。 The first half was a little dry & textbook but once they form the group and start studying & hunting， it really picks up！ Highly recomme Ann Burgess’s research on sexual assault & trauma caught the FBI’s attention at a crucial time。 They were at the beginning stage of creating the Behavioral Science Unit。 This true crime memoir takes you behind the scenes as these “Mindhunters” study and hunt serial killers， but from the perspective of a female。 She works alongside John Douglas & Robert Ressler。 The first half was a little dry & textbook but once they form the group and start studying & hunting， it really picks up！ Highly recommend。 Listening time just under 6 hrs at 1。55x。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
This was really good。 I’m very interested in true crime and this was about the birth of “profiling” criminals and I found it fascinating！ I learned a lot about the nuts and bolts that go behind catching serial killers and how they studied them。 The novel went into detail how profiling began and the persons who would be the first team。 I enjoyed it and highly recommend it。 This won’t give the reader closer but will give insight to what goes on in the mind of a killer。 I commend the authors and th This was really good。 I’m very interested in true crime and this was about the birth of “profiling” criminals and I found it fascinating！ I learned a lot about the nuts and bolts that go behind catching serial killers and how they studied them。 The novel went into detail how profiling began and the persons who would be the first team。 I enjoyed it and highly recommend it。 This won’t give the reader closer but will give insight to what goes on in the mind of a killer。 I commend the authors and the great detail they took to make this。 I chose to listen to this book on audio and the like the narrator。 Thanks Hachette Books via NetGalley。 。。。more
Darcia Helle
，
Ann Wolbert Burgess is a badass。 She worked alongside Robert Ressler and John Douglas， creating the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit （BSU）， building a unique criminal database， and formulating the basis of what we now know as criminal profiling。Unlike her colleagues in this male-dominated criminal justice field， Burgess’s background was as a forensic nurse working with rape victims。 Her focus on the trauma experienced by victims carried over into her work with the BSU， bringing unique insight to po Ann Wolbert Burgess is a badass。 She worked alongside Robert Ressler and John Douglas， creating the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit （BSU）， building a unique criminal database， and formulating the basis of what we now know as criminal profiling。Unlike her colleagues in this male-dominated criminal justice field， Burgess’s background was as a forensic nurse working with rape victims。 Her focus on the trauma experienced by victims carried over into her work with the BSU， bringing unique insight to police work。If you’ve read anything by Ressler or Douglas， or watched Mindhunter’s on Netflix， then you’ll be familiar with the setup for Burgess’s story。 But her perspective as a female and a victim-focused nurse skews this story so we see things a little differently。 We get into some of the infamous cases， but also some of the little known early cases that the team worked on。 I really enjoyed learning more about her involvement and contributions。*I received an ARC from Hachette Books。* 。。。more
Kristina Civille
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If you are someone who loves true crime or thrillers that include a serial killer， this book is a must read！ Ann Burgess takes you through her experiences in helping to identify， interview， and track down dozens of notoriously violent serial killers and rapists。 She was also one of the first women to participate in these types of FBI tasks。 She does such a great job of combining her experiences into a book that will just suck you in from the beginning。 There are obviously a ton of content warnin If you are someone who loves true crime or thrillers that include a serial killer， this book is a must read！ Ann Burgess takes you through her experiences in helping to identify， interview， and track down dozens of notoriously violent serial killers and rapists。 She was also one of the first women to participate in these types of FBI tasks。 She does such a great job of combining her experiences into a book that will just suck you in from the beginning。 There are obviously a ton of content warnings， so please proceed with caution when reading or listening to this book。 Thank you @hachettebooks for my #gifted ARC and final copy and @hachetteaudio for my #gifted audiobook！ 。。。more
Lacey Garcia （cozybooknook）
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Thank you @hachette for sending me a copy of this book。 I’m a big true crime fan。 I think it’s fascinating to read about the criminal’s mindset and how they were caught。 Criminal profiling is also an interest of mine。 Some profilers can tell you exactly what a criminal does for a living， or in one case， exactly what they would be wearing when they were caught。 I also love data and profilers take data and behaviors to create profiles and although I’ve already said it， it’s incredibly fascinating。 Thank you @hachette for sending me a copy of this book。 I’m a big true crime fan。 I think it’s fascinating to read about the criminal’s mindset and how they were caught。 Criminal profiling is also an interest of mine。 Some profilers can tell you exactly what a criminal does for a living， or in one case， exactly what they would be wearing when they were caught。 I also love data and profilers take data and behaviors to create profiles and although I’ve already said it， it’s incredibly fascinating。 If you watched Mindhunter on Netflix， then A Killer by Design is going to sound incredibly familiar。 Mindhunter was based on a book by the FBI Agent who pioneered criminal profiling， John Douglas。 He did so through the new （then） Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico。 The author of this book， Ann Wolbert Burgess， was the forensic and psychiatric nurse who was also part of that unit。 This book is from her perspective and based on her research on sexual assault and trauma。 Of course， I loved this book。 If you liked Mindhunter， or Douglas’ book or any book or show on criminal profiling， then this book is for you。 。。。more
Shannon
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Fantastic book！！ I quick liked learning her perspective on profiling and how she helped shape how sexual assault is thought of。It's perfect for the true crime lover！！ Fantastic book！！ I quick liked learning her perspective on profiling and how she helped shape how sexual assault is thought of。It's perfect for the true crime lover！！ 。。。more
bookishwithwine
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Happy Pub Day！I have always enjoyed watching shows like CSI and Criminal Minds so when I received this book from Hachette Books I was excited！ Everything about the FBI has always been intriguing to me， and this feeds into that intrigue because we get to read about how the Behavioral Science Unit （BSU） was formed。 It was not surprising to read about the behavior serial killers had when they were little， and how they evolved the older in age。 There are so many interesting parts in this book like h Happy Pub Day！I have always enjoyed watching shows like CSI and Criminal Minds so when I received this book from Hachette Books I was excited！ Everything about the FBI has always been intriguing to me， and this feeds into that intrigue because we get to read about how the Behavioral Science Unit （BSU） was formed。 It was not surprising to read about the behavior serial killers had when they were little， and how they evolved the older in age。 There are so many interesting parts in this book like how criminal profiling started and the real life cases。 The first case just happened to be in Nebraska， and I had never heard of the killer so I found myself doing a little research。 For some reason I always want to know what the killers look like so I googled a lot of them。 I have heard some of the names like Ed Kemper and Henry Wallace， but not knowing the details of what they did。 While I'm sure some details were held back the author gives a vivid enough description you won't soon forget。 Some are hard to stomach， and others are just plain sad。 I would recommend this book to any and all true crime lovers， and anyone who enjoys watching crime shows！ Thank you Hachette Books for my #copy！Book Rating: ⅘Wine Pairing: 19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon 。。。more
Jody Blanchette
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If you’re a True Crime fan like myself， and are more interested in the mind of the killers， rather then the crime itself， this is the book for you。 I have read most of John Douglas’s books， and am currently reading Mindhunter for Book Club， so I was familiar with Ann Wolbert Burgess。 She is mentioned in most of John’s books， for good reason。 She was a tremendous help to the BSU， and stood side by side with the men that pioneered profiling。 Her specialty was sexual assault， and advocating for th If you’re a True Crime fan like myself， and are more interested in the mind of the killers， rather then the crime itself， this is the book for you。 I have read most of John Douglas’s books， and am currently reading Mindhunter for Book Club， so I was familiar with Ann Wolbert Burgess。 She is mentioned in most of John’s books， for good reason。 She was a tremendous help to the BSU， and stood side by side with the men that pioneered profiling。 Her specialty was sexual assault， and advocating for the victims during a time when this was really overlooked。 But to really help the women get past their trauma， Ann needed to get to the root of the problem。 She needed to understand how these predators thought， why they killed & what triggered their violence。 A Killer By Design is not a how to on getting away with murder。 Nor is it a light read。 It is an in depth， behind the scenes look into how the BSU began。 There is a ton of technical jargon， analysis and heavy reading。 A few famous cases are dissected， to highlight the major moments of break through。 It does not glamour murder， or make killers sparkle。 This book is blunt and factual。 Comparing Ann’s book to John’s， I liked Ann’s better。 Maybe it’s because I’m a female， and have always wondered how women make it in the mostly men run FBI。 But honestly， I think it’s because the book is written better。 。。。more
kelseysbookbakerie
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Burgess and Constantine describe the development of the Behavioral Science Unit within the FBI。 Moreover， they emphasize the significance of criminal profiling。At times， I felt like I was reading a psychology textbook。 The information is exhaustive， almost to a fault。 However， when the information was applied to cases， I was interested in how profiles were created according to each criminal。 Additionally， Burgess’ perspective as one of the first few females in the FBI is refreshing。 She addresse Burgess and Constantine describe the development of the Behavioral Science Unit within the FBI。 Moreover， they emphasize the significance of criminal profiling。At times， I felt like I was reading a psychology textbook。 The information is exhaustive， almost to a fault。 However， when the information was applied to cases， I was interested in how profiles were created according to each criminal。 Additionally， Burgess’ perspective as one of the first few females in the FBI is refreshing。 She addresses stigma not only within the workplace， but within the very gruesome world of true crime。Overall， I give this book 3 stars。 。。。more
Brandy
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This is a hard one for me to review。 A Killer by Design was my first true crime read and it didn’t disappoint - I was completely captivated while also being totally terrified。 For me it was equal parts page turner， and also， “I need to put this down， walk away， and take some deep breaths”。 What people are capable of is so horrific。 On the flip side， people like Ann who are willing to deal with the worst of the worst day in and day out， to help make the rest of us safer， are truly amazing。 My nee This is a hard one for me to review。 A Killer by Design was my first true crime read and it didn’t disappoint - I was completely captivated while also being totally terrified。 For me it was equal parts page turner， and also， “I need to put this down， walk away， and take some deep breaths”。 What people are capable of is so horrific。 On the flip side， people like Ann who are willing to deal with the worst of the worst day in and day out， to help make the rest of us safer， are truly amazing。 My need to double check all locks and windows in my house was quadrupled while reading this。 🤣I so appreciate that a TW is included in the author’s note right at the start so I knew exactly what I was wading into。“…violence， murder， kidnapping， sexual assault， domestic abuse （including children and animals）， sexism/misogyny， racism， mental health。”There are photos included in the finished copy， one which I found particularly disturbing。Thank you @novel_suspects and @hachettebooks for the gifted copies 。。。more
MarilynW
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A Killer by Design: Murderers， Mindhunters， and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mindby Ann Burgess with Steven ConstantineAnn Burgess came to the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit after her research on sexual assault and trauma caught the attention of the FBI。 Whereas the people she would work with were focusing on those who committed the crimes， her work had her focusing on the victims。 She was able to work with BSU agents to interview convicted serial killers so that a structured method of crimi A Killer by Design: Murderers， Mindhunters， and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mindby Ann Burgess with Steven ConstantineAnn Burgess came to the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit after her research on sexual assault and trauma caught the attention of the FBI。 Whereas the people she would work with were focusing on those who committed the crimes， her work had her focusing on the victims。 She was able to work with BSU agents to interview convicted serial killers so that a structured method of criminal profiling could be developed and used throughout the country to catch violent offenders before they could do more damage。 But first， criminal profiling methodology had to be established， defined， and refined so that law enforcement across the country would have a means to identify possible suspects without the inference of bias。 To be able to understand the criminal mind Ann and the agents had to get inside of minds of thirty six serial killers， a number that they would add to later。 This book discusses horrible crimes in great detail。 One thing that helped with their research is that the serial killers， for the most part， loved detailing their thoughts， actions， likes， dislikes。 They thrived on reliving everything in detail。 The book is very interesting but not to be lost in the exposing of serial killers and their motivations and thought processes， are the victims， each and every one of them them a person who mattered， who had a life that was cut short by the cruelty of depraved men。 As Ann Burgess says at the end of this book， it was always about the victims for her。 That was obvious as I read this book and that is how I could continue to read it。 I read mysteries and thrillers on a regular basis， many which deal with murderers and their victims and it can be easy to let it all go once the book is laid down。 I know that television， movies， and books have numbed us to violence in real life。 It's made serial killers famous， given them cult followings and minimized and erased the names of those whose lives they took so violently。 For me， Burgess makes clear that she doesn't want these victims to be forgotten and that was important to me， as I read this book。 Publication: December 7th 2021Thank you to Hachette Books， Scene of the Crime， and Novel Suspects for this ARC。 。。。more
Rachel （TheShadesofOrange）
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3。5 StarsThis was an interesting non fiction book that covered the creation of the FBI criminal profiling unit。 A lot of the information in this book has been covered in other books like Mindhunters so avid true crime readers won't find a lot of new details。 This book provides the experience of the first female profiler on the team and I expected there to be more about her challenges being a woman in a man's world。 Instead， this book mostly recounted the popularized history， rehashing the crimes 3。5 StarsThis was an interesting non fiction book that covered the creation of the FBI criminal profiling unit。 A lot of the information in this book has been covered in other books like Mindhunters so avid true crime readers won't find a lot of new details。 This book provides the experience of the first female profiler on the team and I expected there to be more about her challenges being a woman in a man's world。 Instead， this book mostly recounted the popularized history， rehashing the crimes of popular serial killers。 It was a well written book with a concise narrative， but it just wanted anything new。 。。。more
Patti
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Very interesting look into the profiling aspect of FBI。 It is a bit gruesome in parts but it lends to the serious nature of the job and the author’s acceptance of her job with FBI as consultant。 Mind hunters was a favorite show of mine and this is similar to it。 Very technical and shows what goes on behind the scenes of profiling in violent crimes。
Lauren
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Brief synopsis: A behind the scenes look at the early days of the FBI’s criminal profiling unit （aka mindhunters） from the unit’s first woman。I’m a huge true crime buff- I’ve read Mindhunter， watched the Netflix adaptation， and read one of Robert Ressler’s books- but this is my favorite of the criminal profiling memoirs I’ve read。What I liked:🔍 Dr。 Wolbert Burgess is a badass， she is SO smart🔍 How victim-focused her work is🔍 Learning more about the history of the FBI🔍 Super fascinating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Brief synopsis: A behind the scenes look at the early days of the FBI’s criminal profiling unit （aka mindhunters） from the unit’s first woman。I’m a huge true crime buff- I’ve read Mindhunter， watched the Netflix adaptation， and read one of Robert Ressler’s books- but this is my favorite of the criminal profiling memoirs I’ve read。What I liked:🔍 Dr。 Wolbert Burgess is a badass， she is SO smart🔍 How victim-focused her work is🔍 Learning more about the history of the FBI🔍 Super fascinating lesser known cases🔍 She makes the profiling process and material easy to understandWhat I didn’t like:🔍 I wish I could hear more about what she is up to now （but perhaps this is setting up another book！）This is a fantastic true crime read。 There aren’t many female voices at her level of expertise， so it was truly amazing to hear about her experience。 She is very data/research driven and a great representation for woman in the science field。 You can tell she held her own in the boys’ club atmosphere of the early days of the FBI。Since I’ve read and watched a lot of true crime material， I really enjoyed learning about the lesser known （but intense） cases， but she also discusses more mainstream cases like those of Kemper， BTK， and the unabomber。As this is a memoir of someone who dealt with brutal killers， this isn’t for the faint of heart。 I appreciated that a trigger warning was included。⚠️: violence， murder （including of children）， sexual assault， animal abuse， child （sex） abuse， sexism/misogyny， racism， mental health 。。。more
Tara Wright
，
A Killer By Design is a great true crime。 It was both educational and entertaining。 I liked how Ann used past cases to help explain the steps and processes that were used in creating the BSU。 It made it interesting。 I also admire Ann for her role in reshaping how serial killers were caught and thought about。 Thanks to Hachette Books and Netgalley for the copy of A Killer By Design in return of an honest review。
Melissa
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I'm a true crime addict so I was super excited to review Ann Wolbert Burgess's account of her time working at the FBI。 I would recommend this book for fans of John Douglas and Robert Ressler， but her account is different from those written by other members of the behavioral science unit。 Burgess brings a different perspective as a woman， and a forensic nurse instead of an FBI agent。 Her book explains not just criminal psychology but also examines how the agents' minds worked。 Burgess goes into d I'm a true crime addict so I was super excited to review Ann Wolbert Burgess's account of her time working at the FBI。 I would recommend this book for fans of John Douglas and Robert Ressler， but her account is different from those written by other members of the behavioral science unit。 Burgess brings a different perspective as a woman， and a forensic nurse instead of an FBI agent。 Her book explains not just criminal psychology but also examines how the agents' minds worked。 Burgess goes into detail explaining the profiling process and how it was applied to early case studies。 I would recommend this book if you want to know how serial killers develop， how the science of criminal profiling was created， and/or how the FBI modernized in the 70's and 80's。 。。。more
Erin Clemence
，
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: Dec。 7， 2021 In the 1970s and 1980s， serial killers in the United States were rampant。 So much so， that the FBI decided to form their own team to help understand， investigate and eventually arrest these violent criminals。 As one of the only females in the Behavioural Sciences Unit （BSU）， Ann Burgess， a psychiatric nurse， teamed up wit Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: Dec。 7， 2021 In the 1970s and 1980s， serial killers in the United States were rampant。 So much so， that the FBI decided to form their own team to help understand， investigate and eventually arrest these violent criminals。 As one of the only females in the Behavioural Sciences Unit （BSU）， Ann Burgess， a psychiatric nurse， teamed up with a handful of male FBI agents to compile a way to analyze and study what they knew of current serial killers- in hopes of using this information to help the FBI capture future serial killers before they got started。 John E。 Douglas， the writer of “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit”， and one of the founders are the Behavioural Sciences Unit， was a part of Ann’s original team。 Having read much of Douglas’ work， I found it interesting to read about the BSU from another perspective， and a female one at that。 In an era when females even more stereotyped and pigeon-holed， Burgess brings an interesting take to the criminal mind， and adds a critical component to the developing team。 The book outlines various serial killers from this era， both highly known and less so （including BTK）， but Burgess also goes into detail about how the BSU was formed， and the challenges and struggles she faced as a non-agent， and as a female， trying to make a difference in the criminal justice system。 I really enjoyed the deep-dive into some of the most criminal minds in history， and these chapters kept me engaged and drawn in。 I had less interest in the development of the BSU as a whole， and the science behind the formation of the collection of data。 I wanted more serial killers （because， who doesn’t？） and I would’ve really appreciated a bit more of Burgess， especially from her days in psychiatric nursing。 Dark and creepy， “A Killer by Design” is gruesome and not for the faint of heart。 Grisly crimes are documented， many are sexual in nature， so it definitely isn’t “light” reading。 However， it is a well-told true crime story featuring many of the most prolific serial killers from the era when there was so many to choose from。 Burgess’ viewpoints of being a female in a male dominated world were powerful and eye-opening and I immediately bonded with her。 This is a must-read novel for fans of “Criminal Minds” or “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit”， and anyone who wants just a little bit more information on how the serial killer mind works， and how they become who they are。 。。。more
thereadingowlvina （Elvina Ulrich）
，
"Behaviour reflects personality。 The best indicator of future violence is past violence。 To understand the "artist，" you must study his "art。" The crime must be evaluated in its totality。" - John E。 Douglas A Killer By Design is a detailed behind-the-scenes look into the creation of FBI's Behavioural Science Unit and how criminal profiling has evolved throughout the years to what it is today。 And it all begins with the psychiatric nurse， Ann Burgess。 Together with her sociologist friend Lynd "Behaviour reflects personality。 The best indicator of future violence is past violence。 To understand the "artist，" you must study his "art。" The crime must be evaluated in its totality。" - John E。 Douglas A Killer By Design is a detailed behind-the-scenes look into the creation of FBI's Behavioural Science Unit and how criminal profiling has evolved throughout the years to what it is today。 And it all begins with the psychiatric nurse， Ann Burgess。 Together with her sociologist friend Lynda Lytle Holmstrom， they published their findings on their interdisciplinary research project which focused on victim response to rape in the American Journal of Nursing。 Their article titled "The Rape Victim in the Emergency Ward，" caught the attention of Roy Hazelwood， who was a pioneer of profiling sexual predators。 From then on， she has been working together with the FBI in researching， and refining the process of profiling to what it is today。 There are a lot of cases discussed in this book - Henry Wallace （Taco Bell Killer）， Ed Kemper （Co-ed Killer）， Jon Simonis （Ski Mask Rapist）， Montie Rissell， and many more。 These are violent criminals who committed very violent crimes。 I truly admire Burgess' bravery and passion in advocating for the victims through her impeccable research that often means confronting these criminals。 The profiling part was incredibly spot on and it gives me chills reading the cases where criminals were caught because of how accurate the profiling was。 In a nutshell， this was one fantastic read but definitely not the for faint-of-heart as the crimes were dark and disturbing。 But if you can stomach these， then I would definitely recommend this book。 You will be amazed by the research done， the interviews， the process of profiling and the kind of work profilers do！ TW: violence， murder， sexual assault， domestic abuse （including children and animals）Pub。 Date: Dec 7th， 2021***Thank you Hachette Books， author Ann Burgess and NetGalley for this gifted review copy to read。 All opinions expressed are my own。*** 。。。more
Erica
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Wow！ Loved reading this in depth look into the fascinating world of profiling。 I have been interested in this field as long as I can remember。 The author does an amazing job of providing a female perspective on this crazy job。 I very much enjoyed the breakdown of the steps and thought the chapters were carefully and thoughtfully laid out。 This book looks at a variety of cases and breaks down the process of profiling them。 It can be challenging and upsetting content at times and definitely deserv Wow！ Loved reading this in depth look into the fascinating world of profiling。 I have been interested in this field as long as I can remember。 The author does an amazing job of providing a female perspective on this crazy job。 I very much enjoyed the breakdown of the steps and thought the chapters were carefully and thoughtfully laid out。 This book looks at a variety of cases and breaks down the process of profiling them。 It can be challenging and upsetting content at times and definitely deserves a content warning， but anyone who loves CSI， Criminal Minds， true crime will love this dip into the world of solving crimesThank you Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Debra Berding
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Wow。 This is the first time I have read a non-fiction book like this， and it was mesmerizing。 I liked how the author used real-life examples to show their progress， and on some levels， it was extremely frightening since she used real-life examples。 I would recommend this book。 Note that I did receive a free copy of this book through the Novel Suspects Insiders Club。
Adelaide McIntyre
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Pam， the psychologist that we follow， leads us through the darkest parts of the human mind。 She is one of the founding members of BSU （or BAU in media）， and helped create profiling as we know it。 This was a super interesting insight into the minds of killers， and the agents who catch them。
Valerity （Val）
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I really enjoyed reading about Dr。 Ann Burgess and how her serious work on researching sexual violence eventually got her to working with the FBI。 She helped refine their work on interviewing serial killers so that it would be more useful。 Burgess also shares her experiences on different cases during her time with the FBI in the early days of profiling。 Good history here and a woman’s perspective on the subjects for a change。 For true crime lovers。 Advance electronic review copy was provided by I really enjoyed reading about Dr。 Ann Burgess and how her serious work on researching sexual violence eventually got her to working with the FBI。 She helped refine their work on interviewing serial killers so that it would be more useful。 Burgess also shares her experiences on different cases during her time with the FBI in the early days of profiling。 Good history here and a woman’s perspective on the subjects for a change。 For true crime lovers。 Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley， author Ann Wolbert Burgess， and the publisher。 。。。more
Dive Into A Good Book
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If you have always wanted to know the inner workings of a serial killer's mind， A Killer by Design is the book for you。 Ann Wolbert Burgess is a forensic and psychiatric nurse who worked with the FBI for over twenty years。 Her work helped develop criminal profiling as it is used now and establish the Behavioral Science Unit。 Her masterful writing makes you feel as if you are sitting in on one of her lectures at Quantico， learning the steps to profile one of the elusive killers that is on the loo If you have always wanted to know the inner workings of a serial killer's mind， A Killer by Design is the book for you。 Ann Wolbert Burgess is a forensic and psychiatric nurse who worked with the FBI for over twenty years。 Her work helped develop criminal profiling as it is used now and establish the Behavioral Science Unit。 Her masterful writing makes you feel as if you are sitting in on one of her lectures at Quantico， learning the steps to profile one of the elusive killers that is on the loose。A Killer by Design brings you down into the underbelly of the FBI， where the most brilliant investigators work to come up with new techniques and steps to catch a killer。 Burgess' does a masterful job of balancing the know-how of catching a killer， with the chilling， nail biting， hair raising cases that she worked on while at the FBI。 Tears were streaming down my face as I read about the children who were abducted and later killed in Nebraska。 Fear raced down my spine as I she described Edmund Kemper， also known as the Co-Ed Killer。 I am in awe that there are people who are willing to work for the victim and their families。 Their dreams must be haunted， and their thoughts must be terrifying。This is a book for all the Criminal Mind lovers out there。 You will not only delve into the dark， terrifying world of these serial killers。 You will also learn what made them killers， and how you can catch them by understanding their thought processes。 Burgess' is a master when it comes to writing and drawing you into the inner workings of the FBI and the reality of how they are caught。 One point of the many points that stood out for me is that criminals are always changing， whether they must adapt to DNA， to profiling， new technology。 Which means to catch them law enforcement has to change as well。 The BSU was not always highly thought of。 They had to dig and scratch their way to the surface， to prove that what they are learning is useful and beneficial to all。 Thank you to Ann Wolbert Burgess， Novel Suspects and Hachette Books for sending me this fascinating， stimulating book。 。。。more
Agnes Muscoreil
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Wow！ Criminal Profiling A-Z。 This in-depth look at the FBI Behavioral Science Unit will chill you to the bone。 Ann Burgess joined the group over two decades ago and shows us the science used to track down serial killers and understand why they do what they do。 Hopefully， this will help law enforcement stop them！。
Katie
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Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this， in exchange for my unbiased opinion。What a fascinating， clear-cut take on not only criminal profiling， but the development of the process！ Burgess breaks down the history of the BSU， and the way the methods it uses has evolved with time and new knowledge。 It's the truest form of "true crime，" examining the criminals as well as their victims， then using it all to find the next suspect。 I was particularly fascinated by the Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this， in exchange for my unbiased opinion。What a fascinating， clear-cut take on not only criminal profiling， but the development of the process！ Burgess breaks down the history of the BSU， and the way the methods it uses has evolved with time and new knowledge。 It's the truest form of "true crime，" examining the criminals as well as their victims， then using it all to find the next suspect。 I was particularly fascinated by the profilers' ability to predict tiny， seemingly impossible details about their killers， right down to taste in television and wardrobe。 But it's all done with dignity and respect for the people involved on all sides of a crime， without editorializing or preaching at the readers。 Truly a must-read for fans of Criminal Minds， Mindhunters， or any serial killer documentary this decade。 。。。more
Auderoy
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QUOTES:Sexual violence was more about power and control than the act of sex itself。My experience of working with victims of rape had taught me how to focus on the data rather than the horror—I’d learned to stomach the trauma because I knew I could help。Because ultimately， that’s what victimology does—it holds a mirror to the perpetrator of the crime。Bias was a shortcut to failure。The patterned nature of their thoughts and intentions was obsessive in nature， meaning it demanded continuous refinem QUOTES:Sexual violence was more about power and control than the act of sex itself。My experience of working with victims of rape had taught me how to focus on the data rather than the horror—I’d learned to stomach the trauma because I knew I could help。Because ultimately， that’s what victimology does—it holds a mirror to the perpetrator of the crime。Bias was a shortcut to failure。The patterned nature of their thoughts and intentions was obsessive in nature， meaning it demanded continuous refinement， continuous practice， so that the act of killing could mirror the perfection of the fantasy。 In this way， an offender’s dangerous thought patterns became more complex and more violent the longer they went unchecked。That’s the price of success。 You end up becoming part of the system you were trying to fix。 。。。more
Meilech
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