A Killer By Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind
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- Create Date：2022-01-05 17:21:27
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ann Burgess
- ISBN：B091PRNRDX
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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
Alle VanWye
，
Another morbid/dark book; one review called this book haunting and heartbreaking and I’d have to agree。 A mix of psychological research， true crime， and FBI history from a professor/experts vantage point。 No humor in this one but interesting for those curious about profilings origins and how it works。 Not for the faint of heart！
Heidi
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Loved this book。 Amazing！
Rose
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I added his book to my reading list after finishing American Predator and a few other true life crime books， including other serial killers。 I like reading true crime， but I can’t recommend this one。 It’s a bit dry， not really much of a story even with its graphic description which increase in their detail as the book progresses。
Em Ann ♡︎♡︎♡︎ - theglitterybookworm_
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PLEASE look up trigger warnings
Steve Constantine
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This is a book for all the Criminal Mind lovers out there。 You will not only delve into the dark， terrifying world of some of the most well known serial killers in the USA。 You will also learn what makes them tick and brought them to the brink。 Burgess and Constantine are master story tellers when it comes to writing and drawing you into the inner workings of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit （BSU） and the fascinating way in which these killers are identified and caught。 Thanks to Dr。 Burgess th This is a book for all the Criminal Mind lovers out there。 You will not only delve into the dark， terrifying world of some of the most well known serial killers in the USA。 You will also learn what makes them tick and brought them to the brink。 Burgess and Constantine are master story tellers when it comes to writing and drawing you into the inner workings of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit （BSU） and the fascinating way in which these killers are identified and caught。 Thanks to Dr。 Burgess the BSU's work has been proven successful time and time again。 Great read！ 。。。more
MrNobody
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Visceral， all that need be said。
C
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4。5 stars。 Warnings: This book is GRAPHIC。With that said I've read my fair share of true crime books， but this was one of the better books that I've read on the subject。 While it does delve into a few well known cases it focuses more on the beginning of the Behavior Science Unit at the FBI and the psychology behind the crimes while also focusing a bit on the author's personal life and how she came to be at her job。 If the graphicness of the book doesn't deter you I recommend this to all true cri 4。5 stars。 Warnings: This book is GRAPHIC。With that said I've read my fair share of true crime books， but this was one of the better books that I've read on the subject。 While it does delve into a few well known cases it focuses more on the beginning of the Behavior Science Unit at the FBI and the psychology behind the crimes while also focusing a bit on the author's personal life and how she came to be at her job。 If the graphicness of the book doesn't deter you I recommend this to all true crime addicts or even those just more interested in the psychology aspect。 。。。more
Thomas Nuñez
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I stumbled upon this book and could not put it down once I started it。 If you have an interest in serial killer's mindsets， this book helps further the understanding a bit more。 Reader be ware， it is graphic and isn't an easy read per se。 I stumbled upon this book and could not put it down once I started it。 If you have an interest in serial killer's mindsets， this book helps further the understanding a bit more。 Reader be ware， it is graphic and isn't an easy read per se。 。。。more
David Blake
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Barely two stars。。。if I was a profiler， I'd id the author as an ego-centric academic with a misshapen view of her impact on solving cases， taking credit for several high profile crimes that were clearly resolved by evidence-based detective work。 Barely two stars。。。if I was a profiler， I'd id the author as an ego-centric academic with a misshapen view of her impact on solving cases， taking credit for several high profile crimes that were clearly resolved by evidence-based detective work。 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Biography & Memoir
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If you’ve watched “Mindhunter” on Netflix， you know the basic outline of how the FBI came to create their Behavioral Science Unit （BSU）， which， among other things， profiles serial killers in order to assist in their capture and understand their crimes。 The series， which fictionalizes the work of three of the unit leads， is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by one of those subjects， FBI agent John Douglas。 Another seminal figure of the FBI’s work on serial killers was Ann Wolbert Burg If you’ve watched “Mindhunter” on Netflix， you know the basic outline of how the FBI came to create their Behavioral Science Unit （BSU）， which， among other things， profiles serial killers in order to assist in their capture and understand their crimes。 The series， which fictionalizes the work of three of the unit leads， is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by one of those subjects， FBI agent John Douglas。 Another seminal figure of the FBI’s work on serial killers was Ann Wolbert Burgess， and now she shares her own account of the BSU work， the science of profiling， and how she helped examine and try to explain this type of terrifying crime。It probably goes without saying that A KILLER BY DESIGN is not for the faint of heart: it is grisly and graphic。 However， it is also a totally compelling look at crime investigation， extreme psychological disorders， and the contributions of some top-notch scientists and law enforcement specialists。 Burgess’ professional life is equally as fascinating， if not more so， than the “Mindhunter” character on which she is loosely based。 Burgess holds a doctorate in psychiatric nursing， a field that emerged in the mid-1950s。 She became especially interested in victimology and the psychology of violent crimes when she began to recognize the abuse --- often sexual --- suffered by many women in mental institutions， including those convicted of violent crimes themselves。The goal of Burgess' early research was to “better understand the emotional and traumatic effects of sexual violence， which often far outlasted the physical effects of the act itself。” This groundbreaking work caught the attention of the agents working at the nascent BSU， and they invited her to join them。 However， she was never an FBI agent， and shared her experience and expertise as a contractor。 Add to that the fact that Burgess was the only woman on the team --- and， at the time， one of the only women working for the FBI in an expert capacity --- and her story gets even more interesting。In its basement offices in Quantico starting in the late 1970s， the BSU began interviewing serial killers in prison to create criminal profiles that could be of use in identifying and apprehending others like them as quickly as possible。 Their work was at once urgent and slow going。 It was urgent when they were called into cases where a serial killer was suspected， and they raced to save lives。 It also was slow going as， over the years， they refined their techniques， clarified their concepts and articulated their ideas。 They always reviewed and examined evidence， interviewed the country’s most terrifying murderers， and shared what they learned with FBI agents and others in law enforcement。The BSU developed some of the fundamental methods and concepts of criminal profiling。 Even as America’s interest in and romanticizing of serial killers grew， Burgess and the others worked to fully understand the mental health of the perpetrators and analyzed their pathological issues of control and fantasy。 Chapter by chapter， she introduces cases that were fundamental to the work of the BSU --- not to sensationalize， but to illuminate where psychiatry and law enforcement came together to create new methodologies for profiling and categorizing serial murders in the hopes of saving lives。A KILLER BY DESIGN is unflinching and horrifying， a clinical yet humane intersection of true crime， science writing and memoir， and the reflections on a career of a woman doing innovative and unprecedented work。 Much of what the layperson has in mind when they think of profiling or the investigations of murders is based on the work of Burgess and her amazing BSU colleagues。 This is an absorbing and disturbing read， a thoughtful and honest counterbalance to the pop culture fixation on these brutal and complex crimes。 And， perhaps above all， it is a testament to the genius of the BSU and Burgess’ focus on the victims and survivors。Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman 。。。more
Nichole Heydenburg
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As a thriller author， A Killer by Design was a great book to read。 It was interesting to find out more information about the FBI's criminal profiling process and how they use profiling to find serial killers。 Parts of the book felt overexplained and unnecessary， but I was intrigued for most of it。 One of the best parts was learning about several serial killers I hadn't heard of and how they were caught。 I'll definitely be incorporating what I've learned into my next serial killer book。Thank you As a thriller author， A Killer by Design was a great book to read。 It was interesting to find out more information about the FBI's criminal profiling process and how they use profiling to find serial killers。 Parts of the book felt overexplained and unnecessary， but I was intrigued for most of it。 One of the best parts was learning about several serial killers I hadn't heard of and how they were caught。 I'll definitely be incorporating what I've learned into my next serial killer book。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eBook ARC in exchange for writing an honest review。 。。。more
Amrita
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One of the best books I've ever read。 The writing style is superb; I couldn't leave the book。 One of the best books I've ever read。 The writing style is superb; I couldn't leave the book。 。。。more
Fiona
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My decades spent studying serial killers weren't for the game of cat and mouse， nor because I found these killers entertaining。 And I didn't do it because I empathized with their plight or because I was trying to rehabilitate and reform them。For me， it's always been about the victims。They are the reason I persist。 They are the reason I stared down the darkness， time and time again。 They are the tragic human cost of a serial killer's self-discovery， the helpless victims of chance and circumstance My decades spent studying serial killers weren't for the game of cat and mouse， nor because I found these killers entertaining。 And I didn't do it because I empathized with their plight or because I was trying to rehabilitate and reform them。For me， it's always been about the victims。They are the reason I persist。 They are the reason I stared down the darkness， time and time again。 They are the tragic human cost of a serial killer's self-discovery， the helpless victims of chance and circumstance。 They are living， breathing bodies of boundless possibility reduced to headlines and statistics。 And although many of their names have been lost to history or relegated to footnotes in the retellings of serial killers and their crimes， I will never forget a single one。It's the victims who matter。 This story is as much theirs as it is mine。If you're familiar with Mindhunter， you'll be aware they based the show around the real life group of agents - and consultants！ - who founded the BSU and established criminal profiling as a discipline。 Though her character was the most changed for fiction， Ann Wolbert Burgess was an integral member， and I was so excited to see this book be released。It absolutely lived up to my self-generated hype - I can't even tell you how much of this is covered in highlights， but SO MUCH。 Ann's perspective was the most unusual amongst the others that we've heard from， being a professor of psychiatric nursing and firmly the most adept with research methodologies and data interpretation。 She'd also taken a victim-first approach for most of her career， as opposed to the agents whose jobs were structured based around catching killers - it turned her approach and her perspective completely around from the usual approach。 That's not to say other agents I've read don't care - they absolutely do - but there is a very different "voice" to Ann's writing， one I really enjoyed hearing from。A Killer by Design essentially covers Ann's involvement in research， involvement with the BSU and its formation， and a summary of some of the cases she was involved in and how they changed some level of understanding。 The book is conversational and easy to read， and everything I'd hoped she'd write some day - absolutely fascinating， and with a level of insight that speaks to the value of decades spent in a discipline。 Definitely one I'd recommend。 。。。more
John
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One of the Best Books on Profilers！Story 5/5Excellent recounting of the author's time on the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit as a criminal profiler。Very interesting and informative！Highly recommended if you're into this subject。 One of the Best Books on Profilers！Story 5/5Excellent recounting of the author's time on the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit as a criminal profiler。Very interesting and informative！Highly recommended if you're into this subject。 。。。more
Connie Marston
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What an incredible look into the world of serial killers minds。 This was a incredible read！
Petra X starts the new year alone， again
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Do you ever read a book that's kind of meh， and you think you'll finish it when all of a sudden it ups its game and becomes amazingly good？ This one did that！ You can see from Reading Notes below that I didn't thing much of it， but by the time I finished it I wanted more。 The author was working， at a very high level， profiling serial killers when she latched on to something I hadn't thought of that she wanted to challenge。 A snippet of overheard conversation: “The Kemper case， though。 I don’t kn Do you ever read a book that's kind of meh， and you think you'll finish it when all of a sudden it ups its game and becomes amazingly good？ This one did that！ You can see from Reading Notes below that I didn't thing much of it， but by the time I finished it I wanted more。 The author was working， at a very high level， profiling serial killers when she latched on to something I hadn't thought of that she wanted to challenge。 A snippet of overheard conversation: “The Kemper case， though。 I don’t know if you’ve heard about him。 He’s sometimes called the Co-ed Killer。 He did some pretty crazy stuff and didn’t get caught for years。 He’s my favorite serial killer。” The author was struck by that， and wrote: What did it even mean to have a favorite serial killer？ Then， suddenly and with great clarity， I was struck by the significance of the remark。 Serial killers were gaining notoriety for their crimes。 As public fascination with these offenders grew， so too did their mythology。 Their stories were becoming familiar， compelling， even entertaining—offering a never-before-seen glimpse into the darkest corners of human nature。 The killers were becoming distanced from the heinous carnage they’d left behind and transcending into the status of cultural icons。 The author worries that these brutal killers who have no emotions that don't relate to themselves and their desires to torture and murder have become media personalities:The public was beginning to accept them as archetypal stories of classic Americana。 Somewhere along the line， the public’s initial shock about killers like Ed Gein and John Wayne Gacy had changed from repulsion to fascination。 It got to the point where a police artist’s sketch of the Unabomber became an iconic T-shirt。 It was disturbing。 Because despite how obviously horrible these killers were， despite their utter brutality and the pain they inflicted upon their victims， they’d somehow become romanticized。 They were a new type of celebrity。 That really made me think on just how serial killers have become an industry that is almost exactly on a par with say Hollywood stars （apart from the interviews）。 There are endless newspaper， magazine， internet sites books， documentaries and even films made about them。 We thrill to their vicious coldness， but we aren't feeling them， we are feeling what the media are exploiting for money。 The author puts it well:The spotlight of entertainment glosses over reality and focuses on serial killers only in their most appealing forms。 Like Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs， killers were often portrayed as charismatic， even likable。 They were given qualities of empathy and charm that made it easier to separate them from the unimaginable malice of their actions。 When the truth of the matter to this psychologist and expert forensic profiler is， Serial killers had emotions， yes， but these emotions lacked depth。 They didn’t care about others。 They didn’t want to make friends。 They didn’t have empathy。 They only wanted victims。 Connection—through charm， flattery， or humor—was part of their act。 It was simply a means to an end。 These are the worst of criminals， but they get the best， most extensive 'celeb' portrayals in the media。The most powerful part of the book was the extensive interview with the serial killer Henry Wallace where the author had been called in by the defence （which probably made Wallace more open than if she had been on the prosecution side）。 He was unusual being Black - almost all serial killers are White males - and also， dreadfully， having known well most of his victims - these were his friends and co-workers。 He got a sexual rush from strangling them， then demanding oral sex， then rape， and finally murder。 He'd never been able to get out of his head the gang rape of a girl in school that he'd witnessed - and enjoyed。 Perhaps the sexual element is put best in this sentence by the Bind， Torture and Kill murderer， Dennis Rader， and perhaps this is what lies behind so many serial killers motives， people are just objects to indulge their twisted and murderous fantasies out on， then to be discarded， but with pain， suffering and humiliation。 BTK Killer Dennis Rader told the investigators that he “was getting a hard-on” when they showed him his own drawings and photos of his dead victims。 __________Notes on reading Maybe I've read too many criminal profiling and forensics books， but there just isn't anything new in this。 One thing I read horrified me though， the author interviewed every rape victim （all female） who came into a hospital after the rape， "In all we interviewed 146 individuals from the ages of three to seventy-three。" Three！ What kind of man （or let me be politically correc，t person with a penis） rapes a three year old？ In the UK sexual assault and rape crimes committed by women went up exponentially。 An investigation showed that the rate hadn't actually gone up， the rapes were committed by men identifying as women。 Because of planning prisons， probation and treatment， the police were asked to revert to the recording of biological sex。 The police in Scotland refused。 Women have become the third sex， bottom of the heap， our experience as women whether politically， as feminism， safety as shelters， sports， or in any other way considered irrelevant， unimportant in this time of biology being ignored in favour of personal gender identification。 If this offends you， consider what Salman Rushdie said， and he got a death sentence rather then denouncing， cancelling and deplatforming， "Nobody has the right to not be offended。 That right doesn't exist in any declaration I have ever read。 If you are offended it is your problem， and frankly lots of things offend lots of people。" Respect for people and how they want to be identified and live their lives should be the norm and unremarkable。 Unless it causes harm or pushes a biological sex into a position to their extreme detriment as with sports and rape statistics， then there needs to be an acknowledgement of biological differences and a consequent negotiation of positions。__________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。 I wrote that as I started the book。 Having read it， I know I am very lucky not to have met any of them， and really I cannot imagine what they are like， they look like us but are monsters in every sense of the word， the sort that frightened us as children but worse。 。。。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
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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
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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
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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。 Pub: December 7th 2021Thank you to Hachette Books， Scene of the Crime， and Novel Suspects for this ARC。 。。。more
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