When a Killer Calls: A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling, and Justice in a Small Town
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- Create Date：2022-01-20 19:21:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：John E. Douglas
- ISBN：0062979795
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Summary
From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminal profiler， #1 New York Times bestselling author， and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter—comes a chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell， one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted， and the desperate effort to identify and catch him。
On May 31， 1985， two days before her high school graduation， Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina。 Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeated and taunting calls to the family， law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal。 A letter arrived the next day entitled “Last Will & Testament，” in which Shari， knowing she was to be murdered， wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents， siblings， and boyfriend， saying that while they would miss her， she knew they would persevere through their faith。 The abduction rocked her quiet town， triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI， which enlisted profiler John Douglas。 A few days later， a phone call told the family where they could find Shari’s body。
Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard， confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murder was no random act。 A serial killer was evolving， and the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again。 Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject。 Dawn and her parents courageously agreed。
One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas’s storied career， this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created—alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror。 As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows， Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits， culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer。
On May 31， 1985， two days before her high school graduation， Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina。 Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeated and taunting calls to the family， law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal。 A letter arrived the next day entitled “Last Will & Testament，” in which Shari， knowing she was to be murdered， wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents， siblings， and boyfriend， saying that while they would miss her， she knew they would persevere through their faith。 The abduction rocked her quiet town， triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI， which enlisted profiler John Douglas。 A few days later， a phone call told the family where they could find Shari’s body。
Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard， confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murder was no random act。 A serial killer was evolving， and the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again。 Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject。 Dawn and her parents courageously agreed。
One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas’s storied career， this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created—alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror。 As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows， Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits， culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer。
Reviews
Heather Hazleton
，
June 1985 - 17 year old Sharon "Shari" Smith is just days away from her high school graduation when she is abducted in broad daylight。 Her car is found running at the end of her long driveway with her purse and life-sustaining diabetes medicine still inside。 Soon Shari's family begins receiving chilling and gut-wrenching phone calls from her presumed abductor， and then a few days later， her body is found。 I had seen details of this murder previously from an episode of Forensic Files so I was fam June 1985 - 17 year old Sharon "Shari" Smith is just days away from her high school graduation when she is abducted in broad daylight。 Her car is found running at the end of her long driveway with her purse and life-sustaining diabetes medicine still inside。 Soon Shari's family begins receiving chilling and gut-wrenching phone calls from her presumed abductor， and then a few days later， her body is found。 I had seen details of this murder previously from an episode of Forensic Files so I was familiar with the case and the murders of Shari and his other victim Debra Maye Helmick This book， told from the perspective of the FBI profiler that not only ultimately testified in both girls murder trials， but also was the driving force in providing the suspect profile that lead to the killer， provided unique insight and fascinating details I'd not known before。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and learning more about these two cases。 While I'm not one to typically read non-fiction， I was pleasantly surprised that this read more like fiction and kept my interest quite easily。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
The Gaudy Hottie
，
Thank you Dey Street Books for an advanced copy of this book。 I am extremely interested in this genre and found much of what was covered fascinating。 I thought this book covered this particular case pretty well。 I do， however， wish there was more insight into WHY they profiled the way they did instead of merely skimming the surface。 I did think we would know more about why this killer was the way he was and why he was so odd in his approach to these crimes。 The book is certainly more in-depth ca Thank you Dey Street Books for an advanced copy of this book。 I am extremely interested in this genre and found much of what was covered fascinating。 I thought this book covered this particular case pretty well。 I do， however， wish there was more insight into WHY they profiled the way they did instead of merely skimming the surface。 I did think we would know more about why this killer was the way he was and why he was so odd in his approach to these crimes。 The book is certainly more in-depth casewise than a documentary or podcast but if you are familiar with profiling or have seen or read Mindhunter。。。you kinda know the gist。 So， I found this to be great in the Ann Rule type of case-focused book。 I just wanted more profiling， more forensic psych， and more what-the-heck-was-wrong-with-this-guy-and-why？？！！！！ 。。。more
Jeremy Booty
，
This book was the equivalent of having a ride along with the man who made profiling a standard tool in solving crimes。 He takes us step by step from the early days of the crime， through a subsequent murder and on through trial。 We are there to witness the cruel and narcissistic antics of serial killer and Douglas' visceral response to the suffering of the victim's families。 If you have wondered how profilers work， Douglas is there to teach you bringing along plenty of stories about past cases。 H This book was the equivalent of having a ride along with the man who made profiling a standard tool in solving crimes。 He takes us step by step from the early days of the crime， through a subsequent murder and on through trial。 We are there to witness the cruel and narcissistic antics of serial killer and Douglas' visceral response to the suffering of the victim's families。 If you have wondered how profilers work， Douglas is there to teach you bringing along plenty of stories about past cases。 He does not sugar coat the violent acts by the criminal and does not slide by the petty jurisdictional and political disputes along the way。 I am no stranger to reading books from this genre but this book brought fresh insights and insider knowledge that I had not seen before。 I am grateful to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC copy 。。。more
Dustin Spencer-L'Heureux
，
I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review from netgalley。This was a great read， you were able to move along as the case unfolded and the surviving family members and friends were addressed with so much respect that even when you we were reading about the killer， the true stars of the book are the victims and the families。I appreciated the throwback to other cases and processes used to capture and convict other criminals throughout history because it demo I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review from netgalley。This was a great read， you were able to move along as the case unfolded and the surviving family members and friends were addressed with so much respect that even when you we were reading about the killer， the true stars of the book are the victims and the families。I appreciated the throwback to other cases and processes used to capture and convict other criminals throughout history because it demonstrated the processes in which profiling and solving crimes was （and still is） something that we are learning and new techniques are still coming。I do recommend this book for true crime fans and appreciate the development of the victims and families in the book because it helps us direct our empathy and care in the right place 。。。more
Leah Darnell
，
If you read Mindhunters， it’s a little repetitive in parts， but not enough to knock down the read。 I enjoyed the psychology as always， but the depth of just one murder got a little mind numbing after a point。
Rachel Simone
，
I recently saw an episode of a true crime show that covered this case， so I had some background before reading。 It definitely doesn't make it easier to read about。 The profiling aspect was very interesting。 It's a well written book that focuses on the victims and their families and is very respectful of them。 I recently saw an episode of a true crime show that covered this case， so I had some background before reading。 It definitely doesn't make it easier to read about。 The profiling aspect was very interesting。 It's a well written book that focuses on the victims and their families and is very respectful of them。 。。。more
Hallie
，
For the uninitiated， John Douglas is one of the individuals involved in developing the FBI's criminal profiling program and was part of the Behavioral Science Unit。 I read one of his earlier books， Mindhunter， which was an excellent book discussing his experience in creating the criminal profiling that has now become memorialized in the show Mindhunter （and a fictionalized version of the unit is featured on Criminal Minds）。 This book focuses on the Shari Faye Smith case in South Carolina in the For the uninitiated， John Douglas is one of the individuals involved in developing the FBI's criminal profiling program and was part of the Behavioral Science Unit。 I read one of his earlier books， Mindhunter， which was an excellent book discussing his experience in creating the criminal profiling that has now become memorialized in the show Mindhunter （and a fictionalized version of the unit is featured on Criminal Minds）。 This book focuses on the Shari Faye Smith case in South Carolina in the mid 1980s。 Although Douglas is a great writer， and the work he has done is fascinating， for those of us who have read his earlier book（s）， this is at several points repetitive。 This case features as only a chapter in the Mindhunter book， so of course for those who were interested in the case and wanted more， this is a great book to pick up。 You would just have to sift through some of the same stories featured in Mindhunter （including references to the start of criminal profiling， his work in the Atlanta Child Murders case， his work on the Darrell Gene Devier case， his illness during his work on the Green River Killer hunt， etc。 The case here is a harrowing one， and I appreciated getting more detail about the strength of the family during one of the most horrific times of their lives。 Dawn， the victim's sister， demonstrated a strength of will and determination in sitting through phone call after phone call speaking with the person who took her sister from her。 Douglas did a great job in focusing on the family and the community in revealing more detail about this case。Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kisxela
，
I didn’t feel the book was as interesting as the author’s previous works。 Many times I couldn’t decide if I was reading a true crime story or an imaginary story while I know this story really happened。 The author tried to write events for those who like fiction， and those who love true crime books， to follow the events from the perspective of the profiling。 I would have preferred a drier， fact-only report。 I would have been more interested in the sin， not in the profiling thoughts of the profile I didn’t feel the book was as interesting as the author’s previous works。 Many times I couldn’t decide if I was reading a true crime story or an imaginary story while I know this story really happened。 The author tried to write events for those who like fiction， and those who love true crime books， to follow the events from the perspective of the profiling。 I would have preferred a drier， fact-only report。 I would have been more interested in the sin， not in the profiling thoughts of the profiler， which seemed to sometimes make it not important for the perpetrator to catch him， but whether the profiling was true。Thanks to Edelweiss for the opportunity to read the book。 。。。more
Chris
，
If you are a fan of real crime dramas， regional history， or just a murder buff， then this book is for you。 I found the true murder drama interesting， as well as the history in how some of the early FBI divisions got their start。 Once i got into the book it was hard to put down。
Charles
，
The book is a true account of the kidnap and murder of two young girls in rural South Carolina， and the ensuing investigation and trials。 John E。 Douglas is the FBI investigator and profiler on the case， working with local authorities。 Through his profiling， as recounted in the book， he reveals a deeply disturbed perpetrator， who is， nevertheless completely aware that he has committed terrible crimes against these two young girls。 Not only are the crimes horrendous， but the continued abuse over The book is a true account of the kidnap and murder of two young girls in rural South Carolina， and the ensuing investigation and trials。 John E。 Douglas is the FBI investigator and profiler on the case， working with local authorities。 Through his profiling， as recounted in the book， he reveals a deeply disturbed perpetrator， who is， nevertheless completely aware that he has committed terrible crimes against these two young girls。 Not only are the crimes horrendous， but the continued abuse over the phone of the Smith family by the perpetrator is chilling。 The book gives a detailed account of the workings of the investigation， the profiling aspect， and the overall justice system， including prior failures to stop this criminal for earlier crimes。 It is a well written， book that kept my attention throughout， even though the subject matter did not always make it easy to read。 My wife did receive an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley， and I am glad she did。 。。。more
Madhuri Sridhara
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4。5/5I didn't know about the Shari Smith kidnapping case but I loved "Mindhunter" and am a fan of anything do with criminal profiling （TV shows， fiction， non fiction） so I had to read this book。This is a well-written， detailed book about the Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick kidnappings。 It not only covers the kidnappings but the trial of the killer which I found to be very insightful。My favourite part of the book was the insight we get into Douglas himself where because even though he seems lik 4。5/5I didn't know about the Shari Smith kidnapping case but I loved "Mindhunter" and am a fan of anything do with criminal profiling （TV shows， fiction， non fiction） so I had to read this book。This is a well-written， detailed book about the Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick kidnappings。 It not only covers the kidnappings but the trial of the killer which I found to be very insightful。My favourite part of the book was the insight we get into Douglas himself where because even though he seems like an empathetic man whose aim is to bring justice， I've questioned what kind of person it takes to be to understand serial killers。 All in all， a highly recommended read for true crime fans。Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for an advance copy of the book。 。。。more
Rachel
，
This true crime book focuses on the two disturbing and devastating murders of 17 year old Shari Smith and 9 year old Debra Helmick in South Carolina。 In 1985， John Douglas， an FBI profiler and agent was brought on to help local law enforcement find the individual responsible for these heinous crimes。 John truly has a knack for diving into the disturbed minds of serial killers and the accuracy of his criminal profiles is unmatched。 This book was absolutely chilling and brought me to tears several This true crime book focuses on the two disturbing and devastating murders of 17 year old Shari Smith and 9 year old Debra Helmick in South Carolina。 In 1985， John Douglas， an FBI profiler and agent was brought on to help local law enforcement find the individual responsible for these heinous crimes。 John truly has a knack for diving into the disturbed minds of serial killers and the accuracy of his criminal profiles is unmatched。 This book was absolutely chilling and brought me to tears several times， especially when I let it sink in that real people went through these tragedies and lost their young daughters。 When A Killer Calls is a detailed telling of these cases and isn’t an easy one to read- prepare yourself to be deeply affected by this book。 Thank you Netgalley and Dey Street Books for this advance reading copy- this one is available 2/1/22。 。。。more
Mary Kearney
，
This book was a true crime story。 It is about a case from the 1970s。 It is written from the perspective of the FBI profiler。 Shari Smith， a 17-year-old is murdered by Larry Gene Bell， who later is executed for his crime。 The story details how they a profile was drawn up and the workings of the sheriff's department to obtain the identity of the perp。 At times， it was very drawn-out story。 It was interesting enough that I kept reading it。 I received an advance copy from Netgalley。 This book was a true crime story。 It is about a case from the 1970s。 It is written from the perspective of the FBI profiler。 Shari Smith， a 17-year-old is murdered by Larry Gene Bell， who later is executed for his crime。 The story details how they a profile was drawn up and the workings of the sheriff's department to obtain the identity of the perp。 At times， it was very drawn-out story。 It was interesting enough that I kept reading it。 I received an advance copy from Netgalley。 。。。more
Eugenie
，
This was an engaging book about how a serial killer is caught with the help of FBI profilers and local law enforcement。
Danielle
，
This book is written by famed FBI profiler， John Douglas， and tells a story from early in his career， back in the beginning days of FBI profiling。 We learn of the kidnapping and murder of two young women （one 18 years old， one 9 years old） in South Carolina。 While there is obviously no happy ending in a situation like this， the perpetrator is caught and tried for his actions。 If you are interested in true crime， particularly criminal profiling， you will likely enjoy this book。 It is obviously a This book is written by famed FBI profiler， John Douglas， and tells a story from early in his career， back in the beginning days of FBI profiling。 We learn of the kidnapping and murder of two young women （one 18 years old， one 9 years old） in South Carolina。 While there is obviously no happy ending in a situation like this， the perpetrator is caught and tried for his actions。 If you are interested in true crime， particularly criminal profiling， you will likely enjoy this book。 It is obviously a difficult read， but it is fascinating to see how closely the profile that the FBI creates mirrors the qualities of the perpetrator。 I am a psychologist and a true crime nerd so I definitely enjoyed this read。Thank you to NetGalley， Scene of the Crime， and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Donna
，
This is a chilling account of the murder of two young girls in rural South Carolina。 It follows John Douglas， as the FBI special agent and profiler， as he investigates and delves into the mind of the suspect。 The crimes are heinous， with a perpetrator that is deeply disturbed， but fully aware of his actions。 I have to admit， the story line brought me to tears several times， in part， because I knew this was not fiction。 It was very insightful into the profiling by Mr。 Douglas， the efforts of law This is a chilling account of the murder of two young girls in rural South Carolina。 It follows John Douglas， as the FBI special agent and profiler， as he investigates and delves into the mind of the suspect。 The crimes are heinous， with a perpetrator that is deeply disturbed， but fully aware of his actions。 I have to admit， the story line brought me to tears several times， in part， because I knew this was not fiction。 It was very insightful into the profiling by Mr。 Douglas， the efforts of law enforcement， and the workings of the judicial system in this case， as well as the prior failings of the various systems to incarcerate this man for previous crimes。 The anguish and fear of the two families， and the phone calls the family of Shari Smith had to endure from her murderer are heart wrenching。 It is a well written， totally absorbing book， even though it is not always easy to read。 I did receive an ARC of this book through the publisher and Netgalley， through Scene of the Crime。 I am very glad I did。 。。。more
Dirty Dayna
，
Ehh my struggle with true crime right now bothers me I'm so bored of them。it seems I am on a hunt for one to really change my mind and showcase something special。 My issue is that the 。eat of the book is fantastic but they keep getting very over drawn out which takes away from the special and creates a boring vibe Ehh my struggle with true crime right now bothers me I'm so bored of them。it seems I am on a hunt for one to really change my mind and showcase something special。 My issue is that the 。eat of the book is fantastic but they keep getting very over drawn out which takes away from the special and creates a boring vibe 。。。more
Linda Kalies
，
I have read many of John Douglas’ books， and while they are typically stark and haunting， they never disappoint。 When a Killer Calls is a heartbreaking true story of the kidnapping and murder of 17 year old Shari Smith。 She was a bright， beautiful， and talented young woman with a future of unlimited options ahead of her until a sadistic monster snuffed it out。 This is not a book for the feint of heart， but you’re looking for a detailed telling that is done with compassion， this is for you。
Mandy Hazen
，
Interesting but not really my cup of tea。 Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。
Erin Stutts
，
This book deserves ALL of the stars！ In the same vein as other great true crime books （think American Predator and I'll Be Gone in the Dark）， John Douglas and Mark Olshaker's latest book， When a Killer Calls， tells the story of two murders that take place in rural South Carolina。 The writing is propulsive， and the details of the crimes and the profiles of those involved mesh to create nonfiction that reads like fiction。 I can't recommend this book enough！ Now I need to get my grubby hands on the This book deserves ALL of the stars！ In the same vein as other great true crime books （think American Predator and I'll Be Gone in the Dark）， John Douglas and Mark Olshaker's latest book， When a Killer Calls， tells the story of two murders that take place in rural South Carolina。 The writing is propulsive， and the details of the crimes and the profiles of those involved mesh to create nonfiction that reads like fiction。 I can't recommend this book enough！ Now I need to get my grubby hands on the extensive backlist of this team of writers。 Thank you to Goodreads for organizing the giveaway and especially to Dey Street Books for the copy of the book。 When a Killer Calls is absolutely one of my top books of the year。 Go ahead and preorder this one！ It comes out 2/22， and you're going to love it！ 。。。more
Sheila
，
I received an ARC of When a Killer Calls， by John E。 Douglas: Mark Olshaker。 I remember watching a show about Shari。 This book is a story about Shari， who even in the face of death， was an incredible women。 Shari let her faith lead her， in all walks of life。 Shari died way to young。 This book is a testament to Shari and the law enforcement who helped bring her killer to Justice。
Sandie
，
May 31， 1985 and Shari Smith had it all。 It was two days before her high school graduation near Columbia， South Carolina and she was to sing the national anthem before the ceremony。 Her high school class was going on a trip to a tropical island after graduation。 She was planning to live in Charlotte for the summer and with her sister， Dawn， perform at Carowinds。 Shari had a boyfriend and a loving family。But none of those plans came to fruition。 On her way home， Shari stopped at the bottom of the May 31， 1985 and Shari Smith had it all。 It was two days before her high school graduation near Columbia， South Carolina and she was to sing the national anthem before the ceremony。 Her high school class was going on a trip to a tropical island after graduation。 She was planning to live in Charlotte for the summer and with her sister， Dawn， perform at Carowinds。 Shari had a boyfriend and a loving family。But none of those plans came to fruition。 On her way home， Shari stopped at the bottom of the driveway to get the family's mail。 That's where her father found the car minutes later， door open， engine running。 There were footprints leading to the mailbox but none returning。 Despite the police being called immediately there was no sign of Shari。 But then the calls started。 The man on the other end admitted to having Shari and instructed her family to expect a letter。 When the letter arrived the next day， it was titled Last Will And Testament and Shari had written it as a love letter to her family。 She knew she was about to be murdered and wanted to reassure her family and urge them to move past her death。 Lawmen had never seen such a thing。 The FBI was called in to assist in finding the man who took Shari。John Douglas was the head of the FBI profiling unit。 He and a co-worker had invented the system of criminal profiling by spending time going from prison to prison interviewing killers。 He had worked on the cases of the Atlanta child murders， the Green River Killer and many other well known cases。 He flew to South Carolina and worked on a profile with the local law establishment。 His profile gave the police a way to narrow down their search。 In the meantime， the man who kidnapped Shari continued to call， asking to speak to either Shari's mother or her sister， Dawn。 He seemed to revel in the pain and anguish these calls produced。After a week， Shari's body was found where the killer had directed Dawn to tell the police it would be。 Then another tragedy。 Nine year old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her front yard with her little brother watching。 A week later her body was also found。 Soon afterward， forensic evidence helped the police narrow their search and arrest the killer， Larry Gene Bell。I read everything John Douglas and Mark Olshaker write。 There can be no more authoritative voice in the world of finding killers than John Douglas。 His books portray the process by which such killers are found as well as the effect such a hunt has on the men and women we have charged with doing so。 This book follows through Bell's trails and gives updates on the various people in the book。 It is recommended for readers of true crime。 。。。more
Jodie
，
Going into when a killer calls knowing of the case and victims you would expect it to be a little boring but that was not the case for this book。The book went into more profiling and tracking Bell down and interviews with him。 It also went into the background and the lives of the families。 I found it interesting the depth of the phone calls to the one victim Sheri’s sister Dawn。 There were times the book went into a lot of detail and felt it bogged it down。 If you can get past that it’s a good b Going into when a killer calls knowing of the case and victims you would expect it to be a little boring but that was not the case for this book。The book went into more profiling and tracking Bell down and interviews with him。 It also went into the background and the lives of the families。 I found it interesting the depth of the phone calls to the one victim Sheri’s sister Dawn。 There were times the book went into a lot of detail and felt it bogged it down。 If you can get past that it’s a good book。Overall if you know of the cases things are learned in the book that you will not get other than from a profiler and if you do not know of the cases this is a book to learn about the victims and profiling。 。。。more
Elspeth
，
This book was a summary of how John Douglas used profiling techniques to solve the kidnapping/murder of two girls。 While this may have been an interesting case on its own and very impressive that Dawn， the sister of the first girl that was kidnapped and murdered， allowed herself to be bait for the capture of the "unsub" suspect， I found Douglas' writing to diverge into tangents too often and hard to keep my interest。 I did read Manhunter before and remember enjoying it， but this story just didn' This book was a summary of how John Douglas used profiling techniques to solve the kidnapping/murder of two girls。 While this may have been an interesting case on its own and very impressive that Dawn， the sister of the first girl that was kidnapped and murdered， allowed herself to be bait for the capture of the "unsub" suspect， I found Douglas' writing to diverge into tangents too often and hard to keep my interest。 I did read Manhunter before and remember enjoying it， but this story just didn't resonate with me。 I would have preferred to hear more about the crime itself rather than the history of the behavioral unit and lots of details about the unit itself and the thought process on why they profiled the unsub the way they did。 。。。more
Brad
，
When a Killer Calls by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker is about a case that was first mentioned in Mindhunters - the Shari Smith kidnapping and murder by Larry Gene Bell。 Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home a few days before her high school graduation。 Bell called the family from multiple pay phones putting them through hell over the fate of Shari。 Several days later he abducted 9-year-old Debra May Helmick from her front yard。 The book shows the intense fear the communi When a Killer Calls by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker is about a case that was first mentioned in Mindhunters - the Shari Smith kidnapping and murder by Larry Gene Bell。 Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home a few days before her high school graduation。 Bell called the family from multiple pay phones putting them through hell over the fate of Shari。 Several days later he abducted 9-year-old Debra May Helmick from her front yard。 The book shows the intense fear the community had - and the early lack of leads for Smith's killer。 There's a lot of detail on the work of Douglas's profile group and just how close to describing Bell it was。 There's a lot written about the courage and faith of the Smith family， especially Dawn Smith， Shari's older sister。 （Bob Smith， Shari's father， was actually a prison chaplain。） Douglas was a big help in the interrogation of Bell， getting him as close to a confession as anyone。 Douglas also testified in the trial where Bell's behavior was demonstrative and silly at times。A good choice for readers who want true crime and the impact and process of criminal profiling。 。。。more
Mehva
，
This is a very very detailed account of the search for two kidnapped girls， who were eventually murdered and the search for the killer and the process of bringing him to justice。 It was interesting， but if you aren't interested in the details， it was a little dry This is a very very detailed account of the search for two kidnapped girls， who were eventually murdered and the search for the killer and the process of bringing him to justice。 It was interesting， but if you aren't interested in the details， it was a little dry 。。。more
Jen Juenke
，
This is the story that I remember from John Douglas and Mark Olshaker。 A whodunit， a real thriller true crime story。 I absolutely loved that the author went back to his roots and came back with a strong book。The story is about how a young lady and a small girl were kidnapped and brutally murdered by Mr Bell。 I loved how the author laid out the crime， how the police and the FBI came to work together。 I absolutely LOVED how they solved the crime。 I won't spoil it， but DANG technology and teamwork This is the story that I remember from John Douglas and Mark Olshaker。 A whodunit， a real thriller true crime story。 I absolutely loved that the author went back to his roots and came back with a strong book。The story is about how a young lady and a small girl were kidnapped and brutally murdered by Mr Bell。 I loved how the author laid out the crime， how the police and the FBI came to work together。 I absolutely LOVED how they solved the crime。 I won't spoil it， but DANG technology and teamwork made it work。 The only downside was the trial of the killer。 I thought that we had already heard about the crime， defendant， we didn't need another 40 pages of the court proceedings。Overall a solid true crime book。 。。。more
Valerity （Val）
，
I enjoyed this book， despite having read another book about the case。 Seeing it from the profilers’ perspective made this book for me。 I’ve enjoyed several other books from these authors。 This killer was just so reprehensible。 Very good true crime。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。
Katee
，