The Mind of a Murderer: A glimpse into the darkest corners of the human psyche, from a leading forensic psychiatrist
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- Create Date：2021-09-02 09:51:16
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Richard Taylor
- ISBN：1472268202
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Summary
'An intricate and brilliantly written psychiatric perspective on the most perplexing of crimes' Kerry Daynes， author of The Dark Side of the Mind
'Beautifully written and very dark' Nimco Ali OBE
'Whodunnit' doesn't matter so much， not to a forensic psychiatrist。 We're more interested in the 'why'。
In his twenty-six years in the field， Richard Taylor has worked on well over a hundred murder cases， with victims and perpetrators from all walks of life。 In this fascinating memoir， Taylor draws on some of the most tragic， horrific and illuminating of these cases - as well as dark secrets from his own family's past - to explore some of the questions he grapples with every day:
Why do people kill？
Does committing a monstrous act make someone a monster？
Could any of us， in the wrong circumstances， become a killer？
As Taylor helps us understand what lies inside the minds of those charged with murder - both prisoners he has assessed and patients he has treated - he presents us with the most important challenge of all: how can we even begin to comprehend the darkest of human deeds， and why it is so vital that we try？
The Mind of a Murderer is a fascinating exploration into the psyche of killers， as well as a unique insight into the life and mind of the doctor who treats them。For fans of Unnatural Causes， The Examined Life and All That Remains。
MORE PRAISE FOR THE MIND OF A MURDERER:
'A fascinating insight into what drives criminality - and a punchy polemic against mental-health service cuts' Jake Kerridge， Sunday Telegraph
'A fascinating， well-written and compelling account of the mental state in homicide' Alisdair Williamson， TLS
'A dark， fascinating and often surprising glimpse into the minds of those who kill， from a forensic psychiatrist who's seen it all' Rob Williams， writer of BBC's The Victim
' An excellent， engaging and honest book， full of interesting， powerful and important observations' Alison Liebling， Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice， University of Cambridge
'Beautifully written and very dark' Nimco Ali OBE
'Whodunnit' doesn't matter so much， not to a forensic psychiatrist。 We're more interested in the 'why'。
In his twenty-six years in the field， Richard Taylor has worked on well over a hundred murder cases， with victims and perpetrators from all walks of life。 In this fascinating memoir， Taylor draws on some of the most tragic， horrific and illuminating of these cases - as well as dark secrets from his own family's past - to explore some of the questions he grapples with every day:
Why do people kill？
Does committing a monstrous act make someone a monster？
Could any of us， in the wrong circumstances， become a killer？
As Taylor helps us understand what lies inside the minds of those charged with murder - both prisoners he has assessed and patients he has treated - he presents us with the most important challenge of all: how can we even begin to comprehend the darkest of human deeds， and why it is so vital that we try？
The Mind of a Murderer is a fascinating exploration into the psyche of killers， as well as a unique insight into the life and mind of the doctor who treats them。For fans of Unnatural Causes， The Examined Life and All That Remains。
MORE PRAISE FOR THE MIND OF A MURDERER:
'A fascinating insight into what drives criminality - and a punchy polemic against mental-health service cuts' Jake Kerridge， Sunday Telegraph
'A fascinating， well-written and compelling account of the mental state in homicide' Alisdair Williamson， TLS
'A dark， fascinating and often surprising glimpse into the minds of those who kill， from a forensic psychiatrist who's seen it all' Rob Williams， writer of BBC's The Victim
' An excellent， engaging and honest book， full of interesting， powerful and important observations' Alison Liebling， Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice， University of Cambridge
Reviews
Aurora
，
166/584Chyba nie dam rady przeczytać tej książki ciągiem， na jeden raz。 Na szczęście podzielona jest w przystępny sposób na kilka części i kilkanaście różnych spraw， więc będę mogła w dowolnym momencie do niej wrócić bez konieczności przypominania sobie początku。
bloomagda
，
nie， nie i jeszcze raz nie。 w książce jest więcej informacji o samym autorze niż interesujących faktów na temat morderstw。
Aneta Jackowska-Musiol
，
To understand what makes people become a murderer。。。。 Those who commit a murder are people like us， just some circumstances in their lives were bit different to ours。 Sometimes this "little bit" makes a person a murderer。 To understand what makes people become a murderer。。。。 Those who commit a murder are people like us， just some circumstances in their lives were bit different to ours。 Sometimes this "little bit" makes a person a murderer。 。。。more
Ola
，
*3，7
Victoria
，
3，5⭐Uważam， że w tej książce jest zdecydowanie zbyt dużo autora。 Przyszłam tutaj po opowieści o psychice morderców oraz o tym， jak dochodzi do tego， że zabijają i oczywiście to dostałam， jednak oprócz tego otrzymałam masę niepotrzebnych faktów typu， że autor przytrzasnął sobie palec， albo uderzył się głową o znak （serio jest coś takiego）。 Prawda jest taka， że w pewnym momencie zaczęłam się okropnie nudzić przez te wstawki z życia autora， a naprawdę byłam bardzo zainteresowana tematem， który poru 3，5⭐Uważam， że w tej książce jest zdecydowanie zbyt dużo autora。 Przyszłam tutaj po opowieści o psychice morderców oraz o tym， jak dochodzi do tego， że zabijają i oczywiście to dostałam， jednak oprócz tego otrzymałam masę niepotrzebnych faktów typu， że autor przytrzasnął sobie palec， albo uderzył się głową o znak （serio jest coś takiego）。 Prawda jest taka， że w pewnym momencie zaczęłam się okropnie nudzić przez te wstawki z życia autora， a naprawdę byłam bardzo zainteresowana tematem， który porusza książka。 Nie uważam tej książki za złą， w gruncie rzeczy otrzymałam masę ciekawych i przystępnie opowiedzianych historii morderców， z których z pewnością można się wiele dowiedzieć。 Jednak sądzę， że była po prostu za długa i zawalona niepotrzebnymi informacjami， więc wiele osób będzie miało problem z przebrnięciem przez nią。❗Uwaga❗Nie jestem pewna， ponieważ nie czytałam tej książki， ale wydaje mi się， że w rozdziale 19 są dosyć poważne spojlery do "Tessy d'Urberville" Thomasa Hardy'ego， więc zalecam ostrożność， jeśli chciecie przeczytać kiedyś tą książke bez znajomości jej zakończenia。 Ja niestety nie miałam takiej informacji przed jej przeczytaniem😒 。。。more
Rebecca Molden
，
Great， very interesting insight into the work of a forensic psychiatrist。 Particularly enjoyed the section on terrorism。
James Kitchener
，
Informative but dry。 The author obviously knew what he was talking about but I didn’t find many of the case studies interesting。 There was more a focus on treatment and punishment than on the psychology of deviant behaviour which is what I was more interested in。 It also felt more long winded than necessary - I did not need to know how the author commuted to work or what he cooked for dinner。I did agree with the author about the urgent need for education and prevention of domestic violence again Informative but dry。 The author obviously knew what he was talking about but I didn’t find many of the case studies interesting。 There was more a focus on treatment and punishment than on the psychology of deviant behaviour which is what I was more interested in。 It also felt more long winded than necessary - I did not need to know how the author commuted to work or what he cooked for dinner。I did agree with the author about the urgent need for education and prevention of domestic violence against women。 。。。more
Beatrice
，
Lot of people complain about the autobiographical parts of this book， but I found they provided respite from some of the more serious cases discussed。As someone with a great interest in forensic psychiatry and pathology （the path I hope to take after finishing my neuroscience degree） I found the professionalism of this book to be amazing。 I moved away from forensic styled documentaries as they tended to be very sensationalised and not show all the facts。 This book was amazing to read， I could h Lot of people complain about the autobiographical parts of this book， but I found they provided respite from some of the more serious cases discussed。As someone with a great interest in forensic psychiatry and pathology （the path I hope to take after finishing my neuroscience degree） I found the professionalism of this book to be amazing。 I moved away from forensic styled documentaries as they tended to be very sensationalised and not show all the facts。 This book was amazing to read， I could hardly put it down！ I hope he plans to publish again soon， and I can’t recommend it enough。 。。。more
Gabriela
，
Autor w bardzo przystępny i interesujący sposób przedstawia problematykę。 Nie zalewa nas specjalistycznym słownictwem， ale nie traktuje jak idiotów。 I gratulacje należą się też tłumaczowi - odwalił świetną robotę。 Jedna z moich ulubionych książek 2021！
Adrian Bruździak
，
Książkę oceniam na 4，5！ Bardzo dobrze i ciekawie napisana， autor， genialnie przeplatał wątki， w czysty i klarowny sposób。 Szczególnie moją uwagę przykuły rozdziały dotyczące dzieciobójstwa oraz terroryzmu。 Podobały mi się podkreślenia problemów z jakimi spotyka się system ochrony zdrowia， oraz zwrócenie uwagi na różnice dotyczące prawa w różnych krajach。 Historia rodzina zdecydowanie na plus。
booksbytheboats
，
Absolutely fascinating… and disturbing！ This is one of the best non fiction books I’ve ever read。 Totally absorbing as Dr Richard Taylor recalls cases he’s worked on there include some of the worst murders committed by some of the worst people… and also some of the saddest murders caused by unresolved issues， e。g postpartum psychosis。 Unlike other NF I’ve read of a similar calibre， this doesn’t focus too much on the scientific side of things。 Of course it explains the inner workings of the brain Absolutely fascinating… and disturbing！ This is one of the best non fiction books I’ve ever read。 Totally absorbing as Dr Richard Taylor recalls cases he’s worked on there include some of the worst murders committed by some of the worst people… and also some of the saddest murders caused by unresolved issues， e。g postpartum psychosis。 Unlike other NF I’ve read of a similar calibre， this doesn’t focus too much on the scientific side of things。 Of course it explains the inner workings of the brain but there is a much heavier focus on the cases rather than the causes。 Perfect for true crime lovers… but do approach with caution as some of the sections such as Women who kill their Children can be hard to read。 。。。more
Deborah
，
Lots of fascinating information and in depth stories， and I liked the British perspective， as many of these types of books seem to come from the US。 His style was generally clear and easy to read。A few things jarred， though， and it's difficult to pin down why （I finished the book this morning， so it's still fresh and bubbling away being processed）。 One thing I found irritating was his noting of drinking crappy instant coffee。 It came up at least twice， maybe three times， and I'm not sure why it Lots of fascinating information and in depth stories， and I liked the British perspective， as many of these types of books seem to come from the US。 His style was generally clear and easy to read。A few things jarred， though， and it's difficult to pin down why （I finished the book this morning， so it's still fresh and bubbling away being processed）。 One thing I found irritating was his noting of drinking crappy instant coffee。 It came up at least twice， maybe three times， and I'm not sure why it was necessary。 。 。perhaps to point out that his job wasn't glamorous？ Just odd。 Regular coffee drinking references also bugged me in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo， so maybe it's just me。Taylor's belief in working as a team to diagnose and treat murderers and potential murderers was very positive， with respect given to all workers in the industry （is that the right term？）。 His use of statistics to back up his assertions was convincing， for example in claiming that certain types of murders are very rare。 Many of the studies or research Taylor quoted was from UCL， where he studied （and of course the US）。 Is this the only place in the UK which deals with these topics？ I don't know; more research needed on my behalf to answer this question。 I'd also like to know what his colleagues think of him。 。。。more
Natalia Sypuła
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3。5Tematyka bardzo ciekawa， ale książka raczej nie odpowiada na postawione w tytule pytanie。To bardziej zapis pracy/osobistych obserwacji psychiatry sądowego niż szeroka analiza tematu。
KaruzelaNaKoparce
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DNF 75% Całkiem ciekawe historie psychiatry sądowego tonące jednak w morzu detali z życia autora - jak to sobie przyciął drzwiami palec， albo jak testował stołówki więzienne i która jest najlepsza， o zajęciach pozalekcyjnych i treningach sportowych swoich dzieci， jaki lubi nosić krawat。 Ostatnie 25% książki nie było warte， żeby przebijać się przez tego typu duperele。
Marcus Turner
，
Very interesting book interwoven with the author's own experience with mentally ill family that has led to tragic outcomes， though its structure and meandering narrative can take a bit of getting used and can stymy coherence occasionally。That being said， it is such a different perspective of killers - being that of a forensic psychiatrist as opposed to media or law enforcement/judicial - and found it quite enjoyable and illuminating。 Very interesting book interwoven with the author's own experience with mentally ill family that has led to tragic outcomes， though its structure and meandering narrative can take a bit of getting used and can stymy coherence occasionally。That being said， it is such a different perspective of killers - being that of a forensic psychiatrist as opposed to media or law enforcement/judicial - and found it quite enjoyable and illuminating。 。。。more
Camila - Books Through My Veins
，
- thanks to @hachetteaus for my #gifted copyI am a massive fan of anything True Crime and Psychology， so I couldn’t resist getting my hands on The Mind of a Murderer， which combines both。 In this book， Dr Taylor， an experienced forensic psychiatrist， attempts to answer fascinating psychological questions regarding murder and the reasons behind it。 For example， is a murderer born or made？The book is divided into different sections which explore different types of murders。 Dr Taylor thoroughly ana - thanks to @hachetteaus for my #gifted copyI am a massive fan of anything True Crime and Psychology， so I couldn’t resist getting my hands on The Mind of a Murderer， which combines both。 In this book， Dr Taylor， an experienced forensic psychiatrist， attempts to answer fascinating psychological questions regarding murder and the reasons behind it。 For example， is a murderer born or made？The book is divided into different sections which explore different types of murders。 Dr Taylor thoroughly analyses each class， giving detailed examples and considering the physical and mental state of the individuals that committed murder: from psychotic and sexual homicide to financial motivated murder， terrorism， women who kill children and men who kill their partners。 Undoubtedly， this book brims with triggers， as the author does not embellish or sugarcoat when explaining the circumstances of a homicide。 However， I must remark that the author’s writing style is straightforward， matter-of-fact and far from being gruesome or over-detailed。 In fact， Dr Taylor managed to embed his writing in humour whenever possible， a touch I thoroughly enjoyed。However， it took me a while to go through this book。 For some reason， I couldn’t read more than a chapter at a time， as more often than not， I grew overwhelmed by the number of facts and statistics。 Even though I enjoyed the sporadic humour， the writing felt quite dense， which resulted in continuously struggling with coming back to it。 I don’t believe this book is written for academic minds because it isn’t difficult to understand。 Still， it missed the mark at being an entertaining read for those without an academic background。Overall， The Mind of a Murdered is a superb informative book that delves into the ‘whys’ of the minds of those individuals that commit homicide for multiple reasons。 Unfortunately， it isn’t the most entertaining and captivating non-fiction I’ve ever read。 Still， I’ve definitely learned heaps about how minds work differently: most of all， I’ve learned about compassion and understanding others， even when we’re wired to discriminated and stigmatise。 。。。more
John
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Story - 4/5Narration - 4/5Interesting cases from the perspective of a forensic psychiatrist in the UK。
Nat Rainbow Book Therapy
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Nicely written 👌🏼If you’re wanting to learn more about mental health and take a look at what we do in the forensic realm of psychology/psychiatry， is a good example。
Lil T
，
Informative and intruiging！ Dr Taylor discusses forensic psychiatry and the law in an engaging manner with no expectation of the reader to have prior knowledge of。 I enjoyed his tangent style story telling and openness about his family's history as well as how he discusses the effects of his cases on his own wellbeing。 Informative and intruiging！ Dr Taylor discusses forensic psychiatry and the law in an engaging manner with no expectation of the reader to have prior knowledge of。 I enjoyed his tangent style story telling and openness about his family's history as well as how he discusses the effects of his cases on his own wellbeing。 。。。more
Sarah Faichney
，
"The Mind of a Murderer" is the best book I've read of its kind。 Dr Richard Taylor gives us a real， invaluable insight into forensic psychiatry。 I particularly appreciated the ways in which he illustrates the impact on the practitioner， whilst delving into the minds of those who have committed the most heinous crimes。 Dr Taylor humanises murderers， which is important because we can't possibly begin to understand and address issues if we dismiss killers as monsters。 On the surface they're often n "The Mind of a Murderer" is the best book I've read of its kind。 Dr Richard Taylor gives us a real， invaluable insight into forensic psychiatry。 I particularly appreciated the ways in which he illustrates the impact on the practitioner， whilst delving into the minds of those who have committed the most heinous crimes。 Dr Taylor humanises murderers， which is important because we can't possibly begin to understand and address issues if we dismiss killers as monsters。 On the surface they're often normal， everyday people like you and I。 What strikes me most about Dr Taylor is his uncompromising humanity and compassion。 He speaks of his own family and the driving force behind his work。 We learn about ingrained societal problems， such as toxic masculinity and poor nurturing in childhood， and receive a reasoned response to the nature/nurture debate。 Dr Taylor has a strong sense of justice and fair treatment for patients in custody。 He effectively demystifies the court process and highlights issues with the current punitive system。 "The Mind of a Murderer" is an eclectic collection of anecdotes and case studies which demonstrate various motivations for murder。 I listened to the audiobook which was narrated very well by the author。 An outstanding work of non-fiction。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Maja
，
2。5
Kimberley Hollier
，
Well where to start with this one。This was not my normal read。 After a 100 pages I thought about not finishing it。 Its quite a heavy book to take in and I found I had to read so many pages and then put it down for a bit but I started to get into it。 If your really into crime and what makes a murder a murder then this is the boom to read。
Miss A
，
This is such an interesting， informative， heartfelt and unbelievable （at times） book。 If you’re interested in crime reading / programmes or psychiatry then it’s a must read。
Joan
，
a fascinating book 。 I loved the stories and explanations of wyy a murderer is just that。 Relatively easy to follow even though it's about mental illness-often difficult for lay people to understand。I especailly liked the way the author talks of his family and patients- he shows compassion for all。。A book for anyone who is interested in the justice system and rehabilitation of both criminals and those who are in or need in mental health facilities。。Helps to move my mind beyond the popularist ide a fascinating book 。 I loved the stories and explanations of wyy a murderer is just that。 Relatively easy to follow even though it's about mental illness-often difficult for lay people to understand。I especailly liked the way the author talks of his family and patients- he shows compassion for all。。A book for anyone who is interested in the justice system and rehabilitation of both criminals and those who are in or need in mental health facilities。。Helps to move my mind beyond the popularist ideas of punishment and who murders。Brilliant 。。。more
Līga
，
Very good recount of different types of murders and people who commit them， insightful but lacked variety in case studies。 Didn’t care much for the details from the author’s personal life。
Adnan Khaleel
，
A good book that offers not only an insight into what goes wrong in the minds of those who kill but also into the mind of the forensic psychiatrist that evaluates them。 A very well written person’s perspective into an otherwise macabre subject。
Ruthy lavin
，
This could well be the best written and most informative book I have read about forensic psychiatry。It was very long but still not long enough！Fascinating and highly interesting， yet honest and at times harrowing， it has given me a new found respect for the incredible people who work in this field。
Lizzy C
，
I was quite excited to read this book， as I’m a fan of these style of first-person experience book‘s。 However， I found this one quite challenging to read。 I liked that there were clear sections for each topic， within the book， and each had very interesting content。 However I felt like the text jumped from one experience/story to another， too much。 This then distracted me from the original experience and made it tough to read。
Melissa Pesu
，