The popularity of television shows like NBC's "Profiler" and movies such as "Silence of the Lambs" has made the concept of criminal profiling familiar to most Americans. Though such dramas follow the general approach of real-life criminal investigative analysis, Hollywood's artistic license too often simplifies and even sensationalises the work of those who attempt to unravel the complex workings of the criminal mind. In this compilation of expert articles written by internationally recognised homicide investigators - most of them pioneers in developing the science and the art of profiling - readers gain fascinating insights that could have emerged only after years of experience tracking and analysing the behaviour of some of America's most notorious serial criminals.In "Profilers", editors John H Campbell and Don DeNevi bring together for the first time a collection of articles on important facets of criminal profiling - which, for the most part, have remained a mystery to the general public.
The contributors cover many gripping topics - including an interview with cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, details of autoerotic fatalities, the challenges of creating psychological profiles, and the use of forensic linguistics to track the Unabomber 0 and they try to understand why some killers go to such extremes as removing the eyes of their victims or setting their helpless victims ablaze. These contemporary pieces follow and expand upon some original articles on criminal profiling - reports on dealing with hostage situations and on sexual killers who disfigure their bodies.A must for readers of true crime, forensic investigations, and murder mysteries, this unique collection of revealing articles offers a chilling and unparalleled glimpse into the inner workings of the criminal mind.