Audiobook Review: A Killer by Design by Ann Wolbert Burgess
Author: Ann Wolbert Burgess and Steven Matthew Constantine
Edition: ALC
Publisher: Hachette Audio (December 7, 2021)
Genre: Adult Non-Fiction, Memoir, True Crime
Synopsis
Lurking beneath the progressive activism and sex positivity in the 1970-80s, a dark undercurrent of violence rippled across the American landscape. With reported cases of sexual assault and homicide on the rise, the FBI created a specialized team—the “Mindhunters” better known as the Behavioral Science Unit—to track down the country’s most dangerous criminals. And yet narrowing down a seemingly infinite list of potential suspects seemed daunting at best and impossible at worst—until Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess stepped on the scene.
In A Killer By Design, Burgess reveals how her pioneering research on sexual assault and trauma caught the attention of the FBI, and steered her right into the middle of a chilling serial murder investigation in Nebraska. Over the course of the next two decades, she helped the budding unit identify, interview, and track down dozens of notoriously violent offenders. As one of the first women trailblazers within the FBI’s hallowed halls, Burgess knew many were expecting her to crack under pressure and recoil in horror—but she was determined to protect future victims at any cost. This book pulls us directly into the investigations as she experienced them, interweaving never-before-seen interview transcripts and crime scene drawings alongside her own vivid recollections to provide unprecedented insight into the minds of deranged criminals and the victims they left behind. Along the way, Burgess also paints a revealing portrait of a formidable institution on the brink of a seismic scientific and cultural reckoning—and the men forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about crime.
My Review of A Killer by Design
A Killer by Design is a fascinating look into the origins and capabilities of criminal profiling perfect for any true crime fan.
I received a free ALC from Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Trigger warnings: mentions and descriptions of violence, murder (including of children), sexual assault, animal abuse, child (sex) abuse, sexism/misogyny, racism, mental health.
A Unique Perspective on Profiling
I’ve been interested in profiling for a while now, and not just because of my recent Criminal Minds binge. Besides my one true love of forensic anthropology, behavioural science is one of the fields within forensics that interests me the most. So naturally, when I saw this book I knew I had to read it.
A Killer by Design covers the early work of the Behavioral Science Unit from the perspective of one of the first female members. As a forensic nurse., Ann Burgess has an interesting outside perspective on the BSU and FBI culture in general. I found her observations of her colleagues and how the unit functions very interesting. She paints a pretty good picture of what working in the BSU during its early days would’ve been like.
A Book for True Crime Fans
Burgess was brought in to help structure the serial killer interviews and make profiling a systematic tool. This is where the book fell a little short for my personal preferences. There are plenty of (fairly graphic) descriptions of the crimes committed by the men the BSU studies. Personally, I am not a fan of them. I don’t particularly care about serial killers or the details of the crime, I want to understand the behavioural science.
In my opinion, this could’ve been accomplished while being less description-heavy. In particular, I wanted to learn more about the academic research Ann Burgess did and understand profiling as a concept. While she does give brief insights into both, the book didn’t deliver on the level that I had hoped. However, if you are a fan of true crime podcasts, you might enjoy precisely these case stories! After all, this is a book aimed at true crime readers primarily for entertainment and not a textbook.
I do appreciate that Ann does not glorify the killers at any point and is very much focused on respecting the victims.
Audiobook
I loved Gabra Zackman’s narration! Her performance balanced the tension of a story about horrific crimes while also feeling personal. Ann Burgess is telling us her story and Gabra Zackman brings it to life, allowing us to feel like we’re standing right there on the floor of the BSU with her.
Ultimately, I am very glad that I had Zackman’s narration to guide me through this book. Even though we tend to be desensitized to violence in our society, this book is not an easy read. Having someone read to me made me feel less alone and gave me a chance to process my emotions better than just reading by myself would have. It’s no secret that audiobooks are one of my favourite ways of reading. But going forward, I think I’m going to consume all true crime adjacent stories in this format, at least on my first read.
Overall…
A Killer by Design was a fascinating look into the origins and capabilities of criminal profiling and made me want to read more books by professionals in the field. I also ordered myself a physical copy to annotate on a future reread!
This book is for you if…
…you like true crime or memoirs by interesting women
…you are looking for a book that explores the history of criminal profiling
A post you might also enjoy: 5 Nonfiction Books to Read If You’re Into Forensic Science
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