I received an advance copy of, A Killer by Design, by Ann Wolbert Burgess. Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess is a pioneer in the profiling of criminals. She is a staunch defender of victims of sexual assault. This book does go into details of cases.

Insightful, chilling and eye-opening.
This is great material for anyone interest in true crime and behavioral studies.
Interesting from beginning to end.

A most read.

This book is a great read for anyone interested in the development of criminal profiling during the late 1970s. It is a perfect foil to the bestsellers written by Douglas, Hazelwood, and Kessler. Burgess describes her integral role in the inception of the Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI during a time she it was still taboo to curse in front of women in the workplace, let alone pore over gruesome crime scenes with them and value their professional opinions about the perpetrators. She runs through her history as a psychiatric nurse, academic, agent, and expert witness through vignettes of some her most prolific cases. Highly recommend this book!

This books is fascinating for someone interested in understanding the criminal psyche and the incredible work of the woman who helped create the BSU. Her approach is different then what has been seen before and I think she truly focuses on the science and methodology of understanding killers. Burgess is brilliant and her perspective on this is new and truly makes you think. One of the most important things she does is bring the focus to the victims and pointing out how they should be the focus and not the mythology of these killers. I would absolutely recommend this book

Most know the names Douglas and Ressler when it comes to criminal profiling. Burgess is the lesser known name and it was interesting to read her take on things. As a criminal justice major and someone who finds serial killers and profiling fascinating, this book was an excellent read.