When A Killer Calls is an interesting look into an investigation of a serial killer. The story details the crime and the investigation tools that were employed to catch the killer. It shows how profiling works and how they use it to solve cases. I enjoyed reading this. The story could have been told in a way that showed you the intensity of the crime and the suspense of the hunt instead of just an explanation of facts. It would have made the story more interesting but overall it was an interesting look into how the FBI profile team works.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Well written, engrossing, and full of profiler POV, I could not put this down until I was finished.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

Such a good book, I think people are gonna really love this one. Keep me wanting more the whole way through. Thank you!

Another well written, horrifying book from the casefiles of John Douglas. I've read several of his books and found them all to be incredibly interesting and well written. The cases in this book are very terrible and sad, but it was interesting to read about the cases and the measures taken to solve them.

This is the kind of the story that is right up the alley of my morbid mind. I find the world of criminal profiling so fascinating, and this is a deep dive into the process of solving a crime of the worst kind from beginning to end. John Douglas, the founding father of the FBI’s behavior analysis unit, takes us on this journey to solve a particularly upsetting abduction of 18 year old Shari Smith. Taken from her driveway while collecting mail, her badly decomposed body is found several days later. Operating in the background, behind local law enforcement, John Douglas and his crew of elite profilers are building a portrait of who would commit this crime. Their job is to point police in the right direction before the killer strikes again. Full of all the details, this could be a subject of great complexity, but I think the authors succeed at making this easy to understand. A truly fascinating read. Review posted to Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Litsy, and LibraryThing.

It's a chilling true story of a killer who chooses to engage with his victim's family. Douglas and Olshaker are masterful when it comes to telling a story in a way that honors the victims and reduces the criminal to what they really are - weak, mean, evil.

When a Killer Calls is written by John E. Douglas, who was a FBI criminal profiler. This is about one of his cases. In May 1985 in South Carolina a young girl was kidnapped outside her home just before her high school graduation. Her abductor calls her parents and taunts them making them believe he will let her go. He sends them a letter written by their daughter telling them she loves them and saying goodbye. He later calls and tells them where to find her body. Not long afterwards a nine year old girl is abducted and the FBI are afraid they are looking for a serial killer. This book was very interesting and well written.

This is high-level true crime. This is well researched, planned, and executed. Not that the subject matter was enjoyable but the read was. It kept you drawn in. So good.

I will always recommend John Douglas books to true crime fans and colleagues for one reason: he’s so incredibly knowledgeable. If you want to know about profiling, he’s your guy. But I have to say, his books go painfully slow for me. I’m not sure why. I think they’re less personable than I’d prefer, maybe. Either way, I will keep trying to love them, as they have great content and are very well written

I have read a few books from former FBI profilers. and this is without a doubt the best I’ve ever read!

Douglas and Olshaker tell the stories of the murders of Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick and the aftermath in the courtroom and the community. I had never heard of Shari or Debra May, but their stories gripped me and were respectfully told.

One of my main complaints of books by profilers are how braggy and arrogant the profilers are. I didn’t see this here. Another major complaint of mine about true crime books in general is the lack of respect for the victim as a person; often we’re told “what a tragedy! She was a beautiful woman” as if that’s the only thing that matters. That was thankfully missing from the book as well. I felt that a full, real description of the victims, particular Shari, was given.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC!

John E. Douglas, the FBI criminal profiler whose work inspired the Netflix show Mindhunter, details the case of Larry Gene Bell, a serial killer who murdered two girls (Shari Smith, 17; and Debra May Hemlock, 9) in South Carolina in the mid-1980s. Douglas shares the details about how he concocted a profile of Bell and how that profile led to his arrest.

The profiling portion of this book is a fascinating look at the meticulous process and the emotional/psychological/situational information the is considered to create these dossiers of killers. Douglas is a master and even the part where he sets up the killer to incriminate himself is especially interesting.

Yet the part that intrigued me most was Douglas's specific experience with the Smith family. His analysis of them also, in a sense, uses his powers of emotional/behavioral assessment to show that while the killer's actions could be predictable those of a very faithful family devastated by unimaginable could not be predicted. Their strength in the face of tragedy was especially commendable.

The prose is propulsive and keeps you interested as law enforcement ferrets out and nails the killer. This true-crime is definitely a standout in the genre.

I don't normally read true crime, and I had a hard time staying engaged in this book. I enjoy mysteries and suspense, but there didn't seem like there was much of that in this book. The authors spent a lot of time explaining previous cases and tools of the trade. I feel that this overshadowed the story of Shari Faye.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and give a free and unbiased review.

When a Killer Calls details one specific case that Douglas encountered. While other books by Douglas have a theme and mention many cases that fit that, this book was focused on 1 killer (with 2 victims). The way he tells the story from the initial call to the FBI all the way through the verdict was enticing. Typically, he is only present for parts of the story.

I was familiar with the case of Shari Smith. I have family in SC not far from where this happened. The crime was horrific not only in the kidnapping but in the mental torture the killer put the family through. Getting a sort of behind the scenes deep dive into the various aspects of the hunt for the killer was fascinating and, while they didn't catch the killer in time for Shari or Debra, the process helped find him and ensure he couldn't hurt anyone else.

Usually, I consume my true crime through audiobooks but as soon as I spied this title on NetGalley I knew I had to request an arc. Thank you to the publisher for my copy! I had a basic understanding of the case, though most of my knowledge was based around the forensics of the case. Readers are given a swift refresher on profiling and the history of the behavioral analysis field, but the bulk of book shares the investigation and trial.

I appreciate that the scope of this book was scaled down to two main cases with a couple asides that were relevant to the story. In previous books, the scope of the books was far too broad with too much material to thoroughly explore topics which disappointed me. Thankfully, Douglas and Olshaker keep <i>When a Killer Calls</i> centered on the Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick cases and the hunt for Larry Gene Bell. A couple cases are referred to, but only briefly as it relates to the cases at hand.

The book's tone felt closer to a conversation with the authors rather than a formal true crime novel. What I mean to say is there were plenty of facts, interview snippets, and the like. More than enough to satisfy readers that devour true crime books, podcasts, and tv. However, as the information was relayed, Douglas included a fair amount of asides that added some personality and feeling to the investigations.

I do wish the page time felt more balanced between the two cases. I'm not even sure how to describe my unease, but Debra May's case and her family didn't receive as much attention as the Smith's. Granted, the Smith family had more contact with the subject and ultimately the break for both cases came from Shari's Last Will and Testament letter. Douglas admitted he spent more time with the Smith's and had developed a friendly relationship with them. It just felt odd that one case and family appeared to receive more care and respect.

Beyond that though, this was a compelling story with some great information. I will probably reread this on audio at some point.

A riveting account of the murder of two young girls in South Carolina in 1985, the search for the killer and the eventual prosecution of the cases.
John Douglas is the pioneer of profiling with the FBI. When a young woman is abducted from her driveway and the local officials need help in finding the killer, they call on him. This is a very detailed recounting of the events that led to his involvement in the cases. His thoughts as the cases developed and his expert opinions and profiling of the possible killer are thorough and compelling. The tale is horrific and frightening.
I had not heard of this case before reading this book. I loved how the authors wrote this account as it takes you up close and personal to the events of the crime and its aftermath. The case is that of the serial killer Larry Gene Bell. The victims were Shari Smith, Debra May Helmicks and their families. True Crime lovers will really enjoy this one.

John E. Douglas just needs to keep going. He is such an excellent story-teller and its even more exciting because its all first person due to his work. Incredible!

*Thank you to Dey Street books, John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/when-a-killer-calls/

Shari Smith was seventeen on May 31, 1985, and by all accounts, her future was bright. It is the day before her high school graduation in Columbia, South Carolina, and her parents expect her back from a pool party she has been to with her friend, Brenda Boozer, and her boyfriend, Richard Lawson.

Shari is slated to sing the National Anthem before her graduation ceremony and her entire class is going on a vacation to a Caribbean island. She had big plans to live in Charlotte and perform at Carowinds, a large amusement park. She had it all; a bright future, a wonderful boyfriend, loving and deeply religious family and a great number of friends.

Sadly, Shari’s life is cut short. As she stops at the end of her long driveway to get the mail, she is kidnapped. Her father finds the car still running with her bag still on the passenger side. There are footprints leading to the mailbox, but that is where they stop.

The Police are called immediately but there is no sign of Shari. When the calls from the kidnapper begin, he admits to having Shari and tells her sister and mother to expect a letter in the mail. The next day, Shari’s family receives the Last Will and Testament, written with love by Shari to her family. The letter is haunting as she knows she is about to be murdered, but expresses her last wishes and urges her family to move on with love. After they receive the letter, the FBI is called in to take over the case before it is too late to find Shari alive. Sadly, her body was found a few days later. Almost simultaneously, nine-year-old Debra May Helmick is kidnapped from her front yard with her little brother watching. Her body is also found several days later after a call from her kidnapper directing them to the body.

John Douglas was the inventor of the criminal profiling system. He and a coworker went to different prisons to interview killers. He has worked on many famous cases, including the Green River Killer and the Atlanta child murders. After the murders of Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick, Douglas flew to South Carolina and was able to create a profile of the killer to help the police narrow down their search.

This is my first book by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Douglas has conducted hundreds of interviews with the world’s most notorious serial killers, including Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, David Berkowitz and James Earl Ray. He is considered to be the most authoritative voice in criminal profiling. Douglas and Olshaker have written many books on the process of criminal profiling and how it is effective in finding serial killers. As a fan of true crime, I am happy to discover and read their other books.

Excellent look into the killer Larry Gene Bell's capture in 1986 after kidnapping and murdering of Shari Smith and Debra May Helmick in South Carolina. I love reading John Douglas profiler insights and I admire him for all the work he has done in catching evil monsters like Larry Gene Bell. The book goes over the torture Bell put the family of Shari Smith through whilst the desperate search for Shari was ongoing. He would call them over and over and lead them to believe Shari was still alive, he would even terrorize Shari's older sister Dawn and threaten her life before finally being found guilty of both Shari and Debra May's murder. Debra was a little 9 year old girl and her family would be traumatized by her disappearance and murder as she was snatched literally from her own yard. Bell would later claim that he was mentally ill and would constantly repeat bizarre things over and over saying "silence is golden" many times during his trial. His histrionics and claims he had an "ace in the hole" creepily remind me of another South Carolinan soon to be on trial for murder. She is accused of killing her step son Gannon Stauch... I am referring to Letecia Stauch who has said these same things while also displaying narcissistic and histrionic tantrums both before and after innocent Gannon was found dead in a suitcase a few months after he disappeared. She seems to be trying to use Bell's strange playbook to pretend he was mentally insane to avoid facing her own disgusting murder charges. Anyone who hurts an innocent child who depended on them for love and support is a coward and evil creature in my book. In any event, I digress... this book was fact filled and John Douglas does not disappoint with his take on everything he experienced. I highly recommend to anyone who reads true crime to learn about the dark side of human nature to avoid meeting it face to face themselves.. I learned alot..


Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

As big fan of Mindhunter, I was eager to read this true crime title! I was not previously familiar with the case, so it was great to approach it with no preconceived ideas. John Douglas doesn't bog you down with super fine details that get lost; he really takes strides to show you the connections between clues. I enjoyed the facts and timeline interspersed with John's profile expertise, and it's really amazing how far we've come in the area of psychology to be able to make close to accurate predictions on these kinds of cases. Everything in this book seemed just like a scary movie, and this proves that sometimes real life is scarier. I read this book in one sitting, and was so compelled the entire time to "find" Shari Smith's killer. I will definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.