A Killer by Design

Starred review from October 18, 2021
Forensic and psychiatric nurse Burgess debuts with an affecting memoir about her crucial if largely unknown role in helping the FBI develop criminal profiling tools. In 1974, Burgess, who had long worked with sexual assault and trauma victims, published a groundbreaking paper demonstrating that “sexual violence was more about power and control than the act of sex itself.” Burgess’s discoveries attracted the attention of the FBI, which had been noting an uptick in sex crimes, and resulted in an invitation from agent Roy Hazelwood, the pioneer of profiling sexual predators, to lecture on the topic. She soon assumed a formal role as the head of a criminal personality study dealing with apparently motiveless crimes and serial killers, which would help build a foundation for the creation of accurate profiles. Burgess, who worked for the FBI for decades, was involved in high-profile cases, such as that of the BTK Killer, and concludes that the criminal mind is “simultaneously foreign... while being so disturbingly close to our own.” Admirers of John Douglas’s The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI’s Original Mindhunter will be riveted. Agent: Alice Fried Martell, Martell Agency.

Starred review from October 1, 2021

Burgess (professor at Boston Coll., Connell Sch. of nursing), a trailblazing forensic and psychiatric nurse, details her career working with victims of sexual assault and trauma and her recruitment by the FBI where she shaped the work of the Behavioral Science Unit, particularly regarding serial murders. This book, cowritten by Constantine (director of marketing, Connell Sch. of Nursing), centers Burgess's experiences and perspective while incorporating the history of the BSU and insider details about FBI profiling of crime suspects. She takes care not to sensationalize serial murders and focuses instead on the development of criminal profiling and advocacy for victims. Burgess was often the only woman in these spaces, and she offers a refreshing perspective. Readers interested in the FBI's profiling may also enjoy John Douglas's The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter. VERDICT An empathetic, insightful behind-the-scenes look at criminal profiling that will be appreciated by true crime fans and readers curious about forensic or criminal psychology.--Kate Bellody, SUNY New Paltz

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2021
The Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI is tasked with unlocking the mysteries behind the horrors committed by serial killers. While the unit was new, John Doublas and Robert Ressler were sequestered in a basement while they conducted interviews with such killers as Edmund Kemper and David Berkowitz. Their attempts to understand the criminal mind became more streamlined when Burgess was brought on board. Burgess had initially studied psychiatric nursing, where she had seen many victims of sexual assault. After leaving nursing for academics, she was invited to speak to the FBI. Soon, she was working with Douglas and Ressler, delving into the psyche of the newly termed "serial killer." In a revelatory book that is brimming with the fascinating coupled with the macabre, Burgess details the inner workings of the depraved mind. The killers profiled vary in scope, from kidnapping murderers in Nebraska to Denis Rader, the BTK killer, though all the crimes are horrific. A Killer by Design shows how the BSU's evolving work has forever changed the law enforcement landscape.

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Starred review from June 1, 2022

Burgess, a professor of forensic science at Boston Cornell School of Nursing, presents a riveting account of the beginnings of the criminal profiling and her work on many high-profile serial murder cases. In the '70s, her work with sexual assault and trauma victims resulted in a groundbreaking study showing that sexual violence is rooted in a display of power rather than sexual gratification. Her work caught the attention of the FBI, who were witnessing an increase in violent sexual crimes. Burgess discusses how criminal profiling, which was proving to be effective in solving these cases, was in its infancy and still being formed. Several high-profile cases that she worked on are discussed: Dennis Rader (the "BTK Killer"), Ed Kemper, and cases that may not be as well known. Subsequent interviews with the criminals helped reveal patterns and common threads in behavioral traits that would advance the methods of criminal profiling. The book provides a fascinating glimpse into the development of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit as well as the minds of serial killers. The excellent narration by Gabra Zackman provides the appropriate intensity and suspense. VERDICT A great addition to the true-crime library that offers a unique perspective.--Phillip Oliver

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.