JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS: Follow the FBI's Premier Investigative Profiler as He Penetrates the Minds and Motives of the Most Terrifying Serial Criminals [Hardcover]

John Douglas (Author), Mark Olshaker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0684833042 | ISBN-13: 978-0684833040 | Publication Date: February 20, 1997 | Edition: 1ST

A former FBI investigator and the author of Mindhunter offers a glimpse of some of his most complex cases and demonstrates the way in which criminal profiling works, covering such crimes as John Lennon's assassination, the Waco tragedy, and New York's preppie murder. 150,000 first printing. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Some authors are worth reading because of their area of expertise, even when their objectivity may be questionable. This is true of John Douglas, who follows up his Mindhunter with another assortment of his observations and opinions from his ex-job as the FBI's top expert on constructing behavioral profiles of criminals. This book contains several passages of interest: a detailed discussion of the modus operandi versus the "signature" of a murder, and how each relates to motive; thoughts on how the press and the public can be used to flush out a killer; a taxonomy of pedophiles, with a chapter on how to protect children from them; a detailed analysis of the savage sex-murder of a female Marine; a profile of the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman killer; and a report on how the courts are handling behavioral testimony. Always biased, often egotistical, but uniquely experienced--that's Douglas.

From Library Journal

After the mind-blowing success of Mindhunter (Scribner, 1995), more profiles in criminality from the former head of the FBI's Investigative Support Unit.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; 1ST edition (February 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684833042
• ISBN-13: 978-0684833040
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and wrenching, September 7, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey Into Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

Journey Into Darkness undertakes several missions on its path. Sure, we have the murders themselves committed by people we can only dream never come within a thousand miles of anyone we know. We also get a riveting insight into the science of criminal psychology, victimology and investigative detection. Finally, the noble crusades of victims' relatives and advice, support and education on how to spot and avoid potential catastrophes occurring to anyone you know is touched on in detail.

I guarantee that if you have children or relatives that have anything in common with any of the victims you will be affected by this book in a way that few others will affect you.

I'm tempted to go off at a tangent and comment on the vile killers themselves but since this is a book review, I will cut myself off and say that the book is extremely well written, excellently structured and balanced superbly. This isn't merely a Triple A guide to serial killers, and although Douglas is clearly proud of the work he has done, what shines through is the fact that he is a human being first and a criminal investigator second. The fact that he has to get into their heads to understand and uncover the crimes is continually balanced with his assertions that he has just as much contempt for these killers as those directly affected by them. That's important, along with his attempts to educate the readers on how to avoid such situations coming up in their neighborhoods or families. It effectively diffuses the chances of the book becoming episodic or even biographical.

I was confused by his inclusion of the O.J. Simpson case, not because it was poorly put together - it was very convincing - but because it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. It might well belong in a different book, but here it struck me as an attempt to cash in on something which almost undid the good intentions of the rest of the book.

However, it is a remarkable insight into a profession and a world dominated by the truly darkest elements of the human race. The book is hard to read without feeling guilty at yourself for not wanting to put it down. And that is a testament to its power.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real Journey into Darkness, November 26, 2003

By 

Susan Rathbone (milan Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey Into Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

I have been an avid true crime reader for several years although this is the first book that I have read by John E. Douglas. This book makes you see the darkness that a lot of people seem to have inside and what they are prepared to do to realise their fantasies whatever the cost. I was not able to put down this book even though it filled me with anxiety and sadness because the title is true - he really does take you on a journey into Darkness, although John Douglases telling of these brutal cases is masterly. He explains even the most complicated of theories in a way that is understandable to all. After reading this book I have already ordered his other books and can't wait for them to be delivered. Gripping stuff!!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful book about serial killers, and victims' rights, March 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS: Follow the FBI's Premier Investigative Profiler as He Penetrates the Minds and Motives of the Most Terrifying Serial Criminals (Hardcover)

Douglas opens with the murder of Marine Suzanne Collins in Tennessee in 1985, describing his own mental process in analyzing her killer's behavior. After discussing several other cases, he returns to the Collins murder for a very detailed, moving discussion of her life and death, and the difficult experiences her family has had with the legal system in the intervening years. Her parents became ardent campaigners for victims' rights, and against lengthy and frivolous appeals. Much of what Douglas writes on this issue reminds me of John Walsh, of "America's Most Wanted." Also reminiscent of "America's Most Wanted" is Douglas' advice on teaching our children how to avoid becoming victims of abusers, abductors, and killers. Having recently read Robert Ressler's excellent book, _Whoever Fights Monsters_, I was interested to note that Douglas and Ressler disagree on the value of letting serial killers live. Ressler advocates keeping killers alive for psychological study, but Douglas says it would take "about six hours" to learn all that he would need to know from a convicted serial killer. Beyond that, he says, a killer who claims to have more valuable information for police and psychologists is doing nothing more than looking for an excuse to avoid execution, and the quality of the information is suspect. Near the end of the book, Douglas considers a case in which profiling helped exonerate an innocent man. He also analyzes, from a behavioral standpoint, the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, describing the sort of profile he would have developed had he been asked to consult on the case