Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool [Paperback]

Ronald M. Holmes (Author), Stephen T. Holmes (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1412959985 | ISBN-13: 978-1412959988 | Publication Date: December 1, 2008 | Edition: Fourth Edition

"Excellent book, I have used this for my Criminal Behavior course for a number of years. Very authoritative."
-Harry Cramer, Quincy University

The Fourth Edition of this best-selling text provides students with the most up-to-date information on the increasingly popular field of psychological profiling. Well-known authors Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen T. Holmes build upon their continued research and involvement in field investigation as a source of relevant and often high-profile case studies to illustrate theory and application of the methods discussed. The text is particularly readable and engaging, making frequent use of illustrative tables and figures and presenting occasional photos.

New to the Fourth Edition

• Offers a new chapter on Lizzie Borden (Chapter 14), analyzing this historic murder case with fresh insight and a unique analysis while retaining the chapter on Jack the Ripper, a classic unresolved serial murderer
• Covers more recent events such as the killings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech
• Provides a new section on Santeria and the occult to understand the dogma and icons of these teachings and investigates reasons behind crimes committed by some followers
• Offers guidance to students for online graduate programs, seminars, and degrees in criminal profiling
• Includes updated tables and crime statistics throughout the text
• Presents new photos to offer authentic representations of violent crimes and offenders

Intended Audience
This best-seller has long been a successful supplemental text for undergraduate criminology and criminal justice courses, including Criminal Investigation, Criminal Profiling, Violent Crimes, Criminal Behavior, Field Investigation, and Forensic Psychology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent book, I have used this for my Criminal Behavior course for a number of years. Very authoritative." (Harry Cramer )

About the Author

Ronald M. Holmes is Coroner, in the Jefferson County Coroner's office and Professor Emeritus of Justice Administration at the University of Louisville. He is the author of several books, among them Profiling Violent Crimes, Sex Crimes, and Serial Murder. He is also the author of more than 50 articles appearing in scholarly publications. He is Vice President of the National Center for the Study of Unresolved Homicides and has completed more than 500 psychological profiles for police departments across the United States. He received his doctorate from Indiana University.

Stephen T. Holmes is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. Prior to this position, he was a social science analyst for the National Institute of Justice in Washington, D.C. He has authored 6 books and more than 15 articles dealing with policing, drug testing, probation and parole issues, and violent crime. He received his doctorate from the University of Cincinnati.

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; Fourth Edition edition (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412959985
• ISBN-13: 978-1412959988
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for anyone interested in profiling., September 24, 1999

By 

Douglas H. Haden (Ridgecrest, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool (Paperback)

A must-read for anyone interested in the world of profiling. It covers a broad range of material including profiling in general, crime scene analysis and profiling of serial murder, arson, rape, pedophilia and victims. It has a good chapter on geographic analyses and predatory criminals.

While not a research publication itself, almost all material presented is linked by citation to a publication in its References section. It has a fair-to-good index. In my reading, this book is referenced by more publications on profiling and on serial killers than any other book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars You have to be kidding!! This is total garbage!!, February 5, 2007

By 

Matthew F (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool (Paperback)

Holmes and Holmes make a feeble attempt to discredit the FBI in chapter one. What is ironic is the fact that 95% of the quality profiling theory contained in this "book" is cited from FBI authored sources. Mr. Holmes can't have it both ways. Mr. Holmes bashes the FBI and discredits their methods of profiling and at the same time almost his entire text is referencing the FBI journals on profiling written by Douglas, Ressler, Hazelwood and others. He constantly references the Crime Classification Manual, Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives, and the early 1980's articles written on profiling by the FBI.

This book is written at junior high school level. The mistakes are numerous and the wording is awkward and choppy. There is no depth at all to anything presented in this book. Anyone who actually finds value in this garbage should read "Profilers: Leading investigators take you inside the criminal mind," and "Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives." The first of these contains a compilation of the ACTUAL articles that Mr. Holmes's entire book is based on.

I will never read another book by Ronald Holmes again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must buy it!!, August 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool (Paperback)

If you are looking for really gory stories and lots of blood and perversion. This is not your book. If you have an genuine interest in crime analysis (or criminal profiling) on the other hand, this book is very much something you want to own and read many times. In a very easy to understand way the authors explains the art of profiling, how it's done, how to use a profile and how it shouldn't be used. This book also shows examples of less than perfect profiles, plus it shines a new, critical light, on the FBI behavioral science unit and some of it's profilers. Very interesting!