Criminal Profile: Into the Mind of the Killer

by Wayne Petherick

It might be the style of the attack, the geographic location, the position of the body, a scrupulous cover-up - in almost every instance, the offender who thinks he vanished without a trace has in fact left behind a multitude of clues. Profilers apply a range of techniques, from diagnostic evaluations to behavioral evidence analysis, in order to study patterns of behavior that emerge from crime scene investigations. Piece by piece, they build a portrait of the type of person who committed the crime, and it is this profile that helps police find their needle in a haystack, Criminal Profile offers insight into the professional's casebook, including the most cutting-edge profiling techniques, the origins and limitations of the practice, as well as the way some of history's most infamous criminals have been caught.

Genres: True Crime, Crime, Psychology, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to profiling, plenty of cases and methods are looked at, fairly quick and easy to read.

[Hannnah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Was an interesting look into the world of criminal profiling, and sort of deconstructing the myth that idols like the mentalist and Sherlock homes have created which sort of cloud the practical side to criminal profiling.

[Diane Boudrias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and educational !

[Rebekah]

Criminal Profile is a very... elementary book. It feels balanced in covering concepts and issues but it's more of a cafe read, a pre-introduction for people mildly interested in the question "What is profiling?"

Also, the editor missed a couple typos, I think.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful for the research I'm doing on a McKenna Crime novel!

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and helpful book.
For me, since I am beginning to study Criminalistics and Forensic Psychology, a good introduction to Criminal Profiling.