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Dark Dreams: Sexual Violence, Homicide and the Criminal Mind
Profiler Roy Hazelwood is the world's leading expert on the strangest and most dangerous of all aberrant offenders--the sexual criminal. In Dark Dreams he reveals the twisted motives and perverse thinking that go into the most reprehensible crimes. He also catalogs the innovative and remarkably effective techniques--techniques that he helped pioneer at the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit--that allow Law Enforcement agents to construct psychological profiles of the offenders who comit them.
Hazelwood has helped track down some of the most violent and well known criminals in modern history; in Dark Dreams he takes readers into his world--a sinister world inhabited by scores of dangerous offenders for every Roy Hazelwood who would put them behind bars. These are sexual sadists, serial rapists, child molesters, and serial killers. The cases he describes are as shocking as they are perplexing; their resolutions are as fascinating as they are innovative:
* A young woman disappears from the convenience store where she works. Her body is later found in a field, strapped to a makeshift St. Andrew's Cross and mutilated beyond description. Who committed this heinous crime? And why?
* A teenager's corpse is found hanging in a storm sewer. His clothes are neatly folded by the entrance and a stopwatch lies in the grime beneath him. Is he the victim of a bizarre, ritualistic murder . . . or an elaborate masturbatory fantasy gone awry?
* A married couple, driving with their toddler in the back seat, pick up a female hitchhiker. They kidnap her and for seven years keep her in a box under their bed as a sexual slave. The wife had agreed to this inhuman arrangement in exchange for a second child. Who was to blame?
But as gruesome as the crimes are and as unsettling as the odds seem, Hazelwood, writing with veteran journalsit Stephen Michaud, proves that the right amounts of determination and logic can bring even the most cunning and devious criminals to justice.
Dark Dreams is a 2002 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Fact Crime.
Hazelwood has helped track down some of the most violent and well known criminals in modern history; in Dark Dreams he takes readers into his world--a sinister world inhabited by scores of dangerous offenders for every Roy Hazelwood who would put them behind bars. These are sexual sadists, serial rapists, child molesters, and serial killers. The cases he describes are as shocking as they are perplexing; their resolutions are as fascinating as they are innovative:
* A young woman disappears from the convenience store where she works. Her body is later found in a field, strapped to a makeshift St. Andrew's Cross and mutilated beyond description. Who committed this heinous crime? And why?
* A teenager's corpse is found hanging in a storm sewer. His clothes are neatly folded by the entrance and a stopwatch lies in the grime beneath him. Is he the victim of a bizarre, ritualistic murder . . . or an elaborate masturbatory fantasy gone awry?
* A married couple, driving with their toddler in the back seat, pick up a female hitchhiker. They kidnap her and for seven years keep her in a box under their bed as a sexual slave. The wife had agreed to this inhuman arrangement in exchange for a second child. Who was to blame?
But as gruesome as the crimes are and as unsettling as the odds seem, Hazelwood, writing with veteran journalsit Stephen Michaud, proves that the right amounts of determination and logic can bring even the most cunning and devious criminals to justice.
Dark Dreams is a 2002 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Fact Crime.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 19, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
September 21, 2018
This is the best book on profiling I've ever read. The author takes you through the exact steps of profiling an unknown criminal in such a way that everyone could do. They wouldn't get the same results because experience, intuition and connections make all the difference. Being able to follow a recipe doesn't make you a Michelin 3 star chef.
The different sorts of killers, their evil and often psychopathic personalities, are illustrated by way of cases, some that seem very ordinary and some quite extraordinary. There are two cases where the police are unable to decide if they are suicides or murders and what seems clear-cut at first, really isn't. The last case is where parents of two murdered children sued the university for negligence after they were shot by another student in the same dorm. They didn't win. But the dissection of the case was very interesting.
How this book differs from other books I've read on profiling, is that there is no aggrandizement by the author. He approaches his subject clearly and with the desire to impart knowledge. 'Legendary' is very far from how the author thinks of himself. That attitude, coupled with really good writing, makes the book a standout, 10 star read.
Warning: cuss words.
The different sorts of killers, their evil and often psychopathic personalities, are illustrated by way of cases, some that seem very ordinary and some quite extraordinary. There are two cases where the police are unable to decide if they are suicides or murders and what seems clear-cut at first, really isn't. The last case is where parents of two murdered children sued the university for negligence after they were shot by another student in the same dorm. They didn't win. But the dissection of the case was very interesting.
How this book differs from other books I've read on profiling, is that there is no aggrandizement by the author. He approaches his subject clearly and with the desire to impart knowledge. 'Legendary' is very far from how the author thinks of himself. That attitude, coupled with really good writing, makes the book a standout, 10 star read.
Warning: cuss words.
October 23, 2021
Intriguing, with a balance between case briefings and larger observations on the patterns of sexual predators, Hazelwood is a convincing behavior analyst. The descriptions of the crimes are detailed and brutal; there is no CSI gloss to ease the consumption here.
Interesting, as well, that the serial killer Israel Keyes read this, both to understand his own criminal predilections, and too understand how FBI agents would attempt to profile him. Nowadays, we tend to think of serial killers of a 20th century invention, existing only in documentaries, podcasts, and true crime books. While a greater understanding of the psyche, combined with technological tracking, might make it more difficult (and push people towards random spasms of violence, like public shootings), the methodical sociopath who views sex as a cypher for power undoubtedly still exists.
Now that behavior profiling is known to the mainstream (see: Mindhunter), does the modern serial killer evolve into new methods? That is the most terrifying thought for me. In fifty years, will there be books about serial killers in the early 21st century, and how they developed new killing patterns to evade the detection methods that had been so popularized?
Interesting, as well, that the serial killer Israel Keyes read this, both to understand his own criminal predilections, and too understand how FBI agents would attempt to profile him. Nowadays, we tend to think of serial killers of a 20th century invention, existing only in documentaries, podcasts, and true crime books. While a greater understanding of the psyche, combined with technological tracking, might make it more difficult (and push people towards random spasms of violence, like public shootings), the methodical sociopath who views sex as a cypher for power undoubtedly still exists.
Now that behavior profiling is known to the mainstream (see: Mindhunter), does the modern serial killer evolve into new methods? That is the most terrifying thought for me. In fifty years, will there be books about serial killers in the early 21st century, and how they developed new killing patterns to evade the detection methods that had been so popularized?
May 20, 2022
Murder most foul – or in most of the cases in this book the vicious assault and murder of women by men.
The authors describe several types or categories – like the disorganized killer (acts spontaneously) versus the organized one – that plan their killings, sometimes for months. It all starts with a fantasy – and then goes into planning stages. It really makes you wonder why a person degenerates to this level of extreme toxic hatred and cruelty. The authors suggest that it is not necessarily a sexual urge, but more of a quest for power and domination.
The most dangerous would be the sexual sadist. He can fit into normal society. In many cases, he is a narcissist. They lack empathy. They are ritualistic and will repeat. Also, for the most part, they cannot be rehabilitated.
The book is loaded with these abnormalities. Fortunately, it is short (mine is a small paperback of 270 pages) – there is only so much one can take of this kind of analysis. Some of the case studies were left unresolved. Annoyingly, we are not told, of how the rapist/murderer of Kathy (this name, like most in the book, was changed) at the convenience store was apprehended.
The authors describe several types or categories – like the disorganized killer (acts spontaneously) versus the organized one – that plan their killings, sometimes for months. It all starts with a fantasy – and then goes into planning stages. It really makes you wonder why a person degenerates to this level of extreme toxic hatred and cruelty. The authors suggest that it is not necessarily a sexual urge, but more of a quest for power and domination.
The most dangerous would be the sexual sadist. He can fit into normal society. In many cases, he is a narcissist. They lack empathy. They are ritualistic and will repeat. Also, for the most part, they cannot be rehabilitated.
The book is loaded with these abnormalities. Fortunately, it is short (mine is a small paperback of 270 pages) – there is only so much one can take of this kind of analysis. Some of the case studies were left unresolved. Annoyingly, we are not told, of how the rapist/murderer of Kathy (this name, like most in the book, was changed) at the convenience store was apprehended.
July 28, 2022
Dark Dreams is
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit
without the self-aggrandisement of John Douglas, detailing the various horrifying realities of sexual crime and the role of nascent criminal profiling in developing a greater understanding of murderers and rapists during the course of Roy Hazelwood's career. Even with the assistance of Stephen G. Michaud (co-author of
The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundy
, one of my favourite true crime books), the writing style is somewhat dry, content to detail Hazelwood's contributions and consultations on various investigations, as well as his training up of subsequent generations of profilers and detectives, in an unembroidered style. Of particular interest is the chapter on how sexually abusive partners/husbands gradually isolate and essentially (sometimes literally) enslave their victims. Another chapter about a stalker's graduation to murder was equally fascinating and disturbing. If Mindhunter prioritised entertainment, Dark Dreams emphasises insight, which -- for me at least -- makes it the better book.
February 1, 2015
Hmmm...I think the title of this one about sums it up.
At one point, even I was struck by the "darkness" in this one...at least at points.
Unfortunately, you can't begin to understand the darkness Hazelwood has spent his career studying unless you're willing to confront it, and I think he definitely confronts it...head on.
So, not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. In addition to confronting some of this century's most heinous sexual predators and utilizing the tenets of abnormal psychology to help explain them, Hazelwood also explores the art of profiling.
Of course, the validity of profiling has been called into question by some. Personally, I think it's the best guess of "experts" meant to assist police in understanding and ultimately catching criminals. I think part of the problem is it's hard to study serial killers(one roadblock being that, statistically speaking, there aren't many and even those that we know of may not cooperate)...but I'm not sure that means we shouldn't try.
Recommend to fans of abnormal psychology and/or true crime books as I think this succeeds on both fronts.
At one point, even I was struck by the "darkness" in this one...at least at points.
Unfortunately, you can't begin to understand the darkness Hazelwood has spent his career studying unless you're willing to confront it, and I think he definitely confronts it...head on.
So, not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. In addition to confronting some of this century's most heinous sexual predators and utilizing the tenets of abnormal psychology to help explain them, Hazelwood also explores the art of profiling.
Of course, the validity of profiling has been called into question by some. Personally, I think it's the best guess of "experts" meant to assist police in understanding and ultimately catching criminals. I think part of the problem is it's hard to study serial killers(one roadblock being that, statistically speaking, there aren't many and even those that we know of may not cooperate)...but I'm not sure that means we shouldn't try.
Recommend to fans of abnormal psychology and/or true crime books as I think this succeeds on both fronts.
June 12, 2021
I am a huge fan of the show Mindhunter on Netflix and this book is essentially that show in print. Hazelwood was an FBI profiler and he talks about some of the most memorable cases and more interestingly details what questions he asked and what conclusions he came to and why he came to them in detail. Fascinating. I much preferred this to John Douglas's writing on the same topics as Hazelwood has none of the arrogance of Douglas and ensures the focus of his writing is the analysis technique rather than himself.
An interesting if dark and sometimes tragic read.
An interesting if dark and sometimes tragic read.
February 14, 2010
I have always been intrigued by the art of forensics and profiling, as well as the people who follow this career path. It always amazes me how they are able to decipher so much by analyzing materials and the people themselves. It was the motive behind the purchase of this book. I was a little tentative because of the content but I felt that if it was something that I couldn't handle I would just leave it.
Roy Hazelwood writes this book in a way that doesn't overwhelm you with information, his narration is easy to follow and understand and at times I felt that I was there as he lectured. The cases he used as reference to explain the different types of offenders were at times disturbing, at times sad, and some where difficult to read-made one question the degree of hatred, violence, and malice that a human being is capable of.
He also describes what profiling is, how it is utilized, and what kind of people are the ones that are suited better for this career. Also an expert on other areas; he makes mention of those as well as details on what exactly they involve and examples to define them more clearly.
All in all this was a book that gives you some insight into what drives the sexual offenders, what differentiates them from each other, and it gives you a basic idea of what being a profiler is all about-if this is a profession you are thinking of pursuing.
Roy Hazelwood writes this book in a way that doesn't overwhelm you with information, his narration is easy to follow and understand and at times I felt that I was there as he lectured. The cases he used as reference to explain the different types of offenders were at times disturbing, at times sad, and some where difficult to read-made one question the degree of hatred, violence, and malice that a human being is capable of.
He also describes what profiling is, how it is utilized, and what kind of people are the ones that are suited better for this career. Also an expert on other areas; he makes mention of those as well as details on what exactly they involve and examples to define them more clearly.
All in all this was a book that gives you some insight into what drives the sexual offenders, what differentiates them from each other, and it gives you a basic idea of what being a profiler is all about-if this is a profession you are thinking of pursuing.
Read
October 19, 2022NB: I don't rate non fiction.
Insightful, although obviously quite tough to read at times, I found Roy Hazelwood's approach to predators both methodical and highly researched. He's also a lot more likeable personality wise than John Douglas. Obviously this book is now 20 years old and some of the language and ideas are a bit dated, but given Hazelwood unfortunately passed away in 2016 there's little that can be done in terms of a more up to date version. There's still an awful lot of information to take away here though, if you're interested in this kind of thing.
Insightful, although obviously quite tough to read at times, I found Roy Hazelwood's approach to predators both methodical and highly researched. He's also a lot more likeable personality wise than John Douglas. Obviously this book is now 20 years old and some of the language and ideas are a bit dated, but given Hazelwood unfortunately passed away in 2016 there's little that can be done in terms of a more up to date version. There's still an awful lot of information to take away here though, if you're interested in this kind of thing.
February 17, 2009
Crisp, organized, and calmly analytical. I had the good fortune to attend a two-day workshop taught by Roy Hazelwood while working in a prison psychiatric hospital, and it was interesting to compare this book with his in-person presentation - this book reads like a much-expanded version of the notes from that training; he presented a lot of the same case histories and research results, but was less dispassionate in person. There aren't very many psychologists or psychiatrists whose contributions to forensic psychology have been as groundbreaking or as useful as those of the FBI's violent criminal profiling unit with their methodical and systematic collection and analysis of volumes of data about the people who commit these kinds of crimes. The books of this author, as well as those of John Douglas and Robert Ressler, are some of the best I could recommend as reading for anyone who wanted examples of how to do this kind of data collection and analysis, what is sometimes called the 'natural experiment', i.e. a study in which the researcher collects information from events with the aim of understanding them, rather than the type of experiment in which the researcher causes events to see what will happen.
August 14, 2013
If you are interested in knowing how FBI's Behavioral Science Unit profiles the formidable serial killers, sexual sadists and serial rapist then this is the book for you.
This book also discusses several classifications of sexual offender. By the end of this book, based on MO, you'd be able to tell if particular offender was a ritualistic sexual sadist or just an unorganized, impulsive killer. Whether a killing was homicide, suicide or a dangerous autoeroticism.
In order to define those classifications, the book discusses several real life, solved cases such as that of Robert Leroy Anderson, Fariyon Edward Wardrip and Christopher DiStefano etc.
Generally speaking, this book is a grim read. You can not stereotype a killer or (a sexual sadist). He could be your educated, professional, next door neighbor. This fact makes people more vulnerable as its hard to guess that person's evil intentions by simply looking at him.
I gave this book 5 stars for being quite informative.
This book also discusses several classifications of sexual offender. By the end of this book, based on MO, you'd be able to tell if particular offender was a ritualistic sexual sadist or just an unorganized, impulsive killer. Whether a killing was homicide, suicide or a dangerous autoeroticism.
In order to define those classifications, the book discusses several real life, solved cases such as that of Robert Leroy Anderson, Fariyon Edward Wardrip and Christopher DiStefano etc.
Generally speaking, this book is a grim read. You can not stereotype a killer or (a sexual sadist). He could be your educated, professional, next door neighbor. This fact makes people more vulnerable as its hard to guess that person's evil intentions by simply looking at him.
I gave this book 5 stars for being quite informative.
July 16, 2018
Quite interesting. Another book by one of the better FBI profilers, like Bob Ressler and John Douglas.
I have been developing a thesis that the mass shootings of the current period are a ‘development’ of the serial killers of the 70’s and 80’s. There, of course, in mass shootings, the sexual element is more diffused — like in arson (which is considered part of the ‘homicidal triad’, traits that are common to future serial killers in their youth —arson, bed-wetting, and cruelty to animals). From mass shootings, the natural progression of our homicidal psychopathology will likely be to war and/or genocide.
At any rate, these books are both interesting and suggestive of larger issues.
4.5 stars
I have been developing a thesis that the mass shootings of the current period are a ‘development’ of the serial killers of the 70’s and 80’s. There, of course, in mass shootings, the sexual element is more diffused — like in arson (which is considered part of the ‘homicidal triad’, traits that are common to future serial killers in their youth —arson, bed-wetting, and cruelty to animals). From mass shootings, the natural progression of our homicidal psychopathology will likely be to war and/or genocide.
At any rate, these books are both interesting and suggestive of larger issues.
4.5 stars
July 19, 2017
Dark Dreams is a brilliantly written, if disturbing, look into the mindset of sexual predators as told by one of the giants in the field of criminal profiling, Roy Hazelwood. It is one of those books you just can't put down, but at the same time does not needlessly sensationalize the rather dark subject matter. You get the dirty details essential to each case cited and the author explains the hows and whys behind the perpetrator's actions. Very readable and far less dry that most books of the true crime genre. If you have even the slightest interest in forensic psychology or the process of criminal profiling, this book is a must!
February 24, 2018
Excellent account of the psychology of serial murderers and sexual predators. Clear, engaging, horrifying, but not gratuitous, and informative.
If you are a fan of old school profiling, this should be right up your alley. It was up mine.
The narration of this audiobook was excellent and it really felt you were in a conversation with Hazelwood which was engaging.
Recommended for fans of the genre.
If you are a fan of old school profiling, this should be right up your alley. It was up mine.
The narration of this audiobook was excellent and it really felt you were in a conversation with Hazelwood which was engaging.
Recommended for fans of the genre.
August 1, 2015
Two things happened when i read this book:
1) I couldn't sleep because i wanted to get to the next chapter
2) When i did sleep, it was next to a baseball bat and a knife under my mattress
This book is phenomenally written and offers a fascinating perspective on humanity (from the viewpoint of law enforcement). I recommend this book to anyone interested in forensic science.
1) I couldn't sleep because i wanted to get to the next chapter
2) When i did sleep, it was next to a baseball bat and a knife under my mattress
This book is phenomenally written and offers a fascinating perspective on humanity (from the viewpoint of law enforcement). I recommend this book to anyone interested in forensic science.
August 20, 2023
I will never be tired of saying it, but this is to me the most clear evidence we have that the FBI understands and applies Historical materialism to capture, study and profile serial killers, but (of course) without the socialist political project (an apolitical marxism if you like).
Hazelwood sees that modern societies (capitalist ones) have a tendency to misoginy and depravity and that all serial killers are the product of diverse socioeconomic symptoms that range from poverty, family abuse and violence to alienation, hatred and sadism.
It's funny, but I prefer to read this kind of scientific work (that comes from a repressive institution) rather than hippie bullshit from the academy.
Hazelwood sees that modern societies (capitalist ones) have a tendency to misoginy and depravity and that all serial killers are the product of diverse socioeconomic symptoms that range from poverty, family abuse and violence to alienation, hatred and sadism.
It's funny, but I prefer to read this kind of scientific work (that comes from a repressive institution) rather than hippie bullshit from the academy.
June 2, 2025
I read this book because serial murder and rapist Israel Keyes claimed that it contained accurate descriptions of the psychology of violent serial offenders such as himself. In that regard, I was not disappointed.
Unfortunately this is primarily a book about the discipline of criminal profiling, a pseudoscience that has been heavily criticized on empirical grounds. Slogging through the sections where the author engages in free form crime astrology is rough.
The author is openly religious and socially conservative, a set of views which I do not share. For the most part I was impressed by his professionalism when discussing issues where his views might bias him, although there were definite exceptions to this, especially the brief final chapter where he offers some commentary on what he believes to be contributing factors to crime in society. The author also dismisses evolutionary explanations for criminal behaviour with scorn, presumably because they do not align with his ideological/religious beliefs.
Also, shout out to the funniest part of this book, where the author tells the story of how he invented racial profiling for serial sexual offenders and then immediately realized that it did not work.
Unfortunately this is primarily a book about the discipline of criminal profiling, a pseudoscience that has been heavily criticized on empirical grounds. Slogging through the sections where the author engages in free form crime astrology is rough.
The author is openly religious and socially conservative, a set of views which I do not share. For the most part I was impressed by his professionalism when discussing issues where his views might bias him, although there were definite exceptions to this, especially the brief final chapter where he offers some commentary on what he believes to be contributing factors to crime in society. The author also dismisses evolutionary explanations for criminal behaviour with scorn, presumably because they do not align with his ideological/religious beliefs.
Also, shout out to the funniest part of this book, where the author tells the story of how he invented racial profiling for serial sexual offenders and then immediately realized that it did not work.
August 2, 2015
This is my first real experience with true crime, read on a recommendation, and I really enjoyed this.
The writing was informative and educational while still being very accessible to someone like myself whose knowledge of the topic comes pretty exclusively from fictional television programs and films. I feel like I learned a lot about the people who commit the most heinous of rapes and murders. I feel like it gave me a lot new information on the professionals who study these crimes, how they study them, and just how these criminals think. I enjoyed a more in depth analysis of profiling, which is something I knew about before, as well as more information on equivocal death analysis and linkage analysis which were types of analyses that I hadn't been familiar with.
I also really enjoyed the case studies of crimes that I was very familiar with, like the Jack the Ripper killings, and the crimes I was not as familiar with. I also liked how Hazelwood and Michaud connected things that these lesser known killers and rapists did to more well known criminals, like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy, which made it feel a bit more accessible.
I have been interested in crimes of these nature, but I've typically only read articles on the topic, and not usually anything meant to inform the reader on the actual studies of these crimes and criminals. I've mostly read articles about what happened, who was involved, and so on. It was a nice change of pace to read a full length work that gave much more in depth information.
While overall this was a disturbing read, it was quite good and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic. I am very interested in reading more true crime in the future, I feel like this was a good introduction to the genre.
The writing was informative and educational while still being very accessible to someone like myself whose knowledge of the topic comes pretty exclusively from fictional television programs and films. I feel like I learned a lot about the people who commit the most heinous of rapes and murders. I feel like it gave me a lot new information on the professionals who study these crimes, how they study them, and just how these criminals think. I enjoyed a more in depth analysis of profiling, which is something I knew about before, as well as more information on equivocal death analysis and linkage analysis which were types of analyses that I hadn't been familiar with.
I also really enjoyed the case studies of crimes that I was very familiar with, like the Jack the Ripper killings, and the crimes I was not as familiar with. I also liked how Hazelwood and Michaud connected things that these lesser known killers and rapists did to more well known criminals, like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy, which made it feel a bit more accessible.
I have been interested in crimes of these nature, but I've typically only read articles on the topic, and not usually anything meant to inform the reader on the actual studies of these crimes and criminals. I've mostly read articles about what happened, who was involved, and so on. It was a nice change of pace to read a full length work that gave much more in depth information.
While overall this was a disturbing read, it was quite good and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic. I am very interested in reading more true crime in the future, I feel like this was a good introduction to the genre.
September 18, 2017
Very interesting (and unsettling), but ultimately extremely informative!
February 28, 2021
En este libro el autor, un perfilador en muchísimos casos, de los más aberrantes hasta los más increíbles, confecciona un Manual para el Asesino Serial, sin importar como clasifique a los asesinos. Da tantos "pelos y señales" respecto al modus operandi, que seguro es el libro de cabecera de muchos asesinos conocidos y desconocidos. No sé si al escribirlo el autor intenta dejar en claro que lo expresado constituye un acto criminal que no debe hacerse. Esta idea me ha recordado a la literatura italiana del siglo XV, malamente llamada edificante, en la que autores como Aretino, Bembo y Poliziano al criticar la conducta licenciosa de los clérigos, el adulterio y otras bellezas de la época en el proemio, exhortaban al público a no cometer dichos actos inmorales.
Lo que si queda muy claro en ambas literaturas es la misoginia, que no es privativa de estos tiempos.
Lo que si queda muy claro en ambas literaturas es la misoginia, que no es privativa de estos tiempos.
September 12, 2019
An enlightning look at profiling through the eyes of one of the FBI's original profilers.
June 14, 2020
Broadly valuable insights into behavioral psychology and aberrant criminal behavior. Roy Hazelwood is one of the giants of the criminal profiling world and the book follows a pretty readable format for the most part. In every chapter, Hazelwood will present a thesis (for example, an analytical framework for understanding paraphillic desires) and then provide case by case examples of how this can be applied and learned from. These cases are never gratuitously presented like in other true crime books. Hazelwood keeps it factual, to the point, yet still profoundly disturbing (as these things are).
One of my main problems with the book is his 20th century view of sexual bondage and BDSM culture at large. He seems to place a strong causal relationship between the very act of sexual bondage and criminal sexual deviancy and I didn't personally feel he approached this relationship very scientifically and his personal conservatism shone through. There is also a bit of the moralistic "violence and porn on the TV is making the kids crazy" but he is more measured with his view with respect to pornography.
Overall an educational and thoroughly readable book. Clean and neat prose makes it quick to get through.
One of my main problems with the book is his 20th century view of sexual bondage and BDSM culture at large. He seems to place a strong causal relationship between the very act of sexual bondage and criminal sexual deviancy and I didn't personally feel he approached this relationship very scientifically and his personal conservatism shone through. There is also a bit of the moralistic "violence and porn on the TV is making the kids crazy" but he is more measured with his view with respect to pornography.
Overall an educational and thoroughly readable book. Clean and neat prose makes it quick to get through.
October 30, 2019
i am a huge fan of true crime and i waited a very long time for this book. always a "fan" of Roy Hazelwood and his gift/talent for determining how the criminal thinks, what makes a criminal think and why the criminal thinks.
although this book could be considered "flat" by some, a true crime buff will consume the details, the methodology, and the explanations of the how, the what and the why. Roy Hazelwood specializes in the sexual criminals and their crimes. he can predict so much of their past, their present and what put them on their chosen path. though i can't understand the how and why of the criminal, why many have the same experiences but not all choose the criminal path, Hazelwood does. he places the zig to the corresponding zag. i can only imagine the nightmares he must have had (and probably continues to have) in seeing the results a depravity but thankful he has been able to endure to help identify and catch these animals. again, this book is for the true crime buff, not your average reading.
although this book could be considered "flat" by some, a true crime buff will consume the details, the methodology, and the explanations of the how, the what and the why. Roy Hazelwood specializes in the sexual criminals and their crimes. he can predict so much of their past, their present and what put them on their chosen path. though i can't understand the how and why of the criminal, why many have the same experiences but not all choose the criminal path, Hazelwood does. he places the zig to the corresponding zag. i can only imagine the nightmares he must have had (and probably continues to have) in seeing the results a depravity but thankful he has been able to endure to help identify and catch these animals. again, this book is for the true crime buff, not your average reading.
January 17, 2024
Un profiler dell'FBI, Roy Hazelwood, racconta attraverso alcuni agghiaccianti casi di cui si è occupato, l'evoluzione di alcune tecniche di indagine utilizzate dal FBI per tracciare i profili criminali. Interessante, scorrevole e crudo in qualche punto. Consigliato agli appassionati di criminal profiling.
March 22, 2019
It's hard to know how to rate these, mostly because while the content is interesting, it is also horrific and disturbing. Though, to be fair, some of the people who write books like this are often also consultants for some of the mysteries and thrillers that I love, like The Bone Collector, Criminal Minds, or Silence of the Lambs. So, it's interesting to see what portions of their process and the general criminology and profiling make the transition from reality into fiction, film, and TV. And that is occasionally something that the writers, including Roy Hazelwood in this book, at least occasionally reference while looking back and writing about their careers.
January 16, 2020
Este es uno de los mejores libros sobre el análisis de la mente criminal más completo que he leído. Este libro explica paso a paso el proceso de análisis de la escena del crimen y lo que refleja la víctima sobre la mentalidad del asesino. A través de varios casos reales de violencia sexual aberrantes, el ex agente del FBI de la Unidad de la Ciencia del Comportamiento (BSU), nos revela métodos para buscar, atrapar y llevar a la justicia a los asesinos y en última instancia, posiblemente hasta entender este tipo de comportamiento. Un libro que ilumina el lado más obscuro y aterrador de la psique humana.
September 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this book! I've recently become very interested with the idea of profiling, so I started picking up books to read. This was only my second, but I found it very interesting and flew through it, finishing it up in about two days. I felt like I could understand Hazelwood's writing very easily, and I came out of reading this book feeling like I knew so much more about profiling than I did before reading it. I definitely recommend "Dark Dreams" for anyone with an interest in profiling, or even just an interest in true crime! (Definitely was pretty dark, of course, so keep that in mind!)
October 25, 2023
It is disturbing how evil humans can become.
Roy Hazelwood does an excellent job in explaining the how and why behind these sorts of violent crimes. He can be proud of the people he has helped thwart from even more violence with his expertise and knowledge, which is laid out well in these chapters.
Roy Hazelwood does an excellent job in explaining the how and why behind these sorts of violent crimes. He can be proud of the people he has helped thwart from even more violence with his expertise and knowledge, which is laid out well in these chapters.
February 10, 2025
4.5/5 This is intense and not for anyone sensitive to true crime at all. The first part of it just felt like a graphic list of crimes, but then we got more into the meat of the profiling, and it became more than that.
December 18, 2019
Entertainingly informative.
April 24, 2023
This one is pretty jarring and scary because of the expertise of the author.
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