Malicious Intent : A Writer's Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists and Other Criminals Think

Howdunit Series

by Sean P. MacTire

Writers will learn how to create their own unforgettable villains with the help of this guide to criminal psychology. Mactire, author of Victims of Domestic Violence, explores the fact and fiction of who these people are, why they commit their crimes, how they choose their victims and how people catch them.

Genres: Writing, Reference, Nonfiction, True Crime

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written 30 years ago and it reads like it. Many statements by the author come across to me now as stereotypes and assumptions. As a layperson, I would be interested to hear what today’s criminal experts think of this book. And, as the book was published before 9/11 and the opioid crisis, I would also be very interested to hear what the author’s thoughts on terrorism and drug addiction are today. Less useful as a writing reference and more interesting as a time capsule.

[Juanita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spelling and grammar errors and a generally poor writing style made this book difficult to read. The author makes many statements of "fact" that are not substantiated in any way. Includes a bibliography, but no footnotes to indicate where he obtained his information. Contains a lot of historical references, but despite the book's subtitle, not a lot of insight into how criminals think.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty straight foward examination of the criminal mind with a lot of bullet points describing the different subclasses of crime. I would imagine it would be a useful reference for the crime/mystery writer.

[T.M. Carper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but repetitive compared to some other references. Borrow it from your library, but it's not one I would bother tracking down on eBay to buy.