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Inside the Mind of Ted Bundy

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288 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2025

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Jeremy Daniel

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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Erin Clemence.
1,535 reviews416 followers
June 2, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic copy of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Inside the Mind of Ted Bundy” is the non-fiction, true crime novel by authors Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel, who have provided similar titles, such as “Inside the Mind of Rose West: Wife, Mother, Monster” and “Inside the Mind of the Backpacker Killer: Ivan Milat”.

In “Bundy”, the important details are discussed, including his grisly crimes that the world is very familiar with. Farber and Daniel start the book off right where it should start, at the beginning, with Bundy’s notorious birth and childhood and carrying on through his crimes and his trial, leading up to his death in a Florida jail. Many of the details of Bundy’s crimes I was familiar with, of course, but there is always something more to learn, which Farber and Daniel were eager to prove.

I read Farber and Daniel’s book on Rose West and found them to be incredible storytellers, which is also the same for “Bundy”. The story flows well and is filled with exceptional narratives that make “Ted Bundy” an addictive page-turner, even though I knew most of what was going to happen, due to being super familiar with what could be said to be the most infamous serial killer case of the time.

Something that I somehow did not know, was that Bundy’s brain had been donated to science after his death, and had been examined by scientists and psychologists. Although the discoveries were not revealed in this novel (unfourtunately), I enjoyed the psychological study that had been done posthumously and loved learning about how Bundy’s brain worked from a psychological perspective, taking into account his upbringing.

“Ted Bundy” is a true crime novel for those who enjoy learning the details of the crimes themselves, and want to form a deeper understanding of the serial killers’ motivations, without being overwhelmed with legal jargon. Farber and Daniel cover the trial, obviously, but only as it pertains to Bundy’s sentence, so there are not pages and pages of back-and-forth legal arguments that we need to sift through to get to the meat of it all.

Like their other “Inside the Mind” stories, “Ted Bundy” is the perfect choice for those who enjoy true crime for the psychological aspects and to get a basic understanding of the inner workings of a serial killer.
Profile Image for Ramona Ziemele (grāmatu lāde).
227 reviews20 followers
July 6, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ I really liked it!

Almost the perfect true crime documentary!

Although i am a big fan of crime fiction and thrillers i rarely read or watch true crime stories. Of course i can name the most notorious and infamous serial killers that have existed, i know what were their crimes but this was the first time i actually read the full story of one.
And there was nothing missing in this book. We can learn about Bundy's upbringing, his school years, career and family life. And surely the path into crime world and how he became the biggest Boogeyman of America in his time.
There were few facts that were repeated again and again and that somehow made the story in those places a little bit chaotic but overall the book was great.

Not sure that here are something that would be unknown for true crime junkies but for those who are just starting to explore this genre and wants to know more about Ted Bundy this is perfect. Totally recommend.

Thabk you Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Faithe.
284 reviews7 followers
November 30, 2025
Inside the Mind of Ted Bundy by Jeremy Daniel and Tanya Farber.

This book is about the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Ted Bundy is a failed law student and drifted who raped and murdered at least 30 girls and young women across the United States.

On the outside Ted Bundy appeared charming and intelligent, and yet went on a killing spree between 1974 and 1978. 'Criminal Profiling' was just being developed and the term 'serial killer' was just beginning to be used.

Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel, two true crime writers, examine how this charming man could have such an evil other side. They also look into the following that Bundy amassed while he was on trial, which coincidentally was the first televised trial in American History.

I enjoyed how the information was presented in this book. As someone who has read alot of about Bundy, there wasn't any new information that I learned from this book, but I did like how it was presented. This book is great for anyone looking to understand more of the story behind the headlines.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

#insidethemindoftedbundy #netgalley
Profile Image for Tizz.
19 reviews
August 11, 2025
Read this book out of a whim whilst shopping and I am glad that change of mind occurred. The intention was to gain more insight into the notorious killer as it’s probably safe to know many killers and criminals by name due to their fame but finding out more about their psychological and social influences reveals a lot more then what is on the surface.

The book definitely provided what I was looking for, journeying through his childhood, adolescence And adulthood whilst setting up the picture for the potential reasoning of his killings. After reading this book, my knowledge of his crimes and overall view of Ted bundy has been elevated and this has definitely persuaded me to read more into true crimes and research general media covering such topics.

Ted bundy is a crazy guy, goodness me. RIP to all his victims


Thanks for reading, ok bye
Profile Image for Ariana Wilroy.
33 reviews
July 8, 2025
While I enjoyed parts of this book, it was a sensationalist retelling of Ted Bundy's story more than anything. It was not a deep dive into the psychology of his mind or actions, contrary to the title of the book. It also seemed like the authors were adding in what they think the victims were feeling in the moment of their attack. Those creative liberties left a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, I rate it 2 out of 5 stars.

⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book! ⭐️
Profile Image for Leslie Oberhaus.
114 reviews6 followers
July 16, 2025
This book is narrative non-fiction delving into the life and crimes of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. It is well written, but the research seems to have been somewhat lacking. There are some significant interviews and assessments conducted with Bundy which are either glossed over or not mentioned. Since this book is meant to be a comprehensive look at his life, his crimes, his psychology, and law enforcement efforts to catch him, it seems like more discussion of insights from these types of resources should have been included.

I did appreciate some things, however. I very much liked the prologue, which lays out a great overview of some of the compelling sociological aspects to Bundy's case -- his ability to blend in and appear "normal" and even like a successful, kind young professional; the impact his childhood may have had on his mindset; how close he came to being caught at times; his ability to maintain long-term relationships; and the public's experience in learning about his reign of terror as it unfolded. I also appreciated how certain details of the story which are not often focused on were discussed, such as the amount of planning Bundy. put into many of his crimes and how he inserted himself into the response to some of his crimes (chatting with neighbors at his boarding house about the Chi Omega murders, volunteering in searches for some of the victims). On the other hand, the book did not weave in a cohesive discussion of these different facets beyond the prologue as well as expected. The authors also emphasized in the prologue that the book would "[go} beyond the moment of murder in the lives of his victims...", but there is very little of this actually done. Combined with the research issues mentioned before, these issues add up to a book that doesn't fully live up to its potential.

There are many books written about Bundy. I don't discourage others who, like me, have read a number of these books from reading this one, but be aware that there is little new information here. Readers less familiar with the story are a better audience, as it does provide an easy to read narrative covering the span of Bundy's life and crimes despite it's downfalls.

Thank you to Gemini Books Group and NetGalley for the electronic ARC copy of this book!
Profile Image for Adrian.
151 reviews3 followers
May 20, 2025
I was given a copy of Inside the Mind of Ted Bundy by Jeremy Daniel from Gemini Book Group & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bundy. A known name. Out of all the serial killers, the one that was deemed the normal one, albeit with the darkest, blackest eyes. I toss and turn with my thoughts on the True Crime genre, frequently discussing that the insights I glean on human nature are the payoff. Bundy was an - understatement - unbalanced individual who, as Daniel noted during the final chapter, was a perfect mix of psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism.

I read Inside the Mind of Rose West, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Some of the comments on that book were that there was no new information. The information - and its depravity speaks for itself. These books are, in a polite way, in the paint-by-numbers kind of format, which isn't in itself bad at all. The chapters are concise, motivations are explored and apt comparisons to then and now are given to explain the hopelessness of the killer hiding in plain sight.

Similar to Rose West and surely Dahmer and Sutcliffe, opportunities were squandered. Having a current girlfriend say that her lover, with the name Ted, a local, who had admitted to stalking the target victim's profile at a university campus and who had a slew of plaster casts, would, I say, be a particularly good clue. However, let's be thankful that Bundy wasn't all that good a driver...

Finally, several comments are about the writing not being up to scratch. I disagree. Technical words like ambit and phrases like cottage industry, I felt suitably fitted the bill to describe the other-worldly quality of this unique story. As a teacher of English, I frequently find that simple sentence structure mixed with some light, accessible technical terminology is the most effective way to galvanise your reading base.
Profile Image for oℓivia ⋆.✧ ݁ ٠ .
141 reviews
June 15, 2025
the book follows the story of ted bundy - one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th century.
despite presenting himself as charming and maintaining seemingly normal relationships, he was, in reality, a sadistic criminal. i guess that contrast is why he remains a subject of fascination. he appeared to be normal person, yet managed to hide deeply psychopathic behavior.

between 1974 and 1978, bundy went on a brutal killing spree. in 1978, he was arrested and later confessed to raping and murdering 30 young women and girls across five u.s. states, though the real number is believed to be much higher.
he was also known to engage in necrophilia, highlighting the disturbing nature of his crimes.

bundy was often described as charismatic, articulate, and intelligent - traits he used to manipulate and lure his victims.
he would frequently feign injury or impersonate an authority figure to gain theit trust. after abducting them, he would typically assault, murder, and sometimes revisit their corpses.

on january 24, 1989, bundy was executed in the electric chair at florida state prison.

'inside the mind of ted bundy' is a fascinating read that dives deep into the life of this notorious killer. it's well-researched and provides insight into his toubled childhood,  education, relationship with his parents and some of his victims, and, of course, the murders.

it's a must read for true crime lovers!
Profile Image for Chris Meigh.
238 reviews8 followers
May 10, 2025
Not the worst True Crime book I have read but far from the best. This is certainly only for people with absolutely no knowledge of Ted Bundy. Anyone who has read anything about him before will learn nothing from this. I have given 2 stars, rather than 1, to account for the fact I am clearly not the target audience, having read several books about serial killers before.

Most of this book is a Wikipedia-style description of Bundy's crimes and there is only about 10 pages of psychological assessment at the end (this isn't even original, it is other people's profiles). More time is dedicated to the weather on the day of his murders than any serious investigation into Bundy's psycophathy.

The prose was also lazy and repetative, with every victim described as 'a beautiful girl with their whole life ahead of them'. It felt like an undergraduate essay rather than a published book.


There really is not anything original here and anyone wanting an insight into Ted Bundy's crimes should look elsewhere - the Stranger Beside me is infinitely better.
Profile Image for bookreader_nix.
254 reviews
June 23, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Gemini Books Group for the complimentary copy.

Ted Bundy is known as the most notorious serial killer in American history with having killed, allegedly, more than 30 young women in a 4-year time span. He would use his charm and comforting presence to lure young women away from the public to kidnap, sexually assault, bludgeon, and strangle them, ultimately killing them.

This book was SO good. I love how it read like a novel and how the authors took the time to ensure that their audience knew about the type of people the victims were. While this was about Bundy and his reign of terror, we see the personalities and the lives of these young women who were never given a chance. There were also some cool tidbits about the Bundy case and about Bundy himself that I didn't know from documentaries and other books I've read.

It was also interesting to get a look into Bundy's psyche a little bit toward the end and the generational trauma associated with his parents and grandparents. It just goes to show you how the way you were raised will ultimately leak into future generations.
Profile Image for MaguiWorld.
1,134 reviews68 followers
June 8, 2025
Conozco bastante sobre el caso de Ted Bundy y aun así siento que aprendí algo más sobre su historia. Más que nada sobre su pasado, antes de cometer los crímenes que cometió.
A medida que iba leyendo, y sin ninguna intensión de justificar su accionar, siento que muchas veces la sociedad hace oídos sordos y que prefiere mirar al costado ante ciertas situaciones que derivan en la crianza y crecimiento de monstruos como lo fue Ted Bundy y tantos otros asesinos seriales.

Muchas cosas aquí mencionadas ya las conocía y siemplemente profundizaron mi conocimiento sobre el caso. Es una lectura dura, real y sobre todo necesaria. Para aprender, para conocer y para no mirar más hacia el costado. Para estar atenta a todas las señales, para no confiar en la gente tan facilmente y para saber que aún hoy, en 2025, muchas cosas no han cambiado.

Gracias Gemini Books Group por el ARC que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
58 reviews
June 12, 2025
Ebook version given by Netgalley for an honest review of “Inside the mind of Ted Bundy”

This book dives deep into the cases and horrendous evil twisted crimes that of Ted Bundy. From his childhood and family life and portraying himself as one of the most normal human beings, going to college, having relationships, but terrorising America - that could possibly show insight into how he became the monster that he was and how he managed to allude police for so long, be so convincing and break out of custody and prison multiple times to continue his reign of terror.

No one will ever know what caused a man such as Ted Bundy to be who he was, but it doesn’t stop people and qualified professions years on from his crimes to see what may have been the root of such evil and how someone so charismatic, charming, handsome in the eyes of obsessed fans became one of Americas most prolific serial killers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mandy.
3,622 reviews330 followers
June 8, 2025
Apart from the name I knew little about Ted Bundy – just that he was a serial killer and took the lives of a number of young women. This excellently researched book fills in all the details of his monstrous crimes, and does so without sensationalism, disturbing though the subject matter is. He is certainly one of America’s most notorious murderers and it is chilling reading about how adept he was at manipulating the women he met and forged relationships with. I suspect that with advances in forensic techniques and computerisation of information, he wouldn’t have been able to carry on his savage spree for so long, but police forces often didn’t communicate effectively back then, allowing him to move around the country to escape surveillance. It’s a gruesome tale of a psychopath at work, a tale mediated on occasion through his own words, and I found the book a truly compelling read.
Profile Image for Becci.
190 reviews12 followers
June 9, 2025
This is a must read for all true crime fans. From the very first page we get non stop interesting facts regarding the monster that was Ted Bundy.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I literally could not put this book down and I flew through it. It was absolutely chilling and made me feel sick to my stomach.

I learnt so much here from the moment he was born right through to his death. Just knowing that he was kidnapping and killing one woman every month gives me chills and if the police were getting closer to him he would just move to another state. Even after capture and escape he went on to kill three more women.

Thank god this monster was finally caught but just knowing he was able to get away with so much gives me chills
Profile Image for kimmy☆.
143 reviews1 follower
November 25, 2025
3.5

This book provides good, but not extremely thorough coverage of the Ted Bundy case. I’d say it’s a good book for anyone just looking to start reading about Bundy or someone who just wants in and out and isn’t planning to really delve deep into the case. I overall enjoyed the structure of this book and its pacing but was somewhat let down by the fact that Bundy’s childhood isn’t talked about much in this one. True, it’s not very remarkable but I do really like when true crime media digs deep into the killer’s past. I sadly lack the necessary knowledge to point out wether this had any factual errors like the Dahmer book from the same series, however nothing really stood out to me as seemingly wrong and overall I liked the tone of this one much more.

This is an ARC review.
Profile Image for Kat.
122 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2025
Learning more about Ted Bundy in this true crime novel was certainly an experience. There wasn’t an overwhelming amount of legal jargon, but you still got the experience of understanding serial killers, what motivates them, and how they can commit such heinous crimes. If you want to learn more about the inner workings of the mind of a serial killer, this is definitely a book you want to pick up.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic copy of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Carley.
176 reviews12 followers
October 8, 2025
I am a huge true crime/serial killer fan with Ted Bundy being one of the most interesting to me, so if you are anything like me this isn’t any information that you didn’t already know. That being said, I still really enjoyed it and the way it was written like a novel. It provides more insight into his childhood and relationship with his parents than I have read in the past. We were also able to see the personalities and the lives of his young victims. This is a must read for all true crime fans.
Profile Image for Melissa.
71 reviews1 follower
May 22, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am a huge true crime fan and Ted Bundy is a big favorite of mine. I really enjoyed the way this was written and all the content its filled with. There was a lot I was able to take in while treading that I don't think I've seen or heard while watching documentaries. I will be purchasing the physical copy for my library. I highly recommend this read.
Profile Image for Sarah.
11 reviews1 follower
June 20, 2025
I’m unsure as to why this is written as not out yet maybe it’s because I’m in the UK, but I found this in an Asda a few weeks ago and bought it.

This is the first time I have read a book on Ted Bundy and I found it very interesting. Difficult to read at times due to the nature of his crimes, what a book that delves into the psychology of a serial killer and psychopath and narcissist is a welcome one.

Because sometimes you just want to understand why people do the things they do.
Profile Image for Keisha Evans.
2 reviews
July 28, 2025

This book explores Bundy’s childhood, adolescence, and key relationships in depth. What I appreciated most was that it not only listed the victims’ names but also honored their lives and aspirations, portraying them as real, multidimensional people. My only critique is that, given the volume of documentaries and true crime books available, many people may already be familiar with much of the information.
Profile Image for Keeley Louise.
31 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2025
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the ARC of this.

This is a very interesting retelling of Ted Bundys crimes and his family life. This doesn't dive into the psychological side of this killer, just a general retelling. Good read if you are interested in learning about his life and crimes.
Profile Image for Londyn Strandquist.
282 reviews9 followers
May 22, 2025
I actually really enjoyed this book. As a true crime fan with a psychology degree it was interesting to read a story I’m very familiar with from a different perspective.

If you enjoy true crime you will definitely enjoy this one!
Profile Image for caitsisreading.
6 reviews4 followers
July 22, 2025
As a true crime lover I really enjoyed this book. I think everyone knows the name Red Bundy but this book had so many details I wasn’t aware of! Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book!
Profile Image for Valerity (Val).
1,107 reviews2,774 followers
May 28, 2025
Another book on Bundy with the usual story of his killings and the 2 main women he got close to. Covers the usual fare. Nothing really new under the Bundy sun.
34 reviews
September 5, 2025
I loved reading about it. I have been getting into reading true crimes stuff and he was one of the people I was the most interested in.
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