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The Devil You Know
A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week.
A perspective-shattering work into the minds of violent criminals that reveals profound consequences for human nature and society at large.
Serial homicide. Stalking. Arson. Gang crime. Who are the people behind these acts of terrible violence? What are their stories? And what is it like to sit opposite them?
Dr Gwen Adshead is one of Britain's leading forensic psychiatrists, and she has spent 30 years providing therapy inside secure hospitals and prisons. Whatever her patient's crime, she aims to help them to better know their minds by helping them to articulate their life experience.
Through a collaboration with co-author Eileen Horne, Adshead brings her work to life in these fascinating, unflinching portraits of individuals who newspaper headlines, TV dramas and crime fiction label 'monsters'.
Case by case, Adshead takes us into the treatment room and reveals these men and women in all their complexity and vulnerability. She sheds new light on the unpredictable nature of the therapeutic process as doctor and patient try to find words for the unspeakable. These are stories of cruelty and despair, but also of change and recovery.
In a time of increasing polarisation, in the face of overcrowded prisons and devastating cuts to mental health care, Adshead speaks to our shared humanity and makes the case for compassion over condemnation, empathy over fear. The Devil You Know challenges what we think we know about evil. It is a rare book that has the power to change minds.
A perspective-shattering work into the minds of violent criminals that reveals profound consequences for human nature and society at large.
Serial homicide. Stalking. Arson. Gang crime. Who are the people behind these acts of terrible violence? What are their stories? And what is it like to sit opposite them?
Dr Gwen Adshead is one of Britain's leading forensic psychiatrists, and she has spent 30 years providing therapy inside secure hospitals and prisons. Whatever her patient's crime, she aims to help them to better know their minds by helping them to articulate their life experience.
Through a collaboration with co-author Eileen Horne, Adshead brings her work to life in these fascinating, unflinching portraits of individuals who newspaper headlines, TV dramas and crime fiction label 'monsters'.
Case by case, Adshead takes us into the treatment room and reveals these men and women in all their complexity and vulnerability. She sheds new light on the unpredictable nature of the therapeutic process as doctor and patient try to find words for the unspeakable. These are stories of cruelty and despair, but also of change and recovery.
In a time of increasing polarisation, in the face of overcrowded prisons and devastating cuts to mental health care, Adshead speaks to our shared humanity and makes the case for compassion over condemnation, empathy over fear. The Devil You Know challenges what we think we know about evil. It is a rare book that has the power to change minds.
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Published June 3, 2021
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About the author
Gwen Adshead
21 books69 followersDr Gwen Adshead is Visiting Gresham Professor of Psychiatry and currently consultant forensic psychiatrist at Ravenswood House. Prior to this post, she worked at Broadmoor Hospital from 1996, first as Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, and then as a Consultant in Forensic Psychotherapy. In her role as both a forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Professor Adshead has tried to understand the psychological mechanisms that give rise to violence and life threatening behaviour toward others. She has worked as a member of a therapeutic team whose role is to rehabilitate and offer secure psychiatric care to some of the most vilified and socially rejected members of society.
Professor Adshead qualified in medicine in 1983 and was elected member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1987 before being made a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2005. She has a Masters’ Degree in medical Law & Ethics; is a qualified member of the Institute of Group Analysis; and holds a Master’s Degree in Mindfulness based Cognitive therapy. In 2013 she was awarded the Jochelson visiting professorship at Yale School of Law & Psychiatry and later that year, was awarded the President’s medal for her work in ethics in mental health. She has over 20 years practice in the NHS and has contributed to the work of the Royal College of Psychiatrists as chair of their Ethics Committee; and she has also contributed to Department of Health policy in relation to abnormal maternal illness behaviour.
Professor Adshead also has particular expertise in the assessment and treatment of doctors whose behaviour has caused them to be in conflict with others. She has set up a group called Mindfulness for Doctors, which aims to build resilience in doctors. Her extensive research interests include abnormal illness behaviour, professional ethics and boundaries in mental health, and attachment theory.
In addition to being a practising clinician, Professor Adshead has authored over 100 academic papers in books and journals. She is a regular guest on radio and television, where she has discussed issues as diverse as criminal mental health and her “Desert Island Discs”. She regularly teaches medical students, psychiatric trainees and presents at conferences nationally and internationally.
She is the co-editor of several books including Ethical Issues in Forensic Mental Health Research (with Dr Christine Brown); A Matter of Security: The Application of Attachment Theory to Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (with Professor Friedmann Pffafflin) and Personality disorder: the definitive collection (with Dr Caroline Jacob). Her most recent book, Clinical topics in personality Disorder (co-edited with Dr Jay Sarkar) was awarded first prize in the Psychiatry Section at the BMA Book Awards in 2013.
In her role as Visiting Gresham Professor of Psychiatry, Dr Adshead will present a series of lectures under the title Things of Darkness, based on a quote from The Tempest: ‘These things of darkness, I acknowledge mine’ in the 2014/15 academic year.
Professor Adshead continues her role as Visiting Gresham Professor of Psychiatry with a series of lectures for the 2015/16 academic year entitled Changing Minds.
Professor Adshead qualified in medicine in 1983 and was elected member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1987 before being made a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2005. She has a Masters’ Degree in medical Law & Ethics; is a qualified member of the Institute of Group Analysis; and holds a Master’s Degree in Mindfulness based Cognitive therapy. In 2013 she was awarded the Jochelson visiting professorship at Yale School of Law & Psychiatry and later that year, was awarded the President’s medal for her work in ethics in mental health. She has over 20 years practice in the NHS and has contributed to the work of the Royal College of Psychiatrists as chair of their Ethics Committee; and she has also contributed to Department of Health policy in relation to abnormal maternal illness behaviour.
Professor Adshead also has particular expertise in the assessment and treatment of doctors whose behaviour has caused them to be in conflict with others. She has set up a group called Mindfulness for Doctors, which aims to build resilience in doctors. Her extensive research interests include abnormal illness behaviour, professional ethics and boundaries in mental health, and attachment theory.
In addition to being a practising clinician, Professor Adshead has authored over 100 academic papers in books and journals. She is a regular guest on radio and television, where she has discussed issues as diverse as criminal mental health and her “Desert Island Discs”. She regularly teaches medical students, psychiatric trainees and presents at conferences nationally and internationally.
She is the co-editor of several books including Ethical Issues in Forensic Mental Health Research (with Dr Christine Brown); A Matter of Security: The Application of Attachment Theory to Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (with Professor Friedmann Pffafflin) and Personality disorder: the definitive collection (with Dr Caroline Jacob). Her most recent book, Clinical topics in personality Disorder (co-edited with Dr Jay Sarkar) was awarded first prize in the Psychiatry Section at the BMA Book Awards in 2013.
In her role as Visiting Gresham Professor of Psychiatry, Dr Adshead will present a series of lectures under the title Things of Darkness, based on a quote from The Tempest: ‘These things of darkness, I acknowledge mine’ in the 2014/15 academic year.
Professor Adshead continues her role as Visiting Gresham Professor of Psychiatry with a series of lectures for the 2015/16 academic year entitled Changing Minds.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 22, 2026
This altered my brain chemistry. I’ve never read a book that delivers exactly what its subtitle promises better than this one. The insane range of emotions I felt in almost every chapter is truly astonishing. Disgust, self-righteousness, confusion, deep sadness, and yes, somehow compassion. I’ve thought about it every day since finishing it.
This book made me think about my own thought processes and how we, as “sane” people, usually rest easy knowing our own version of rationality matches that of the outside world… but is that always the case? The conclusion I’ve reached after listening to this book is: no. But most people aren’t living in rationalities that physically hurt people (other than themselves sometimes, unfortunately) so it goes unnoticed by others; they’re still “sane” because their insanity hasn’t reached the extremes. But could it? Unsettling.
Also, this audiobook was perfect. It’s one of those stories that is SO elevated by having the author narrate it herself. And she did an incredible job. It was so perfect that I’m 99% sure I’m about to enter a listening slump because of it. I’d go so far as to recommend listening to this book instead of reading it, because there is a depth to the author’s narrative that is added when conveyed in her own voice. I can’t explain it, it’s so visceral.
This book made me think about my own thought processes and how we, as “sane” people, usually rest easy knowing our own version of rationality matches that of the outside world… but is that always the case? The conclusion I’ve reached after listening to this book is: no. But most people aren’t living in rationalities that physically hurt people (other than themselves sometimes, unfortunately) so it goes unnoticed by others; they’re still “sane” because their insanity hasn’t reached the extremes. But could it? Unsettling.
Also, this audiobook was perfect. It’s one of those stories that is SO elevated by having the author narrate it herself. And she did an incredible job. It was so perfect that I’m 99% sure I’m about to enter a listening slump because of it. I’d go so far as to recommend listening to this book instead of reading it, because there is a depth to the author’s narrative that is added when conveyed in her own voice. I can’t explain it, it’s so visceral.
June 9, 2025
An excellent book which gave a surprisingly deep understanding about what makes some people "bad" or "evil".
The author tells us about several characters, all suffering from mental illnesses, who had committed horrible, violent crimes. She takes us through how she finds out what happened and how she treats this kind of illness. She also highlights several deeply flawed aspects of our mental health and penal services in the UK.
The author tells us about several characters, all suffering from mental illnesses, who had committed horrible, violent crimes. She takes us through how she finds out what happened and how she treats this kind of illness. She also highlights several deeply flawed aspects of our mental health and penal services in the UK.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews