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The Criminal Mind
The harrowing memoir of forensic psychiatrist Dr Duncan Harding
As a forensic psychiatrist, Duncan Harding has worked on some of the most harrowing cases one can imagine. spending time in the prison service, the Old Bailey and at Broadmoor psychiatric hospital. His is a life spent working with serial killers, psychopaths, children who kill their family and friends. From notorious cases of gang violence and repeated domestic abuse, to a twelve year old boy who set fire to his classmate's face, Harding reckons daily with humankind's unspeakable capacity for sadistic violence.
Yet it is the humanity of these perpetrators that is the most shocking - how, with the wrong push at the wrong time, so many people are mere inches away from similar brutality. The people Harding has met and the stories they tell paint a chilling picture of modern Britain, and the paths our society leads people down towards the most horrific of acts.
As a forensic psychiatrist, Duncan Harding has worked on some of the most harrowing cases one can imagine. spending time in the prison service, the Old Bailey and at Broadmoor psychiatric hospital. His is a life spent working with serial killers, psychopaths, children who kill their family and friends. From notorious cases of gang violence and repeated domestic abuse, to a twelve year old boy who set fire to his classmate's face, Harding reckons daily with humankind's unspeakable capacity for sadistic violence.
Yet it is the humanity of these perpetrators that is the most shocking - how, with the wrong push at the wrong time, so many people are mere inches away from similar brutality. The people Harding has met and the stories they tell paint a chilling picture of modern Britain, and the paths our society leads people down towards the most horrific of acts.
400 pages, Paperback
Published October 21, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
September 21, 2024
A really enjoyable insight in to both the life of the writer and the parents he encounters. Full of human emotion this was disturbing in places as these were true cases. It gave a great window into the mind . I found this fascinating and a real worthwhile read.
Thank you so much to netgallery and publisher and author for this highly recommended 5 star read. Perfect for anyone who likes true crime and wants to understand the unseen complexity of the human mind
Thank you so much to netgallery and publisher and author for this highly recommended 5 star read. Perfect for anyone who likes true crime and wants to understand the unseen complexity of the human mind
August 6, 2025
This is a thoughtful memoir by a British forensic child psychiatrist. Much of it is horrifying, especially because children are held criminally responsible from the age of 10, much much younger than in the Nordics where I live. It was a slow burn at first, but many of the cases had me at the edge of my seat. Such as the case of the 13-year old girls who burned down her family home, or the distressing case of the 12-year old girl accused of possessing child pornography.
June 7, 2025
I am TOTALLY fascinated by forensic psychiatry!
May 20, 2025
I listened to this on audiobook on Spotify, read by the author.
I thought this book was just okay. I thought the pacing between the biographical aspects and clinical aspects was fine, but starting in medias res and then focusing wholly on the biographical aspects made it a slow book to get into.
The stories of the children that Dr Harding saw were interesting, but I thought the cases lacked a clinical expertise. It felt like talking to mate after work about a dreadful case they had worked on, and less about an insight into criminal psychiatry.
It’s a fine read, and may shock or interest a reader by its subject matter, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to recommend it.
I thought this book was just okay. I thought the pacing between the biographical aspects and clinical aspects was fine, but starting in medias res and then focusing wholly on the biographical aspects made it a slow book to get into.
The stories of the children that Dr Harding saw were interesting, but I thought the cases lacked a clinical expertise. It felt like talking to mate after work about a dreadful case they had worked on, and less about an insight into criminal psychiatry.
It’s a fine read, and may shock or interest a reader by its subject matter, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to recommend it.
August 18, 2025
3.4 stars
July 18, 2025
insanely interesting read !!
July 16, 2025
A very very interesting read! I was fascinated!
October 18, 2025
this was an absolutely fascinating and insightful read. reading this whilst being a secondary school teacher made me almost uncomfortable because no amount of prevent training or safeguarding training could prepare you for such cases.
lots to think about and discuss. it really does make you question all of society’s structures and why children are the way they are and why they do the things they do
lots to think about and discuss. it really does make you question all of society’s structures and why children are the way they are and why they do the things they do
January 18, 2025
I kind of want to go into forensic psychiatry now.
May 29, 2025
A really gripping and insightful read, I enjoyed not only hearing about the cases Dr Duncan Harding was involved in but also his life running alongside.
The book was very well written, very much like a novel and I was gripped from the beginning.
The book was very well written, very much like a novel and I was gripped from the beginning.
July 5, 2025
"Training in psychiatry is training to live with uncertainty, often without resolution, and always with a sense of wonder at the human mind" (p.160).
As a psychology graduate, I have long been fascinated by people and the human mind. During my studies, although I found the subject fascinating, I also began to feel that psychology seemed to be about our need to reduce people and their behaviours down to labels, to fit them into neat little boxes. But I felt that people were more complicated than this. For instance, if two people have the same diagnosis, they won't necessarily experience whatever ails them in the exact same way. Now, although my time as a psychology student was a long time ago, I have often turned to books similar to The Criminal Mind, to feed my fascination. And this one was particularly good, especially at highlighting the grey areas that exist.
Dr Duncan Harding writes very well about his time training in psychiatry, leading to forensic psychiatry. Through his career, he worked with adults and children, meaning that courts would call on him to provide assessments for people who had been charged with committing serious crimes. Harding is able to present his case studies in a compassionate, respectful way, which is always engaging. Some of the cases are truly sad, as I felt that various systems or agencies had let down the individuals. The way that Harding discusses the way in which courts often consider if a defendant is either "mad, or bad" is also very well done:
"I really don't like the way the courts want someone to be mad or bad when we very well know it is possible to be both. Psychiatry is not the black-and-white, open-and-shut science that juries want it to be. [....] The biggest danger of a diagnosis, any diagnosis, is that a mad and bad offender receives treatment for the mad part of them. Problem solved! He's been treated, he must be well now and he won't commit any more crime! As long as he takes his medication, they'll believe they've fixed him. He'll be released, because he's no longer mad. But guess what? He's still bad! He buys another screwdriver and he's off again!" (pp. 228-229).
Whilst this was a fascinating read, it was also quite depressing at times. It truly does show that, when courts include evidence from a forensic psychiatrist, very often it really comes down to which psychiatrist the jury finds more compelling.
If this is a subject which interests you, I would definitely recommend this book. From all the cases which are covered in this book, the cases of Layla and Amelia will possibly stay with me the most. Are you wondering why? Then maybe you should read the book to find out.
As a psychology graduate, I have long been fascinated by people and the human mind. During my studies, although I found the subject fascinating, I also began to feel that psychology seemed to be about our need to reduce people and their behaviours down to labels, to fit them into neat little boxes. But I felt that people were more complicated than this. For instance, if two people have the same diagnosis, they won't necessarily experience whatever ails them in the exact same way. Now, although my time as a psychology student was a long time ago, I have often turned to books similar to The Criminal Mind, to feed my fascination. And this one was particularly good, especially at highlighting the grey areas that exist.
Dr Duncan Harding writes very well about his time training in psychiatry, leading to forensic psychiatry. Through his career, he worked with adults and children, meaning that courts would call on him to provide assessments for people who had been charged with committing serious crimes. Harding is able to present his case studies in a compassionate, respectful way, which is always engaging. Some of the cases are truly sad, as I felt that various systems or agencies had let down the individuals. The way that Harding discusses the way in which courts often consider if a defendant is either "mad, or bad" is also very well done:
"I really don't like the way the courts want someone to be mad or bad when we very well know it is possible to be both. Psychiatry is not the black-and-white, open-and-shut science that juries want it to be. [....] The biggest danger of a diagnosis, any diagnosis, is that a mad and bad offender receives treatment for the mad part of them. Problem solved! He's been treated, he must be well now and he won't commit any more crime! As long as he takes his medication, they'll believe they've fixed him. He'll be released, because he's no longer mad. But guess what? He's still bad! He buys another screwdriver and he's off again!" (pp. 228-229).
Whilst this was a fascinating read, it was also quite depressing at times. It truly does show that, when courts include evidence from a forensic psychiatrist, very often it really comes down to which psychiatrist the jury finds more compelling.
If this is a subject which interests you, I would definitely recommend this book. From all the cases which are covered in this book, the cases of Layla and Amelia will possibly stay with me the most. Are you wondering why? Then maybe you should read the book to find out.
January 3, 2025
Excellently raw and harrowing account of a forensic psychiatrist, detailing not only the cases he dealt with in his career but also insight into his personal life and how his life trajectory took him on a different path. I really enjoy works of this nature and this didn’t disappoint, really recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review
March 19, 2025
A valuable insight into the world of forensic psychiatry with a special focus on children and teenagers. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author.
Dr Harding eloquently discusses patients from his case files, and how he trained to specialise in forensics. His own background and childhood experiences lead him to hone in on the plight of children and young people affected by mental health issues. There were many intriguing cases, including some which were quite disturbing. The author narrates his book well overall, although in some parts I felt he was trying to hard to emphasise emotion and it came across as a little soap opera. However, I still enjoyed the book and would definitely continue reading his stories should he publish more.
Dr Harding eloquently discusses patients from his case files, and how he trained to specialise in forensics. His own background and childhood experiences lead him to hone in on the plight of children and young people affected by mental health issues. There were many intriguing cases, including some which were quite disturbing. The author narrates his book well overall, although in some parts I felt he was trying to hard to emphasise emotion and it came across as a little soap opera. However, I still enjoyed the book and would definitely continue reading his stories should he publish more.
September 22, 2025
An easy 5 star. This book is fascinating, shocking and at times- angry making. It is also inspiring and engaging.
Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in forensic psychology or child mental health.
Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in forensic psychology or child mental health.
November 17, 2025
Loved it!!
As someone doing mental health nursing and having had a placement in a forensic hospital, this book confirmed for me this is the field i want to go into, especially to be working with children:)
So insightful in how we care for people who have mental health illnesses, and work with those, who on top of that, have committed crimes.
As someone doing mental health nursing and having had a placement in a forensic hospital, this book confirmed for me this is the field i want to go into, especially to be working with children:)
So insightful in how we care for people who have mental health illnesses, and work with those, who on top of that, have committed crimes.
February 2, 2025
A really interesting look into the life of a forensic psychiatrist, his work with criminal children and whether they are mentally unsound or just evil. Enjoyed the audiobook thoroughly.
October 18, 2025
4.5⭐️ listened to this on audio. Found it really interesting 🤔
November 10, 2025
(4.5 stars) For some reason a psychology book will always get me out of a reading slump. I loved this because it feeds into that morbid fascination I think everyone has about how can people be driven to do evil things. This was gripping, fast paced and well written.
May 24, 2025
Wow! Really enjoyed this book. Very interesting and well written and it's always good to see an empathetic and compassionate doctor.
October 29, 2024
Reading about children who commit crime is hard, dealing with those children must have been so much harder. Fascinating read, and couldn't agree more about the need for boundaries, consistent clear boundaries.
January 12, 2025
Great insight into the wonderful work of a psychiatric doctor
October 10, 2025
Criminal Minds shares the professional journey and cases of Dr Duncan Harding, a Forensic Psychologist. As a CYP Counsellor myself, mental health and how we develop as Human beings is a subject I am extremely passionate about. I found this book fascinating and reading about real life cases was interesting, heartbreaking, frightening which opened up lots of other questions for me. It most definitely left me without faith in our judicial system and I got the sense that defence versus prosecution is really about one wanting to win over the other. Not the morality of getting to the real and true justice of each case. The most shocking example of this being the young girl, Layla that was convicted of being a peadophile at just 13 years old when clearly she was the victim. A lack of wanting to dig deeper meant that justice was not served.
And there it is, our want as human beings to dig deeper. I did feel at the end of the book that the opinion of Dr Harding also didn’t go deep enough. Especially when considering why children and young people commit such horrific crimes. I know, that our most influential years, when our brains are most like sponges, is in the first two. The book explores several times how, the adults, children and young people came from a childhood of neglect and abuse and had never known the safety of boundaries. In the last paragraph, Dr Harding says “it’s about accepting the unpalatable truth that children can do bad things” and “it’s about loving a child, loving children” “it’s about providing a safe space where they can trust the world around them, explore, develop their own thoughts to find their place”. If a child, in their early years, is without these things, how can we expect them to biologically develop with empathy, awareness of right or wrong etc etc. I’m in no way saying they shouldn’t have consequences….the crimes in this book are shocking and heartbreaking. BUT….I am left wanting to dig deeper, I’m still left with a why.
Definitely a book that opens up an interesting debate.
And there it is, our want as human beings to dig deeper. I did feel at the end of the book that the opinion of Dr Harding also didn’t go deep enough. Especially when considering why children and young people commit such horrific crimes. I know, that our most influential years, when our brains are most like sponges, is in the first two. The book explores several times how, the adults, children and young people came from a childhood of neglect and abuse and had never known the safety of boundaries. In the last paragraph, Dr Harding says “it’s about accepting the unpalatable truth that children can do bad things” and “it’s about loving a child, loving children” “it’s about providing a safe space where they can trust the world around them, explore, develop their own thoughts to find their place”. If a child, in their early years, is without these things, how can we expect them to biologically develop with empathy, awareness of right or wrong etc etc. I’m in no way saying they shouldn’t have consequences….the crimes in this book are shocking and heartbreaking. BUT….I am left wanting to dig deeper, I’m still left with a why.
Definitely a book that opens up an interesting debate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2025
Synopsis
Dr Duncan Harding is a forensic psychiatrist specialising in child and adolescence psychiatry. Harding takes the reader on a journey of stories he’s endured throughout his carer from a 12 year old girl downloading child pornography she received on chatroom site deceived as pony pictures to a teen strangling his aunt. The book brilliantly captures explanations of child and adolescents committing crime from a variety of different mental health disorders to simple anger outbursts. This allows the reader with the information Harding provides to determine their own explanation of the crimes being committed. Harding not only offers a viewpoint in psychiatry but also a biographical viewpoint of Duncans childhood, his misfortunate beatings of his father and his pathway and journey into psychiatry. Childhood trauma and mental health disorders is a large proportion of the causes of crime this book delves into that explanation in great detail highlighting the main issues amongst children committing crime.
Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Having read forensic psychiatry books before I was intrigued to read this one. The cases told throughout provides a light into children in the criminal just system and often I found myself sympathising with Harding and feeling somewhat sadden when court verdicts didn’t go to plan. The chapters are short and follow on with simple pace however, at times I did feel myself disengaged and as though the stories lagged on but understand this for the readers benefit of understanding the cases throughly. I particularly like the biographical aspect of the book as Harding tells readers about his own childhood traumas he faced from his mother’s polio to his father’s beatings, perhaps this why we see his sympathetic side emerging. The ending rounds up the moral of the book with Harding himself having a newborn son and that as a society we have a job to shield children and adolescence from crime and that is to protect them.
Dr Duncan Harding is a forensic psychiatrist specialising in child and adolescence psychiatry. Harding takes the reader on a journey of stories he’s endured throughout his carer from a 12 year old girl downloading child pornography she received on chatroom site deceived as pony pictures to a teen strangling his aunt. The book brilliantly captures explanations of child and adolescents committing crime from a variety of different mental health disorders to simple anger outbursts. This allows the reader with the information Harding provides to determine their own explanation of the crimes being committed. Harding not only offers a viewpoint in psychiatry but also a biographical viewpoint of Duncans childhood, his misfortunate beatings of his father and his pathway and journey into psychiatry. Childhood trauma and mental health disorders is a large proportion of the causes of crime this book delves into that explanation in great detail highlighting the main issues amongst children committing crime.
Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Having read forensic psychiatry books before I was intrigued to read this one. The cases told throughout provides a light into children in the criminal just system and often I found myself sympathising with Harding and feeling somewhat sadden when court verdicts didn’t go to plan. The chapters are short and follow on with simple pace however, at times I did feel myself disengaged and as though the stories lagged on but understand this for the readers benefit of understanding the cases throughly. I particularly like the biographical aspect of the book as Harding tells readers about his own childhood traumas he faced from his mother’s polio to his father’s beatings, perhaps this why we see his sympathetic side emerging. The ending rounds up the moral of the book with Harding himself having a newborn son and that as a society we have a job to shield children and adolescence from crime and that is to protect them.
January 12, 2025
Why does someone go into forensic psychiatry? Do you start you knowing that's what you want to do?
Dr Duncan Harding starts with a case that sounds difficult. We then go back to his childhood and how he got into medicine.
Intertwined are the stories of cases that made him discover which course to take.
The chapters are short and he does seem to have gotten lucky with his mentors. Sometimes it is just what feels right to you and his journey into child psychiatrist does not sound easy.
I'm sure I'll think often on the people and children this book touches on as we can never know if what he put in place worked or not. Some it might be clear they were a lost cause but it did make me stop and think.
It's a compelling & tense look at our mental health care at a time when the NHS is swamped & how someone listening and creating a safe place for someone to talk can make all the difference.
It is strikingly clear we must do more to get our youth supported in their communities in with art, music and sports to stop them becoming bored and turning to crime to begin with.
A tough read at times, some interactions are comical, some worrying, but always treated with a sense of hope.
Thank you Michael Joseph for my gifted copy.
Dr Duncan Harding starts with a case that sounds difficult. We then go back to his childhood and how he got into medicine.
Intertwined are the stories of cases that made him discover which course to take.
The chapters are short and he does seem to have gotten lucky with his mentors. Sometimes it is just what feels right to you and his journey into child psychiatrist does not sound easy.
I'm sure I'll think often on the people and children this book touches on as we can never know if what he put in place worked or not. Some it might be clear they were a lost cause but it did make me stop and think.
It's a compelling & tense look at our mental health care at a time when the NHS is swamped & how someone listening and creating a safe place for someone to talk can make all the difference.
It is strikingly clear we must do more to get our youth supported in their communities in with art, music and sports to stop them becoming bored and turning to crime to begin with.
A tough read at times, some interactions are comical, some worrying, but always treated with a sense of hope.
Thank you Michael Joseph for my gifted copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2024
Thank you to LibroFM and Penguin Random House for the advance listening copy.
I am so sorry that this book has ended. It is the perfect book and I can't recommend it highly enough.
The narrative is gripping and Dr Harding wonderfully interweaves his own harrowing story into the cases that he talks about.
The cases he describes are utterly horrific yet fascinating. It is true crime in the style of Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The cases are mainly about children that have committed crime and trying to understand why. From twelve year old Amber who sets fire to her own house, killing her father and baby brother and badly injuring her mother and yet you will feel sympathy for her, to the wannabe serial killer Jack. Each case is told with compassion.
And the author himself has his own disturbing story to tell. I very rarely cry at books but had tears in my eyes at his description of his father's funeral and at the end of the book (no spoilers!).
Buy this book if you like true crime, psychology and excellent non-fiction narrative, you will not be disappointed.
I am so sorry that this book has ended. It is the perfect book and I can't recommend it highly enough.
The narrative is gripping and Dr Harding wonderfully interweaves his own harrowing story into the cases that he talks about.
The cases he describes are utterly horrific yet fascinating. It is true crime in the style of Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The cases are mainly about children that have committed crime and trying to understand why. From twelve year old Amber who sets fire to her own house, killing her father and baby brother and badly injuring her mother and yet you will feel sympathy for her, to the wannabe serial killer Jack. Each case is told with compassion.
And the author himself has his own disturbing story to tell. I very rarely cry at books but had tears in my eyes at his description of his father's funeral and at the end of the book (no spoilers!).
Buy this book if you like true crime, psychology and excellent non-fiction narrative, you will not be disappointed.
September 28, 2024
Quite good
Really goes into the shortcomings of our judicial and mental health systems and how they seldom connect in any sort of helpful way. It seems that the people who really need help don't get it, and the same goes for those who need prison time.
Our system can be exceedingly brutal to some, and exceedingly clement to others.
It seems like a bit of a lottery really, I expect because legally, there is no objective standard of diagnosing people, and a lot depends on the opinions of the psychiatrists who are called for the defense and the prosecution (and the lawyers who exploit the Jury's lack of knowledge of the subject).
This leads, very often, to highly dangerous people on the streets, and too many vulnerable people with genuine mental health problems in prison.
What the author doesn't do is provide an explicit reason for this but it's quite simple imo: the truly malignant know how to cheat and lie and exploit the good-natured psychiatrists and officials to their benefit.
Really goes into the shortcomings of our judicial and mental health systems and how they seldom connect in any sort of helpful way. It seems that the people who really need help don't get it, and the same goes for those who need prison time.
Our system can be exceedingly brutal to some, and exceedingly clement to others.
It seems like a bit of a lottery really, I expect because legally, there is no objective standard of diagnosing people, and a lot depends on the opinions of the psychiatrists who are called for the defense and the prosecution (and the lawyers who exploit the Jury's lack of knowledge of the subject).
This leads, very often, to highly dangerous people on the streets, and too many vulnerable people with genuine mental health problems in prison.
What the author doesn't do is provide an explicit reason for this but it's quite simple imo: the truly malignant know how to cheat and lie and exploit the good-natured psychiatrists and officials to their benefit.
May 26, 2025
The Criminal Mind
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoy reading books in this genre and this one was incredibly interesting and moving.
Dr Duncan Harding produced this book through his many cases and the unforgettable childhood he had, the abuse he was subjected to by his father and his mothers constant threat of ending her life.
This book in places is moving and sad, who knew that such young children could enter the British legal system for crimes that just make you stop and think. From reading this book I think that our justice system is incredibly broken and society is wrong on so many levels.
It's scary to think that things will continue to get worse, knife crime, gun crime, gangs and children being groomed... all we can hope for is people like Dr Harding continue to support and help offenders, victims and family.
My only comment is I would of loved more content about his time in Broadmoor.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoy reading books in this genre and this one was incredibly interesting and moving.
Dr Duncan Harding produced this book through his many cases and the unforgettable childhood he had, the abuse he was subjected to by his father and his mothers constant threat of ending her life.
This book in places is moving and sad, who knew that such young children could enter the British legal system for crimes that just make you stop and think. From reading this book I think that our justice system is incredibly broken and society is wrong on so many levels.
It's scary to think that things will continue to get worse, knife crime, gun crime, gangs and children being groomed... all we can hope for is people like Dr Harding continue to support and help offenders, victims and family.
My only comment is I would of loved more content about his time in Broadmoor.
July 23, 2025
A fascinating dive into the psychology behind criminal behavior, The Criminal Mind offers an accessible yet thought-provoking look at what drives people to commit crimes. Dr Harding, drawing on his experience as a forensic psychiatrist, blends real-life case studies with psychological insights in a way that feels both informative and humanizing.
The book explores a range of criminal profiles — from impulsive acts to calculated decisions — and examines mental illness, trauma, and personality disorders with a non-sensational tone. While some parts could benefit from a deeper scientific dive, the conversational style makes complex ideas digestible to a wide audience.
It’s an engaging read that encourages empathy without excusing harmful behavior and provides a nuanced look at the grey areas of morality, responsibility, and justice. A strong choice for true crime readers interested in the why behind the headlines.
The book explores a range of criminal profiles — from impulsive acts to calculated decisions — and examines mental illness, trauma, and personality disorders with a non-sensational tone. While some parts could benefit from a deeper scientific dive, the conversational style makes complex ideas digestible to a wide audience.
It’s an engaging read that encourages empathy without excusing harmful behavior and provides a nuanced look at the grey areas of morality, responsibility, and justice. A strong choice for true crime readers interested in the why behind the headlines.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews