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Dancing with Demons
The extraordinary memoir of a man who has spent his working life looking into the eyes of modern evil.As Australia's most distinguished criminal psychologist, 'Doc' Tim Watson-Munro has assessed over 30,000 'persons of interest' in some of the nation's most notorious court cases, including Hoddle Street gunman Julian Knight, corporate fraudster Alan Bond, Melbourne gangster Alphonse Gangitano and, in recent years, Australia's first terrorist convicts.But the frontline of psychology is no place for the faint-hearted. Tim's pioneering methods and proximity to evil made him front page news but also led him to a devastating personal crossroads - first wife gravely ill, second wife pregnant, best mate betraying him to the cops, $2,000-a-week drug habit spiralling out of control, brilliant career and hard-won reputation in crisis.Tim's descent into the maelstrom is a candid, funny, frightening odyssey, offering unique insight into not only the nature of addiction, but also the lives and minds of the psychopaths we share our world with.After all, when you're dancing with demons, it takes one to know one.
352 pages, Paperback
Published June 27, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 14, 2023
The book was informally divided into two sections: the author as forensic psychologist, which was interesting, and the author as mea culpa what an awful human being I turned into but .. redemption was right round the corner, so I'm good again now!
The forensic stories were very good, especially the early ones when the author was a prison psychologist, there were others in his private practice that didn't resonate with me at all, but this one, from his prison days, made me laugh:
The author thought he was above the law, with his money and his status and fancy friends spending $2,000 a week on cocaine. He thought he could ignore professional standards, not charging at least one woman, having appointments that weren't in the office, meeting her places, and when he got pulled up and eventually had his licence removed, sending his wife who mothered his two children as well as their three, out to work full time so that they had an income.
Eventually he got his licence back, and eventually his second wife left him too, And then the book went on a bit more and eventually it finished and I was quite relieved as I didn't want to dnf a book so close to the end.
Maybe if you are an Australian, and know of"Australia's most distinguished criminal psychologist, 'Doc' Tim Watson-Munro," you would enjoy the book a lot more than I did. Dead-on 3 star.
The forensic stories were very good, especially the early ones when the author was a prison psychologist, there were others in his private practice that didn't resonate with me at all, but this one, from his prison days, made me laugh:
I came to appreciate that many of these men were highly gifted in their own way, even if the focus of their energies was woefully misdirected.However, his personal life - 'my first wife was really great, my second wife was really great, my children are wonderful, it's not them it's me, and I was a drug addict. Let me tell you. At length.' was mostly boring, when it wasn't annoying.
Their ingenuity was tangibly demonstrated one morning when I inadvertently locked my car with the keys still inside. I asked for an announcement to be broadcast over the prison’s public address system that I had locked my keys in my car and any prisoners with suitable proficiency should report to my office immediately. When I arrived there ten minutes later, I was amazed to find a mob of prisoners, all wearing the beanie on their heads that no car thief is ever without, squabbling among themselves as to the quickest way to break into my car with least damage.
The author thought he was above the law, with his money and his status and fancy friends spending $2,000 a week on cocaine. He thought he could ignore professional standards, not charging at least one woman, having appointments that weren't in the office, meeting her places, and when he got pulled up and eventually had his licence removed, sending his wife who mothered his two children as well as their three, out to work full time so that they had an income.
Eventually he got his licence back, and eventually his second wife left him too, And then the book went on a bit more and eventually it finished and I was quite relieved as I didn't want to dnf a book so close to the end.
Maybe if you are an Australian, and know of"Australia's most distinguished criminal psychologist, 'Doc' Tim Watson-Munro," you would enjoy the book a lot more than I did. Dead-on 3 star.
September 24, 2017
Read this after listening to the author talking with Richard Feeder. (http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/...) Enjoyed the book although it still reads as though written by an arrogant bloke trying to deny being arrogant. Most enjoyed Watson-Munro's insights into what he thought of the individuals he has worked with and the little snippets such as the many cases he has done that have not seen the light of day as the results would not suit the side paying for them.
May 14, 2018
Definitely not a biography for the masses but certainly of value to those interested in the varying cautionary tales Tim Watson-Munro shares. At times it seems a little arrogant, at others exceedingly poignant & deeply honest. Definitely a different , insiders view of crime in Australia.
December 24, 2018
I was blown away by some of the stuff in this warts-and-all autobiography by forensic psychologist Tim Watson-Munro. He's one of those people who crops up in news stories, documentaries and the like, so he's a familiar name, but I had no idea his life was so tumultuous.
For a long time and after a gruelling start with the hard cases at Parramatta Prison, Watson-Munro climbed to dizzying career heights and revelled in the high life, chilling with the top nobs in the legal profession and other highly placed society figures. He was also involved in some very high-profile cases, most notably the legal saga surrounding Alan Bond. He also details his own failure to come to grips with the depression caused by the daily reminders of the human dark side - particularly the Hoddle Street massacre perpetrated by shooter Julian Knight. This incident stayed with him and haunted him, actually causing PTSD.
To cope with the bad dreams and dark moods, Watson-Munro threw himself more and more into work - and, disastrously, started using cocaine. As his habit developed, his family life suffered. He even saw a psychiatrist (tantalizingly unnamed) who turned out to have been shagging some of his patients and was consequently struck off the register! Ultimately, Watson-Munro did get proper help to overcome his demons, but it was at the cost of two marriages and his own professional reputation: he was collateral damage in the prosecution of the infamous lawyer Andrew Fraser, sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2001 for "being knowingly concerned with the importation of a commercial quantity of cocaine." In fact, one of the more chilling aspects of Watson-Munro's story is his account of the boozy lunches enjoyed with his colleagues and associates - which often went on until early evening and at which supplies of cocaine were arranged. This is the top end of town, those charged with dealing fairly and honestly with the public, snorting coke in gentlemen's clubs with naked ladies cavorting about! Makes rumours of Adelaide's paedophile ring, supposedly run by judges, politicians and the like, sound more than plausible.
What really interested me in this book, however, was the insight provided into some of the worst crooks around. Tim Watson-Munro arrives at the belief that some are genuinely "bad" - or "evil" - and not "mad". He is talking about psychopaths, here. I can understand this view, but he does not address any reasons/causes of psychopathy and seems to deal in "bad seeds". For a psychologist, this seems a bit of a copout. Other observations are more to the point, however: one of the comments he made about Alan Bond was that Bond was really hooked on the "deal" - he would fly off on a moment's notice for the chance to haggle with someone for a favourable "deal". The deal, for Bond, was the same as a gambling addiction. He also concludes that Julian Knight was more like a confused boy than a monster. Many rejections and the bastardisation he experienced at Duntroon left him with a build-up of anger inside, of which he was barely aware. It may be cold comfort to families of victims, but we need to understand and move in on whatever social and familial mechanisms create people like Julian Knight. Watson-Munro is heavily critical of the military and the prison system - at least, as it was then, and is keen to point to ways it can be improved.
One last point - I noticed a lot of reviewers picking him up on his alleged "ego". For my money, Tim Watson-Munro seems pretty aware of his faults, including egotism and that lovely, old-fashioned word hubris: he knows better than most where it can lead. Besides, in my view it takes a strong ego to get anywhere or accomplish anything in life! I am looking forward to reading his new book, A Shrink in the Clink.
For a long time and after a gruelling start with the hard cases at Parramatta Prison, Watson-Munro climbed to dizzying career heights and revelled in the high life, chilling with the top nobs in the legal profession and other highly placed society figures. He was also involved in some very high-profile cases, most notably the legal saga surrounding Alan Bond. He also details his own failure to come to grips with the depression caused by the daily reminders of the human dark side - particularly the Hoddle Street massacre perpetrated by shooter Julian Knight. This incident stayed with him and haunted him, actually causing PTSD.
To cope with the bad dreams and dark moods, Watson-Munro threw himself more and more into work - and, disastrously, started using cocaine. As his habit developed, his family life suffered. He even saw a psychiatrist (tantalizingly unnamed) who turned out to have been shagging some of his patients and was consequently struck off the register! Ultimately, Watson-Munro did get proper help to overcome his demons, but it was at the cost of two marriages and his own professional reputation: he was collateral damage in the prosecution of the infamous lawyer Andrew Fraser, sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2001 for "being knowingly concerned with the importation of a commercial quantity of cocaine." In fact, one of the more chilling aspects of Watson-Munro's story is his account of the boozy lunches enjoyed with his colleagues and associates - which often went on until early evening and at which supplies of cocaine were arranged. This is the top end of town, those charged with dealing fairly and honestly with the public, snorting coke in gentlemen's clubs with naked ladies cavorting about! Makes rumours of Adelaide's paedophile ring, supposedly run by judges, politicians and the like, sound more than plausible.
What really interested me in this book, however, was the insight provided into some of the worst crooks around. Tim Watson-Munro arrives at the belief that some are genuinely "bad" - or "evil" - and not "mad". He is talking about psychopaths, here. I can understand this view, but he does not address any reasons/causes of psychopathy and seems to deal in "bad seeds". For a psychologist, this seems a bit of a copout. Other observations are more to the point, however: one of the comments he made about Alan Bond was that Bond was really hooked on the "deal" - he would fly off on a moment's notice for the chance to haggle with someone for a favourable "deal". The deal, for Bond, was the same as a gambling addiction. He also concludes that Julian Knight was more like a confused boy than a monster. Many rejections and the bastardisation he experienced at Duntroon left him with a build-up of anger inside, of which he was barely aware. It may be cold comfort to families of victims, but we need to understand and move in on whatever social and familial mechanisms create people like Julian Knight. Watson-Munro is heavily critical of the military and the prison system - at least, as it was then, and is keen to point to ways it can be improved.
One last point - I noticed a lot of reviewers picking him up on his alleged "ego". For my money, Tim Watson-Munro seems pretty aware of his faults, including egotism and that lovely, old-fashioned word hubris: he knows better than most where it can lead. Besides, in my view it takes a strong ego to get anywhere or accomplish anything in life! I am looking forward to reading his new book, A Shrink in the Clink.
November 18, 2017
A cracking read. A lot of what the author states comes as no surprise to me - the nobs of Australia all snorting lines and having a giggle while the little guy does time for it. As others have mentioned, there's a good deal of ego at work here. Nothing wrong with that in itself. Meek and withdrawn people rarely become successful - born into it, maybe, but from ground up? Don't think so, so the author has every right to a bit of conceit. And he acknowledges that the conceit cost him relationships, respect, work and trust.
The last few years of this work are condensed, so much so I'm surprised they weren't dot points. Oh, Carla and I split, oh well. My kids are all doing well in uni. Life goes on, thanks for reading.
The last few years of this work are condensed, so much so I'm surprised they weren't dot points. Oh, Carla and I split, oh well. My kids are all doing well in uni. Life goes on, thanks for reading.
October 13, 2018
If you thought that the 'demons' in the title refers to the criminals Watson-Munro worked with, think again. His forensic psychology clients are certainly a big part of the story, but so are Watson-Munro's personal demons that he has wrestled with. It's an engaging read, and speaks to the benefit of regular supervision for those of us who are in the job of helping people through distress.
November 14, 2017
The lack of insight from the author (who is a psychologist) into his own behaviour is mind boggling. He seems full of self importance and still doesn’t seem to grasp the impact his unprofessionalism had on his work.
March 8, 2018
very interesting life.
October 29, 2020
Wow the arrogance of this author overshadowed any enjoyment of this novel
December 30, 2017
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Tim became a psychologist in a high security prison early in his career. This set him up well in order to become a renowned psychological criminal profiler. But a job with high visibility leads to a lot of stress, and the associated mental health and addiction problems that eventually caused Tim to fall off the rails – and write this memoir.
It’s scary that a huge number of the people who are criminals stored in prison actually have mental health problems. If those problems could have been caught earlier they probably wouldn’t have the drug habit or the addiction that led to them being put in jail in the first place!
I find it very interesting that the author refers to the jail and spells it in the American form which is JAIL not GAOL. Personally, I always thought this was a stupid way of spelling it! Spell it how it sounds, there ain’t no ‘g’ in there. It’s not a memoir for everyone. It does tackle the author’s drug problem / past drug problem quite in depth which some people could find uncomfortable to read.
This offers a quite an insight into different well-known criminal minds that although Tim has said he hasn’t revealed anything that is not publically available, is very interesting. I think that people who are more familiar with the criminal underworld would probably get even more out of it than I did. I really try to avoid following the news…
I enjoyed it because I’m interested in mental illness. I’m actually feeling quite inspired to go and look at some other statistics in the area for how many mental health problems present in this population. Of course this book documents a time when our jails were very rough and you would hope that they’ve changed by now. The novel allows the reader to look along through the years to an extent, providing some interesting information about the early years of the rehabilitation program.
It is really, really well documented that crims can’t adapt back to society. The minute that you bring them back into society, they can’t deal with freedom and usually find themselves reoffending because they don’t know what to do with themselves. It’s difficult to find jobs, it’s possible they no longer have any family left, and then only the option to survive is to go back to crime. Jail ultimately is more of a cost to the community than the criminals.
The problem is that the majority of people think that locking crims up actually solves the problem. But there are always more people to offend and it’s also well-documented that people have received training in jail from more senior criminals to commit worse crimes. There are exceptions to that of course, including chart molesters & serious people that are actually psychopaths. You can read about a fictional psychopath in Breaking Butterflies.
Tim became a psychologist in a high security prison early in his career. This set him up well in order to become a renowned psychological criminal profiler. But a job with high visibility leads to a lot of stress, and the associated mental health and addiction problems that eventually caused Tim to fall off the rails – and write this memoir.
It’s scary that a huge number of the people who are criminals stored in prison actually have mental health problems. If those problems could have been caught earlier they probably wouldn’t have the drug habit or the addiction that led to them being put in jail in the first place!
I find it very interesting that the author refers to the jail and spells it in the American form which is JAIL not GAOL. Personally, I always thought this was a stupid way of spelling it! Spell it how it sounds, there ain’t no ‘g’ in there. It’s not a memoir for everyone. It does tackle the author’s drug problem / past drug problem quite in depth which some people could find uncomfortable to read.
This offers a quite an insight into different well-known criminal minds that although Tim has said he hasn’t revealed anything that is not publically available, is very interesting. I think that people who are more familiar with the criminal underworld would probably get even more out of it than I did. I really try to avoid following the news…
I enjoyed it because I’m interested in mental illness. I’m actually feeling quite inspired to go and look at some other statistics in the area for how many mental health problems present in this population. Of course this book documents a time when our jails were very rough and you would hope that they’ve changed by now. The novel allows the reader to look along through the years to an extent, providing some interesting information about the early years of the rehabilitation program.
It is really, really well documented that crims can’t adapt back to society. The minute that you bring them back into society, they can’t deal with freedom and usually find themselves reoffending because they don’t know what to do with themselves. It’s difficult to find jobs, it’s possible they no longer have any family left, and then only the option to survive is to go back to crime. Jail ultimately is more of a cost to the community than the criminals.
The problem is that the majority of people think that locking crims up actually solves the problem. But there are always more people to offend and it’s also well-documented that people have received training in jail from more senior criminals to commit worse crimes. There are exceptions to that of course, including chart molesters & serious people that are actually psychopaths. You can read about a fictional psychopath in Breaking Butterflies.
August 31, 2019
Facinating book of a very intresting life. A great read, I recommend this book if you find criminal and forensic psychiatry intresting.
December 5, 2017
The books was entertaining in parts. Most often felt like he was still bragging and name-dropping. Chapters later in the book felt like they were shoved in to add page numbers but weren’t particularly interesting and didn’t feel relevant to the story.
December 20, 2022
Whilst Tim worked hard, he also played very hard. His career led him to meet and work with truly remarkable and smart people. He is extremely lucky that he had great people behind him that supported him and provided him with opportunities.
I can image how confronting his job as a criminal psychologist would be at times, but actually, the depth of how confronting it really is, we have no idea, as this is something tht we are never truly exposed too. A very interesting book and easy to read. It really made the think. I'm not really convinced about the full extent of mental health issues with the likes of Alan Bond and other gangsters. They had everything at their feet, living the best life possible, being completely corrupt and all, so of course they would have fallen into a bit of a depression when it all came crashing down. I would think that is normal to feel a level of sadness, loss and lost, but these characters got away with so much for so long, always with a mask on, so a new mask came on with playing the "mental health and depression" card. I agree with Tim that I think people are born pure evil as well, but some people do bad things because of life experiences. Thanks for your career story and the insights Tim, a great book and worth a read.
I can image how confronting his job as a criminal psychologist would be at times, but actually, the depth of how confronting it really is, we have no idea, as this is something tht we are never truly exposed too. A very interesting book and easy to read. It really made the think. I'm not really convinced about the full extent of mental health issues with the likes of Alan Bond and other gangsters. They had everything at their feet, living the best life possible, being completely corrupt and all, so of course they would have fallen into a bit of a depression when it all came crashing down. I would think that is normal to feel a level of sadness, loss and lost, but these characters got away with so much for so long, always with a mask on, so a new mask came on with playing the "mental health and depression" card. I agree with Tim that I think people are born pure evil as well, but some people do bad things because of life experiences. Thanks for your career story and the insights Tim, a great book and worth a read.
July 17, 2025
This is another book I could have lived without reading. I guess it was of its time but it smacks of white male privilege. He spends most of the book describing how self-absorbed and arrogant he was only to claim at the end - describing the dissolution of his second marriage - that 'no one and everyone is to blame' when a marriage breaks down. Of everything in the book, that sentence leapt off the page and repeated in front of my eyes. No one and everyone. I'd love to hear the second wife's perspective. Especially as he describes their marriage as a cadaver. Noice, Tim.
He also mentions getting together with his second wife when he was still married to his first wife. He says they only became 'romantic' around the time he separated from his first wife. No particulars on the exact timeline there but one can only imagine. Apparently they'd been friends with no romantic overtures until that point. I've also read theory on the ways and whys of how men are 'friends' with women.
As much as I liked the salacious cocaine chronicles, I would have liked more clinical insight and psychological theory.
He also mentions getting together with his second wife when he was still married to his first wife. He says they only became 'romantic' around the time he separated from his first wife. No particulars on the exact timeline there but one can only imagine. Apparently they'd been friends with no romantic overtures until that point. I've also read theory on the ways and whys of how men are 'friends' with women.
As much as I liked the salacious cocaine chronicles, I would have liked more clinical insight and psychological theory.
May 16, 2018
The first time I have listened to an audio book, and this had me engrossed from the first chapter.
The story of Tim Watson-Munro and all the adversities he faced within his professional and personal life had me wanting to listen and find out more.
A renowned forensic psychologist in Melbourne and Sydney, I was quite aware of his work before the book was released, and the story did not disappoint.
The only thing that made me cringe throughout was the over use of the word ubiquitous, which appears to be Tim Watson-Munro's favourite word.
Overall a great insight into this man's life, and a great read.
The story of Tim Watson-Munro and all the adversities he faced within his professional and personal life had me wanting to listen and find out more.
A renowned forensic psychologist in Melbourne and Sydney, I was quite aware of his work before the book was released, and the story did not disappoint.
The only thing that made me cringe throughout was the over use of the word ubiquitous, which appears to be Tim Watson-Munro's favourite word.
Overall a great insight into this man's life, and a great read.
October 10, 2024
I listened to this on audiobook format. The true crime and criminal psychology aspects of this book were interesting, but so too were the parts about the author’s personal life and mental and physical health. And with age came wisdom, poignantly expressed in the last few pages.
September 4, 2017
Loved it. Raw, honest, incite full , gripping. A great read.
July 30, 2018
An amazing book that demonstrates true resilience and it is well written by a man who has been in the trenches.
August 20, 2018
He learned nothing
The epiphany at the end is to leave the ego in the box. A fitting way to end a book about himself.
The epiphany at the end is to leave the ego in the box. A fitting way to end a book about himself.
November 21, 2017
Enjoyed it. Watson-Munro comes across as having an ego but an easy informative read and a bit of an insight into a section of the legal culture he was/is involved in. Read it after hearing him on ABC's Conversations.
September 25, 2017
I would concur with another reviewer. The author still seems to be big noting. Not sure he has a handle on the ego yet...
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews