Serial Killers: 101 Questions True Crime Fans Ask

by Joni E. Johnston

Learn the terrifying truth behind the world’s deadliest serial killers…


Serial killers haunt our dreams and inspire the terrifying villains of TV shows and horror movies. But how much do you really know about the minds behind the world’s deadliest killers? What drives these murderers to kill and kill again? And what fuels our fascination with the true stories of their horrific crimes?


Now forensic psychologist, private investigator, and crime writer Dr. Joni E. Johnston brings you the answers to these questions and more! SERIAL KILLERS: 101 Questions True Crime Fans Ask dives into the case files of the most infamous murderers in history, and answers the questions true crime fans have been dying to ask…

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook, Psychology

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 2, 2021

About the author

Dr. Joni Johnston is a clinical/forensic psychologist, private investigator and crime writer who got hooked on true crime at age fourteen, while reading Helter Skelter on a family vacation. She has spent her career inside prisons, forensic hospitals and criminal courts and has worked with offenders and victims.

She especially enjoys communicating with the general public about crime and writes a blog for Psychology Today called the Human Equation. She also hosts a youtube channel called Unmasking a Murderer. She has been interviewed on numerous media outlets including 48 Hours, 20/20, and several Investigative Discovery shows.

Reviews

[Sizarifalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interestingly and very informative book. I would recomend this book for bookworms who love reading about crimes and psychological thrillers. 101 answers were given and the answers taught me alot about the minds of serial killers. I really hope that this book will be adapted into a documentary.

Men, women, adults, veterans, teenagers , medical professionals , anyone can be a serial killer. Anyone around the world. It can even be someone whom you are very close with.

Motives of a serial killer are explained in detail. It makes me paranoid for awhile. GULP! I also learned that most of the serial killers tuned up killing people are mostly based on how they where brought up. Eventhough you are not a serial killer, it does not mean that your siblings are not because each individual perceives things differently.

These are sometime of the questions that I like :-
1. Why do female Serial Killers Kill?
2. What Mental Illnesses are most commonly associated with serial killers?
3. What is one of the strangest motives you’ve ever Heart for serial muder?
4. If a serial killer targeted only perplexing who wanted to die, is that murder?
5. Why Has the Number of Serial Killers Declined Over the Last Thirty Years?
6. Why Are We So Fascinated by Serial Killers?
7. What is It Like to Grow Up with a Parent Who is a Serial Killer?

The author did a very extentensive research regarding all the answers to the questions. The explaination was simple and easy to understand. The author covered serial killers from around the world. I love reading crime & psychological novels . This book is like an encyclopedia of serial killers!

The part that I find most interesting in this book is Part 5 : Modern-Day Serial Killers.

Trigger Warning : This book describes in detail how each murder happened and what happened to the serial killers when they were caught. I had to stop many time to rest my imagination.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book, I've learned more about serial killers than I ever wanted to know! (๑•́ ヮ •̀๑) Joni Johnston is a particularly good writer, and the touches of humour here and there are appropriate and provide a welcome relief from what is, in many ways, a scary read! But the humour is very subtle, and the writing is genuinely respectful when it comes to discussing the victims of serial killers, and the information was never sensationalised. If you are into true crime, then you'll find this book fascinating. The book is divided into several thematic chapters, and each follows a question-and-answer structure -- adding up to 101 questions and answers in the whole book. Focused stories about specific serial killers are interspersed amongst the questions that provide more in-depth insights. Johnston is a forensic psychologist and has a very deep knowledge and lots of experience which shows throughout. This is a fascinating, informative, and riveting read. True crime fan? Check it out!

*I received a free review copy from Book Sirens in return for an honest review, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heather Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's expertise in the field of serial killers is quite extensive. The book was well organized with sections pertaining to certain types of questions. For example, one section might be about female serial killers. Another might be about young serial killers.

The author did an excellent job of writing about these crimes and criminals without glorifying them in any way. If you are interested in learning more about what makes serial killers tick and what we know, statistically about them, this is a fantastic read.

The only reason I docked a star is that it can be a lot to digest. It is the nature of the subject matter that makes reading about these gruesome killings, one after another, difficult. It would have helped to have something to break up the violence, every 25 pages or so. I'm not sure what, maybe stories of how someone escaped and was able to move on, or something.

Still, this book is full of interesting and valuable information, well presented.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah O'Riordan | travelseatsreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm fascinated by true crime and like many have a morbid obsession with serial killers and why they do what they do.

I found this book to be a great introduction to serial killers with some fascinating information. The author referenced really well known cases such as the likes of Ted Bundy, Ed Kempner and the Golden State Killer but also included cases I've never heard of in countries such as India, Pakistan and China etc.

I loved how it was laid out with a nice clear format of question and a succinct answer. I also enjoyed that the author didn't profess to know all the answers, which is something that has annoyed me when I've read other similar books.

A fantastic starting point for anyone with an interest in true crime or the minds of serial killers.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantastic amount of serial killer information (statistics, demographics & definitions), both genders, & from all over the world.

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

Warning: This book contains descriptive accounts of extremely graphic adult content, violence, murder, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material (Lesbian, Gay, incest, pedophile, rape, sodomy, cannibalism, necrophile, mutilation, minor/adult verbal, psychological, emotional, physical & sexual abuse, prostitution) which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader. If you are especially sensitive to this type of material, it is strongly advised not to read any further.

An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written serial killer (individual sections of criminal short stories) book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were several grammar/typo errors, but no repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & an enormous description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great serial killer’s movie, a classroom PP presentation, or better yet a paid-per-view mini-TV series or even a documentary (Crime Museum; True Crime; American Crime Story; Investigative Discovery.

A person with a PhD should not make any APA mistakes. I only had an BS & MSW, & my
Dr./Professors would have made me rewrite my papers if they were similar to yours. That said I will only rate it at 3/5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Wild Blue Press; BookSirens; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a wealth of information about... you guessed it: serial killers. The cover promisses 101 questions, but the author answers a few more along the way. The Q&A are interchanged with descriptions of cases and other interesting matters. The short bits make it easy to read.

The questions cover all the bases and after reading this book I feel like I have a better understanding about the current state of the science. It helps that the science is referenced in the back of the book. Quite often the answers were more extensive than the question warrented.

A ‘true’ true crime afasionado will probably have already heard about some or most of the cases mentioned. At the same time this book can be a starting point to dive in deeper into the disturbing world of serial killers.

Personally I’m not that the biggest true crime fan, because I often find it hard to stomach. The author does a good job of sticking to the facts which helps with keeping the nightmares at bay. Still, I would not suggest this book as a nighttime read. Trust me, I’ve tried to.

It seems some killers and cases are mentioned more than once, often times without a reference to the other mentions. It would be nice if there was an index for that. It would also have been awesome to have a list of the 101 questions. At the same time I feel the experience of the book is better when reading it front to back instead of cherry picking questions.

I think this book differs from other true crime books by focussing on the information surrounding serial killers and not so much on the specific cases. It gives an overview of the serial killer landscape by diving into different themes. If you’re interested in serial killers and a different approach to the subject, I would definitely give this book a chance.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jeffrey Hatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joni Johnston, Psy.D. gives an inspiring, historical inventory of methodologies for serial killing. And she has seen and researched a lot of crimes and criminals. Before I started to read the book, I had never had a clue just how diverse and extensive the topic is: in the most inclusive sense there are baby farm killers, spree killers, “compassionate” healthcare workers, and the list goes on much further than one can guess from Jack the Ripper or contemporary mass murderers (who might not be called 'serial-killer'). Perhaps surprisingly, women are on par with men in this crime domain.

Beyond the how-to's of killing people, Johnston also touches on issues of great sensitivity. How might we best think of teenage criminals? How does mental illness figure into the picture? What role does family history (e.g. parental abuse) play in cultivating a killer?

I had a few issues with the nature of the book. Honestly, the question / answer format simply did not work for me. I always felt like the story raised by each question needed a larger answer with more overall synthesis than the one which was provided. In fact, the format distracted my mind rather than help to organize my thoughts. This distraction fostered skimming – a terrible sin for someone intending to critique a book! Parsing the book into multiple sections with a more traditional organization (or a set of five mini-volumes) might work better for similarly minded individuals. Volume 1 might be Modus Operandi; Volume 2 Causation; Volume 3 Historical Cases; and so on.

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Answers to questions you have asked yourself or wondered about??

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as it brings new and unanswered questions. The psychology behind the minds behind the world’s deadliest killers is amazing and extremely professionally researched and written. I found a lot of answers to a lot of questions I have asked myself over the years, so I feel I now have a clearer understanding about these dangerous dark evil beings after reading this book.
It is fascinating book to read and I am now even more interested and intrigued on the human behaviour of serial killers after reading this book. As we progress and move forward with technology and improved DNA, and the good versus evil against violent crimes will numbers go down or will the psychopath’s, sociopaths, and narcistic ways just learn more different cunning ways to escape justice and bring mayhem to our city’s, and towns all over the world.
Remember to never forget their victims and family’s as they are the true victims as their suffering never ends. This book is a must for Physiatrists, Phycologists, Police, Serial killer sleuths who help solve crimes, and anyone whose nature is to read about Serial killers and wish to learn more.
I would like to thank Wildblue Press, I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Queenbeesbookhive · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having always had a keen interest in psychology and how the human mind works and often ask myself at what point does it all go wrong /bad inside the head of some of the most deadliest killers. This book certainly answered many questions I had surrounding their dark, evil existence. The author manages to write in an uncomplicated manner which makes the content easy to understand and the desire to carry on without being perplexed with unfamiliar, hard to read terms and explanations. I particularly enjoyed the presentation in that of a Q&A format as the questions were addressed and explained without losing the flow of the subject being discussed. This is definitely worth reading If , like me, you find yourself trying to understand the psychology behind the minds of the worlds most horrific killers and what drives them to murder.

I received a free copy from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Oralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having a fascination with understanding the mind of a serial killer this book was the perfect fit for me. For most of us its incomprehensible what makes a killer. We see them on the news, watch them on TV and in movies and read about them in books but we never understand them. Serial Killers by Joni Johnson is a well written look into the myths and realities of these killers. A doctor of Psychology, Johnson answers the questions we have with honesty and depth helping to dispel the myths and looking at the real picture. I had a hard time putting this book down, it was fascinating and insightful. A great read that only heightens the need to understand. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book from Good Reads as part of the First Reads program.

Ever wonder what makes a serial killer tick? Who are they, what's going on in their minds? Are there female serial killers and what percentage? What about other countries? How do they get caught, how many get away. How does one become a victim, and how does an intended victim escape? All of these issues are addressed in detail in this book. The author is a forensic psychologist, private investigator and crime writer, and has done extensive research on the topic. The book is well written and a quick read. As a bonus, there are excerpts from a couple of other books related to the subject in the last part of the book. If you're at all interested in this field, by all means get and read this book.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of true crime and enjoy books, films and television series on this subject.

I was really excited to have the opportunity to read this book in order to gain an insight into Serial Killers. Whilst overall, the book was good and I did enjoy it, I found that it took me quite a long time to read. There were lots of statistics and references to people and cases that I wasn't aware of.

I really liked the way that the book was broken down into the numbered questions, it kept the book on track well .

Overall, it was a good book and very informative.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of True Crime books, dating back to reading Helter Skeleter and growing up in Chicago during Gacy’s reign of terror I am always looking to understand more about why someone could commit such horrible acts.

I found 101 Questions about Serial Killers a thoughtful, well-researched work that focused at facts and observations rather than thrill seeking or broad generalizations.

The questions posed by the author were thought-provoking, particularly the last chapter.

This is a solid work that belongs to any true crime collection.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Joni Johnston has covered everything any true crime fan would want to know about serial killers. She even as a chapter on friends families and fans of serial killers. I think why this book is so well written and covers almost anything you could want to know about serial killers is because she herself has wondered the same questions. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think any true crime fan should have this book in the library. It is interesting and informative and I highly recommend it! I received this book from Books sirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Avid Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read with minimal information provided to answer the 101 questions alluded to in the title of this book. Most cases referenced were well-known, mainstream media serial killer crimes so there wasn't much new or unique information contained in this book for me.

If you are a new true-crime fan you will most likely learn something new.

The sentences were constructed simply, as if the readers of the material would be 3rd or 4th grade level readers.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Danielle Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast-paced book packed with a lot of research and knowledge about serial killers. I love reading about the psychology behind why others kill - what drives them? This book felt like it was written for me to answer all of my own personal questions about serial killers.

If you like to learn about serial killers, give this book a shot. It was very informative, yet surprisingly easy to comprehend for the layperson.

[Lyn Failes · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @booksirens and @jonijohnston for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy of the book for a voluntary review.
What a great read for true crime fans. 101 questions I’m sure we’ve all wondered about. Covers killers from all around the world and from years gone by up until most recent times.
Left me wanting to know more about some of the less known killers stories and gave me new insights into some of the ones I’d already heard about!
Interesting read! Thank you

[Janet Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt this book was a thoughtful and well researched book which delved into the questions of why people kill and especially why people become serial killers.

I felt it was very insightful or as much as it could have been based on the writers experience and training.

A very good read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

I am a trivia lover. This is basically a whole book of serial killer trivia! I enjoyed it a lot and can see myself referring back to it in the future.

I had fun telling my friends about it and especially the part that let me tease my friend that lives in London, Ontario about it being the serial killer capital of Canada.

[Faithling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won a free copy on Goodreads Givaways. Very informative and easily read in the question and answer format. True crime always fascinated me and I thought the author did a great job of making the book engaging with a quick pace.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic read. Though this is a morbid topic, the author gives unique insight and hard facts into something that fascinates most of the world.

[Shannon Vogel Lien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this on a GoodReads giveaway. So interesting and so full of info I didn't even know I wanted to know.

[Anke Zweel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook....

This was a really insight book, I learned a lot of interesting facts about serial killers. This is definitely a must listen if you are a true crime junkie.

[Dawn Gorden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love
Its a straight forward up to date, not weighed down with phyco babble. Full of information and insight.