Wednesday, May 15, 2013
[Book Review] Inside the Mind of BTK by John Douglas and Johnny Dodd
Marilyn reviews INSIDE THE MIND OF BTK:THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THIRTY YEARS OF HUNTING FOR THE WICHITA SERIAL KILLER by John Douglas and Johnny Dodd (Wiley & Sons, 2007)
How do you catch a shadow?
For thirty years the BTK killer (Bind, Torture, Kill) eluded capture, killing between 1974 and 1991. To John Douglas of the FBI and the police of Wichita, Kansas, BTK was a shadow: appearing, disappearing, and killing at will.
BTK, real name John Rader, was one of the most hunted serial killers of the 1970s. BTK also was a criminal who taunted police between 2000 and 2005 with letters and pictures of his crimes. He was so like a shadow that some of his killings were not credited to him until he claimed credit. John Rader created an image of himself to his family and friends that led to unbelief when he was captured. His true self was hidden in a secret world. The Wichita police had to use 21st century technology to capture him.
Inside the Mind of BTK, written by master retired FBI profiler John Douglas and Johnny Dodd, recounts the hunt for a killer and the setting of the trap to catch him by the Wichita Kansas Police. For thirty years, BTK was in the back of Agent Douglas's mind. Even after Dennis Rader was captured, the retired Douglas wanted to explore Rader's mind by interviewing him and examining his journals and photographs.
Together with Johnny Dodd, Douglas weaves an interesting and fascinating account of the hunt, profiling, and capture of Dennis Rader.
The book is divided into three parts: the hunt, Dennis Rader's life, and an interview done by Douglas. Each part held my attention for it revealed the master mind of a complex criminal.
Marilyn Umfress, Central Library
Labels: Biography, Crime and Criminals, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress
Monday, February 25, 2008
[Book Review] THUNDERSTRUCK by Erik Larson
Nonfiction/Crime & Criminals Sarah Frierson reviews THUNDERSTRUCK by Erik Larson (Crown Publishers, 2006)
Erik Larson amazed me with the very popular The Devil in the White City by his ability to weave together two seemingly disparate tales to create a very engaging nonfiction read. So I was very excited to finally get the chance to sit down and take in Thunderstruck.
Thunderstruck again tells two very different stories, not noticeably connected except for their setting in turn-of-the-century London, until a climactic intersection at the end of the book. First, there is the story of Guglielmo Marconi and his quest to send wireless messages across the Atlantic. Although not a trained scientist, Marconi had a good idea and then spent years using a trial-and-error approach to bring it to fruition. Larson explains not only Marconi's efforts to perfect wireless telegraphy, but also his fight to form a company and fend off competition and scrutiny from more established members of the scientific community.
The other half of this complex tale is Dr. Harvey Hawley Crippen, a gentle and unassuming homeopathic doctor and his wife, Belle Elmore, a woman as overwhelming as he is mild. When Belle suspiciously vanishes, their community is shocked by what the investigation uncovers.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, but it all culminates in a transatlantic chase that utilizes Marconi's technology not only to apprehend the suspects, but to announce to the world each step of the action as it occurs.
In a world where news is instantaneous and wireless communication is considered standard, this story is a nice reminder of the novelty of such ideas and the wonder that once accompanied both the possibility and the eventual reality of the new technology.
Sarah Frierson, Business and Science Department
Labels: Crime and Criminals, Nonfiction, Reviews by Sarah Frierson
