My New Favorite True Crime Book
- Kendall Ann
- Dec 23, 2019
- 5 min read
I ordered a copy of The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter on Amazon a week or so ago. It took me only a few days to finish reading this pretty hefty book and I was amazed by what I had read. I was not only impressed by the large print in my paperback version but the content within. John Douglas is the main author of this book along side co-author Mark Olshaker. I believe this book truly brings the reader into the early stages of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI. Some of the moments recanted in this book are displayed in the hit series Mindhunter (Netflix) and some are written from Douglas's memories of interviews he personally had with convicted killers. Lets dive into what I would call my new favorite true crime book!
MY THOUGHTS
What I found most enjoyable about this book was that although Douglas mentions early on that the book will focus on four interviews he had with four different convicted killers, he finds a way to work other crime stories into the mixture. Some of these stories are well known cases such as The BTK Killer, The Coed Killer, and the Atlanta Child Murders, but other cases that are mentioned are not as "popular" or well known. For example the case of Judson Ray who Douglas interviewed at Rockview Correctional Institution only an hour or so away from my small hometown in rural Pennsylvania. You may think that the "story within a story" method could get confusing for the reader, but I promise you it does not in this book. This book has a way of pulling you in and making you want to keep turning the page for more. Douglas and his colleagues had one goal when they started having conversations with killers: find out what was going on inside their minds before, during and after they committed their crimes. Is this not what all fans of true crime want to know?
During his discussion of his interviews with two killers, Douglas mentions that he was asked to interview them for a pilot for a television show for MSNBC. We later find out that the show was never aired, and I believe any true crime fan will be disappointed to hear this. Douglas believes that they dismissed the idea after he did not give them the "drama" they were looking for while talking with the killers. Douglas maintains through out the book that he has a very special and accurate way of interviewing his subjects, and no TV producer will change that.
CONTENT OF THE BOOK
Douglas discuss four interviews with four convicted killers that he hand the opportunity to talk with during his career. Those four include Joseph McGown, Joseph Kondro, Donald Harvey and Todd Kohlhepp. Throughout the book he compares each killer to those of famous cases to help the reader understand "the type of killer" he is talking to. Each killer is unique and has his own story:
1. Joseph McGown is the only killer discussed in the book that did not kill more then once. McGown sexually assaulted and murdered a young neighborhood girl who had come to his house to collect money for girl scout cookies. The victims mother fought for the rest of her life to keep McGown behind bars and fight for justice for her daughter. She helped past laws that punished men like McGown for longer and allowed them to sue civilly. I found this story the most interesting of the four within the book.
2. Donald Harvey was considered an "angel of death" killer. He poisoned hundreds of patients while working in multiple hospitals in Pennslyvania and New Jersey. He even tried to poison his neighbor and boyfriend. It is hard to know an exact number of deaths that Harvey is responsible for, however he claims he was only trying to end his victims suffering.
3. Joesph Kondro was a unique killer who target victims that were extremely close to him. He was able to abduct and kill two young daughters of close friends of his. He was so close to the first victim and her family that she called him Uncle Joe. He was able to get away with the first murder for years until he abducted his second victim and her mother immediately suspected Kondro. He was eventually caught, stood trial and sent to prison where he spent most of his years isolated from general population.
4. Todd Kohlhepp committed a mass murder in an LA motorcycle shop which went unsolved for years. During this time he had abducted and killed several more people. He was finally caught after abducting a couple which resulted in him killing the man and imprisoning the women in a shipping container on his property. She was later found by police and Kohlhepp was arrested and sent to prison for life.
Douglas does a great job at accomplishing his goal of allowing readers into the mind of convicted killers. He provides details of the Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes that was developed after the FBI completed their interviews and study back in the 70's. I would highly recommend this book for all true crime fans no matter what level of education or crime knowledge one may have. It is easy to read and comprehend. The reader may even learn terminology used by law enforcement agencies or the seasoned arm chair detective may recognize interview techniques used by Douglas.
WARNING: There are graphic details within this book that may be had to stomach as a reader. Murder, rape and molestation are discussed through out the 500 pages. There are no photos and Douglas attempts to provide the reader with only the details that are necessary within each case, in order to understand the killer he is interviewing.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
John Douglas & Mark Olshaker- Douglas spent over twenty-five years in the FBI as one of the first criminal profilers and unit chief. Over the past 48 years he has been involved with thousands of violent crime cases. Douglas has written many books covering the topical of criminal psychology. Mark has collaborated with John on many occasions for books and other projects. Their books have sold millions of copies around the world. Mark is also an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. He meet Douglas when he was writing and producing a documentary on John’s Investigative Support Unit and criminal profiling at the FBI Academy located in Quantico, Virginia. Together Douglas and Olshaker founded Mindhunters, Inc. in 1995 after Douglas retired from the FBI. This lead to their first international best seller Mindhunter being published. I'm sure they had no idea back then that their book would become a hit series on Netflix.
*Opinions expressed are my own and are completely unbiased.
LINK TO PURCHASE (Amazon)
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