Murderino Monday Book Review: “How to Catch a Killer: Hunting and Capturing the World’s Most Notorious Serial Killers”

Time for a Murderino Monday book! Thank you @sterlingbooks for my gifted copy of “How to Catch a Killer: Hunting & Capturing the World’s Most Notorious Serial Killers” by Katherine Ramsland, PhD!

There are two parts to every crime story: how they did it & why they got caught.This book is about the second part, & how it changes the way we catch serial killers.

No two stories about the capture of a serial killer are the same. Sometimes, the killers make crucial mistakes; other times, investigators get lucky. And the process of profiling, hunting, & apprehending these predators has changed radically over time, particularly in the field of criminal forensics, which has exploded in the last ten to 15 years. Laser ablation, video spectral analysis, cyber-sleuthing, & even DNA-based genetic genealogy are now crucial tools in solving murders, including the recent capture of the so-called Golden State Killer. This first book in the new Profiles in Crime series tells the history of forensics through the “capture stories” of some of the most notorious serial killers, going back almost a century.

How serial killers are profiled, hunted, & caught is equally as compelling as the narratives of the crimes themselves. In “How to Catch a Killer“, the history of forensic innovation, detailed behavioral profiling, & solid police work is told through 30 international “capture stories” of infamous & lesser-known serial killers, from 1898 to 2003.

Some of the killers included in this book are so many of the ones we have all heard of before: Bundy, Dahmer, BTK, the Golden State Killer, Gacy, H H Holmes, Israel Keyes, David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker), Aileen Wuornos, & Ed Kemper, but there are even more that you may never have heard of, but will now haunt your thoughts.

Fun fact: I majored in Forensic Psychology & Criminology for 3 yrs in college (then I got preg w/ my twins & quit school.) I wanted to be a forensic profiler. Now I just read about them, but it all still fascinates the heck out of me & I love reading books like this one, not to mention watching all the serial killer documentaries & listening to podcasts about them as well.

This is such a good read for anyone into the whole “true crime” scene like I am. Be sure to check out some of Ramsland’s other books by clicking HERE. There are so many great ones to choose from! I plan to read several more of her books now. “How to Catch a Killer” is available 4/21. Don’t forget to check with your local indie bookstores to see if they have this book (or any others you may want) or if they will order it for you. They need our help right now more than ever! Click HERE to look for a bookseller near you by using BookStoreLink.com.

Be sure to keep an eye out for my next giveaway on Instagram. I have SO MANY great books lined up for giveaways! Click HERE to go to my Instagram page now & make sure you are following me so you can enter the giveaways. You can also follow me on Facebook by clicking HERE and on Twitter by clicking HERE.

And as always…Stay home, Stay safe, Stay sane! Now go wash your hands!