Now a Netflix original series
Discover the classic, behind-the-scenes chronicle of John E. Douglas’ twenty-five-year career in the FBI Investigative Support Unit, where he used psychological profiling to delve into the minds of the country’s most notorious serial killers and criminals.
In chilling detail, the legendary Mindhunter takes us behind the scenes of some of his most gruesome, fascinating, and challenging cases—and into the darkest recesses of our worst nightmares.
During his twenty-five year career with the Investigative Support Unit, Special Agent John Douglas became a legendary figure in law enforcement, pursuing some of the most notorious and sadistic serial killers of our time: the man who hunted prostitutes for sport in the woods of Alaska, the Atlanta child murderer, and Seattle's Green River killer, the case that nearly cost Douglas his life.
As the model for Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs, Douglas has confronted, interviewed, and studied scores of serial killers and assassins, including Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and Ed Gein, who dressed himself in his victims' peeled skin. Using his uncanny ability to become both predator and prey, Douglas examines each crime scene, reliving both the killer's and the victim's actions in his mind, creating their profiles, describing their habits, and predicting their next moves.
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"Deeply interesting for those studying the human psyche"
— Katiehawke (5 out of 5 stars)
“Mr. Douglas sets out to produce a good true-crime book, but because of his insights and the power of his material, he gives us more—he leaves us shaken, gripped by a quiet grief for the innocent victims and anguished by the human condition.”
— Dean Koontz, New York Times bestselling author“A quirky, winning tale of awful crimes and awe-inspiring detective work…Douglas knows what all the great crime writers know—that the criminologist must be at least as interesting as the crime. On that score, Douglas fits the profile.”
— USA Today“A fascinating journey into the thrill killer’s psyche…Douglas seems to have a true gift of instinct. Mindhunter is gripping.”
— Dayton Daily News“The gripping story of Douglas’ career as an FBI field agent…becomes a compelling audiobook—especially when paired with Richard M. Davidson’s gritty and emotionally resonant narration…This truly memorable production immediately engages the listener.”
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John Douglas is a former special agent with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, one of the first criminal profilers, and a criminal psychology writer. While working for the FBI, he headed the elite Investigative Support Unit and was the real-life model for FBI Agent Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs. Upon his retirement, Douglas, along with acclaimed author and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Mark Olshaker, created Mindhunters, Inc., a website providing information on their writing as well as criminal justice and profiler resources.
Mark Olshaker is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and a New York Times bestselling nonfiction author. His seven books with former FBI Special Agent and criminal profiling pioneer John E. Douglas, beginning with Mindhunter, have sold millions of copies, been translated into many languages, and along with his Emmy-nominated PBS film Mind of a Serial Killer, made Olshaker a sought-after speaker and consultant on law enforcement–related issues.