A Killer by Design Audiobook By Ann Wolbert Burgess, Steven Matthew Constantine cover art

A Killer by Design

Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind

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A Killer by Design

By: Ann Wolbert Burgess, Steven Matthew Constantine
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
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About this listen

A vivid behind-the-scenes look into the creation of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and the evolution of criminal profiling, written by the pioneering forensic nurse who transformed the way the FBI studies, profiles, and catches serial killers.

Lurking beneath the progressive activism and sex positivity in the 1970 to '80s, a dark undercurrent of violence rippled across the American landscape. With reported cases of sexual assault and homicide on the rise, the FBI created a specialized team - the “Mindhunters”, better known as the Behavioral Science Unit - to track down the country's most dangerous criminals. And yet narrowing down a seemingly infinite list of potential suspects seemed daunting at best and impossible at worst - until Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess stepped on the scene.

In A Killer by Design, Burgess reveals how her pioneering research on sexual assault and trauma caught the attention of the FBI, and steered her right into the middle of a chilling serial murder investigation in Nebraska. Over the course of the next two decades, she helped the budding unit identify, interview, and track down dozens of notoriously violent offenders, including Ed Kemper ("The Co-Ed Killer"), Dennis Rader ("BTK"), Henry Wallace ("The Taco Bell Strangler"), Jon Barry Simonis ("The Ski-Mask Rapist"), and many others. As one of the first women trailblazers within the FBI’s hallowed halls, Burgess knew many were expecting her to crack under pressure and recoil in horror - but she was determined to protect future victims at any cost. This book pulls us directly into the investigations as she experienced them, interweaving never-before-seen interview transcripts and crime scene drawings alongside her own vivid recollections to provide unprecedented insight into the minds of deranged criminals and the victims they left behind. Along the way, Burgess also paints a revealing portrait of a formidable institution on the brink of a seismic scientific and cultural reckoning - and the men forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about crime.

Haunting, heartfelt, and deeply human, A Killer by Design forces us to confront the age-old question that has long plagued our criminal justice system: “What drives someone to kill, and how can we stop them?”

©2021 Ann Wolbert Burgess and Steven Matthew Constantine (P)2021 Hachette Books
Murder Serial Killers Sexual Crimes & Assault True Crime Women Scary Inspiring Criminal Behavior
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Critic reviews

“Of all the colleagues I’ve worked with, Ann is one of the sharpest - and one of the toughest. Ann’s behind-the-scenes work had a profound impact on the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, since she taught us how to harness the chaos of serial killers’ minds and helped us decipher the undecipherable. I’d recommend that everyone read A Killer by Design, not only is it a great page-turner, but it’s about time Ann’s story was heard.” (John E. Douglas, former FBI criminal profiler and best-selling author of Mindhunter)

“My career was shaped after reading the seminal text on sexual homicide co-authored by Dr. Ann Burgess - one of the original Mindhunters. Now, in A Killer by Design, Burgess shows how she helped refine the criminal profiling process, with an acute eye for detail and heartwarming compassion for the victims. This book has quickly become a permanent fixture on my bookshelf and is a must-read for anybody who wants to understand the history of exploring the predator's mind. Burgess is truly a hero in the fight against evil.” (Paul Holes, FBI Task Force officer, retired cold case investigator, and cohost of Jensen and Holes: The Murder Squad podcast)

“Countless investigators and detectives around the world do work every single day that is based on the research and discoveries of Dr. Ann Burgess - myself included. But here, for the first time, we are able to experience the fascinating - and often heart-wrenching - stories behind these facts, figures, and procedures alongside Ann as she worked the cases that would serve as the foundation of criminal profiling. This is a riveting book and will become a staple on the shelves of both experts, and armchair detectives.” (Sarah Cailean, criminal behaviorist)

Pioneering Profiling Work • Insightful Psychological Analysis • Great Narration • Victim-centered Approach • Engaging Voice
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Best True Crime Book of the Year
It covered some of the same BAU cases from Mind Hunter etc but from a female perspective. Highly recommend.

If you like mind hunter- you will enjoy this

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Greatly read and written. Fantastic in compliment to John Douglas fans books if you enjoy them.

An interesting listen.

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I became interested in the book when I heard an interview with Burgess and Constantine, and I was so excited to read/hear it for myself. The narrator was distracting, though. One piece that bothered me is that they sound nothing like Burgess, in affect or personality.

Great Stories

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Clearly, the author is brilliant, but the arrogant tenor ("I told her to leave the room") the redundant bragging--detracts from an otherwise excellent piece of work.

Humility. Not so much.

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I appreciate her vast knowledge and insight with regards to serial rapist and killers. This was very well written, interesting and well narrated.

Very interesting and informative.

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The book is about the beginning and progression of criminal profiling at the FBI. I had already seen the TV portrayal, Mind Hunters. The book is much less graphic than the show, which I liked. It was fun to remember how the show portrayed the different FBI agents and the early days of the BAU while listening to the first-hand version in this audiobook.
The book is fascinating and well-narrated. I usually don’t bother to do reviews, but I really enjoyed this book. I also really appreciate the amazing work the author has done to catch serial killers.

Riveting book on profiling of serial killers

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Goon information on the fascinating subject of criminal profiling. Ann distinguish herself as a pioneer in the field along with the co-founders in the field John Douglass, Robert Ressler and Roy Hazelwood at the FBI. Great listen.

Very informative

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This is an excellent deep dive into the world of the BSU, the expertise of one it's chief architects and the inner workings of some of the most prolific killers in American history!

Excellent and unflinching!

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Ann Burgess is a pioneer for advocating and believing women as victims. I will be eternally grateful for her work and for what she has accomplished. Excellent audiobook that went so quickly.

We live in a better world because Ann Burgess is in it.

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Great listen. Well read, plenty of interesting material. Visceral, captivating, a truly detailed work highlighting some of the most intense moments and decades in history.

Thoroughly Enjoyed

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