“The aim is not to be a friend. The aim is not to be a foe. The aim is to get to the truth.”
The Killer Across the Table is an incredible entry into the true crime genre. Douglas is the OG profiler and his insight and experience is fascinating. His writing is educational but not without emotion or humanity.
“Lesson learned: everyone is a potential suspect, and don’t let looks or behavior fool you.”
Douglas recounts conversations he’s had with some of the most sadistic and prolific killers in our history. His ability to analyze their responses without inserting his own emotions is incredible. I loved getting a little backstory about the origin and evolution of behavioral profiling (as a fan of crime shows and Mindhunter, I knew a lot going in to this book, but it doesn’t make the reading experience any less interesting).
I have so much respect for Douglas and the other pioneers of the field – they faced the worst of humanity to help understand and evaluate why some people are so compelled to harm others.
Read with Aimee 