Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit

John E. Douglas · Mark Olshaker

Oct 2017 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Richard M. Davidson

About this audiobook

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.

Ratings and reviews

I bought this after really getting into the Mindhunter TV series. This book was just fascinating. Going in to a lot more depth than the TV series. The number of serious crimes Douglas was working on at any one time is astonishing. Some of the graphic accounts are chilling, however, Douglas and his colleagues commitment and professionalism is inspiring. His tales of FBI life and bureaucracy are humorous and break up some of the heavier parts of book. The narration was great too.

A truly compelling narrative paired with excellent narration. Douglas's book is a must for anyone interested in true crime, forensic psychology, or a fascinating non-fiction account of a distinguished law enforcement career.

I am a fan of criminal psychology and serial killers. This book is amazing, I loved the Netflix series on this book. I highly recommend this book if you like true crime and are interested in learning how the BAU unit of the FBI formed.

About the author

John Douglas is the legendary FBI criminal profiler and former Chief of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit where he researched, investigated, and conducted interviews of some of America’s most violent criminals. Over the past half-century, he either directly worked on or had overall supervision in over 5,000 violent crime cases. He is one of the foremost experts of the criminal mind, its methods, and motivations. Douglas is a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a doctorate degree in Education, and lives with his wife, Pamela, in the Washington, DC, area.



Mark Olshaker is an Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker and author of thirteen nonfiction books and five novels, including Einstein’s Brain and The Edge. His books with former FBI Special Agent and criminal profiling pioneer John Douglas, beginning with Mindhunter and most recently When a Killer Calls, have sold millions of copies and have been translated into many languages. Mindhunter was recently adapted by David Fincher into a critically acclaimed and award-winning dramatic series on Netflix. Olshaker and his wife, Carolyn, an attorney, live in the Washington, DC, area.