My Most Recent Read: “Mindhunter: Inside The FBI Elite Serial Crimes Unit”

My take? "Mindhunter" is a gripping, fast-paced dive into the origins of FBI criminal profiling, blending true crime with psychological insight in a way that’s as addictive as it is fascinating. Honestly I couldn’t put it down.

Why did I choose this book?

Normally I read fiction. Almost exclusively, with the exception of news, and content for work. But, as per my SMART goals for 2025, this year, the aim was to read at least one non-fiction book. Now, as of February 2025, I am delighted (and slightly shocked) to say that I’ve hit that target thanks to “Mindhunter: Inside The FBI Elite Serial Crimes Unit”.

Mindhunter is about the invention and establishment of criminal profiling inside the FBI. It’s written by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. John Douglas is a former FBI special agent and the pioneer of criminal profiling. He is also one of the creators of the Crime Classification Manual. Mark Olshaker on the other hand, is a novelist, nonfiction author and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker.

If you haven’t come across the book before, you may have encountered the series Mindhunter on Netflix. That in fact, is how I first discovered the book. I’ve always had a slight interest in behavioural psychology, In fact, I actually considered psychology as a university degree and criminology as a career before I settled on linguistics so thing books certainly helped “scratch the itch” for a little true crime.

The Mindhunter reading experience

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with how accessible the content is in. I had some reservations about it being a factual book, that it would be festooned with technical terms and jargon I’d be spending every five minutes googling to understand. Happily that’s not the case here. But where a specialised term is required it’s used, so you don’t lack that input of expertise.

The book has been criticised in some reviews for its biographical style, and lack of discussion around the challenges criminal profiling has since faced. Personally I disagree. I enjoy the personal narrative alongside the discussion of particular criminal cases and behavioural science. It helps me connect and empathise with these people and what must have been at time, some harrowing work.

As for not discussing the challenges criminal profiling has faced since its inception - one I think it does at least acknowledge elements of this, as some of the challenges were there from the very start and persist on some spaces to this day. Two, it never promises to explore that narrative. If you’re looking for a balanced review and critique of behavioural science and criminal profiling, you’re looking for a different book.

My Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

I would absolutely recommend this book if you have any interest in criminal psychology and behavioural science. Although if you’re looking for a deep dive into particularly iconic serial killers and their crimes, like Jeffery Dahmer and Ted Bundy for example, this isn’t it.

My rating: ⅘ cups of tea.