How To Catch A Killer by Katherine Ramsland

 

In this true crime book, the author categorizes the ways that killers are caught by the police and then gives a short overview of various killers who fall into that category.  Some of the methods include killer mistake, forensic evidence, self-surrender, witness reports and police procedure.

Many of the killers described will be ones familiar to the true crime reader.  These include Ted Bundy, the Golden State Killer, Aileen Wuoros, Son of Sam, the BTK Killer, Sam Little and Richard Ramirez.  Others will be new to the reader as there are also examples from other countries.  Each outline gives an overview of the killer's crimes, his or her background and how they were caught along with the number of victims they killed.

Katherine Ramsland is well known in the field of deviant psychology.  She holds graduate degrees in forensic psychology, criminal justice and clinical psychology.  She teaches forensic psychology and criminal justice at the university level and has written over seventy books on the subject.  Her book on the BTK killer, Dennis Rader, came from an extensive correspondence with the killer over several years going back into his childhood to trace the beginnings of his obsessions.  Whether an overview like this book or a more in depth profile of one killer, her writing style makes the material easy to understand for even a beginner in the field.  This book is recommended for true crime nonfiction readers.