Journey into Darkness

Rating:
Summary: Journey Into Darkness
Review: A very good book. Seeing what human beings can do to eachother, especially what they do to children children, can make you want to vomit. Douglas is a very good profiler. The only problem with this book is that the author spent too much time focusing on how the families of the victims and how they are helping to reach out to the families of victims of violent crimes. He took three chapters to talk about the family and hystory of a murder victim names Lance Corp. Collins. It dragged on a bit, and he payed special attention to this victim, and almost no attention to the personal lives of the other victims.
Also, I would have liked to see more about how profiles are made, not just the profiles in each case.
All in all it was a good book and I wouldn't mind reading his other books.

Rating:
Summary: A compelling continuation from Mindhunter.
Review: Douglas continues to grasp his readers as he continues his stories from Mindhunter. Let it be known that this would be a rather difficult book to follow if one has not read Mindhunter. Douglas elaborates on his views and theories from Mindhunter and this would leave many in the dark. In Journey Into Darkness Douglas continues his stories of children stolen and slain but continues them in much more description and detail. As a future forensic psychologist this book and many like it have given me a reason to pursue my goal and as a citizen of this nation they have given me much more to think about when voting but as a human individual they have shown me one of the darkest sides of humanity. Douglas does a magnificent job of displaying the facts and then giving an educated opinion while allowing the reader to follow step-by-step. These books and the true tales they tell have tested even my optimistic personality and have continuously made me wonder why True Crime is the largest selling section of books.

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Summary: A powerful book about serial killers, and victims' rights
Review: Douglas opens with the murder of Marine Suzanne Collins in Tennessee in 1985, describing his own mental process in analyzing her killer's behavior. After discussing several other cases, he returns to the Collins murder for a very detailed, moving discussion of her life and death, and the difficult experiences her family has had with the legal system in the intervening years. Her parents became ardent campaigners for victims' rights, and against lengthy and frivolous appeals. Much of what Douglas writes on this issue reminds me of John Walsh, of "America's Most Wanted." Also reminiscent of "America's Most Wanted" is Douglas' advice on teaching our children how to avoid becoming victims of abusers, abductors, and killers. Having recently read Robert Ressler's excellent book, _Whoever Fights Monsters_, I was interested to note that Douglas and Ressler disagree on the value of letting serial killers live. Ressler advocates keeping killers alive for psychological study, but Douglas says it would take "about six hours" to learn all that he would need to know from a convicted serial killer. Beyond that, he says, a killer who claims to have more valuable information for police and psychologists is doing nothing more than looking for an excuse to avoid execution, and the quality of the information is suspect. Near the end of the book, Douglas considers a case in which profiling helped exonerate an innocent man. He also analyzes, from a behavioral standpoint, the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, describing the sort of profile he would have developed had he been asked to consult on the case

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Summary: A real Journey into Darkness
Review: I have been an avid true crime reader for several years although this is the first book that I have read by John E. Douglas. This book makes you see the darkness that a lot of people seem to have inside and what they are prepared to do to realise their fantasies whatever the cost. I was not able to put down this book even though it filled me with anxiety and sadness because the title is true - he really does take you on a journey into Darkness, although John Douglases telling of these brutal cases is masterly. He explains even the most complicated of theories in a way that is understandable to all. After reading this book I have already ordered his other books and can't wait for them to be delivered. Gripping stuff!!!

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Summary: John Douglas's Book Journey into Darkness is gripping!
Review: I was very impressed with the style of writing in this book. It gives you true life crimes, that we are familiar with. But, more than that it taught me many ways to deal with certain situations and gave me many tips on how to keep my kids safer! It's a book with the shocking truths of the maniacs that are out there, and how to spot them. John Douglas is just wonderful with his informative yet shocking stories of notorious killers and thier victims. Couldnt put it down.......You did it again!
Thanks John.

Shelley ~ Calif.

Rating:
Summary: Getting Redundant
Review: If you've already read Mindhunter, you needn't bother with Journey. It is essentially the same stuff, with just enough words switched around to justify a new title. If you haven't read either Mindhunter or Journey, flip a coin.

Rating:
Summary: Getting Redundant
Review: If you've already read Mindhunter, you needn't bother with Journey. It is essentially the same stuff, with just enough words switched around to justify a new title. If you haven't read either Mindhunter or Journey, flip a coin.

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Summary: Way too egotistical for my taste!
Review: It is difficult to get through this book, mailnly because John Douglas seems to spend more time praising himself than actually providing the reader with interesting and unbiased information. Contrary to what Douglas may think, there are other profilers out there with just as much expertise whose books are much more fascinating to read. I suggest that you read one of them instead.

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Summary: Douglas is too much of a cheerleader with a one-sided view.
Review: John Douglas loves to promote himself and sell his books. You would think after reading one his books that he was solely responsible for creating criminal profiling and that he is always right on profiles with stunning accuracy. Neither of which is the case.

Regardless of what some may think, John Douglas is not honest in what he writes. This is a criticism that has been echoed before.

His stanch beliefs and lack of telling readers that most criminal profiles are completely inaccurate only show his arrogance and elitist mentality. He lies when states that he never reviews information about suspects before he does his profiling...and you can bet your bottom dollar that Douglas was not up front with some of those in law enforcement about his early incorrect profiles. Many police agencies were only seeing the successes and not the inaccuracies.

One case that is particularly disturbing is the 1984 rape and murder of nine-year old Christine Jessop in Queensville, Canada. Douglas was called in after the small Durham Regional Police force had a suspect named Guy Paul Morin. Douglas knew of this suspect and the details. At that time, Douglas was making a name for himself and police were (unfortunately) relying heavily on him, as Durham police were desperate to make an arrest. He did a profile that would obviously match Morin, gave it to police, then the police released it publicly and named Morin as a suspect (some have said Douglas told police to release it to the media), prejudicing Morin's right to a fair trial.

There was no purpose for Douglas to do a profile on a known suspect in this case. For him it was a slam-dunk and another way to promote himself and his unit, whose purpose was to help identify 'unknown' suspects and not known suspects.

Even to this day John Douglas believes that Guy Paul Morin killed Christine Jessop. He believes his profile was correct and has gone so far in stating that the DNA found on Christine's underwear was not Morin's because she was being routinely sexually assaulted by others. He has simply dismissed all other facts and evidence, which point to Morin's innocence and that the killer is still yet identified (UNSUB). Many things went wrong with this case, but in the end, Morin was exonerated.

This case was a major John Douglas profiling blunder. Yet he still refuses to acknowledge that he helped imprison an innocent man and possibly directed attention away from the real killer.

I believe criminal profiling of UNSUBs can be a useful tool, but you need a clearer picture of what it entails along with the probability aspects. You will not get that from John Douglas' books. Douglas is too much of a cheerleader with a one-sided view.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful and wrenching
Review: Journey Into Darkness undertakes several missions on its path. Sure, we have the murders themselves committed by people we can only dream never come within a thousand miles of anyone we know. We also get a riveting insight into the science of criminal psychology, victimology and investigative detection. Finally, the noble crusades of victims' relatives and advice, support and education on how to spot and avoid potential catastrophes occurring to anyone you know is touched on in detail.

I guarantee that if you have children or relatives that have anything in common with any of the victims you will be affected by this book in a way that few others will affect you.

I'm tempted to go off at a tangent and comment on the vile killers themselves but since this is a book review, I will cut myself off and say that the book is extremely well written, excellently structured and balanced superbly. This isn't merely a Triple A guide to serial killers, and although Douglas is clearly proud of the work he has done, what shines through is the fact that he is a human being first and a criminal investigator second. The fact that he has to get into their heads to understand and uncover the crimes is continually balanced with his assertions that he has just as much contempt for these killers as those directly affected by them. That's important, along with his attempts to educate the readers on how to avoid such situations coming up in their neighborhoods or families. It effectively diffuses the chances of the book becoming episodic or even biographical.

I was confused by his inclusion of the O.J. Simpson case, not because it was poorly put together - it was very convincing - but because it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. It might well belong in a different book, but here it struck me as an attempt to cash in on something which almost undid the good intentions of the rest of the book.

However, it is a remarkable insight into a profession and a world dominated by the truly darkest elements of the human race. The book is hard to read without feeling guilty at yourself for not wanting to put it down. And that is a testament to its power.