Featuring never-before-seen interview transcripts and crime scene drawings, A Killer by Design pulls us directly into the investigations as Burgess experienced with them, providing readers with unprecedented insight into the minds of these deranged killers, the victims they left behind, and the agents who were forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about crime. As one of the first female consultants for the FBI, this memoir also sheds light on the evolving culture of not just the agency itself, but the criminal justice system nationwide. Thanks to her keen observations and invaluable intuition, Burgess became one of the most sought-after experts in a male-dominated field, breaking through the bureaucratic glass ceiling and clearing the path for generations of talented women to follow in her wake.
'I think you have something here' I said,
'This could lead to a whole new way of understanding criminal behaviour. As far as I know no one's ever tried to figure out why serial killers kill. The implications are profound.'
Haunting, heartfelt, and deeply human, Dr Ann Burgess's remarkable memoir combines a riveting personal narrative of fearless feminism and ambition, bone-chilling encounters with real-life monsters, and a revealing portrait of the ever-evolving US criminal justice system. A Killer By Design will inspire, terrify, and enlighten you in equal measure.
It forces us to confront the age-old question 'What drives someone to kill, and how can we stop them?'
'Of all the colleagues I've worked with, Ann is one of the sharpest - and one of the toughest ... She taught us how to harness the chaos of serial killers' minds and helped us decipher the undecipherable. I'd recommend that everyone read A Killer By Design; not only is it a great page-turner, but it's about time Ann's story was heard' - JOHN E. DOUGLAS, former FBI criminal profiler and bestselling author of Mindhunter.
