When a Killer Calls

A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling, and Justice in a Small Town

By: John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker

Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminal profiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter—comes a chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort to identify and catch him.

On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeated and taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrived the next day entitled “Last Will & Testament,” in which Shari, knowing she was to be murdered, wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew they would persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town, triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profiler John Douglas. A few days later, a phone call told the family where they could find Shari’s body.

Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murder was no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed.

One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas’s storied career, this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created—alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror. As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits, culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer.

©2021 John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Great companion to Mindhunters

I am fascinated by true crime and I especially enjoy forensics and behavioral studies. The only drawback to this audio book is that the narrator read the book (the way it was written I guess) and I prefer audio books where there are different voices for the characters.

Love John Douglas!

Such a heart wrenching story! I like how updates on all involved were given as well. I have so much respect for all Law Enforcement that deals with these horrendous situations. Mr. Douglas's honesty shines through.

Well done!

I love the format of JD books and this was no different. Informative while telling a story with his training anecdotal style! Great narration too!

Excellent!

One of Douglas’ best, and I’ve read them all. Kept me hooked until the very end.

What really happens?

I love a book that gives you all the background information along with the story! Follow along with a case and get the inner workings of the minds that solve them!

Great book. Kept me wanting to know what was next.

Very informative.
Would recommend. Great background into the BAU. Love the follow to in the epilogue.

Awesome book

Well read, very informative. Makes you see and understand things. Love these kind of books. Highly recommend.

Worth the listen

This book is such a fantastic retelling of the Larry Gene Bell murders, John Douglas did an amazing job (as per usual) and the narrator was super easy to follow and listen to. Highly recommend!

Fascinating and Horrifying

Whether classified as a science or an art, when criminal profiling is this accurate it is nothing short of mind blowing. Be prepared to wrap your your mind around the unfathomable cruelty of the perpetrator in this case. Reviewers often object to Douglas’s tendency to cite his own accomplishments in his books, but I say this pioneer (and others) of this technique have made the world a safer better place. Blow your horn all you like John. I’m grateful for all you’ve done.

Factual but with great heart

All the details of the cases without losing focus on the lives affected. Narrator does a great job of slightly changing voice for different quotes without being weird. Fascinating and heartbreaking. The faith of the Smith family is inspiring.