Aurora

The Psychiatrist Who Treated the Movie Theater Killer Tells Her Story

By: Dr. Lynne Fenton, Kerrie Droban

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

A compelling look at violence and trauma from the psychiatrist who treated mass shooter James Holmes, perpetrator of the infamous movie theater massacre.

As an expert and speaker on mass shootings and gun violence, Dr. Lynn Fenton knew it was impossible to “spot a killer”. But when she met her new patient, troubled grad student James Holmes, the hair on her arms stood up. She feared he was going to kill. Yet she could find no way to thwart him.

A few months later, Holmes struck: He entered a packed movie theater and opened fire, killing 12 people and wounding 70; some were left brain damaged, several were paralyzed for life. Immediately the familiar debates reignited: the crisis of mental health access. More restrictive gun laws vs more “good guys with guns”. The morality of the death penalty. The legitimacy of the insanity defense.

But what about the victims and bystanders whose lives would never be the same? Dr. Fenton’s memoir is a voice for them. Her inability to thwart Holmes’ mass murder made her a scapegoat and elicited innumerable death threats. Her chilling account provides an intimate look at her life before and after the Aurora massacre, as well as alarming insight into the sinister patient who called himself “fear incarnate”. With unprecedented access to thousands of pages of documents, audio and video recordings, trial transcripts, medical records, and notes, Aurora attempts to answer the question Holmes himself posed in his infamous notebook: “Why? Why? Why?”

©2022 Dr. Lynne Fenton and Kerrie Droban (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“We rarely glimpse inside the minds of mass murderers, much less the minds of the professionals who crawl into them. Here, Dr. Lynne Fenton chronicles her deep dive into a genuine madman’s nerve center—and the personal price she paid for it. Aurora is a vital, important book that captures the human and legal confusion in the aftermath of mass murder. It can’t bring the dead back to life, but it can make you feel the terror. It takes your breath away.”—Ron Franscell, bestselling author of The Darkest Night and ShadowMan

“The harrowing story of a woman who saw violence on the horizon but was powerless to prevent it. This book is disturbing on multiple levels.”—Peter Langman, PhD, author of Warning Signs: Identifying School Shooters Before They Strike

“Insightful, brilliant, and unflinching, Aurora sheds light on America’s most disturbing and inexplicable crimes—mass shootings. The authors have created a page-turner that both fascinates and educates. This in-depth study of random violence will serve as a wake-up call to help prevent future massacres.”—Leslie Rule, bestselling author of true crime, including A Tangled Web: A Cyberstalker, A Deadly Obsession, and the Twisting Path to Justice

Loved it!

Very well done, tactful but authentic. Such a heartbreaking experience for so many. Definitely recommend.

No words

Born and raised in Colorado. Thank you so much for giving your life to this. I am just sick reading what actually happened and how you were victimized. I hope you can find some sort of peace and some semblance of a normal life. Breaks my heart. 💜

Well written and heartwrenching

As a psychiatrist, I know how unbelievably painful this must have been and remains. This is our worst nightmare. JH is the monster. Not you. Donate your profits to the families and survivors. Don't profit from their pain.

Sensationalism

This book is clearly engaging in the Joker theory which was debunked shortly after the shooting. The psychiatrist simply talks about details she could not have known and unwittingly outs herself as somebody who did not do enough and completely misunderstood him as a psychopathic killer which he was not.

Odd and underwhelming

As someone who, due to education and profession, has a highly extensive knowledge and experience with this case, I very much looked forward to the release of this book. However, I couldn’t be more disappointed with the final product. It’s a weird forced narrative that is FILLED with incorrect and/or convoluted facts, some of which are very simple to research for their accuracy. In addition, it’s as if many specifics of the case and time leading up to the shooting were placed in a blender and then dumped on the page. The amount of misquotes, especially when related to false attribution, timeline, and presentation out of context, are so extensive throughout that it’s surreal. So much so, after the 2nd chapter, I went back and confirmed this book was supposed to be a true and honest non-fiction presentation of the case and those involved.
I could continue but I dislike rambling reviews so will just stop now and finish with this. if you’d like a good fiction read about dramatized events loosely related to the case, you might enjoy it. If you prefer a non-fiction, historically accurate, honest review of the case, including Dr Fentons role in it, this isn’t the book for you.