Journey into Darkness

By: John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker

Narrated by: Danny Campbell

Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

In the number-one New York Times best seller Mindhunter, John Douglas, who headed the FBI's elite Investigative Support Unit, told the story of his brilliant and terrifying career tracking down some of the most heinous criminals in history. Now, in Journey into Darkness, Douglas profiles vicious serial killers, rapists, and child molesters. He is straightforward, blunt, often irreverent, and outspoken, but takes pains not to glorify any of these murderers.

Some of the unique cases Douglas discusses include:

• The Clairemont killer
• The schoolgirl murders
• Richmond's first serial murderer
• The brutal and sadistic murder of Suzanne Marie Collins
• Polly Klaas' abduction and murder by Richard Allen Davis
• The tragedy that lead to the creation of Megan's Law

With Journey into Darkness, Douglas provides more than a glimpse into the minds of serial killers; he demonstrates what a powerful weapon behavioral science has become. Profiling criminals helps not only to capture them, but also helps society understand how these predators work and what can be done to prevent them from striking again. Douglas focuses especially on pedophiles and child abductors, fully explaining what drives them and how to keep children away from them. As he points out, "The best way to protect your children is to know your enemy." He includes eight rules for safety, a list of steps parents can take to prevent child abduction and exploitation, tips on how to detect sexual exploitation, basic rules of safety for children, and a chart, based on age, that details the safety skills children should have to protect themselves.

In his review for Mindhunter in The New York Times Book Review, Dean Koontz said, "Because of his insights and the power of the material, he leaves us shaken, gripped by a quiet grief for the innocent victims and anguished by the human condition." Journey into Darkness continues this perilous trip into the psyche of the serial killer, but also offers a glimmer of hope that profiling may enable law enforcement to see the indicators of a serial killer's mind and intervene before he kills or kills again.

©1997 John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker (P)2018 Simon & Schuster

Great content, boring narrator

This book is an experience. At times it got a bit “dark” and I had to turn it off due to how well it depicted the pain of the victims and their loved ones. John Douglas again delivers another book that is not an entertainment thriller but should also be utilized by parents and anyone working as a social worker.

However the narration is terrible, Danny Campbell sounds as if he is in his last breath and put me to sleep more than once. I wish they had used another narrator otherwise you are better off reading this book yourself instead of listening to it.

Always interesting

I always love John Douglas's books, they're fascinating. He had the most interesting, horrifying job in the world and I'm glad I can be a part of it for a little while. I struggled with this narrator, however. He mispronounced words and names once in a while, and I swear when chapter 12 was recorded he had a cold or a sinus infection as the entire chapter came out stuffy and nasally.

Captivating

If you enjoy Mindhunter or any other of John Douglas’s books, you will enjoy this one. Interesting and at times disturbing.

Captivating

I can't get enough of John E Douglass books! great narration and performance. This is a book I will listen to again.

Sometimes feels like a college text book

Its pretty good, but some chapters end with the author giving sources for getting more information. Truthfully, those parts disrupt the reading and make the book feel like a text book. Overall good, but Mindhunter was definitely better.

if you are into this kind of thing....

i am a fan of the Mind Hunter series on Netflix and forensic psychology. Though the details of the crimes can be very difficult to hear, he does a great job with bringing the victims "back to life" and talks extensively about victim impact. there is nothin glamorizing the criminals and he is does not mince his words.

Another great book, but...

I admit have a preference for Mindhunter - both for the content and the narration.

Well written, well argued

A lot of the focus is spent on the murder of Suzanne Collins, which was absolutely horrific. I personally was expecting coverage and/or deep dives into a greater number of crimes & offenders, just based on the title, but that being said this is still a decent resource for individuals just getting into true crime.

Simply the best

Still the Mac daddy of criminal profiling. This book is not for the squeamish. The psychology of serial killers is a fascinating read.

Another great listen from John Douglas

solid book, provides good insight into the why question of what and how serial killers may be thinking as they do what they do. Parts of the book became a little dry, but overall I enjoyed listening to it and would recommend it to anyone interested on the topic.