The Killer Across the Table

Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter

By: John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker

Narrated by: Jonathan Groff

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Performed by Jonathan Groff, star of the hit Netflix show Mindhunter, and featuring an exclusive conversation between John E. Douglas and Jonathan Groff at the end of the audiobook

In The Killer Across the Table, John E. Douglas, the legendary FBI criminal profiler, number one New York Times best-selling author, and inspiration for Netflix’s Mindhunter, delves deep into the lives and crimes of four of the most disturbing and complex predatory killers, offering never-before-revealed details about his profiling process and divulging the strategies used to help crack some of America’s most challenging cases.

The Killer Across the Table is narrated by Jonathan Groff, who plays Holden Ford on Mindhunter, the character inspired by John E. Douglas. The FBI’s pioneer of criminal profiling, former special agent John Douglas has studied and interviewed many of America’s most notorious killers - including Charles Manson, ”Son of Sam Killer” David Berkowitz, and ”BTK Strangler” Dennis Rader - trained FBI agents and investigators around and the world, and helped educate the country about these deadly predators and how they operate, and has become a legend in popular culture, fictionalized in The Silence of the Lambs and the hit television shows Criminal Minds and Mindhunter.

Twenty years after his famous memoir, the man who literally wrote the book on FBI criminal profiling opens his case files once again. In this riveting work of true crime, he spotlights four of the most diabolical criminals he’s confronted, interviewed and learned from. Going deep into each man’s life and crimes, he outlines the factors that led them to murder and how he used his interrogation skills to expose their means, motives, and true evil. Like the hit Netflix show, The Killer Across the Table is centered around Douglas’ unique interrogation and profiling process. With his longtime collaborator Mark Olshaker, Douglas recounts the chilling encounters with these four killers as he experienced them - revealing for the first time his profile methods in detail. Going step by step through his interviews, Douglas explains how he connects each killer’s crimes to the specific conversation and contrasts these encounters with those of other deadly criminals to show what he learns from each one. In the process, he returns to other famous cases, killers, and interviews that have shaped his career, describing how the knowledge he gained from those exchanges helped prepare him for these.

A glimpse into the mind of a man who has pierced the heart of human darkness, The Killer Across the Table unlocks the ultimate mystery of depravity and the techniques and approaches that have countered evil in the name of justice.

©2019 John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

It’s a good story

It’s hard to listen to this book. I wish I hadn’t watched Frozen with my kids because all I hear is Kristoff telling me about these heinous crimes.

Did not disappoint

Narrator was very easy to listen to and the book itself is wonderful. this was my first audible experience and I looked for a highly rated book to start off with. this did not disappoint.

Excellent.

Whether you are a lifelong fan or a newb because of Netflix you will enjoy the writing and the performance

fascinating!

absolutely enamored with this entire story. compelling, gripping and truly informative. the narration was beyond expectation and the story itself drew me in immediately.

Excellent!

Excellent book! I have 6 or 7 of Mr. Douglas ' books and this is his best yet. Narrator Johnathan Groff is fantastic. His narration is key to this book. I'd give it 6 stars if I could!

Informational

Most informational book about criminal psychology I've read. Even though I have not encountered violent criminals in my person life, The link between the mother and the son's sexual preference is really interesting to me.I wonder about this connection from observing someone I know. It's both validating and creepy.

Fascinating and Scary!

When you hear stories you wonder what makes people snap. This gives good insight and is interesting that a lot of the crime happens because if convenience.

best audiobook ever!

like many people, i found this book after watching mindhunter. I was expecting some dark content but this book has really dived deeper into the dark dark world of killers. I think the biggest strength of this book has been fantastic narration by groff. he really brings the stories to life.

Enlightening and Terrifying

This is the first book by John and Mark that I’ve listened to. Jonathan Groff was a superb narrator.
Perfectly read. Amazingly written. There were times I had to pause the audio because of the content so I could process what I’d just heard. I will warn you now: there are some rather graphic accounts, and it lends to the gravity of the crime(s). It isn’t unnecessary at all.
And now I’m going to download a few more of John and Mark’s books.

Brilliant.

Great read.
Amazing narration,
By:Jonathan Groff.
Definitely go into this book with a strong stomach.
Still a great read.