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

Publisher’s Description

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.

• Genre:  True Crime
• Authors: John E. Douglas with Mark Olshaker
• Narrator: Keith Sellon-Wright
• Length: 9 hours 1 minute
• Publisher:  Harper Audio
• Release Date: February 1, 2022

My Thoughts (audiobook)

When A Killer Calls is the newest book by the incredible criminal profiler who was the inspiration behind Netflix’s Mindhunter: John Douglas.

If you’re interested in true crime and profiling, don’t overlook this detailed story. It follows two cases beginning with the disappearance of Shari Smith and then Debra May Helmick. Both cases were fairly new to me, so each step was interesting, though gut-wrenching.

This is told through the eyes of a profiler, which made it different than other true crime books. The techniques that were used to narrow the hunt down were truly amazing. I’m always amazed by the innovative methods that some people come up with to solve crimes. Especially since modern methods weren’t available in the early 80s.

I secretly wondered if I would have been one to raise my eyebrows at the thought of profiling. After all, does it make sense that you can analyze a person’s psychological and behavioral characteristics? Then, at least to a degree, attempt to apply them across the board? I’m positive that I would have been a naysayer. Profiling sounds a bit too much like wishful thinking.

However, I think that’s why this book, and the premise, pulled me in quickly. I was mesmerized by the details and techniques that were used to capture the killer.

Final Thoughts

This story is told from FBI profiler John Douglas’ perspective. It is both heartbreaking and touching as the detectives work to catch the killer.

If you’re a fan of true crimes you won’t be disappointed. And the narrator only made it better.

About the Author(s)

John Douglas, the legendary FBI criminal profiler and veteran author of true crime books, has spent over twenty-five years researching and culling the stories of America’s most disturbing criminals. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he has directly worked and/or had overall supervision in over 5,000 violent crime cases over the past 48 years. He is currently chairman of the board of the “Cold Case Foundation.” One of the foremost experts and investigators of criminal minds and motivations, he currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

Mark Olshaker is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and author of ten nonfiction books and five novels, including Einstein’s Brain and The Edge. His books with former FBI Special Agent and criminal profiling pioneer John Douglas, beginning with Mindhunter and, most recently, Law & Disorder, have sold millions of copies and have been translated into many languages. Mindhunter is now a dramatic series on Netflix, directed by David Fincher. He and his wife Carolyn, an attorney, live in Washington, D.C.

If you purchase through the links in this post, I may earn a small commission. This helps support Pick a Good Book and allows us to continue bringing you great content.