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Summary: Portraits of Guilt
Review: This was one of the most riveting books I have read. The stories behind the stories give an excellent overview of the complexity of the work Jeanne does, and she does it with such sensitivity and insight, making her as effective as she is. When reading this book, one truly wonders if what Jeanne has can be taught to others or might it be a "gift", that can't be neatly wrapped. For anyone interested in what truly happens and the pain and patience it must take to find the "answers", this book is a must read. Let's only hope that there may be a sequel to it, so we, too may understand more.
Rating: 
Summary: Save your money
Review: This book is a real I, me, my. Very thin on the suggested subject matter. Sorry but good looking women picking loser husbands is pretty old news and really had no place in this book. I was very disappointed and am donating to my library. Maybe somebody will enjoy it more.
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Summary: The artist behind those criminal faces...
Review: I found this book hard to put down. Jeanne Boylan has taken the term "criminal sketch artist" and given it an entirely new meaning. She cares -- not only about justice being served, but also about the victims and their families. Her talent is amazing, and I believe that law-enforcement officials should read this book -- there is much they can learn from her.
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Summary: Extremely Interesting!! - Real Life stuff
Review: I found this book to be really interesting. Made me want to think about becoming a Forensics specialist or a detective. Good Read
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Summary: Sketches of the mind.
Review: "Portraits of Guilt" opens a door full of knowledge of the human mind. Jeanne Boylan has the notion that, "memory lies at the bottom of emotion" and she can develop/draw the mental picture of a crime witness into the almost exact portray of the criminal. To achieve this, she tactfully, intuitively and intelligently mediates in between the conscious and the unconscious mind of the witness to bring about the emotions that conceal the image of the criminal. In between FBI and other cases, Ms. Boylan also talks about her personal life which I think made the book more enjoyable to me because I was able to identify with her in some aspects of her life. I highly recommend this book to people interested in Psychology or Criminal Justice (Forensic Psychology) and specially to women so that they can have an idea of what it is to work in the criminal justice system and to know how loud their voices could be heard.
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Summary: Portraits of Guilt, see into the eyes of criminals
Review: Crime and criminals attract our horror, disgust, and attention. Ms. Boylan draws not just their picture for the victims but their vicious acts in black and white. This highly readable and well written book was very hard to put down until the last page. And even the last page will never be forgotton. I am not a bleeding heart nor am I without care for the people who are horribly used by these murderers and rapists. But until I read this book, this account of Ms. Boylan's methods and principles the victims/victors were not alive to me. Now I will never forget Polly Klass or Justin Jones. I also have heard over and over that you cannot trust the eye witness. It is very clear that the reason law enforcement says this is because of the old methods of interrogation that were always used. This is not a 'beat up on the cops' tome either. The author is very clear that she respects the mind numbing job of homicide detectives. You may be like me, finishing this book within 24 hours of buying it but you will never forget it.
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Summary: Meanders a bit, but basically fascinating
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Jeanne Boylan's involvement with some very high-profile criminal cases. I had a few unanswered questions, though, such as whether someone ever developed a curriculum to train other people in this technique. It would seem that Boylan thinks she's the only one who can handle these tough cases. In addition, I felt a little embarrassed reading the details of her personal life -- the effects of her demanding career on her marriage. She also alluded several times to an attack that she survived when she was about 20 years old, but she doesn't give much explanation about that, which left me wondering. I like this book very much overall, and found myself sneaking in a few pages wherever I could, so I could see if the criminal in her latest case was caught.
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Summary: Engrossing, Easy to Read True Crime Book
Review: I've read plenty of true crime books but this is the first by a "sketch artist" and it was very educational, especially as to how her methods differ from most of the other artists. After reading this book, you'll raise an eyebrow anytime you see a sketch in your local paper.
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Summary: Most Excellent!
Review: Jeanne Boylan gives an excellent realistic view of her extraordinary gift/job. If you find yourself interested in those investigation and forensic programs on the Discovery channel then you will also love this book. It is definitely hard to put down!
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Summary: MADE ME SMILE
Review: AFTER READING THE BOOK, I LOGGED ON TO SEE IF OTHER REVIEWERS FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE A MOVING AND SOULFUL AS I FOUND IT. THEN I SAW THE REVIEW ENTITLED "DISAPPOINTED" WHERE THE READER SEEMED TO HAVE SOUGHT A DRYER 'TEXTBOOK' PURELY ON SKETCHING TECHNIQUES AND FELT THIS BOOK DIDN'T DELIVER. I HAD TO SMILE A LITTLE. THAT REVIEW MUST HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY THE PRECISE UNFEELING "JUST THE FACTS MA'ME" KIND OF PEOPLE THAT BOYLAN WRITES OF SO OFTEN HAVING ENCOUNTED IN HER WORK AND WHO LIKE THIS REVIEWER, SEEMED TO FAIL TO SEE THE HUMAN EMOTION INSIDE THE CASES WHICH AS BOYLAN POINTS OUT, IS THE "PRECISE MISSING INGREDIENT IN THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS". POINT MADE. I FOUND THIS BOOK NOT A 'TEXTBOOK' PER SE, THOUGH IT SEEMS TO BLANTANTLY LAY OUT A VERY SOLID FOUNDATION FOR MANY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF EYEWITNESS INTERVIEWING, BUT "PORTRAITS OF GUILT" IS ACTUALLY A REAL STORY ABOUT HONORING THE HUMAN SPIRIT AS WELL AS THE COSTLY AND SOMETIMES DEADLY CONSEQUENCES WHEN IT IS NOT HONORED. SHE MAKES HER ARGUMENT IMPRESSIVELY BY USING A SERIES OF ACTUAL CASES. BOYLAN VERY CLEARLY POINTS OUT WHERE A READER NEEDS TO GO FOR FURTHER ACADEMIC MATERIAL AS DID SHE HAVE TO DO IN HER OWN SEARCH FOR THE ANSWERS. BUT THIS BOOK, AS I SUSPECT THE WRITER INTENDED, IS AN ACTUAL 'MEMOIR' OF A REAL LIFE, FULL BODIED, RICH, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL AND VERY REALISTIC. HAD IT BEEN SOLELY A TEXTBOOK, I'D HAVE LONGED FOR MORE ABOUT THE PERSON, HAD IT BEEN A STRICT BIOGRAPHY, I'D HAVE LONGED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER WORK, BUT I FOUND MYSELF HIGHLY SATISFIED ON BOTH COUNTS, AND LEFT SUBSTANTIALLY WISER AS WELL AS DEEPLY MOVED BY THIS UNUSUAL LIFE AND WHAT THIS LONE WOMAN WORKING AGAINST ALL ODDS, HAS DONE WITH HER OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO OPEN HEARTS AND MINDS OF A JUSTICE SYSTEM SO CLEARLY IN NEED OF SOME SERIOUS REVISION. I SALUTE HER AND HER DETERMINATION. AS FOR THE READER WHO TITLED THEIR REVIEW "DISAPPOINTED", IF YOUR APPETITE IS WHETTED FOR MORE, IT'S SIMPLE; YOU NEED ONLY GO TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY TO FIND THE RESEARCH BOYLAN OBVIOUSLY DIRECTS YOU TO IN THE BOOK. SHE GIVES YOU JUST ENOUGH INSTRUCTION TO MAKE YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE. (THAT IS CALLED "GOOD WRITING".) AS FOR READERS IN SEARCH OF A UNIQUE STORY THAT DELIVERS SOME HEARTLY LAUGHS, MORE THAN A FEW TEARS AND BEHIND THE SCENES INSIGHTS INTO MANY OF THE MOST INTRIGUING CASES,YOU WILL NOT FIND YOURSELF EVEN REMOTELY DISAPPOINTED. THIS WAS A HIGHLY ENJOYABLE, VERY INFORMATIVE READ AS WELL AS A PERSONAL AND MOVING BOOK. BOYLAN'S CANDOR AND WIT ARE REFRESHING THIS THREE DIMENSI0NAL STORY IS A NEEDED BREATH OF FRESH AIR.
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