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The Cases That Haunt Us

The Cases That Haunt Us

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Don't Jump to Conclusions
Review: I am just as guilty as most in that I thought I had the Jon Benet Ramsey case solved. This book, and the excellent analysis it provided into the mind of killers, proves that you should not jump to conclusions before you have all the facts. This case, and the others in the book, provided valuable information into the minds of different types of killers. It will prove invaluable in making analysis of cases to come. Super work and very easy to read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book and learning how FBI profilers work. I especially enjoyed the segment on the JonBenet Ramsey murder.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Fascinating reading
Review: I like true-crime analysis and the older cases were interesting....Details were given and opinions were explored as were possible suspects. I felt sorry for Charles Lindbergh and his wife. The Ramsey case still baffles me and the "police procedures gone wrong" is a scary thought... It made me wonder if a lot of the killers had actually really died or if they are still lurking out there wanting to kill again.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: HALF CORRECT.......
Review: THE WORLD RENOWNED DOUGLAS RELIES TOO HEAVILY ON THE ''RESEARCH''OF OTHER WRITERS IN FORMING OPINIONS..........SOME OF IT IS THINLY DISGUISED FICTION,AS IN JOHN GILMORE'S ''SEVERED''(THE BLACK DAHLIA),OR ROBERT GRAYSMITH'S EPONYMOUS ''ZODIAC''.........SOMETIMES HE'S RIGHT ON TARGET(LIZZIE),REAL CLOSE(JACK THE RIPPER),OR,AND I'M SURE MOST WILL AGREE,TOTALLY WRONG(JON BENET)........DOUGLAS DID NOT DO HIS HOMEWORK CORRECTLY HERE,AND SOMETIMES IT SHOWS BADLY.........OF COURSE,WITH SOME OF THESE ANCIENT CRIMES,IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO SEPERATE FACT FROM SPECULATION ANYMORE?.........OTHER WRITERS HAVE DEVOTED YEARS OF THEIR LIVES TO SOME OF THESE CASES,AND THEY'RE TOTALLY LOST,SOMETIMES.......MAYBE THE COMPLEXITY INVOLVED W/ MOST CASES PRESENTED HERE DEFIES ENCAPSULATION,WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT THIS BOOK PROVIDES.........JOHN DOUGLAS SHOULD STICK TO THE FRESH CRIMES OUT THERE,ITS TOO LATE FOR THE HOPELESSLY DISTORTED ONES HERE.........

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: In "The Cases That Haunt Us", John Douglas discusses many of the unsolved cases that have left trained detectives stumped. He goes into detail of the facts of the cases, then adds his own thoughts and profile on the suspects personality. Douglas does go into detail but keeps it simple enough so that people other then Law Enforcement Proffessionals can understand. For a non-fiction book, it is very interesting. With Douglas's own spin on things, and his using new tecniques on old cases, he adds light to old cases in an amazingly interesting, riviting fashion.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A VERY promising start, but disappointing ending...
Review: I've read most of John Douglas' books, and most of the other books inspired by the work done in the FBI's Behavioral Sciences unit. I have a deep respect for Douglas and his many colleagues around the country who continue to work in law enforcement and are students of the criminal mind.

"The Cases that Haunt Us" is, for the most part, a work that deserves as much accolade as Douglas and Olshaker's previous books. The historical perspective and fresh evaluative light shed on such classic cases as Jack the Ripper and the Lindbergh kidnapping is fascinating and invaluable. However, upon reading the final chapter, I was left with the nagging feeling that every chapter in the book was a carefully calculated setup to prepare the reader for the final chapter, where Douglas presents his findings and opinions on the JonBenet Ramsey murder case.

I don't fault him for being unobjective. He admits that he was hired by the Ramseys' lawyers to provide his opinions on their possible guilt or innocence. He was not, as is often assumed by the public, hired to provide a profile of the killer (he was never given access to the autopsy reports, crime scene photos, physical evidence, etc., that would be necessary for a true profile). As with his style in the previous chapters, he presents the facts of the case. But his chapter on JonBenet is hopelessly contaminated by his own involvement with the family (none of the other high profile cases in the book involved him personally). The result is a missive that reads like a cross between a rationalization and an apology. Don't get me wrong, Douglas presents his findings in a clear and very logical manner, and I don't disagree with his findings. I just wish for the sake of this book, that he had left the Ramsey case alone and had added some additional historical cases (JFK or MLK Jr assassinations, for instance, or the OJ case) in which he was not personally involved.

Much has been written about the JonBenet Ramsey murder, and I was curious to see Douglas' own conclusions on this case. But by including it in this book, he busted what was easily a 5-star work down to 3 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Douglas and Olshaker Kick Ass Again
Review: This is a great book that any person interested in psychology should have. I know detectives and psychologists who delight in the interesting way that Douglas makes the wisdom of the FBI available to readers. The United States has spent millions of dollars in researching the psychology of criminal behavior, so it should be of no surprize that so much quality information exists. Douglas and Olshaker are doing an excellent job at disseminating this information in a fascinating way. Researchers in other human behaviors should take note of the massive work done by the United States into the criminal mind.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Boring but had many details
Review: I thought this book was very boring. I was only fascinated with the details of the cases. I think it was poorly written.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: cases that haunt us...
Review: i thought this book had alot of info on the crimes and suspects. i didn't necessarily agree with the author's input on the jon benet ramsey murder but it's still a good read. this book makes you want to protect your children more ;)

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Some Interesting Stories on OLD CASES
Review: John Douglas is known for his expertise in the realm of criminal-personality profiling and modern investigative analysis. Mark Olshaker is a novelist and filmmaker; this book is very readable and entertaining. The book lists no sources or footnotes for their chapters.

The book's chapters are: "Jack the Ripper", "Lizzie Borden", "The Lindbergh Kidnapping", "The Zodiac", "The JonBenet Ramsey Murder", and a catch-all chapter. There is no "Trail of OJ Simpson" but references to it are sprinkled in some chapters; why not? My comments are on the the trial of Lizzie Borden.

On pages 114-116 JD imagines how he could get Lizzie Borden to confess - to a crime she didn't commit! His invention of a scandalous past for LB reminds me of those stories of "recovered memories". He says this trick works if he can keep a dialogue going - which could mean he puts ideas in their minds and words in their mouths. He would try to use a compliant press to present himself as one who "might understand". The fact of LB's innocence of the murders seems to be irrelevant.

What I learned from this book is not to talk to the police unless your lawyer is present. JD makes this point perfectly clear for Mr. & Mrs. Ramsey. It also helps if you're rich enough to hire the best lawyers in town, and then move to another state. JD correctly recommends making the FBI Crime Lab independent. Read "Tainting Evidence" by J. Kelly and P. Wearne to learn why.


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