Rating: 
Summary: A useful introduction and reference for writers.
Review: "Malicious Intent" is one of the best writers guides to how murderers and other violent criminals think. The author approaches his material with a mind/personality/psychology/human behavior perspective. The book's coverage is broad, including history, profiling, serial murder, cult murder, and sexual predators; it looks at the role played by victims and drug abuse. Sean Mactire's background in the prevention of child abuse shows up in his detailed treatment of child molesters and murders.Mactire's chapters on serial murder and on terrorists are especially usable. While all books I have read in the "Howdunit Series" have been helpful, "Malicious Intent" has been the most useful. My copy has so many Post-It Flags marking material and references it looks like a porcupine.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific
Review: An excellent resource for authors and readers alike. Very useful for telling your friends what mental disorders they have.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource for new crime writers.
Review: I found this book to be very helpful in learning how to properly write a 'profile' of a serial killer for a story I am working on. Of all the writer's guides I have used, 'Malicious Intent' was the only one that gave me detailed background on serial killers, and how 'Profiling' came to be used by law enforcement.
Rating:
Summary: It's not ment to be a bible
Review: I found this book useful as an entry level resource into understanding criminal behavior much in the same way law enforcement does. It's not ment to be the concrete last word in criminal thinking. As no one can possibly cover all aspects of criminal psychology, I find it a tad insulting that this whole review section is filled with people angry about the offense supposedly directed toward their religious beliefes. But the book for what it says it offers. Try the bible for religious needs. Nowhere in the title does it say, "the writer's guide to how murderers, robbers, rapists, and other criminals think; and making you feel good about your religion." The book offers insight, and that's what you gain, if your not bias enough to stop after the chapter that might have pointed out that some of the sickest and most dangerous criminals were bible thumping church goers on a mission to clense the earth.
Rating: 
Summary: No real meat in this.
Review: I was a bit irritated at spending good money for this book. I wanted very much to understand the psychology of why criminals act the way they do, but I finished this book knowing no more than what I did going in. The author makes too many pronouncements, many of which I doubted. His reasoning seemed vague, and I was left wondering if he made his statements based on sound research or just his own opinion. If anyone knows of a better reference on the psychology of criminal and psychotic behavior--one geared to writers--I'd like to hear what it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Otherwise known as, "Sean Mactire: A Man of Many Opinions"
Review: I've enjoyed many of the Howdunit Series books. Although Mr. Mactire seemed to have little expertise in criminal psychology except related to domestic crime, I thought Mr. Mactire might be a self-made expert on criminal thinking. Unfortunately, although he has done the research, Mr. Mactire uses the book primarily as a launching pad for his personal opinions on social ills and historical events. In virtually every chapter, there is a categorical conclusion with no attempt at justification. Examples include: [One reason the U.S. is "the only Western industrialized nation with such a dominant organized crime problem":] "Others had Hitler, Stalin, and other tyrants in power, but we were stuck with J. Edgar Hoover." (p. 163) [Another reason:] "No one other industrialized nation has such disgusting, destructive and oppressive slums as America." (p. 163) [Historical crimes]: "During the sixteenth century...thousands of political and nonpolitical crimes were committed in the name of the Christian faith. The worst of these was the 'witchcraft craze.' [What about the Crusades!]...[T]he whole concept of Satan and Devil worship was a lie the Church invented to help consolidate its power." (pages 14-15) [On Battered Wife Syndrome]: "Unfortunately, Battered Wife Syndrome is only admissable unconditionally in seven states and conditionally in five states. The rest don't care or have poor excuses to disallow the evidence." (p. 211) Mr. Mactire denounces many "myths" regarding criminal thinking which are really just other perspectives on some controversial topics. For example, Mr. Mactire is of the opinion that drug addicts and other criminals suffering from "impulse disorders" can never be rehabilitated, even when they plea for help: "The offender does want help - help to continue his or her criminal behavior." (p. 219) Never does Mr. Mactire admit to any legitimate disagreement or controversy within the field. Mr. Mactire never qualifies his opinions as such. To his credit, the chapters on domestic and child violence, though sprinkled with his frustrating biases, are well organized and thoroughly discussed. Historical and literary anecdotes are used effectively. To conclude, "Malicious Intent," is a disappointing installment in the Howdunit Series that failed in its purpose as a writer's guide to the complexities of criminal psychology. But if you want Mr. Mactire's overly-simplistic opinions on difficult social issues and historical events, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Nearly useless for writers
Review: Other than a list of abnormal persoanlity types and one or two other items that were probably cribbed from elsewhere, this book is of no help whatever to a writer that wants to understand the criminal mind. It's so heavily opinionated without supporting data and contains so much over-written prose that everything the author states is subject to skepticism. It got to the point that I just didn't believe anything he wrote. Many examples of the problems have been mentioned by other reviewers.
Rating:
Summary: Biased Opinions?
Review: Prior to this book, I felt "The Howdunit Series" was 5-star. Malicious Intent was a disappointment! While offering good background information for developing a character's history, it seemed to me that the author had/has either ill feelings, or a lack of knowledge, about Christianity. Clear distinctions, in great amounts of detail, were made in attempts to get the reader to understand the intricate differences in so-called Pagan Religions. However, none was offered for any person whom the author felt was a "Christian." Simply referred to as "Christian" cults. In my opinion, it would be wise for anyone not familiar with Christianity (or other mentioned beliefs), to take the author's "groupings" with a grain of salt. I felt that several other belief systems were misrepresented, as well as my own. This biased my opinion of the book before I could get into the "meat" .. the profiles.
Rating:
Summary: Biased Opinions?
Review: Prior to this book, I felt "The Howdunit Series" was 5-star. Malicious Intent was a disappointment! While offering good background information for developing a character's history, it seemed to me that the author had/has either ill feelings, or a lack of knowledge, about Christianity. Clear distinctions, in great amounts of detail, were made in attempts to get the reader to understand the intricate differences in so-called Pagan Religions. However, none was offered for any person whom the author felt was a "Christian." Simply referred to as "Christian" cults. In my opinion, it would be wise for anyone not familiar with Christianity (or other mentioned beliefs), to take the author's "groupings" with a grain of salt. I felt that several other belief systems were misrepresented, as well as my own. This biased my opinion of the book before I could get into the "meat" .. the profiles.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly Written with Childish Execution
Review: The author reaches several conclusions without ever explaining how he got there. He also contradicts himself on a fairly regular basis as if he cannot remember what he wrote 10 pages earlier. And while we all agree that murder is a horrible, hateful crime the author constantly interjects his own poorly chosen adjectives to highlight his personal take on the crimes: "this evil deed". The perfect example of poorly written this book would be is when he offers a modern "profile" of Jack the Ripper at the end of Chapter 2. This "profile" ends up being nothing more than a rehash of facts and theories. Not only does it offer nothing new on Jack, but it isn't even a profile of the killer it is more of a description of the crimes.
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