T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed Between Good and Evil: A Master Profiler's Hunt for Society's Most Violent Predators on + 323 more book reviews
After the kill, there is the feast.
And toward the end, when the dancing subsides
and the young have sneaked off somewhere,
the hounds, drunk on the blood of the hares,
begin to talk of how soft
were their pelts, how graceful their leaps,
how lovely their scared, gentle eyes.
This unsettling poem sets the tone for much of this book, which is essentially the autobiography of one of the founding members of the famous FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit. I've read a few of these books in recent years, having inherited them among a collection of books given to me by a colleague who was moving overseas. This wasn't one of my favorites, as it admittedly focused more on the individual than the material, but it was still a worthwhile, if disturbing read.
A former marine, the author kind of went the long way 'round in getting to the FBI, having been in law enforcement previously, albeit in a rather small town. What I think I appreciated most was his candor in revealing his private thoughts about the subject matter, which, without rehashing or sensationalizing the cases, are some of the most horrific imaginable. It also describes how someone can deal with the absolute worst of humanity, and still make it through the day. I was still kind of irked by the focus on the perpetrators, my greatest criticism of books of this type, rather than their victims, whose courage and strength, even in their final moments, is what should be remembered, their lives celebrated, rather than those of the twisted freaks who prematurely ended them.
The twist in this book is the author's later career (calling), specifically a stint in seminary after the untimely death of his first wife from cancer, which is a unique take on how someone can cope with the depths of evil and travesty. Overall, as above, this wasn't one of the most detailed "profiler" books, but it's an interesting foray into a fascinating life, one rich with experiences, even the dark and tragic ones.
------------------
"look at the facts, gather absolutely as much information as was available, digest it all and then apply what he called the law of probability. In other words, the operate question should not be what MIGHT have happened, or what possibly COULD have happened? Instead, it should be In all likelihood, what PROBABLY happened?
And toward the end, when the dancing subsides
and the young have sneaked off somewhere,
the hounds, drunk on the blood of the hares,
begin to talk of how soft
were their pelts, how graceful their leaps,
how lovely their scared, gentle eyes.
This unsettling poem sets the tone for much of this book, which is essentially the autobiography of one of the founding members of the famous FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit. I've read a few of these books in recent years, having inherited them among a collection of books given to me by a colleague who was moving overseas. This wasn't one of my favorites, as it admittedly focused more on the individual than the material, but it was still a worthwhile, if disturbing read.
A former marine, the author kind of went the long way 'round in getting to the FBI, having been in law enforcement previously, albeit in a rather small town. What I think I appreciated most was his candor in revealing his private thoughts about the subject matter, which, without rehashing or sensationalizing the cases, are some of the most horrific imaginable. It also describes how someone can deal with the absolute worst of humanity, and still make it through the day. I was still kind of irked by the focus on the perpetrators, my greatest criticism of books of this type, rather than their victims, whose courage and strength, even in their final moments, is what should be remembered, their lives celebrated, rather than those of the twisted freaks who prematurely ended them.
The twist in this book is the author's later career (calling), specifically a stint in seminary after the untimely death of his first wife from cancer, which is a unique take on how someone can cope with the depths of evil and travesty. Overall, as above, this wasn't one of the most detailed "profiler" books, but it's an interesting foray into a fascinating life, one rich with experiences, even the dark and tragic ones.
------------------
"look at the facts, gather absolutely as much information as was available, digest it all and then apply what he called the law of probability. In other words, the operate question should not be what MIGHT have happened, or what possibly COULD have happened? Instead, it should be In all likelihood, what PROBABLY happened?
Rebekah (dancing-angel) reviewed Between Good and Evil: A Master Profiler's Hunt for Society's Most Violent Predators on + 53 more book reviews
This was a great read. It was the first book I have ever read about profiler's. It really helped open up my eyes the the people that are responsible for capturing societies criminals. It's just a shame that it took so long for society to realize the power of using a Profiler. This book deals mainly with Mr. Depue's life of crime fighting and how he dealt with and tried to understand some of the true evil locked away in criminals minds. A very informative read.
Kevin G. (sackett) reviewed Between Good and Evil: A Master Profiler's Hunt for Society's Most Violent Predators on + 14 more book reviews
Excellent read. Great and unexpected mix of psychology, philosophy and spirituality as they relate to both the social phenomenon of serial killers and to Roger Depue's life as a whole. Well written and informative. For my money, best of the profilers' "these are my stories" books (and I've read most, if not all, of them) because it isn't just a series of case studies and doesn't foundation itself on a sense of ... self aggrandizement, I suppose would be the word. The narrative voice is humble without being falsely so, and it offers even-handed insight into the outsized personalties of the early years with the BSU that have spent almost as much time flinging mud at each other's reputations as they have solving crimes. While that kind of politicized "He said"/"He said" thing can be entertaining, it is also distracting from the psychological and sociological impact of the crimes under discussion; and I found Depue's willingness to speak candidly about both the strengths and the weaknesses of the profilers under his command a welcome change of pace. Beyond that, this book, unlike any of the other profiler memoirs I've read, struggles with the humanity and inhumanity of what Depue has seen/experienced in his professional and personal life while seeking to explore those things in more meaningful ways than simply imparting stats or sharing details in the name of shock value.
Cheryl P. (cherylandtoto2) reviewed Between Good and Evil: A Master Profiler's Hunt for Society's Most Violent Predators on + 16 more book reviews
Small town boy becomes a cop, then chief of police, then an FBI agent, then a profiler. A personal loss, combined with the horror he faced on the job every day brought him to a crisis and a turning point. GLAD there are men brave enough to do profiling, but deeply saddened by the toll it takes. True crime cases interwoven with Roger DePue's life story. A fascinating read!
Tracy M. (readingfan) reviewed Between Good and Evil: A Master Profiler's Hunt for Society's Most Violent Predators on + 19 more book reviews
This is an interesting book about the beginning of FBI profiling. There were times that I felt the author went a bit to into detail about his own life, but overall, a pretty good read.
