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The Killer's Shadow

Written by: John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker
Narrated by: Holt McCallany
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Publisher's Summary

The legendary FBI criminal profiler and international bestselling author of Mindhunter and The Killer Across the Table returns with this timely, relevant book that goes to the heart of extremism and domestic terrorism, examining in-depth his chilling pursuit of, and eventual prison confrontation with Joseph Paul Franklin, a White Nationalist serial killer and one of the most disturbing psychopaths he has ever encountered.

Worshippers stream out of an Midwestern synagogue after sabbath services, unaware that only a hundred yards away, an expert marksman and avowed racist, antisemite and member of the Ku Klux Klan, patiently awaits, his hunting rifle at the ready.

The October 8, 1977 shooting was a forerunner to the tragedies and divisiveness that plague us today. John Douglas, the FBI’s pioneering, first full-time criminal profiler, hunted the shooter—a white supremacist named Joseph Paul Franklin, whose Nazi-inspired beliefs propelled a three-year reign of terror across the United States, targeting African Americans, Jews, and interracial couples. In addition, Franklin bombed the home of Jewish leader Morris Amitay, shot and paralyzed Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, and seriously wounded civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. The fugitive supported his murderous spree robbing banks in five states, from Georgia to Ohio.

Douglas and his writing partner Mark Olshaker return to this disturbing case that reached the highest levels of the Bureau, which was fearful Franklin would become a presidential assassin—and haunted him for years to come as the threat of copycat domestic terrorist killers increasingly became a reality. Detailing the dogged pursuit of Franklin that employed profiling, psychology and meticulous detective work, Douglas and Olshaker relate how the case was a make-or-break test for the still-experimental behavioral science unit and revealed a new type of, determined, mission-driven serial killer whose only motivation was hate.

A riveting, cautionary tale rooted in history that continues to echo today, The Killer's Shadow is a terrifying and essential exploration of the criminal personality in the vile grip of extremism and what happens when rage-filled speech evolves into deadly action and hatred of the “other" is allowed full reign.

©2020 John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker (P)2020 HarperAudio
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What listeners say about The Killer's Shadow

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loved this book

really gets you thinking about situations that make these kind of killers. hard to understand what creates these people

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  • Overall
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Intriguing, informative, Well written!!

Fantastic new audiobook from John & Mark!

As always, they provide us with the details of the case as well as background & details of other cases.

Additionally, the discussion of how this serial killer is different from most due to motivation. Unfortunately the killers values & focus are shared by a number of extremists in society at the moment!

Excellent reading by one of the actual actors from the top Netflix series, MINDHUNTER!

Thanks to all 3 of you!

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Great story, Narrators voice is not John

Overall, the story is amazing! Especially for my fellow neuroscience nerds. I found I did not like the voice of the narrator as much as the last ones! I know it’s not John Douglas doing these ones, but the voice just isn’t as smooth, and there’s really not as much emotion behind it in comparison, to a few of the other ones where he reads it himself. I am absolutely in love with John Douglas books, and if you’re looking for the next one, says absolutely the one to choose.

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another great story by Douglas

compelling and enlightening with great narration as usual. very easy listen in terms of performance and pace. difficult subject matter handled with compassion.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Strong insight into the mind of a racist killer

This entire book was ironically soothing because of the performance by Holt McCallany and his aged whiskey-dripping voice. Even when he reads some of the horrifying details of the crimes committed and the hate declared by the killer, he softens the blow with his delivery and makes hearing the information easier to listen and to process.
I found this book to be very poignant and explains very well how racist remarks and propaganda have the power to push people to act on their own and hurt others. This book does a great job of taking old case files and applying all their lessons to the modern-day including emphasis that though you can have empathy for the killer's upbringing you know he made a choice and refused to believe anything else but hate. Great book for any true crime fan.
My only critique is it helps to be familiar with John Douglas's other books like MindHunter and Killer Across from the table so that the brief descriptions of those cases and applications to this story will make a tad more sense for a new reader. Don't start with this book for John's work.

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Good, but Not a Favourite.

While this is a very interesting deep dive into a white supremacist serial killer, it’s not my favourite of John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. I definitely prefer books like The Cases That Haunt Us, or Law and Disorder; in those we get a deep dive into multiple crimes, with some sort of conclusion or lesson at the end. I think I prefer something like that, where there’s perhaps less detail on more topics. But as far as individual cases go, this one was pretty darn good.

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Kinda a snooze

I only got through 3 chapters and was bored to tears. I am a avid true crime reader. Pass on this one, was disappointed.

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