In Talking With Psychopaths, bestselling author and criminologist Christopher Berry-Dee takes readers deep inside the dark minds of some of the most pitiless and dangerous people alive.
Having spent years interviewing imprisoned criminals – including notorious serial killers – he discovered that the lack of remorse these people showed was in many ways even more terrifying than the crimes they had committed. Yet in the course of these conversations, the author also had the chance to interview his subjects’ psychiatrists and, in doing so, uncovered a terrible truth: a monster can be hidden behind a friendly face.
Some of these experts, he found, proved to have more in common with their patients than he would ever have expected. This book examines horrific crimes committed by some of the most remorseless and merciless people ever to have lived. If it reveals a mindset wholly alien to most people, it also, shockingly, demonstrates that some of the people who treat these psychopathshave their own demons.
This chilling study of darkest of criminal minds will inevitably shift the reader’s view of psychopaths, and in doing so, reveals that horror can be much closer to us than we think…
True crime podcasts, tv series and books are everywhere right now. There seems to be so much more available than ever before and fans of this topic are almost spoilt for choice. I can’t quite decide how I feel about this. The world already feels like quite a scary place, yet I read so many thrillers and crime books with some truly vile characters so fiction and reality feel like they blur. I wanted to join this blog tour because I have a curiosity about the psyche and the background of those who have acted in a manner which goes against societal values and expected behaviours. What this book reminds us is that psychopaths and savages live and engage in the world and can, and do, go undetected even by experts for years! A chilling reminder which can make you feel a little helpless and vulnerable.
I liked the approach to this book. There is a nice overview surrounding psychopathy and savages which then leads into a series of case reviews. There were a number of names I had heard of but quite a few I was unfamiliar with. Having had the opportunity to communicate with, and in some cases meet with, the subjects of many of these case studies has given Christopher a unique perspective. I found the introduction very interesting where he talks about advice given when approaching these individuals and how one must appeal in a unique fashion to them in order to engage.
The style of writing is very easy to follow and quite conversational and I found this meant I could dip in and out without difficulty. I didn’t want to read the book in one go because it is covering some very dark material and for me, whilst I found it fascinating, I needed to limit my reading time to protect against anxiety! I think I am perhaps a bit more on the sensitive side than others may be so if you are of a similar disposition don’t be put off! The author’s approach sets this book aside from others that I have come across and I am interested to read his other work.
Intensive Gassing About Books 