From the New York Times bestselling authors of Mindhunter—former FBI agent John Douglas and Emmy Award–winning filmmaker Mark Olshaker—comes an explosive look at how a high-profile murder case can test the limits of even the most seasoned investigator.
For twenty-five years, John E. Douglas worked for the FBI, where he headed the elite Investigative Support Unit. The real-life model for FBI Agent Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs, he's had a brilliant and terrifying career, getting inside the minds of notorious murderers and serial killers such as Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and David Berkowitz (Son of Sam). Written with long-time collaborator Mark Olshaker, Law and Disorder is Douglas' most provocative and personal book to date. He addresses every law enforcement professional's worst nightmare: those cases where, for one reason or another, justice was delayed—or even denied.
Through a series of character-driven case histories—from the earliest trials in Salem, Massachusetts, to the bungled trial of Amanda Knox—Douglas shows what happens when the criminal justice system breaks down and bias, media coverage, and other influences get in the way of the pursuit of evidence. Here also are Douglas' personal reflections on his ongoing search for the truth, from painful lessons learned early in his career to his controversial findings in the West Memphis Three and JonBen├®t Ramsey investigations.
Brimming with procedural detail, Law and Disorder is an eye-opening insider's account of the exhilaration and frustration that attend the quest for justice.
John Douglas, the legendary FBI criminal profiler and veteran author of true crime books, has spent over twenty-five years researching and culling the stories of America’s most disturbing criminals. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he has directly worked and/or had overall supervision in over 5,000 violent crime cases over the past 48 years. He is currently chairman of the board of the “Cold Case Foundation.” One of the foremost experts and investigators of criminal minds and motivations, he currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Mark Olshaker is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and author of ten nonfiction books and five novels, including Einstein’s Brain and The Edge. His books with former FBI Special Agent and criminal profiling pioneer John Douglas, beginning with Mindhunter and, most recently, Law & Disorder, have sold millions of copies and have been translated into many languages. Mindhunter is now a dramatic series on Netflix, directed by David Fincher. He and his wife Carolyn, an attorney, live in Washington, D.C.
Mark Olshaker is an Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and a New York Times bestselling nonfiction author. His seven books with former FBI Special Agent and criminal profiling pioneer John E. Douglas, beginning with Mindhunter, have sold millions of copies, been translated into many languages, and along with his Emmy-nominated PBS film Mind of a Serial Killer, made Olshaker a sought-after speaker and consultant on law enforcement–related issues.
Joe Barrett, an actor and Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared both on and off Broadway as well as in hundreds of radio and television commercials.