Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, the Behavioral Science Unit, and My Life as a Woman in the FBI

Jana Monroe

Oct 2023 · Abrams

About this ebook

For fans of Mindhunter, Criminal Minds, and My Favorite Murder, a riveting memoir of a trailblazing woman’s life hunting down serial killers as one of the first female profilers of the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit and the real-life model for Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.

“Jana Monroe is the single most influential woman to ever serve in the FBI.” —Joe Navarro, bestselling author of What Every BODY Is Saying

Jana Monroe was no ordinary cop. One of the first analysts—and, at the time, the only female agent—in the world-renowned FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit at Quantico, she consulted on more than 850 homicide cases, including infamous serial killers Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Edmund Kemper, and Aileen Wuornos.

Monroe was also the model for Clarice Starling in the movie version of The Silence of the Lambs; she even helped train Jodie Foster for her Oscar-winning role. Monroe’s later years found her dealing with the aftermath of Columbine, heading up the FBI’s post-9/11 investigation in Las Vegas, and much more.

In Hearts of Darkness, Monroe steps out from the shadows to tell the story of her astonishing life in shaping law enforcement and intelligence analysis. Monroe explores the cases that have stayed with her, breaking down victimology, offering new insight into the minds of serial killers, and discussing the psychological toll of the job and the obstacles she faced as a woman in the male-dominated Bureau.

This is a gripping, sometimes gruesome, and always remarkable memoir of an unparalleled life and career spent chasing the monsters among us.

About the author

Jana Monroe had a distinguished 22-year career in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where she held a variety of field investigative and operational roles across the United States, including more than five years as a criminal profiler at Quantico, Virginia. She served as special agent in charge in Phoenix, Arizona, and Los Angeles, California, two of the largest FBI field offices in the United States, and was the first assistant director of the FBI Cyber Division. After retiring from the Bureau, Monroe entered the private sector. She lives in Arlington, Texas.