Malicious Intent (Howdunit)

This books takes readers into the mind of the criminal, exploring fact and fiction of who these people are, why they commit their atrocities, how they choose their victims, and how the police catch them. Includes sections on infamous criminals, psychological differences between killers, terrorism, psychological profiling and more.

In the same vein as Keith D. Wilson's Cause of Death (1992) and Anne Wingate's Scene of the Crime (1992), this matter-of-fact book about the criminal mind will be of interest to true-crime aficionados as well as writers. Mactire's "roadmap to the shadow world of the criminal mind" starts off with ancient history (from 1500 B.C.) and moves on to present-day serial and "nonserial" killers and wise guys. The author offers a fascinating discussion on how the creation of a police force changed criminal activity from open assault to cunning and secret operations. He examines the psychology of criminals and the development of profiling (psychological mug shots). In discussing the various types of and motives for crime, Mactire draws examples from the careers of actual criminals. All this fact and history will provide great fodder for writers of fiction and nonfiction. Denise Perry Donavin