Publishers Weekly
12/20/2021
FBI profiler Douglas and Olshaker (Mindhunter) tell the riveting story of how the FBI, working with local law enforcement officers, cracked the case of a particularly nasty killer. In rural South Carolina in 1985, 17-year-old Shari Smith was kidnapped from her family’s driveway by a man who later raped and suffocated her. The killer called the Smith home multiple times and mailed the parents their child’s last will and testament before telling them where to find her body. Two weeks later, he did the same to nine-year-old Debra May Helmick. Douglas, who was called in on the case, discovered that Larry Gene Bell, a 36-year-old electrician’s assistant, fit the FBI’s profile of a white male who had served in the military. The authors describe in dramatic detail how Bell was finally caught (clues included the imprint of a phone number lifted from the sheet of paper on which Shari had written her will) and the two trials that ended in death sentences, as well as the sense of terror in the small town and the incredible faith of the Smith family and their community. Peppered with other FBI profiling cases, this is required reading for those interested in the early years of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit. Agent: Frank Weimann, Folio Literary Management. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"A chilling true crime story that feels all too relevant in today's climate, despite the fact that it covers a case from the 1970s." — PopSugar, on The Killer's Shadow
“The authors write with clarity and authority as they lay out a devastating portrait of an unrepentant racist. This is a must read for those looking for insight into the minds of those instigating racial violence today.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Killer’s Shadow
“Fast-paced tale of the search for a racist serial killer in the early days of criminal profiling…A taut, terrifying view of White supremacy taken to murderous extremes, now all too common.” — Kirkus Reviews on The Killer’s Shadow
“This fascinating and haunting expert account helps us understand why the most shocking homicides occur... [this] will be of particularly urgent interest.” — Booklist (starred review), on The Killer Across the Table
“[A] must read for everyone wanting to understand the minds of depraved serial killers. Once again John Douglas walks into rooms most of us would shun in our worst nightmares and comes back with remarkable insight into what type of person perpetrates such horrible acts.” — New York Journal of Books on The Killer Across the Table
Booklist (starred review)
This fascinating and haunting expert account helps us understand why the most shocking homicides occur... [this] will be of particularly urgent interest.
on The Killer's Shadow PopSugar
"A chilling true crime story that feels all too relevant in today's climate, despite the fact that it covers a case from the 1970s."
New York Journal of Books on The Killer Across the Table
[A] must read for everyone wanting to understand the minds of depraved serial killers. Once again John Douglas walks into rooms most of us would shun in our worst nightmares and comes back with remarkable insight into what type of person perpetrates such horrible acts.”
"A chilling true crime story that feels all too relevant in today's climate, despite the fact that it covers a case from the 1970s."
Library Journal - Audio
06/01/2022
On May 31, 1985, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina. When Shari's parents receive cryptic phone calls from someone claiming to know where Shari is, the police realize they are dealing with a meticulous and organized criminal. They enlist the FBI and one of the coauthors, Douglas, for help. Two weeks later, nine-year-old Debra May Helmick is also kidnapped from her front yard. An anonymous caller continues to call and harass the Smith family and offers details on where Debra can be found. Both authors pick apart those phone calls to put listeners in the mind of the killer by sorting through the details of the disappearance, the criminal mind capable of such horror, and the subsequent trial and justice. VERDICT Narrated by Keith Sellon-Wright, this detail-heavy account gets bogged down in minutiae at times, leaving listeners struggling to follow the story. True crime fans, however, won't be disappointed in this gruesome tale of abduction, murder, and criminal profiling.—Anna Clark
