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When a Killer Calls
When a Killer Calls: A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling, and Justice in a Small Town | John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker
13 posts | 11 read | 26 to read
From John Douglas--the legendary FBI criminal profiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter--comes a chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort to identify and catch him. On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor's repeated and taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrived the next day entitled "Last Will & Testament," in which Shari, knowing she was to be murdered, wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew they would persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town, triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profiler John Douglas. A few days later, a phone call told the family where they could find Shari's body. Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith's murder was no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari's lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed. One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas's storied career, this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created--alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer's psychology--combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror. As Shari's family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits, culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer.
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Lauranahe
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Pickpick

Super interesting read! The way the profile matched up with Bell is amazing. The story is fascinating and devastating, and I very much enjoyed the legal aspects of the book.

jlhammar This was really good! 1w
20 likes1 comment
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Amiable
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Mehso-so

I used to read a ton of true-crime books. I don‘t know if it‘s the book or if my tastes have changed dramatically, but this one was an uneven read for me. Written by an FBI agent who was a pioneer in profiling, I expected more detail about the hunt for the killer. Instead I found myself skimming over pages about what clothes Douglas picked to wear to interrogate the suspect.

#Nonfiction2023
Killing in the Name

Clare-Dragonfly I haven‘t read this one but I like a lot of his books… he is, however, definitely egotistical. 1y
Amiable @Clare-Dragonfly Yes! I think that was my problem—he inserted himself into the narrative too many times. 1y
53 likes2 comments
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AvidReaderandGeekGirl
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Panpan

2.5 stars this book was okay, as long as you were doing something else while listening to it. It was boring if not. It was simply too long and repetitive for me. Especially if you already know about the case I would not recommend this book.

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Christine
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Pickpick

An exhausting work week meant next to no brain power for my normal audiobook routine; only true crime podcasts or old Dateline eps would do, until I remembered that true crime books are a thing and that I had several waiting on my Libby shelf. 😆 This was a well done narrative and I liked how much we learned about the surviving family. Enjoyed it a bit less in the memoir-y moments (even though I love memoirs), but those were relatively rare.

Kappadeemom I just listened to a podcast “Crime Junkie” that discussed this murder and had the original audio of the calls 😳 2y
Christine @Kappadeemom Oh yikes - may have to check that out. 🫣 2y
49 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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jlhammar
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Pickpick

I knew nothing about these horrifying 1980s South Carolina cases. Once I started reading, I did not want to stop. Completely gripping with fascinating insights into the investigative and criminal profiling process. If you are a fellow true crime reader, add this to your TBR!

@Chelsea.Poole Thank you so much for the recommendation! I loved Mindhunter (Netflix) and will now have to give their other books a try.

Chelsea.Poole I agree—gripping! Glad it worked for you. I didn‘t know this case either. 2y
62 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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jlhammar
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Tuesday true crime #bookmail. @Chelsea.Poole made me do it! I think I might need to start this one right away.

Chelsea.Poole Oooh! It‘s a page turner! 2y
EvieBee It sounds so good! Put it on hold at the library. 2y
56 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

This was an excellent true crime book about two cases I knew nothing about. Abductions and then subsequent calls to the victim‘s home…chilling descriptions of the killer‘s conversations with the family are featured throughout. This author duo have collaborated on several others that I‘ve enjoyed as well, but this is my favorite of theirs.

Chelsea.Poole @EvieBee @jlhammar — hey you two, this is a good #truecrime if you don‘t already have it on your radar! 2y
Clare-Dragonfly Ooh, I haven‘t read this one. Might give it a bit of distance from the Crime Junkie episode on the same killer (with convo with John Douglas!) though 😆 2y
jlhammar Sounds really good. Thanks for the rec! 2y
EvieBee This sounds great!! I will definitely check it out! Thanks so much ❤️ 2y
85 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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StellaDz
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Pickpick

Well I devoured that one! This was one of the strangest, most horrific cases I‘ve read about. Just the trial, alone, is mind boggling. He was reminding me of GSK in the creepiness that he displayed.

The work of Douglas is always fascinating and his skill set is amazing. I will always grab one of his books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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StellaDz
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My audiobooks have been largely ignored lately, so we are jumping back in! The plan was to finish the back log this year! 17 more to go (not including unused credits 🤦‍♀️).

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Hana321
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I loved this book. While the subject matter is decidedly morbid, I found this story completely fascinating. From the case files of John Douglas, the founding father of the FBI‘s behavior analysis unit, this story follows John Douglas and his group of profilers as they build a picture of the unknown assailant that abducted, assaulted and murdered Shari Smith in 1984. This is an exhaustive step by step of what it took to solve this case.

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Erinreadsthebooks
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When a Killer Calls tells the story of two murders that take place in rural South Carolina and has connections to Charlotte, NC. The proximity to my hometown was just an added bonus. Much like American Predator and I‘ll Be Gone in the Dark, the writing is propulsive. I can't recommend this book enough, and it‘s absolutely one of my top books of the year. Go ahead and preorder this one. It comes out 2/22, and you're going to love it!

DGRachel Ooooh. As a current Charlottean, I am intrigued! 2y
Allyneedsbooks Can‘t wait 🤓 2y
31 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Erinreadsthebooks
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Y‘all, this one is reallllllllllllly good! About a quarter in and I can‘t put it down. 🤩✅ Coming out 2/22

eanderson I have this from Scene of Crime on Facebook.... I‘m going to have get to it ASAP and with your post. Sounds really good! 2y
Alfrazier21 @adnama82 looks like something you‘d like!! 2y
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EvieBee Nice! Just placed a preorder hold at the library. Thanks! 2y
Allyneedsbooks Bring it on home 🏡🤞🏼👏🏼👏🏼 2y
34 likes6 stack adds7 comments
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Erinreadsthebooks
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Yayyy!! This #goodreadsgiveaway came with a tote bag. Totes are fun! And I‘m always down for a good true crime story. Looking forward to this one 🤩