John E. Douglas Books In Order

Publication Order of Broken Wings Books

Publication Order of Mindhunter Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Previously a special agent working for the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, John E. Douglas is now a writer with a number of fictional and non-fictional works within his oeuvre, as he uses his expertise to create an extensive and in-depth backlog of material. Working as a unit chief as well, none are better suited to the task than he when it comes to writing informative and engaging accounts of his time spent there. With a strong voice and an equally strong sense of accuracy to his work, he was one of the first criminal profilers working, something which really takes his writing on criminal psychology to another level.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1945 on the 18th of June, John E. Douglas was brought up in Brooklyn in New York City, where he spent the majority of his formative years. With an interest in the human mind and psychology from an early age, he would take in inspiration from the world around him. This would help him in his later career as not just an investigator for the FBI, but as a highly regarded author as well.

Going on to study at the Eastern New Mexico University, he would attain a B.S. in sociology and physical/recreation/education. This was later backed up by an M.S. when he went on to study and graduate from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. All of this would allow him to gain the academic foundations required when pursuing a career in the FBI, becoming one of their first criminal profilers.

Starting out in the FBI in 1970, he got his first assignment which sent him to Detroit in Michigan, paving the way for his career to follow. For some time he would serve as a sniper for the local FBI on their SWAT team, after which he went on to become a hostage negotiator. Later, in 1977, he went to work in the Behavioral Science’s Unit of the FBI, all of which lead him to the career as an author that he currently has to this day.

Inspiring a lot of fiction prior to becoming a writer in his own right, he would create the template for such classic characters as Jack Crawford in Thomas Harris’s Hannibal Lecter novels. Working with his long-time collaborator Mark Olshaker, he’d take his expertise and create a literary career all of his very own. Not only that, but he also wrote a collection of horror novels during the mid nineties as well, and he still writes to this very day.

Writing Career

Releasing his first book in 1988, John E. Douglas made his début onto the literary scene with ‘Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit’. Setting up his ongoing ‘Mind Hunter’ series, it also worked in establishing his name not only as an author, but as a major influence in the world of crime fiction as well. Apparently inspiring the character of Jack Crawford in the Thomas Harris Hannibal Lecter thrillers, he molded a whole new archetype for the genre.

It was his ‘Mind Hunter’ series which was to primarily make his name as well, with it being the main series to come from him. Inspiring such series as the Hannibal Lecter franchise as well, his style would reverberate throughout the industry for years to come. Not only that, but he managed to create a trope that’s almost become a standard for the thriller genre as a whole now as well.

Whilst both serving and writing, he’s received a huge amount of acclaim and applause in equal measure, from fans and critics alike. Setting a new benchmark for the thriller genre, he also became one of the first criminal profilers for the FBI, thus establishing another template for others to work from too. All of this has helped mark him out as a true original, which is not only reflected in his work and novels, but also in his entire legacy as a whole.

Working as a profiler and a writer, he has been awarded for his various contributions to both fields over the years. Not only that, but his work is currently finding a whole new audience, with his latest venture being the Netflix series based on his Mind Hunter novels. With Charlize Theron’s production company taking the helm, and Hollywood director David Fincher set to direct it.

His story doesn’t stop there, though, as there’s clearly a lot more to come from John E. Douglas as an author yet. Still contributing to various studies and providing his expertise on the subject, he is an invaluable resource for the entire field. With more books potential on the horizon as well, he shouldn’t be stopping publishing any time soon either, with his career carrying on into the foreseeable future.

Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit

Setting up the novels whilst simultaneously marking Douglas’s first foray into the world of literature, this was initially published on the 1st of January in 1988. Setting up what’s more of an autobiography, it uses facts in place of fiction, as he charts his time spent in the FBI. Relying on the situations themselves, he works alongside the author Mark Olshaker, as he helps him tell his story.

From the Atlanta Child murderer to the Trailside Killer in San Francisco, John E. Douglas has been at the forefront of some of the biggest American investigations of twentieth century. Interviewing people such as John Wayne Gacy and Charles Manson, he’s managed to get into some of the most disturbed minds out there. Retiring just before the novel’s publication, he recounts the past twenty-five years of his fascinating and sometimes terrifying career. What is going on inside of America’s most dangerous criminals? Can you ever truly understand them? All these questions and more are answered in ‘Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit’.

Journey Into Darkness

First published in 1997, this was to be the direct follow-up to the previous ‘Mind Hunter’ novel, this time being brought out through Pocket Star Books. Offering more stories of his time spent serving, John E. Douglas works alongside Mark Olshaker once again to provide more insight into his enthralling career. Recounting more of his life’s work, it seems there’s no end to the stories on offer and the insight provided through it all.

With a whole variety of different cases, such as the Clairemont killer, this new entry charts a selection of investigations from Douglas’s career. Moving from Canada with the Schoolgirl Murders in 1992 to Viriginia in the USA with Richmond’s First Serial Murderer in 1987, these follow many of the investigations later on in his career. Not looking to glorify the killers themselves, whilst attempting to avoid any exploitation of the subject matter, Douglas aims to provide a factual insight into why these crimes are committed. Not to be taken lightly, this sees another journey into darkness.