KILLING FOR SPORT: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers

Brown, CEO of Sexual Homicide Exchange (S.H.E.), which helps survivors, believes that people are misinformed about serial killers, primarily because of the attention given to selected criminals in the press or film. Having once rented a room to a murder suspect, Brown became an investigative profiler. Here, she attempts to debunk the many misconceptions about serial killers, including those regarding their educational background and family relationships. Brown presents her information in a straightforward, slightly cynical manner, which detracts from the book. The subheads within chapters are often too obvious—"Are There Serial Killers in Other Countries?" and "Can Watching Pornography Lead to Serial Killing?" Furthermore, Brown's casual style is sometimes insulting. She describes Munchausen syndrome by proxy as "a nasty little psychological development." When the author talks about whether killers seek victims who look like family members, she says, "When white serial killers kill black women and black serial killers kill white women, this theory is blown out of the water." The book does offer a nonsensational overview of serial killers and profiling that some readers may find interesting. However, what's missing are comments from other experts—police, doctors, etc. Brown includes quotes from killers along with her own commentary on a variety of cases, which is occasionally tantalizing, but this is not a complete reference on serial killers. (Mar.)