I found it really interesting to read about what makes a psychopath and the complexity of it all, the author also includes a number of case studies with criminals and conversations with the medical professionals treating them which was truly fascinating, some of the subjects were very well known to me while others I had no previous knowledge of.

One thing I will say about the author is that he did not write this book objectively, it was extremely personal throughout with a lot of his own opinions and views rather than facts.

Every time I see a CBD book I get excited and then once I start reading it I just lose interest so quickly. I find the writer loves talking about himself and his achievements and considering the title is ‘Talking with…’ and he claims to have all this correspondence with these killers, we never actually see any of it. When we do see it, there’s nothing really juicy, so what’s the point of the book. This is a 1 star for me. Don’t promise something that just isn’t going to happen.

Even though I’m a true crime fan I’d never read any of Christopher Berry-Dee’s books; having now read this, that is all going to change.

I thought I knew quite a bit about notorious killers and their crimes but there were a few here that I’d never heard of…so with this in mind I’m going to do some extra reading on them just for fun (!)

It gives a real insight into the minds of the sometimes depraved and simply evil human beings to ever walk this earth…some of which may be next to you on the bus, or in the supermarket…

If you’re a true crime fan, put this on your TBR pile.

As a true crime fan I was looking forward to reading this. However, I didn’t like the style or the amount the author talks about himself.

I love all things psychology and delving into the depths of people's minds and psyche. So, this book intrigued me. I wanted to find out what actually goes through the mind of an evil person.

Christopher Berry Dee has written a lot of books on the subject of true crime. He refers to a lot of them within this book, a kind of reference point to further reading 📚 He not only researches well for his books, but he has corresponded through letters. He has interviewed and talked to a lot of criminals from all walks of life. And those that have committed the most heinous of crimes.

I found it fascinating how Berry interacts with the psychopaths. He has an understanding of the way they work, and in some cases, he has gleaned information from them by using their own psychopathic ways 😮 At times, I did worry that Berry could easily commit a crime and get away with it purely because he knows how to manipulate a person.

A very fascinating read, I did feel that I wanted more from the book. There were plenty of times that Berry kept saying he was mindful of his word count and hence referring the reader to his other books to learn more. But, I wanted to learn from this book 👍🏼😊

Another instalment in his Talking With series.

As always, this was very informative and easy to digest. Exploring the minds of people who lack remorse has always been on interest for me, and the constant research and discussion these books allow me to have has been amazing throughout my day to day and expanding my knowledge.

I’ve always used these books to help with my academic studies so to be able to ARC read one of the books whilst studying for my MA is incredible!

Thank you to NetGalley for this!

I'm sorry but I did not enjoy this book. The format didn't seem right (whether it works better as an actual paper book(. I was expecting stories about the kilkers, but this wasn't what I was reading.

Christopher Berry-Dee's books are really hit-or-miss for me, but I found this one intriguing with food for thought when considering criminal minds. I found Berry-Dee's enthusiasm and fascination palpable throughout which adds to the depth of his book. Overall, Talking with Psychopaths - A Journey into the Evil Mind: A Chilling Study of the Most Cold-blooded, Manipulative People on Planet Earth was an interesting concept that included many cases familiar to me and even some new ones that were intriguing.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bonnier Books & Co. for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The books by this author are a bit of a hit-or-miss for me. I found this one intriguing and informative, with interesting food for thought.
This is a book I read choosing a case at a time, not in order and reading the long introduction at the end.
There’s a lot of darkness and the travel into the mind of the people interviewed is not always easy and sometimes it’s so dark that I prefer to stop, do something else, and restart.
There’s a long introduction and there’s a lot of references to past books: even if it’s not favorite part it’s an introduction to how it works
We live in an age that made serial killers part of the pop culture. This is a refreshing trip to remind us that there’s a lot of victims, violence, power plays and manipulations.
I don’t know if it’s the right book to read from cover to cover or if it’s better to read one chapter at a time. I chose the latter and appreciated the analysis and how they were written.
Recommended.
Many thanks to John Blake and Compulsive Readers for this digital copy, all opinions are mine

I really didn’t enjoy this book. I normally enjoy CBD books but this one didn’t sit right with me.
Most of the book was referencing his previous books and little was written about the crimes of the individuals spoken about. There were tangents I could not follow and references to other crimes by other individuals that confused me, and I felt were unnecessarily mentioned and made understanding the criminal CBD was discussing in the chapter, hard to follow.
Comments about the victims didn’t sit right with me. Calling them “gullible” and stating they were “offering themselves up on a plate to be conned, raped or even murdered” felt like victim blaming rather than blaming the horrific individuals who committed these acts. I wish I enjoyed this book more but this line in the conclusion set it that I did not feel it’s the book for me.
I did enjoy the discussions with criminals, it helped understand the individuals more and their mindset - especially in relation to Melanie Lyn McGuire.

This was such an interesting read. True crime is such a fascinating subject and this book really went into detail about the crimes Christopher Berry-Dee had researched. I found the Jack the Ripper super interesting. This book was packed full of different crimes some very well known others no as much
This is a perfect book for any true crime fan

This is one of the first true crime novels I have had the pleasure of reading and it won't be the last.

I have always been extremely interested in how the system works, and Berry-Dee conveyed it perfectly. It was an extremely authentic insight into the situations of these criminals and their rationale behind the crimes.

It covered high-profile cases, as well as those that are not as well known. I particularly enjoyed the section on Jack the Ripper, and some of the content explored was interesting and, at times, absolutely chilling.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and sadly I'm not yet drawn to read anymore. While the subject matter is fascinating, I found it difficult to read in parts, as the content is presented in a rather haphazard way, partly due to the author veering off on a tangent now and again. However, the fascinating conversations where CBD tries to out-manipulate his interview subjects was riveting. A lengthy read, but I did stick with it. Not quite sure if that was a wise decision or not. It has definitely made me think though. I may revisit again in the future.

A fantastic look into some of the worst minds in existence! It’s to be noted that the author isn’t just any random person commenting on what they think about psychopaths, but rather is someone who’s actually been face to face with these monsters, and has worked on behalf of law enforcement, and family members of victims, to get answers no one else was able to. There are specific criminals mentioned, a very brief overview of what they did (so lacking in detail that you don’t have to worry about having nightmares if you read this late at night), and how he got inside their head in order to play them to get the information he wanted. This was a thoroughly interesting read, that I’d highly recommend

This was both very interesting to learn more background on psychopaths but also very creepy to learn the truth behind certain behaviours.

True crime is something that I find absolutely fascinating and although I've watched a lot of TV programmes in the genre, it's not something that has often found its way into my reading. I felt that was something I should change so I appreciate the opportunity to read Talking With Psychopaths: A Journey Into The Evil Mind now. Christopher Berry-Dee clearly has a lot of experience working in this field and its fascinating to read about his exchanges with some of the world's most dangerous criminals and his insight into their mindset.

There are some sections of Talking With Psychopaths: A Journey Into The Evil Mind that are highly scientific; however, for the most part, Christopher Berry-Dee writes in a really accessible way so that people like me who are relatively new to the genre are able to understand the processes he uses. I appreciate that the author chose to include cases from outside the UK, as this brought to my attention people with whom I was not previously familiar.

Talking With Psychopaths: A Journey Into The Evil Mind is not an easy book to read. Most of the crimes that are included in this book are extremely violent and the author describes them in graphic detail. However, I am glad I was able to continue reading as I appreciated the opportunity to learn something new, even about cases such as Harold Shipman, which I remember clearly.

This author has an extensive back catalogue and I look forward to reading his accounts of other aspects of his work.

This book did not keep me interested at all, felt very narcissistic of the author and every case was the author talking about how great he was to get those interviews. Very different to what i expected and found it very hard to stay interested.

It seems as if the writer has set himself up as "the person serial killers talk to", dismissing psychiatrists as people they won't talk to because the killers are allegedly too bright. Yet when he does talk to them, they reveal themselves as shallow narcissists with no remorse. And we wouldn't expect anything more. It seems a bit hollow to dismiss the medical experts. They don't all rush into print, for a start.
I have problems with his labels, psychopath or savage. The latter is a killer who hasn't had a diagnosis.
There's a lot of grandstanding by Berry-Dee. He has a coat of arms and deploys it on letters to killers, along with a squirt of Chanel, to get them to write to him.
The lengthy explanations about the nature of psychopathy, where physical causes are outlined, is more interesting than the interviews with the killers.
The writing is tabloid-esque and grandiose.
Disappointing.