Some of the sections were interesting. His description of the rehab techniques some of the prisons use was intriguing. And his comparison of US and UK interview techniques was unsurprising but interesting anyway.

My Life with Murderers: Man who has met countless killers is My Life with Murderers: Man who has met countless killers is

I was fortunate enough to see the author at an event in Bloody Scotland in 2019. Having found his talk extremely intriguing as well as spellbinding, I could have happily sat there all day and listened to him talking, I bought a copy of this book after the event where he was signing copies. From idealistic prison governor straight out of Cambridge University to expert criminologist and emeritus professor, David has met hitmen, mass, spree and serial killers and those murderers who seem to kill “in five minutes of madness”. Sometimes he meets them in a tense interview in a cell; sometimes to share a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); or sometimes just to look them in the eye as he tells them that, yes, they really are a psychopath. Some of these men became David's friends; others would still love to kill him. Professor David Wilson has spent his professional life working with violent men – especially men who have committed murder. Aged twenty-nine he became, at that time, the UK’s youngest ever prison Governor in charge of a jail and his career since then has seen him sat across a table with all sorts of killers: sometimes in a tense interview; sometimes sharing a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); sometimes looking them in the eye to tell them that they are a psychopath. David Wilson, the renowned UK criminologist, author, broadcaster, emeritus professor and former prison governor whose 40-year career has brought him face to face with countless killers, is coming to Exeter during a 2023 UK tour, ‘My Life with Murderers’.

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My Life with Murderers" by David Wilson is a riveting dive into the shadowy world of serial killers and violent criminals, and it's a rollercoaster of emotions, insights, and revelations. Wilson, with his years of experience as a criminologist, takes us on a gripping journey behind the minds of some of the most notorious criminals in history. David Wilson has become quite a celebrity in the UK. Those of us who enjoy watching his programmes on cold cases are fascinated by his expertise; by his careful fitting together of all the pieces of evidence available to expose those who are guilty of heinous crimes. David thought that the Carl Bridgwater murder might have been largely forgotten in his chapter on the suspected perpetrator. Carl was about three weeks younger than me and the murder was relatively local, I remember the local news reports and information wanted posters outside my school gates. So, not totally forgotten by me although David’s award winning documentary about it had completely passed me by and maybe something I need to catch up on. Sad that all these years on minds have never really been put to rest. It’s clear that Wilson knows his stuff. Without having read any of his previous novels, it’s clear that he has years of experience dealing with various psychopaths and murderers and knows their personalities inside and out. He takes a more scientific approach compared to his American contemporaries too, relying more heavily of the psychology of victims and evidence based practice compared to ‘one off interviews’ and showman ship. It’s a refreshing and more reliable approach to others I’ve read (ie John Douglas, who gets a sound dressing down here).

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The author’s professional experiences, lets us get a step closer into meeting these people and finding out. Through David’s own thoughts and the conversations he has with these people, it in some ways opened my eyes and was fascinating learning about techniques they use in trying to uncover the truth. His conversation and dealings with some of the more well known killers, was especially interesting. Overall an interesting book. What stood out for me was the contrast with UK and US police interrogation techniques. One investigatory and the other accusatory. I liked the PEACE mnemonic for investigatory procedures: Now you have the opportunity to hear David’s story from idealistic prison governor straight out of Cambridge University to expert criminologist and emeritus professor. The last chapter covering the murder of a paperboy and how Bert Spencer managed to evade justice os an indictment of the police incompetence. The Interview with a Murderer tv show will be interesting to watch. I am sure the police will not reopen the case.Ashamedly it has taken me sometime to get to it. It has been sat on my bedside table waiting patiently to be read but am glad to say that I have now read it and it was every bit as interesting as I had hoped for and more. I also thoroughly enjoyed the little titbits into prison life with Charles Manson (I laughed out loud at the, in all honestly, bizarre scenario of Manson threatening to stab the prison guards with his moustache while stark naked and covered in shoe polish) and a ‘Furries’ convention that Wilson inadvertently ended up getting in the mix with. I would have enjoyed some more of these personal insights, as they added some much needed light relief to a heavy topic.

My Life with Murderers - Google Books My Life with Murderers - Google Books

Hugely insightful and thought provoking . . . I read it from cover to cover in one go' - Emilia Fox I received this book as part of my last A Box of Stories book delivery and was quite excited by it. I was looking forward to reading all about the interviews with the murderers and learning about the psychology of why they committed these acts. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I got. This is an excellent book, well deserving of 5 stars. I’m going to hear David Wilson speak at the end of March at Glasgow’s Aye Write book festival. I can’t wait! [He was excellent, as expected]. In a career spanning 40 years David Wilson has met all sorts of killers: hitmen, mass, spree and serial killers and those murderers who seem to kill “in 5 minutes of madness”. Sometimes he meets them in a tense interview in a cell; sometimes to share a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); or sometimes just to look them in the eye as he tells them that, yes, they really are a psychopath. David Wilson is Professor of Criminology and founding Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University – one of the university’s “research centres of excellence”. He is the co-Editor of the prestigious Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, which is produced five times per year. Prior to taking up his academic appointment in September 1997, David was Senior Policy Advisor to the Prison Reform Trust, and between October 1983-April 1997 he worked as a Prison Governor.David Wilson, criminologist, has spent his career working with, interviewing and studying some of the UKs most prolific murderers. In his book, he reveals some of the key moments in his career.