Confession of a Serial Killer

The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer

By: Katherine Ramsland PhD

Narrated by: Michael Braun

Explore the mind and motivations of a serial killer.

In 1974, Dennis Lynn Rader stalked and murdered a family of four in Wichita, Kansas. Since adolescence, he had read about serial killers and imagined becoming one. Soon after killing the family, he murdered a young woman and then another, until he had 10 victims. He named himself “B.T.K.” (bind, torture, kill) and wrote notes that terrorized the city. He remained on the loose for 30 years. No one who knew him guessed his dark secret. He nearly got away with his crimes, but in 2004, he began to play risky games with the police. He made a mistake. When he was arrested, Rader’s family, friends, and coworkers were shocked to discover that B.T.K. had been among them, going to work, raising his children, and acting normal.

This case stands out both for the brutal treatment of victims and for the ordinary public face that Rader, a church council president, had shown to the outside world. Through jailhouse visits, telephone calls, and written correspondence, Katherine Ramsland worked with Rader himself to analyze the layers of his psyche. Using his drawings, letters, interviews, and Rader’s unique codes, she presents in meticulous detail the childhood roots and development of one man’s motivation to stalk, torture, and kill. She reveals aspects of the dark motivations of this most famous of living serial killers that have never before been revealed. In this audiobook Katherine Ramsland presents an intelligent, original, and rare glimpse into the making of a serial killer and the potential darkness that lives next door.

©2016 by Katherine Ramsland (P)2022 by Blackstone Publishing

Worth it

The narration was pleasant pleasant, and I and I found the subject interesting. I had read about this case when it 1st happened and I was genuinely stuand I was genuinely stunned when he was caught.

Interesting view of his mind.

Interesting view of his mind. Odd character for sure. Definitely worth a listen, but could have been a bit more detailed.

BTK has no idea that plural things exists....

The book is great. You get to "hear" BTK in his own words, which makes him creepier and, to be honest, not the brightest. He definitely got lucky and had the lack of DNA testing on his side for many years.

Well worth the listen!

This kept my attention throughout. I listened for hours at a time. It explains exactly what he did, why he did it, and how he planned it. I don’t think I could’ve asked for more.

Phenomenal insight into a very twisted mind.

I've admired Katherine's work for a long time now, and this book does not disappoint.

She takes a mostly hands-off approach here, interjecting only in the beginning and during the main story to clarify/reinforce an important point, and then gives a really excellent personal synopsis at the end.

I find the approach extremely refreshing and effective- she essentially lets him tell his own story.

Dennis' mind is equally fascinating, compelling, obnoxious, juvenile and infuriating all at the same time. He's an idiot, but he's also clever. He seems to genuinely care about his wife and kids, yet destroyed their lives while killing others who were also wives and children.

He's oblivious on so many levels, but he's also insightful in his own unique way. I haven't quite put a pin on it, but I still find myself being intrigued and drawn to the case even all of these years later.

Narration is top of the food chain. Really fantastic, professional delivery. He got all of the names and areas pronounced as they should be (a huge narration pet-peeve of mine), and this is what great audiobook narration sounds like. Adds to the book and story, without distracting.

HUGE success for Katherine, very very happy with this book. It's at the top of my serial killer library, where it belongs.

5 stars across the board.

Not horrible but could be better.

I am very intrigued by BTK and was dying to listen to this book. Ultimately it’s not bad but could be better, some parts were a bit confusing and hard to follow along. I also was hoping for more on a psychological perspective of why he committed these murders but do like how it explains from his perspective on things.

My 3rd BTK Book, told by the BTK himself

I loved this book. With so many details that were never before uncovered in the previous 2 BTK books. I highly recommend. excellent narration.

Not much new info, but better imo than…

IMO this is better than the John Douglas interview book. As others have pointed out John Douglas is a self serving narcissist, or he comes off that way. The JD interview book is 5/8ths about JD, 1/4 rehash of BTK and his crimes and an 1/8th about the interview.

LOVED IT

So glad I bought this, it absolutely didn't disappoint. I would recommend this book to True Crime junkies.

4 Star coverall

it was an interesting story however I felt that the author included a lot of needless details. There was a lot of information while it was intriguing and interesting truly was not necessary for the story. I felt that they were just adding detail to fill up the book.