In the Name of the Children

An FBI Agent's Relentless Pursuit of the Nation's Worst Predators

By: Jeffrey L. Rinek, Marilee Strong

Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

FBI Special Agent Jeff Rinek had a gift for getting child predators to confess. All he had to do was share a piece of his soul...

In the Name of the Children gives an unflinching look at what it's like to fight a never-ending battle against an enemy far more insidious than terrorists: the predators, lurking amongst us, who seek to harm our children.

During his 30-year career with the FBI, Jeff Rinek worked hundreds of investigations involving crimes against children: from stranger abduction to serial homicide to ritualized sexual abuse. Those who do this kind of work are required to plumb the depths of human depravity, to see things no one should ever have to see - and once seen can never forget. There is no more important - or more brutal - job in law enforcement, and few have been more successful than Rinek at solving these sort of cases.

Most famously, Rinek got Cary Stayner to confess to all four of the killings known as the Yosemite Park Murders, an accomplishment made more extraordinary by the fact that the FBI nearly pinned the crimes on the wrong suspects. Rinek's recounting of the confession and what he learned about Stayner provides perhaps the most revelatory look ever inside the psyche of a serial killer and a privileged glimpse into the art of interrogation.

In the Name of the Children takes listeners into the trenches of real-time investigations where every second counts and any wrong decision or overlooked fact can have tragic repercussions. Rinek offers an insider's perspective of the actual case agents and street detectives who are the boots on the ground in this war at home. By placing us inside the heart and mind of a rigorously honest and remarkably self-reflective investigator, we will see with our own eyes what it takes - and what it costs - to try to keep our children safe and to bring to justice those who prey on society's most vulnerable victims.

With each chapter dedicated to a real case he worked, In the Name of the Children also explores the evolution of Rinek as a Special Agent - whose unorthodox, empathy-based approach to interviewing suspects made him extraordinarily successful in obtaining confessions - and the toll it took to have such intimate contact with child molesters and murderers. Beyond exploring the devastating impact of these unthinkable crimes on the victims and their families, this audiobook offers an unprecedented look at how investigators and their loved ones cope while living in the specter of so much suffering.

©2018 Jeffrey L. Rinek and Marilee Strong (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Published by arrangement with BenBella Books

Captivating

Loved the honesty of the author and truth behind what’s it like to hold such a job and the toll it takes on those who do and there families also to give a voice to the victims and what it took to bring them to justice I had a hard time when I had to stop the book and couldn’t wait to get back to it I have already told my friends they need to get this book

what a story

you have to be strong minded to hear this story, but wow what a story. it makes you realize how committed and strong our dedicated law enforcement and investigators have to be!

Interesting, at times writer seemed bitter/blaming

Story was okay, but seriously, the writer obviously is still harboring some serious resentment and bitterness toward the FBI. I read so many memoirs of Crime Victims, True Crime Cases written by Police and FBI agents, popular to obscure true crime story writers, and the like, but I've NEVER listened to ANYONE write about how badly they were "wronged" by their employer, be it General Foods, Ford, or the FBI. It became monotonous and his writing started to sound more narcissistic and self involved than anything. Also, his empathy of Cary Staynor and the description of taking him to a nice "sit down" dinner after he cried all day and "bared his soul gathering evidence to help the FBI and convict himself" stating "that's the least we can do" SERIOUSLY?? Joey, Carol, Julie and Ms. Peloso THEY DIDNT GET A LAST MEAL !! I turned off the book for few days, so angered by his feelings that "Cary wasn't a monster like Jodi Arias or Scott Peterson, who constantly denied" That's ridiculous!!

Riveting story - Narration needs work

This book is a bit different than many of the true crime titles that are available. The author presents a number of views of heinous crimes. He writes openly about how the crimes he investigated affected him as well as his relationship with his family. This author brings the perspective of taking on empathy for the accused in efforts to gain more information than would be gained by approaching the task in other ways. I like it that the author risks criticism by offering insight into how an offender could become an offender. It doesn't mean he has any less sympathy for the victims of the crime. Any information that can be gathered about how early experiences affect behavior are critical if we are to fully understand the criminal mind. This book is unique in that it dares to take the time to try and understand why some of the offenders behave as they do.

The narrator's tone didn't "fit" with the subject matter. He approached the book as if he were reading a textbook. He brought very little emotion to the performance which is a shame because the author included a strong emotional component in his writing. Overall, I recommend the book - just try and overlook the performance. Kevin Pierce would have done an excellent job. He's great with this subject matter.

Astonishing!

Wow this book takes you on quite a ride. Extremely well written, the author takes you on a very personal journey of handling child predators with the dogged determination of trying to solve child abductions and murders, as well as his own suffering with having to have such a heavy job. It’s captivating and incredibly sad having to listen to the unspeakable crimes involving children.

Not sure why there are so many low star reviews here, but I am very particular about the books I read, I do plenty of investigating before investing my time; and this one does not disappoint!

Eye opening, engaging, thoughtful, and compelling

listen to this book. it will break your heart, challenge you, and completely reshape your belief about FBI agents and their relationships with their families, the victims, and those they are investigating. may the stories of the victims in this book never be forgotten.

Great

A must read for true crime fans, couldnt stop listening. I feel sorry for the mental anguish he went through.

Chilling

Chilling, heartbreaking, and difficult to listen to because of the content, but made me so thankful for people like the author who do this critical work and bear the scars received in the process. His heart and soul shine through his book.

Sad, heroic, and gut-wrenching

Jeffrey Rinek details in this book about his background growing up, hardships, the tough road to becoming an FBI agent when prejudice was still very prevalent in the bureau, the unrelenting harrowing details of crimes against children he oversaw, his own battles with almost losing his child, and the heartbreaking and haunting aftermath of working on these cases does to a persons mind.

My warning to you, there are no punches pulled in this book, so understand that it is extremely graphic in its nature as to drive home the severity and give the most accurate account of the crimes committed by these individuals. The mental imagery that is re-created and portrayed through the details in this book may traumatize you or could trigger someone who has experienced r*pe or m*lestation.

With that, the book is a compelling and great read and it had me listening on my commute to and from work every day and when I had free time. Rinek does a good job to lay out the series of events in his life that led all the way up to his retirement from the bureau. It’s overall a very sad book with glimpses of light thats all backed behind Rineks glowing mission statement and reasoning for doing what he does. No man or woman can enter this field of work and leave unscathed. Unfortunately, it takes a part of you and suffocates it, making you feel as helpless sometimes as the ones you try to your hardest to protect. He documents this well through the things he experiences not only in his professional life but his personal one as well, especially in the last part of the book.

There are far too many details to try and break down everything about it but there were two things that drew me in personally, that probably wont relate to you,
1. I am pursuing a future career in the FBI in the same field and for similar reasons that Rinek states in his book
And 2. He served a lot of his career at the Sacramento division and I am resident of Placer county so all of the areas he refers to in the book I am quite familiar with

I highly recommend this book if this is the type of crime stuff you find an interest in or if you want a compelling read to keep you coming back to figure out what happens next in Rineks crazy life journey.
I commend him and his selfless work, the endless hours devoted of his life to help make the world a just a little less colder and safer for everyone, especially for our children.
I speak for many when I say, thank you Jeffrey and bless you and your family.

Great Book...

The narration was great and the stories were told in such a way that you could feel the emotions.