When a Killer Calls

A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling, and Justice in a Small Town

By: John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker

Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright

From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminal profiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter—comes a chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort to identify and catch him.

On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeated and taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrived the next day entitled “Last Will & Testament,” in which Shari, knowing she was to be murdered, wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew they would persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town, triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profiler John Douglas. A few days later, a phone call told the family where they could find Shari’s body.

Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murder was no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed.

One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas’s storied career, this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created—alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror. As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits, culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer.

©2021 John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Great companion to Mindhunters

I am fascinated by true crime and I especially enjoy forensics and behavioral studies. The only drawback to this audio book is that the narrator read the book (the way it was written I guess) and I prefer audio books where there are different voices for the characters.

Love John Douglas!

Such a heart wrenching story! I like how updates on all involved were given as well. I have so much respect for all Law Enforcement that deals with these horrendous situations. Mr. Douglas's honesty shines through.

Well done!

I love the format of JD books and this was no different. Informative while telling a story with his training anecdotal style! Great narration too!

Perfect for True Crime Lovers

Fans of True Crime will rejoice to have another installment from the original FBI Mindhunters. These are the guys who literally wrote the FBI serial killer profiling manual. This time they share the tale of a South Carolina killer with a varied list of victims; sort of.

As one would expect, it's chilling, spooky, and heartbreaking.

Interesting but repetitive

Have you ever met a guy who tells super interesting stories, and you’re like “wow, this guy is super interesting!” And then the next time you meet the guy, he tells you the same stories, and you’re like “well, this is…less interesting.” 😒 It’s like that. Douglas no doubt has a wealth of experience, and his books hold your attention; however, he surely does recycle his favorite anecdotes. Pretty much verbatim. Also he trots out the same sentiments. How do you know he’s invested in a case? He has daughters! At home! Just like the victims! If you’ve not listened to or read one of his books, you’ll probably enjoy this one more than if you’re familiar with the others.

Great book. Kept me wanting to know what was next.

Very informative.
Would recommend. Great background into the BAU. Love the follow to in the epilogue.

Awesome book

Well read, very informative. Makes you see and understand things. Love these kind of books. Highly recommend.

Worth the listen

This book is such a fantastic retelling of the Larry Gene Bell murders, John Douglas did an amazing job (as per usual) and the narrator was super easy to follow and listen to. Highly recommend!

Another Excellent Book from Douglas/Olshaker!

Story 4.5/5
Narration 5/5

The case of Larry Gene Bell, from start to finish, including the profiling process.

Very interesting! The only problem was that Douglas included his "viral encephalitis" story... Again!

Highly recommended

Thoroughly detailed

I am a CSI and enjoy J.Douglas' experiences and hard work to learn from , over the years. You can feel the cold, emptiness of the perp from detailed writing and narration. Thank you for your forensic contributions.