LAW & CRIME

Hearts of Darkness: Serial Killers, the Behavioral Science Unit, and My Life as a Woman in the FBI

by Jana Monroe
Abrams. Oct. 2023. 320p. ISBN 9781419766114. $28. CRIME
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Monroe, who helped train Jodie Foster for her role as Clarice Starling in the film The Silence of the Lambs, chronicles her prolific time in the FBI (she worked about 850 cases). The author does not spare readers the gruesome details of her work as she rose through the ranks to become one of the first women agents in the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU). As such, she faced many challenges and prejudices from the man-dominated FBI itself, and she openly describes all that she endured. Readers will see that Monroe did not allow any obstacle to stop her from reaching her goals. Her book, which flows from one story to the next, also documents the encounters she had with serial killers (Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and more), the impact that had on her career and life, and how justice was served.
VERDICT A gripping and readable memoir that’s an essential read for audiences who want to understand the history of the FBI and the BSU. True-crime fans will enjoy Monroe’s tales about some of the most memorable cases she worked.
Reviewed by Leah Fitzgerald , Oct 06, 2023
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