Izvrashchennaya psikhika i respektabelnyi obraz zhizni, khladnokrovnaya zhestokost i neprimetnaya vneshnost, krainyaya stepen sadizma i sposobnost ocharovyvat lyudei. Kazhdyi seriinyi ubiitsa unikalen, no u nikh est i obshchie cherty, vyzyvayushchie u nas uzhas i lyubopytstvo.
Richard Estep issleduet profili izvestnykh manyakov, chtoby izuchit skhodstva i razlichiya ikh motivov, povedeniya i metodov soversheniya prestuplenii. Ego tsel - ponyat glubinnye mekhanizmy chelovecheskoi psikhiki i obstoyatelstva, kotorye formiruyut budushchego seriinogo ubiitsu. Istorii Dzheka-potroshitelya, Dzheffri Damera, Klouna-ubiitsy Dzhona Ueina Geisi, Andreya Chikatilo i drugikh pechalno izvestnykh lichnostei podcherkivayut universalnost faktorov, sposobstvuyushchikh formirovaniyu ubiitsy: vrozhdennaya sklonnost k zhestokosti, perezhitye travmy, sotsialnaya izolyatsiya i nenavist k sebe i okruzhayushchim.
Eto odnovremenno pugayushchee i zavorazhivayushchee chtenie, osnovannoe na detalnykh issledovaniyakh i arkhivnykh materialakh, prednaznacheno dlya tekh, kto interesuetsya kriminalistikoi, psikhologiei i motivatsiei seriinykh ubiits.
