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The Criminal Mind

Gripping encounters with serial killers and true crime from Britain's leading forensic psychiatrist

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The Criminal Mind

By: Duncan Harding
Narrated by: Duncan Harding
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

WHAT MAKES A MURDERER? Unraveling the Dark Psychology Behind Britain’s Most Notorious Killers From Forensic Psychiatrist, Dr Duncan Harding

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION 2025
A young girl burns down the family home
A man doesn’t remember killing his wife

A teenager’s visions and voices lead to murder

One question binds these and many others from the casebook of Britain’s leading forensic psychiatrist: Why? What drives a person to commit seemingly inexplicable crimes?

Dr Duncan Harding is the person the police and the courts turn to for answers – to establish a defendant’s mental state and motivation: their fitness to stand trial.

It is a career that has brought him face to face with psychopaths, taken him to the limits of human compassion and to the darkest corners of his own troubled past.

This then is a journey deep into the criminal mind . . .

'Grips you from the start like a bestselling novel then takes you on an extraordinary journey … Riveting’ JOHN HUMPHRYS

'Incisive, informative and occasionally shocking, The Criminal Mind is an engrossing book’ DR RICHARD SHEPHERD, bestselling author of Unnatural Causes

'A penetrating insight into the darkest corners of the human mind. The most moving, surprising and compelling book you’ll read this year’ M.J. ARLIDGE, bestselling author of Eeny Meeny

©2024 Duncan Harding (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 Medical Professionals & Academics Psychology Psychology & Mental Health True Crime Crime Exciting

Critic Reviews

Superbly written, as tense as a thriller, this is a book that will make you miss the bus so gripping are these cases
Harding’s riveting memoir is often very moving … it left me with a powerful respect for all the people in the health and justice systems who put their lives on the line to keep us safe
A combination of medical coming-of-age tale and true crime that is particularly gripping … Harding writes with empathy and insight … each patient a mystery to unpick
Insightful, informative and sometimes shocking, The Criminal Mind is an engrossing book (DR RICHARD SHEPHERD, AUTHOR OF UNNATURAL CAUSES)
A penetrating insight into the darkest corners of the human mind. The most moving, surprising and compelling book you’ll read this year (M.J. ARLIDGE, AUTHOR OF EENY MEENY)
Grips you from the start like a bestselling novel then takes you on an extraordinary journey that reveals, based on the author’s own clinical experience, why some of us lead lives of love and some of hate. Riveting (JOHN HUMPHRYS)
A fantastic read … a very accessible window into the darker recesses of human behaviour … hard to put down (JUDGE DAVID WILLIAMS)
Not just another forensic psychiatrist’s casebook, but a moving account of how Duncan Harding became forensic psychiatrist (KEITH RIX, PROFESSOR IN FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY)
All stars
Most relevant
I really enjoyed this book. Kept me interested throughout. Good insight into the criminal mind. Great narration.

Unique and interesting

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I did not expect this - a combination of honest reflections on his childhood and insights into key issues in the lives and experiences of some of his mental health patients. A simple account that I found completely engaging.

Honest. Thoughtful. Brave.

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From the first word to the last, I was fascinated. As I teach I agree with the firm boundaries with kindness.

Gripping!

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Had the potential to be a really good book but became boring and more about the author I’d give it a miss.

Boring

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Such a tricky one to navigate, childrens behaviours,the whys and if only. The narration and content of this book introduce you to a psychiatrist who presents as very knowledgeable but grounded and incredibly human when dealing with his young patients. Enjoyed it hugely

Interesting and engaging

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