The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion

Description

'Exceptional.' VAL McDERMID 'Gripping . . . and ultimately enlightening.' PHILIPPE SANDS 'Extraordinary.' SEBASTIAN FAULKS 'Fascinating, erudite and beautifully written.' CHRISTIE WATSON A perspective-shattering work into the minds of violent criminals that reveals profound consequences for human nature and society at large. A BBC RADIO 4 and OBSERVER BOOK OF THE WEEK 'Effortlessly readable and deeply moving.' JOANNA CANNON, GUARDIAN 'Brilliant . . . a powerful myth buster.' SUNDAY TIMES 'Unmissable.' OBSERVER 'Leaves the reader with a nuanced, subtle understanding of "evil".' HERALD 'Shocking and unflinching.' i 'Compulsive reading.' MIRROR Serial homicide. Stalking. Arson. Gang crime. Who are the people behind these acts of terrible violence? What are their stories? And what is it like to sit opposite them? Dr Gwen Adshead is one of Britain's leading forensic psychologists. She has spent over thirty years providing therapy inside secure hospitals and prisons for violent offenders. Whatever her patient's crime - serial homicide, stalking, arson - she helps them to better know their minds. Case by case, she takes the reader into the treatment room and reveals the complex and vulnerable humans behind these acts of terrible violence. These are stories of cruelty and despair, but also change and hope. The Devil You Know speaks to our shared humanity and makes the case for compassion over condemnation, empathy over fear. 'Urgent and invaluable.' DAVID LAMMY 'Remarkable . . . suffused with extraordinary compassion.' GAVIN FRANCIS 'Compelling . . . stories don't come any richer.' SARAH DUNANT 'Meticulous, elegant, provoking.' MARINA CANTACUZINO