LibGuides: Garrett Book Club: Welcome!

Next Meeting:

Tuesday, April 26th @ 3:30pm

Room 511

Email reference@garrettcollege.edu to join!

Upcoming Meeting Dates:

More dates coming soon!

What Are We Currently Reading?

When a Killer Calls by John E. Douglas; Mark Olshaker
ISBN: 0063074478
Publication Date: 2022-02-01
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.

COVID-19 Changes

Book club meetings will be held in-person in 511.
Walk-ins are accepted but we prefer an RSVP to reference@garrettcollege.edu.

Want To Join?

Book Club meetings are open to everyone! This means anyone can join or just pop in whenever they are able to make it. This club is available to all Garrett College students, staff, and faculty.