I read the paperback version of this book, published in 2022 with an additional chapter and a front cover that absolutely captivated me in the bookstore. Having always had an interest in psychology, I picked up the book immediately and began to work my way through each chapter.
While I purchased it as a non-fiction book out of interest in the field, I have recommended it to many friends who don't have an interest in psychology since it reads very much like a fictional book. I came away from each chapter with the feeling of just finishing a fantastic book, having looked into the life of someone who was struggling and watched as Dr Adshead helps them navigate their new world, but with the amazing privilege of immediately being able to move onto another chapter and become sucked into a stranger's life once again. Dr Adshead perfectly balances science with storyline, and I found each chapter to be just as captivating as the next.
The original final chapter, 'David', felt like it wrapped up the book well and chronologically made sense as an ending point, and I was concerned that the new final chapter 'Jamal' would feel like an afterthought and would leave me feeling unsatisfied compared to the end of 'David', however, I felt it was written just as well as the rest of the book and finished on a hopeful note, rather than the almost unfished ending of 'David'

Spoiler

that provided not much of an ending but more of a question mark, as we never learn what happened to him after his therapy with Dr Adshead.

One of the best books I have ever read that inspired me not only to see the good in others but to pursue a career and education in psychiatry.

‘Evil is unspectacular and always human/ and shares our beds and eats at our tables’.

A fascinating insight into 12 vividly written cases in Dr Gwen Adshead’s career history as a forensic psychiatrist. Adshead not only recounts her journeys to understanding the motives and events that led to each individual’s violent offence - a spectrum of events, all shocking in their own way.

I expected to pick this up and read a chapter at a time, but Adshead’s writing and clear compassion for her ethos and work compelled me to read on. Some characters will stay with me forever, others made my blood boil. But what will stay with me most is Adshead’s clear upending of the myths of remorse and pain within psychopaths and violent offenders.

This was a really tough read. It was thought provoking and confronting. It was a book that makes you think, a lot. When she was describing the crimes you got to see a different angle. You could see that mental health played a huge part in the offenders and maybe if things had been different for them their life could have taken a different turn. Now don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not condoning the actions and behaviour but I think its possible to have compassion for these men and women without doing that.
Compassion is such an important thing we have to offer and it was made possible in this book because we were guided by the authors view and experiences. The offenders became more than just their crime.
Personally I really couldn’t manage to have compassion for David and it wasn’t because of his crime, it was because of the way he dealt with it and treated people. I don’t claim to be perfect though and its let me look at myself more closely.