INSIDE THE MIND OF A KILLER On the Trail of Francis Heaulme

Paperback. Tr. by Ros Schwartz. On Sunday May 14, 1989, at 5.10pm an urgent telex. A murder had just been committed on Moulin Blanc beach, just outside Brest. Aline Peres, aged 49, had been stabbed. Her body had been found lying in the middle of the beach by passers-by. This was the beginning of the largest serial murder hunt in French history. There was no forensic evidence, but the detective in charge, Jean-Francois Abgrall, had a reputation for his psychological insights into criminal behaviour. This is a riveting account of how Abgrall's instincts led him inside the mind of France's most dangerous serial killer, Francis Heaulme. With ingenious alibis and exceptional resistance to interrogation. Heaulme fooled detectives all over France. It was only Abgrall who was able to decipher Heaulme's coded references to the string of violent attacks he had carried out all over France. So far, Heaulme is known to have committed at least 40 murders. The author's account shows how the most vicious criminals can only be caught by a combination of luck, patience, skill and determination. Compelling in its intensity, this expose of the workings of a killer's mind by the man who tracks him down is truly terrifying. 262pp. p/back. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F. with no creasing to covers.