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Mark Olshaker

American
Born 1951
Mark Olshaker is an American author from Washington, D.C. who frequently collaborates with FBI agent John E. Douglas in writing books about criminal and investigative psychology. In 1995, they formed Mindhunters, Inc. and later released Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, which was made into a Netflix series Mindhunter in 2017.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed Mindhunter.
1
Books Reviewed

In Mark Olshaker's own words

Mark Olshaker discusses the origins of Mindhunter and his work with FBI profiler John Douglas on The House of Mystery radio show.

Recorded 2017 · Uploaded by Voices of True Crime, 2023 · Watch on YouTube ·

John Douglas's core criminal profiling equation

Olshaker notes that John Douglas summarizes behavioral profiling through a simple investigative formula. By combining the killer's motive with their methodology, investigators can narrow down who committed the crime.

Writing the Unabomber book in six days

Olshaker recounts how Simon & Schuster approached him and Douglas immediately after Ted Kaczynski was identified to produce an instant book. The authors managed to research and write the entire manuscript in just six days.

Upcoming book examining prison interview dialogues

Olshaker shares that they are working on a new book offering an in-depth look at prison interviews with violent offenders. The work will explore the psychological dialogue between Douglas and convicts, highlighting how investigators connected inmates' mental states to crime scene evidence.

Also in this interview

On Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit

Cover of Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker

4.6/5

reader rating · 17,040 ratings

John Douglas's memoir, written with Mark Olshaker, recounts his twenty-five years in the FBI's Investigative Support Unit and the serial-killer interviews behind criminal-personality profiling. It inspired the Netflix series, though it omits researcher Ann Burgess.

Reviewed Oct 28, 2026

Ask LuvemBooks about Mark Olshaker

Mark Olshaker is a Washington, D.C.-based author best known for co-writing books on criminal and investigative psychology with FBI profiler John E. Douglas. We have reviewed 1 of their books, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, a true crime memoir drawn from Douglas's twenty-five years in the FBI's Investigative Support Unit and his interviews with serial killers — the material that shaped criminal-personality profiling. That book holds a 4.6/5 reader rating based on more than 17,000 Amazon ratings.
Where should I start?
Start with Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit — it's the only book we've reviewed by Mark Olshaker, and it's also their best-known work. It holds a 4.6/5 reader rating from over 17,000 Amazon ratings, and it's the memoir that inspired the Netflix series, so it works whether you're new to true crime or already a fan of the show.
What's their writing style?
Based on the one book we've reviewed, Olshaker's collaborative work is grounded, first-person true crime: Mindhunter is structured as John Douglas's memoir, recounting his twenty-five years in the FBI's Investigative Support Unit. The writing leans on real case material — particularly Douglas's serial-killer interviews — to show how criminal-personality profiling developed, rather than dramatizing events.
Books we've reviewed
We've reviewed 1 book by Mark Olshaker. Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit (co-written with John Douglas) recounts Douglas's twenty-five years in the FBI's Investigative Support Unit and the serial-killer interviews behind criminal-personality profiling — it holds a 4.6/5 reader rating from over 17,000 Amazon ratings.
What genre do they write?
The book we've reviewed, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, is True Crime. More broadly, Olshaker's bio describes their work as books about criminal and investigative psychology, written in collaboration with FBI agent John E. Douglas.
Has Mindhunter been adapted?
Yes — Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit inspired the Netflix series of the same name. One thing worth knowing: according to our review summary, the book omits researcher Ann Burgess, a figure the series makes prominent.
What should I read after Mindhunter?
Mindhunter is the only Mark Olshaker book we've reviewed so far, so we can't point you to a second reviewed title yet. If you finish it and want more, check back on this author hub as our coverage grows — Olshaker's bio notes they frequently collaborate with John E. Douglas on criminal and investigative psychology.
Who is Mark Olshaker?

Who is Mark Olshaker?

Mark Olshaker is an American author from Washington, D.C. who frequently collaborates with FBI agent John E. Douglas on books about criminal and investigative psychology. Their best-known collaboration is Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, the memoir that inspired the Netflix series.

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