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A Dark Night in Aurora

By: William H. Reid MD MPH
Narrated by: William H. Reid MD MPH
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Summary

James Holmes killed or wounded seventy people in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Only one man was allowed to record extensive interviews with the shooter. This is what he found.

On July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado, a man in dark body armor and a gas mask entered a midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises with a tactical shotgun, a high-capacity assault rifle, and a sidearm. He threw a canister of tear gas into the crowd and began firing. Soon twelve were dead and fifty-eight were wounded; young children and pregnant women were among them. The man was found calmly waiting at his car. He was detained without resistance.

Unlike the Columbine, Newtown, San Bernadino, and Parkland shootings, James Holmes is unique among mass shooters in his willingness to be taken into custody alive. In the court case that followed, only Dr. William H. Reid, a distinguished forensic psychiatrist, would be allowed to record interviews with the defendant. Reid would read Holmes’ diary, investigate his phone calls and text messages, interview his family and acquaintances, speak to his victims, and review tens of thousands of pages of evidence and court testimony in an attempt to understand how a happy, seemingly normal child could become a killer.

A Dark Night in Aurora uses the twenty-three hours of unredacted interview transcripts never seen by the public and Reid’s research to bring the listener inside the mind of a mass murderer. The result is chilling, gripping study of abnormal psychology and how a lovely boy named Jimmy became a killer.

©2018 William H. Reid (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved
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What listeners say about A Dark Night in Aurora

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Professional Insight

This recording, made by the consultant psychiatrist who interviewed the shooter, offers valuable explanations for the trial and its verdict. Highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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frightening but very well recounted

Gripping from the start. so very sad to listen to normal people going about their normal lives.... only for one person to destroy it for years to come. writer and narrator was excellent

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  • Overall
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Fascinating

Fascinating insight by one of the psychiatrists who the court mandated to interview Holmes and give evidence in his trial.
I did find his voice a little hard to concentrate on to begin with but once I got used to it it was fine.

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would recommend

the author stayed fair to all involved when telling this story.
i can't say i enjoyed it, but i would recommend it. its hard to listen to sometimes but that's only due to the subject matter and the fact it's real life. The reading is very easy to listen to and the writing is very detailed and informative. again, i would absolutely recommend

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Excellent

Thorough, evidence based and fascinating. Highly recommend for anyone interested in what drives someone to carry out a mass shooting

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Excellent read

Very interesting . looking for a complete answer you will be disappointed. If you're interested in severe mental health then I recommend. Sensitive and informative read.

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A dark night...

A Dark Night in Aurora by Dr William H. Reid. As the forensic psychiatrist of mass serial killer James Holmes who entered the @Batman 2012 showing of #thedarkknightrises killing 12 and wounding 58 people, Reid explores how a seemingly normal teenager turned killer.

I liked how the author put together such an in-depth investigation - hundreds of hours of research - presented in a concise manner. However, Reid mixed himself up, giving Holmes too many excuses & portraying him in a more positive light than he deserved. 📚4/5 🌟 #BookReview

Follow me on Twitter for more killer reviews @zennyreadalot

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Comprehensive look at Holmes' life and crimes.

Well written and read. Great insight as author was at trial and interviewed Holmes personally.

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Sad but true crime story

Interesting to hear the facts of before, during and what happened after this horrific shooting.

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Insightful and thorough

A non-sensationalist and thought provoking account of the events. Horrifying but fascinating. Managed to create a full picture of Holmes, rather than a caricature.

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