It might be the style of the attack, the geographic location, the position of the body, a scrupulous cover-up - in almost every instance, the offender who thinks he vanished without a trace has in fact left behind a multitude of clues. Profilers apply a range of techniques, from diagnostic evaluations to behavioural evidence analysis, in order to study patterns of behaviour that emerge from crime scene investigations. Piece by piece, they build a portrait of the type of person who committed the crime, and it is this profile that helps police find their needle in a haystack. Criminal Profile offers insight into the professional's casebook, including the most cutting-edge profiling techniques, the origins and limitations of the practice, as well as the way some of history's most infamous criminals have been caught. Expert profiler Wayne Petherick offers an indepth analysis of the science, covering: the history of this new field of investigation, from Sherlock Holmes to Silence of the Lambs; key case studies where profilers have been instrumental in catching the killers; contributions from experts in forensic psychiatry, geoprofiling and behavioural evidence analysis; cutting-edge techniques and tools of the profiler's trade; and examination of where profilers have caused harm and the future of the profession.