Across the UK, across continental North America, and around the world on the internet, by webcast, and by podcast, my name is Howard Hughes and this is the unexplained.

Very many thanks for all of your communications, I'm hearing from more and more of you now, and it's really marvelous to hear the stories of the way that a lot of you say this show has helped you through these difficult days of lockdown.

Perhaps it's given you mentally somewhere else to go during this period, and I have to say, and I think I've said this before, that it works in reverse too, because when I'm doing this, which is the thing that I love, then I'm not thinking about the awful state the world has managed to get itself into.

And I'm not worrying about how am I personally going to get out of this, and all of us.

You know, it is a chance to think beyond the present, and you know, that's what you tell me. So thank you very much. I've had some wonderful emails lately, and thank you for them.

When you get in touch through my website, the unexplained.tv, designed and created by Adam, please tell me who you are, where you are, and the way that you use this show.

I think it is remarkable in this last year. None of us knew that it would turn out to be a year, and more as it's turning out to be now.

The way that we've come together in this period, I think has been pretty remarkable. You know, we formed a community, and I thank you very much for that.

If I ever doubted what I was doing, and believe me many times I have, I think I've doubted it, or for lot less lately. You know, it's kept me going, and it's great to know that it's kept some of you going too.

So thank you very much indeed. Thank you to Haley for booking the online guests by the way. Good of her to do that. You know, we keep on going through these times.

Now, the topic on this edition of the unexplained is a difficult one. Sometimes they are. You know, they're not all topics that are kind of neutral.

Sometimes the topics are difficult and disturbing, and this is one of those times. We're going to talk about serial killers.

Now, some of the descriptions of the things that you will hear will not be pleasant. So I want to put this just little caveat in, this warning, that if you are disturbed by such things,

if they upset you, please skip this edition. Don't listen to it. And certainly this is not one for the kids. If you are fascinated and feel that you'd like to expand your knowledge of the psychology and methods of such people, then this is a conversation that I think you might value.

I think Catherine Ramsland is an American author and professor of forensic psychology. She has written a remarkable 60 books or more upwards of a thousand articles, mostly in crime, forensic science, serial killers, that kind of thing.

She is and has been for a quarter of a century and expert in these things. We're going to be talking about her new book, but also about her work in general on serial killers, what motivates them, how they're caught, and sometimes how they think they can't be caught.

In fact, a lot of times, as you will hear, how these people feel they can't be caught. It's a chilling discussion. It is not for the faint hearted. So if you are squeamish and upset by such discussions, please don't worry about it. Just skip this one. Let it go.

But if you want to learn about these things and the psychology behind such people and what we are doing to try and combat them, remove them from our society, then I think you may well be interested in what you are about to hear.

So Catherine Ramsland, the guest on this edition of the unexplained. Thank you very much for being part of my show.

The unexplained.tv is the place to go if you want to communicate with me, follow the link and send me an email from there. Don't forget of course to engage with the official Facebook page of the unexplained with how I'd use it. Thank you very much if you've done that recently.

Let's get to the US now. Catherine Ramsland. So Catherine, thank you for standing by and hearing that. How are you?

I'm fine. My work for the past 25 years. So we can get into that. I think now then, you know, obviously it is vital. We have such people as yourself because otherwise, how will we ever understand the actions of people who kill? What is the attraction of the work for you?

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