The Jigsaw Man by
Paul Britton
(HarperCollins)
Published by Bantam in hardback, THE JIGSAW MAN provides a fascinating glimpse of work of the forensic psychologist. Britton has now assisted in more than one hundred investigations. When he started, the role of the criminal profiler was unrecognized in the UK. Now, partly because of his many successes, it is a commonplace addition to investigations in fact and - especially - fiction.
Britton’s view of the cases is necessarily skewed. Typically the police would consult him in the hope that he could provide them with useful pointers to help them use limited resources most effectively. He would give them a snapshot of the mind of the criminal, based on the available evidence and his own psychological skill. Often the consultations took place early in the investigation, and Britton would have little first-hand knowledge of what happened subsequently. But this scarcely matters: his unusual ability to “walk through minds” provides us with a series of deeply disturbing character studies. In Britton’s world, however terrible their crimes, the perpetrators are also victims.
Two cases stick like burrs in the mind. The first is the abduction of Abbie Humphreys, where the course of the investigation was changed for the worse because senior police officers wanted to pander to the whims of a television company. This happened despite the protests of Britton and the officer in charge of the case, and demonstrates one of the least acceptable aspects of the relationship between police and the media. The second is the murder of two-year-old Jamie Bulger, recounted with clarity, compassion and inside knowledge. It does not make for comfortable reading or listening.
THE JIGSAW MAN is a powerful book - and perhaps an even more powerful tape. Derek Jacobi’s reading is admirably unsensational, which increases the impact of the material. Not to be missed by anyone with a serious interest in the dark geography of the criminal character.
The Jigsaw Man by
Paul Britton