Jillian Lauren had no idea what she was getting into when she wrote her first letter to prolific serial killer Samuel Little. All she knew was her research had led her to believe he was good for far more murders than the three for which he had been convicted. While the two exchanged dozens of letters and embarked on hundreds of hours of interviews, Lauren gained the trust of a monster. After maintaining his innocence for decades, Little confessed to the murders of ninety-three women, often drawing his victims in haunting detail as he spoke. How could one man evade justice, manipulating the system for over four decades? As the FBI, the DOJ, the LAPD, and countless law enforcement officials across the country worked to connect their cold cases with the confessions, Lauren's coverage of the investigations and obsession with Little's victims only escalated. New York Times bestselling author and lead of the Starz docuseries Confronting a Serial Killer Jillian Lauren delivers the harrowing report of her unusual relationship with a psychopath. But this is more than a deep dive into the actions of Samuel Little. Lauren's riveting and emotional accounts reveal the women who were lost to cold files, giving Little's victims a chance to have their stories heard for the first time.
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I was really looking forward to a good true crime novel, however I have mixed feelings about Behold the Monster. When I read non-fiction, especially true crime novels, I really want it to be about that...actual events and research. Jillian Lauren mixes fiction within this one, basing the stories of the murdered women off her research. It may not be that way for others, but for me it threw off my non-fiction flow.
I did enjoy the background and history of Samuel Little. Reading her meetings with him were eerie and chilled my entire being. He is pure evil.
Overall, not a bad read and I am sure other readers will wholeheartedly love this one. The format for this one just wasn't my cup of coffee. If you have this one on your radar, I would say to give it a read. You may enjoy a lot more than I did.
I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.