‘Fearless and fierce … transcends a crime story to be a story that threatens social order’ – Michael Connelly
‘Bewitching . . . a tale of horror that is also humane and self-aware’ – Jennifer Egan
‘[Lauren] writes in film-noir … American prose, so you feel you’re in the seamy backstreets in the Rust Belt’ – Daily Mail, Book of the Week
‘Wildly original… true crime fans will find this a unique and disturbing thrill ride’ – Publishers Weekly
‘Blending gruesome forensic details with tender domestic moments . . . a panoramic tale of America’s worst serial killer’ – Daily Telegraph
‘Chilling’ – the Sun
Jillian Lauren set out to research a serial killer for a novel. Instead, she put one at the centre of her life.
Months of exchanging letters with Samuel Little in prison landed her a face-to-face meeting – and the trust of a monster. In the hours of harrowing interviews that followed, Little confessed to the murders of ninety-three women, making him America’s most prolific serial killer. As the investigations escalated, the disturbing relationship took its toll on Lauren, both psychologically and legally – but she couldn’t stop.
Conversations with a psychopath, intertwined with intensely personal experience and the stories of those killed told for the first time, result in an unforgettable true crime account. Behold the Monster is a journey into a mind and murderer that shocked the world, but one that ultimately lifts the lives of the victims with such grace that we cannot look away.
