'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 proli fic 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.

About the Author
Jillian Lauren is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED and SOME GIRLS: MY LIFE IN A HAREM, as well as the novel PRETTY. She has an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University and her writing has appeared in THE PARIS REVIEW, THE NEW YORK TIMES, VANITY FAIR, ELLE, THE RUMPUS, THE DAILY BEAST and others. In addition to being a regular storyteller at The Moth and a Tedx speaker, her work has been widely anthologised including THE MOTH ANTHOLOGY and TRUE TALES OF LUST AND LOVE.

Reviews
Sam Little is the monster in this story and Jillian Lauren is the slayer. She is the one who stuck her nose into it, saw something was not right, was dreadfully wrong, in fact, and did something about it. -- Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Jillian Lauren employs a bewitching blend of empathy and brio, deep imagination and cold curiosity, to unleash a tale of horror that is also humane and self aware. This is a hard book to read, and even harder to put down. -- Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Candy House
Jillian confronts the man with the dubious honor of being America's most prolific serial killer. His revelations were gleaned due to Jillian's work with Little, law enforcement, the Texas Rangers, and the FBI...she got this murderer to confess. -- Joe Berlinger, award-winning true crime documentary filmmaker and producer
You can go to hell, but you can't come back clean. Jillian Lauren made the trip for us and the result is a gripping personal thriller, a true crime confessional. Lauren steps up to the monster and tells it straight, in dancing prose by turns lyrical , hard boiled, confessional, and encyclopedic. This story introduces us to scores of victims, previously unknown and unnamed. Women who society forgot... but their killer never did. Lauren brings them into the light. -- Charlie Graeber, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Nurse
It's always been on my mind. How my sister died, who killed her and why. But now we know, thank the Lord. After all these years, the Lord has answered our prayers. -- Deborah Duvall, sister of Alice Duvall
The serial killer speaks?and so do his victims. Behold the Monster is a rare gem of a true crime narrative. Author Jillian Lauren pushes away spiders and cobwebs to take you deep inside the torturous mind of an apex predator while also adding a heart-wrenching dimension to the many lives he destroyed. The writing is crisp, disturbing and ultimately terrifying! -- Casey Sherman, New York Times bestselling author of Helltown
Equal parts harrowing and imaginative, Behold the Monster looks straight into the face of pure evil and doesn't blink. Jillian Lauren's devastating portrait of Sam Little and his innumerable victims is a journey into a darkness that is almost unfathomable; as well as an indictment of a failed justice system and the social decay that created a serial killer in the first place. Utterly gripping, this book will tear you apart. -- Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author
Lauren is an engaging stylist, capable of blending gruesome forensic details with tender domestic moments . . . Behold the Monster offers a successfully panoramic tale of America's worst serial killer and his unrepented crimes. * Daily Telegraph *
Wildly original . . . True crime fans will find this a unique and disturbing thrill ride. -- Publishers Weekly
A bewitching blend of empathy and brio, deep imagination and cold curiosity ... a tale of horror that is also humane and self aware. A hard book to read, and even harder to put down -- Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad
Jillian confronts America's most prolific serial killer. His revelations were gleaned due to Jillian's work with Little, law enforcements, the Texas Rangers and the FBI ... she got this murderer to confess' -- Joe Berlinger, Peabody and Emmy-winning true crime filmmaker
Fearless and fierce ... a story that transcends a crime story to be a story that threatens social order -- Michael Connelly



Book Information
ISBN 9781472148001
Author Jillian Lauren
Format Paperback
Page Count 512
Imprint Robinson
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 620g
Dimensions(mm) 232mm * 154mm * 40mm