I really appreciated the thoroughness of Behold the Monster. I liked reading about Samuel Little's backstory as well as the various forensics used to investigate his crimes. It's not a night-time book!

Behold The Monster is the perfect read for any true crime junkie. It details the life of Sam Little... from his upbringing, his many brushes with the law, detailed accounts of his crimes and his victims' last moments, and to the pursuit and captivity of him as a serial killer. The book was also very informative on forensics that progressed throughout his monstrous crime spree.
Detailing the victims was significant because his gives some power back to their name and memory, rather than solely focusing on him.

I found the writing to be amateurish. I think the author tried to hard sound like she knew all there was to know about the killer and I did not see proof of that.

Does it ever feel good to rate a serial killers story high? But the rating itself is for the author and the work she put into to catching a serial killer.
The descriptions are hard to read at times so you may need to brace yourself, but then again if you're a true crime junkie, this will be something you've read prior..or listened to on a podcast.

This is the story of Sam Little and his many victims. Lauren did countless interviews with him where he confessed and described his terrible ways. She also delves into her own background. I think it gave a well rounded story but one where you may find the need to disconnect yourself or take breaks. It's never easy to be in a serial killers mind.

One of the most disturbing true stories I've ever read. It must have taken such a toll on Jillian Lauren to struggle through this chronicle of death. Sam Little was a killer who didn't come close to paying for his crimes. It makes me angry to think of all the lives that could have been saved if the courts, parole boards, and legal systems weren't so flawed.
The hard work of the detectives, specially dedicated to solving these crimes law enforcement individuals and Jillian gave a voice to those women who encountered this critically flawed individual and are to be applauded.
It was hard to read and appalling to comprehend how many chances the legal system had to keep him locked up and repeatedly let him back on the streets. Serving his whole sentence each time they had him could have saved multiple lives.
The work and effort put into this book is staggering. It had to be hard on Jillians' psyche to have to be close and communicate with this vile individual to get the details and bring closure to many families. Sam Little killed 93 women, used and thrown away, with his slick manner and false face of kindness and caring. Some of the women how have a face and a story but there are still others who remain a mystery. His recall of them all is amazing and his artistic ability to draw them helped identify some. The drawings of some and approximate dates and locations are listed for the benefit of those still not identified. Plus a voice for those who have.
If you don't like language and hearing of depravity don't read it. It will leave a mark on your heart for all the lost souls.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Sourcebooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I have always been interested in crime stories so I agreed to read and review, this one was particularly hard. The anger at some legal systems and how hard it had been to let him manipulate to get details. The phone calls, the pictures, and the meetings are what nightmares are made of.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited to read this book. As a true crime junkie, I was familiar with Sam Little but was aware that he and his crimes and victims are significantly less well known than less prolific serial killers such as Ted Bundy. In preparation I watched a recent Oxygen special, and a podcast that specializes in covering victims and perpetrators of color to make sure I was up on all the facts so I could truly focus on the story.

Unfortunately, this book was very difficult to read, and at about 40% of the way through I had to surrender this to the DNF shelf. The book started with the author's own experience of domestic violence, which while technically topical felt like a jarring way to start the book and I had trouble connecting the threads of it in the text when her personal story (outside of interviewing Little) kept surfacing. Additionally, the fictionalization of how Little's victims died were difficult to read. While I appreciate that there are a lot of blanks on how potential victims of Little may have died, the fictionalizations were quite dramatic and distracting. I was expecting something more along the lines of "In Cold Blood" which (regardless of its veracity) read like a cohesive narrative of real events. I'm not convinced that this book would be a solid primer on Sam Little and his crimes for someone who was completely unaware of him and his crimes before reading the book.

Very interesting serial killer book as told through a female interviewer's eyes. I liked learning more about the author, as well as the subject, and Lauren's empathy toward the victims was welcome and refreshing in the true crime genre.

Behold the Monster, is about serial killer Sam Little. Sam Little was behind bars when he met with the author, Jillian Lauren. It was with Jillian that Sam started confessing all his murders. Sam spoke with Jillian during their prison visits, and most often on their phone calls. Sam knew the phone calls were being recorded, but he still kept on talking. Sam Little often drew pictures of his victims while confessing to Jillian. Sam called Jillian his "best friend".
Jillian was even listed as next of kin for Sam Little, and she was the first person the prison called when he died of Covid-19 complications on December 30, 2020.
Everything about Sam Little is disturbing! His birth into the world was disturbing. His upbringing was disturbing. His reuniting with his biological mother as an adult was especially disturbing!
I have a tendency to read every true crime book there is out there about serial killers. I just want to be able to find out why they think and do the things they do. I’m pursuing a degree in forensic psychology/ criminal justice so I can learn more and maybe work with these people not to help them but to get in their heads. They’re all so messed up and disturbing.
But this book really went into depth of sams past and if you like true crime this is for you!
Thank you NetGalley,Jillian Lauren and Robinson for allowing me to read this ARC no matter how disturbing. This book is due to be published July 18th 2023.

If you are a true crime reader you will probably be interested in this book and will add it to your collection. It’s disturbing but very well researched and written with heartbreaking pages of Samuel Little’s victims in the end.

I enjoyed reading this book. I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and the publisher Sourcebooks. true crime stories are one of my favorite genres to read, and this one did not disappoint. Sam Little, one of the most prolific serial killers in the U.S., had over 90 victims. Throughout this book, Jillian takes us b behind the mind of Sam Little and the victims he terrorized and murdered throughout his life. He is as evil as they come, bypassing the known serial killers such as Ted Bundy, the Golden State Killer, and Charlie Manson. Jillian tells the stories of his victims and the survivors that he did not manage to kill. Knowing that most of his victims were prostitutes and the unwanted, he could get away with so many murders.
I did find that some spots were over-explained. As much information was included, I thought some of it could have been excluded. I would highly recommend reading this novel if you are into true crime. It will not let you down.

Ted Bundy, BTK, Jeffrey Dahmer. John Wayne Gacy. We all know the names. But what about Sam Little? BEHOLD THE MONSTER by Jillian Lauren should be considered the epitome of information on this guy who some consider the most prolific serial killers of modern times.
When Jillian Lauren wrote to Sam Little, it was a shot in the dark that he would even write back. What then developed was hundreds of hours of interviews and visits with a man who confessed to dozens of murders. As police agencies across the country began matching his details with their cold cases, Sam kept talking about many more than the three murders of which he was ultimately convicted. All the while, Sam was painting portraits of his victims, now being used to try to identify even more victims.
There were a few parts in the book where she lists the states where Sam reported that he committed his crimes and the vehicles he was driving at the time which I initially found VERY monotonous but upon reflection this information was integral to the scope of this guy’s murderous rampage. How could this guy possibly hold a job and where did his money come from? That question will continue to confound me.
I was shocked and saddened by how long this animal got away with his crimes. I suppose it is a reflection on our society that if you pick the ‘right’ populations to kill, you have free rein to continue your depravity. I’m just sorry that the justice system didn’t get the chance to do to him what he did to so many.
If you are a true crime junkie (like me), YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS.

Let me start out by saying: As a survivor of domestic violence and after having been married and happily divorced since 2013 to a malignant narcissist after being raised as a 'scapegoat' from a family of narcs the best thing I can say on this topic is -Do Not Feed the Narcs!
These individuals need attention, they need a source of supply, they need people to feel for them to take away the compassion for their victims whom they killed!
The last thing these MONSTERS need is a book about their actions as KILLERS!
They prey upon the unsuspecting targets -Women- and often these women are bottom feeders that are seen as easily disposable. Sadly, those women are often prostitutes or drug addicts whom these disgusting men whom attack and or murder for their own self pleasure.
The main problem I had with this book is the fact of these women didn't ask for this type of abuse. They didn't deserve to be killed, mutilated, or destroyed and tossed away without a moment's hesitation.
For me books like this shouldn't be written as they honestly stir up more controversy than assitance to those left behind or those studying serial killers.
I honestly am not fascinated by the minds of such ill individuals but thought perhaps this would be written in a manner conducive to learning and educating the public and less about the personal interest or lack thereof from the mind of Sam Little.
Thankfully, he perished in prison but not before tax payers dollars were wasted upon him to keep him alive.
This is a fine example of why we need to utilize the death penalty upon this man known simply as, "The ultimate psychopath."
Sexual crimes and crimes of passion such as this should not be spotlighted but rather condemned. The world today allows societal norms to be moved farther and farther away from human conscious and psyche and because of that we no longer uphold the rights of every man, woman, and or child.
Instead we view people in general as disposable and it's why we are seeing the escalation of said 'hate' crimes and 'crimes of passion' being committed.
Thank you for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was an interesting read for anyone who loves true crime! The author goes into great detail describing all of the victims, which I appreciate because it shows that they were real people with stories and lives. You can tell the author spent a lot of time writing as this book is very detailed. The drawings at the end really added an interesting element as well.

I received a free copy of, Behold the Monster, by Jillian Lauren, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book describes horrible, terrible things. However, it does so with true respect for the victims of Samuel Little, and with insight into the human mind. Jillian Lauren really did her homework on this and it shows. I think this will be a defining work of true crime fiction.

I'm giving Behold the Monster five stars, which feels weird, because it feels like applauding Sam Little's story. When in fact this book does an impressive job giving a voice to the victims, and those that worked hard to finally get this monster behind bars.

I am a huge true crime fan but this jumps around so much and makes it hard to follow.
Surprisingly , I had never heard of this case, this author gives excellent insight into this killer. 3.5 stars. Thank you for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, for an advance copy of this book. I was not familiar with Jillian Lauren and had not seen her documentary Confronting a Serial Killer when I read this, nor had a heard of Samuel Little. Ms. Lauren did an outstanding job of presenting Samuel Little as a real person, while never losing sight of the fact of the evil he possessed. I really admire the way she didn’t try to make him seem less bad, or pure evil. Even more impressive was the way she presented many of the women that Samuel Little killed as relatable, human beings who didn’t deserve to die - she largely kept the focus on these women and their families, rather than writing a book glorifying a killer. She clearly did years of research and thinking about this subject, which resulted in a book I hope to see emulated.

Behold the Monster tells the story of a reporter investigating Sam Little, one of the country's most prolific serial killers. This book is unlike any other true-crime story that I've read, in the way it alternates perspectives. In particular, this book takes you into the victim's perspective; the author speculates on what they must have been feeling, and the result is powerful. I enjoy that approach, but understand it may not be for everyone, so be aware! I personally think the victim's perspective is forgotten too often in the true-crime genre (books, podcasts, etc.) so any attention paid to that is good attention, imo!

Thank you to Jillian Lauren, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for allowing me an ARC.

This book is intense and messed up! This book takes you on a wild, demented ride. The author tells of the most prolific serial killer in US history, Sam Little. I could only read this book in small chunks because it’s so well done that it messed me up, so if that intrigues you then this book is for you!

Sam Little is a serial killer of 90 ppl and a true monster. Get into the mind of a serial killer. Very chilling and haunting till the last page.

I'm going to be honest I did not finish this one. I am giving it 4 stars however because it was well written and informative. I couldn't finish it because for me I felt uncomfortable with the speculation of what the victims were thinking/feeling. The author clearly states at the beginning that she will be writing it this way and mentions talking with the victims' families about doing so but it still made me a bit uncomfortable and therefore I did not finish the book. I may give this one another shot down the line because as I said it really is well written.