Jillian Lauren basically has my dream job in another universe. Through watching SVU pretty much my entire teen into adulthood life and now at 32, I have always wondered what it would be like to pen pal with an inmate. My small hometown has two cold cases that have been featured on unsolved mysteries if JL needs an idea for a book 2; totally want to be the assistant!

A truly difficult read at times, the author does not shy away from the gruesome details of this sickening true-life horror. I can see how some may find this a blatant exploitation, but you can’t deny the bright light it shines on homicide cases that have been marginalized or completely ignored.

I appreciate the hard work that was done by all involved to help provide closure to Sam Little’s victims and to seek some semblance of justice on their behalf. My heart sincerely goes out to anyone left still wondering what happened to a loved one who crossed paths with such evil.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of Behold The Monster for my unbiased evaluation.  3 stars

Very detailed (to a fault) at times. Long and wordy. I felt more engaged when the author visited the prison for the interviews. I like reading more of a novel style true crime. Obviously the author is intelligent, she put a huge amount of work into the book. I personally thought it was a bit in your face graphic or maybe just disrespectful to the victims. The language was over the top. (I will say if the negatives I have are how he spoke I understand why she wrote the book in this way, it's just not my taste) I seem to be in the minority with my review.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own!

BEHOLD THE MONSTER
BY: JILLIAN LAUREN

My first review got erased and I was initially giving this book three stars. After sleeping on it, I can't give this comprehensive non-fiction book, which is about true crime, about America's most prolific serial killer named Sam Little less than Five Stars. My first reaction after reading the final pages, was that I felt like I needed a shower. That's because the author Jillian Lauren, did such a top notch job of painting a picture of how this vicious serial killer thought. She also made this account of all of her research very multi- layered by including psychology, and the forensic science easy to understand by explaining the details of my favorite parts of the book so accessible to every one who reads this book. It isn't for everybody or the faint of heart because she really gives you enough details, which made me reconsider my rating because she really did her homework about the way law enforcement works to solve cold cases.

I thought that Sam Little was a vicious, monster who felt that he could get away with murder, which he did because he started his killing spree as far back as the 1970's through 2005. He really felt entitled to kill without getting caught, because he targeted his victims with the idea of choosing those that would be less likely to be missed. Jillian Lauren by visiting him in prison, and interviewing him was a brave woman, because she had her purpose of identifying those that he murdered to help bring closure to Sam Little's victims by giving them a name. I would think that it must have been scary for her to visit such a depraved individual in prison. She helped his victims families find closure, also.

He admitted to killing at least 90 something people, but the FBI has confirmed approximately somewhere between fifty or sixty. He was in my opinion a sexual deviant. His methods were to get his sexual gratification only when he strangled his victims to death. He couldn't most of the time get off unless he was strangling his victims. I don't think he got punished enough, because he would only admit to his crimes unless he got something in writing saying that the death penalty was not going to be inflicted on him. Also, I feel like justice wasn't served because by the time he was put in prison he was already an old man. I am in no way excusing him, because I think he was a despicable coward, who was sexually abused himself by an Uncle. He went to live with his grandparents, and when he reconnected with his mother they had a sexual relationship.

My favorite sections were the court transcripts, the explanation of forensic science, and the psychology. I applaud the author Jillian Lauren for her courage in all of her efforts to help law enforcement by putting her life on the line by obtaining her hundreds of taped interviews with such a dangerous murderer. I loved how at the end of this book she included the victims faces, and when they were murdered. I did think that this book could be improved by some editing, because it skipped around a lot. Overall, this author did a stellar job, and like I said she potentially put herself in harms way to get involved with such a depraved human being. I would also like to mention it must be difficult for her to be unable to have in her mind images that would be hard to forget. I don't know how someone could not being affected by being unable to forget the information about the murders. It definitely for me as a reader going to be difficult to not have nightmares about getting in the mindset of such a vicious murderer, to which Jillian Lauren was able to accomplish by her brilliant writing.

Publication Date: July 18, 2023.

Thank you to Net Galley, Jillian Lauren and SOURCEBOOKS for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#BeholdtheMonster #JillianLauren #Sourcebooks #NetGalley

First I want to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. What follows is my original unbiased review.

Behold the Monster is best classified (to me) as a true-life crime drama. The book was originally published in 2021; this is apparently an updated version detailing what I guess are new events.

This is a gritty book to read, describing the life of America's most notorious serial killer Sam Little, aka Sam McDowell. The author estimates that Little killed at least 93 people and the FBI has confirmed over 60 of these murders. Little was a true monster, driven by sexual fantasies and showing little to no mercy to his victims.

His primary mode of murder was strangulation, and he enjoyed (if you can bear with me using that word) strangling his victims while manstrubating. Author Jillian Lauren tells the disturbing life story of Sam Little and many of his victims in gory detail, which may turn off some readers. Still, it is a captivating read.

What is sad from reading this book is to learn about how many times this serial killer was allowed back on the streets for numerous murders and other infractions due to the failure of the criminal justice system in many states. Little murdered women across the country and only towards the end of his life was he finally incarcerated until he died.

The author interviewed Little on several occasions, as well as many other principals involved in Little's life. She did a remarkable job pulling this story together.

This book is not for the squeamish. It left me feeling sad for the many victims and anger towards the failure of the court system to keep this animal locked up. I found the narrative to be a bit disjointed jumping from decade to decade and got lost in a couple of points until I figured out the structure. If you like true-crime drama then I recommend this book.

Behold the Monster: Confronting America's Most Prolific Serial Killer by Jillian Lauren is a gripping and chilling true crime book. Lauren shares her experience of corresponding with Samuel Little, one of the most prolific serial killers in American history, who ultimately confessed to the murders of ninety-three women.

The author's writing style is captivating, and her thorough research and interviews provide readers with a detailed insight into the mind of a serial killer. Lauren delves into Little's past and the systemic failures that allowed him to evade justice for so long. She also explores the victims' stories and the impact of their deaths on their families and communities.

The book is not for the faint of heart, as it contains graphic descriptions of violence and murder. However, it sheds light on the importance of law enforcement agencies' cooperation and the need for justice for the victims and their families.

Overall, Behold the Monster is a haunting and thought-provoking read that will leave readers both fascinated and disturbed. The author's compassionate approach to the victims' stories adds a humanizing element to an otherwise terrifying subject matter. True crime fans will find this book hard to put down.

I think the premise of this book is incredibly important. This isn’t the most well known serial murderer case, but it’s absolutely one of the most haunting. We get into the mind of Sam Little, the country’s most prolific serial killer.
If you’re a true crime explorer, this book will absolutely do it for you. The details of some of the accounts are just absolutely horrendous, it is terrifying to know there are people like this out there, even still today. The research done for this book was incredible, it’s hard to believe how much time and energy goes into a book like this and I appreciate the efforts so much, as will most readers Im sure.
The author did a great job at respecting the victims and their families. The dramatizations of the victims’ accounts did throw me off slightly, but I think it was done tastefully.
Unfortunately, Sam did not even get a pinch of what he deserved, due to a failed justice system. Books like this are so needed though, it brings light to the darkness of our world and pays tribute to all those who suffered under the (abnormally large) hands of Sam Little.

I commend the author for the HUGE amount of effort they put into the research for this book. This has to be one of the most exhaustive serial killer books I've ever read, and I'm a true crime researcher myself. This is an incredibly detailed account into one of America's least known but most prolific serial killers, and I am glad to finally see him finally be scrutinized.

This book was SO long. I had a hard time getting through it. I love true crime and devour tv shows. This was my first true crime book so maybe it just wasn’t what I was expecting. So many details that I feel could have been left out to shorten the length of the book.
I can’t imagine getting to know a man like that on such a personal level. I do understand the value it brought to helping bring Justice for so many victims.
Keeping his ashes in your garage? 🫣 I wouldn’t want them anywhere in my possession.
Our system is incredibly flawed and as a result Sam was able to kill many many woman. Sad.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Publish date: July 18, 2023

A deftly handled retelling of a true-crime encounter with a prolific serial killer. Well-researched with also a strong focus on the victims, both known and unknown.

Behold the Monster is about a true monster, by the name of Sam Little.  Sam is serial killer who confessed to over 90 murders after getting away with the murder for many years.  There are times when the facts are quite horrific and I had a hard time reading about the terrible things Sam did to his victims.  The details the author put into the book and the research that had to be done on this monster are all brought together to make a story that you will not forget.  The interviews and letters, the pictures of the victims at the end of the book, make this true crime story all the more difficult to read, yet I could not put it down.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Advanced Copy of this book.

I have said in many reviews: I don't care for the dramatization of real life murders in nonfiction books. There's no way to know what a murder victim was thinking or feeling at the time of their murder. I understand that the author is trying to personalize and humanize the victim, but some of it just rubbed me the wrong way. For example, in the murder of Mary, the author includes some of "Mary's thoughts" about how gin and tonics aren't having the same effect as they used to, and how many she's had to drink and how fast. It came off as being really judgmental for no reason. The woman is dead. She was murdered. Even if you've uncovered that she was an alcoholic through the course of your research, you can convey that information in a more appropriate, less judgmental way.

The same thing goes for Marianne, the unidentified transgender woman. I was cringing really hard when the author concocted this weird scene where Marianne is separating from her body, who is then referred to by her birth name of Curtis, until the body/Curtis dies, and Marianne flies away, finally in the correct, perfect body. What? Maybe, MAYBE, that would be a nice metaphor for a fictional character you're writing about in a novel, but it felt so weird and disrespectful to do to a real life, transgender murder victim. Referring to her body as a boy's body and flip flopping back and forth between names and pronouns.. big yikes for me.

The author mentioned at one point that when she began, she wanted to write a fiction book. She should have done a separate fiction book then. Don't include your fictionalized, dramatizations in a work of nonfiction. It also makes it hard for the reader to trust what things that could plausibly be based on research are real or invented.

There's even a section where the author can't keep the names straight, when she is discussing Aggie. She flip flops between calling one woman Denise and Diane several times.

The list of things this man did, and mostly got away with, is absolutely horrifying. Even when he did get caught throughout the years, there was almost no punishment at all. It's mind blowing. It's very unsatisfying that, even when he did get caught for murder, he was already so old, and COVID was just about to start.. He really did not get anything remotely close to what he deserved.

I loved that the author included sections of trial transcripts directly into the text. I feel like that really gives you a better understanding of these women than any flowery writing style could. You get to see them in their words right on the page. It also gave you a better idea of the lawyers and the judge and how the legal process played out. This was a really great touch.

Overall, I think that this was a very important story to tell. I'm just not sure I really think that the final product of this book was the best way to do it. The author makes it very clear at multiple points throughout the book that she spent a LOT of time interviewing and researching and traveling and gathering evidence. She spent tons of time checking in on things that Sam told her to try to verify what he was saying. This really gets downplayed by how disorganized the book feels. For example, we hear about the Texas Ranger early on in the book, but we don't get to hear anything about his credentials and experience until 68% of the way through the book? Also, he worked for the DEA, but he was unfamiliar with drugs and how they're used? See above for my thoughts on inserting fiction into a nonfiction story to try to make it more "interesting".

I also felt like the author included a lot of personal information about herself that really didn't add to anything. It made it feel like she wanted to make sure the reader knew how much she had inserted herself into this narrative. What did her night at the Grammy's add to anything? Or her shopping at local stores for felt hats? Being super hungry for grilled cheese? She mentioned probably a dozen times how she was Sam's next of kin. That didn't need to be repeated so often. It felt like a weird brag.

I think the book could've used more editing, and then it would've been much better. This is probably like a 2.5 star book, but I will bump it up to 3 because its important that people know about this man. I also did really love that the author included, not only a list of the victims at the end, but the photographs and/or Sam's drawings when they were available. It really helps to personalize the women so much more. It was a lovely touch.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this advance reader copy. This story is riveting and not for the weak at heart. A couple times I had to stop and take a break from the book. It is the true story of one of the most prolific serial killers.. I applaud this author, for facing this man in the prison. I pray for the families of the victims that were identified. This book stay with you for a long time..

This is true crime at its grittiest. I wasn't familiar with the killer Samuel Little but at the end of the book one thing is clear, evil is evil. Be prepared to be shocked and grossed out. The mind of a serial killer is not for the faint of heart.

Wow! Behold the Monster is a fantastic true crime thriller that is not for the faint of heart. I read some bad reviews about the book being disturbing. Well, it's a true crime book about the most prolific serial killer Sam Little... That said, I thought it was fascinating. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I stayed up way too late for several nights glued to this book. It has The Silence of the Lambs kind of vibe. Jillian Lauren spent months cultivating an understanding between Sam Little and herself. She was able to get him to open up about dozens, upon dozens of unsolved murders. This is the ultimate true crime book.

I think I can sit comfortably at 3.5 stars, so for this I'll round up to 4 ⭐️.

I just finished, and I wonder if I should sit on this for a night before I review, but I also don't want to forget a single thing. Whether or not you agree with her style, Jillian got the job done. She makes herself clear - you don't get anything for free. Whether that's bringing a bag of quarters or fluffing an old perv grandpa's ego, she needed information only Samuel Little had. And I respect the hell out of her for it.

What made this a frustrating read, logistically, was the order of information we're given. As in any true crime / nonfiction narrative, the order of information delivery is a delicate balance of keeping the reader engaged, maintaining a level of mutual understanding of events, and saving the best for last. This was especially tricky here, and I think it could use some improvement. We flip back and forth a lot, from his crime days, the present, the near-ish past during his trials, and then somehow back into his crime days in LA. It got confusing, especially with so many names and locations.

Additionally, Jillian takes what feels like a lot of artistic license with the victims' last experiences. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. She doesn't paint them negatively, but it still feels a bit presumptuous. One that sticks with me is Marianne. It was visual and visceral, like a scene out of The Lovely Bones. How she arrived there with only Little's detached and somewhat foggy recollection is beyond me.

Read through the generosity of Netgallery.
I do read a lot of crime books, both true and fictional, and this one had a slight edge to it. The narrator herself was a prominent character in the book as she contemplated the interviews she had with what is now considered to be the most prolific serial killer in America, Sam Little.
She brought to life more about what a violent psychopath does to act in his world and how he must perceive himself—not as a killer but as a lover. No rapes, he said, but he did own them. They were his babies. Creepy as hell to think about that kind of person in the world.
I’m going to go off and read about a boy and a horse and a fox and look at beautiful pictures for a while to get past it.

I maybe not familiar with Samuel Little name, but true monsters can come with any name and action. And I am glad this book make me knew one of them. He was a serial killer who in out the prison but always get away with his crimes. He was brilliant criminal who smart enough to keep himself under the radar until series of interviews make him want to confessed, the real number of his victims. Ninety three and half of the cases not even close yet.

This is my first read from the author, and the details of it leave me with appreciation and chills.
The book offers some gruesome details, investigation, interviews, personal chats, reconstruction histories even some "retelling" from Little and selection of victims I enjoyed so much.
Several parts of this book feel like too much uneccesarily background details. I actually love the part when the POV take the retelling format. It is easier to dive into the narrative and make me feel more into both brains, Little and his victims.

Thank you Sourcebookexplore NF and Netgalley for provided my copy. My thoughts and opinions always become my own

This is a difficult book to review. If you read a lot of True Crime, then I suggest picking this one up, but it’s definitely not in the same vein as I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, or The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, or even American Predator.

The writing is at times excellent and other times equally frustrating. Lauren describes the victims (I suspect) how Sam Little sees them, with increasingly crude language, in one case referring to the remains of one as having “a juicy thigh.” I found this not only disrespectful, but frankly revolting. I can understand why Lauren chose this type of literary device, to show that Sam Little was a monster who thought of women as nothing more than meat, but then in another passage she describes one victim running out of her body and becoming an angel as she’s being murdered; surely that’s not Little’s perspective? There were several times I had to put the book down and come back to it a few days later because I just found it disturbing. Maybe that’s an odd thing to say as True Crime usually is disturbing, but I think there’s a difference in reading about what we can learn from these cases versus fetishizing the violence perpetrated upon innocent people.

That being said, for the sake of the many Unknown Women pictured at the end of the book… I still feel this is important to read. Lauren helps shed light on the lives of women who were largely forgotten, who didn’t receive justice because they weren’t deemed important by society. They all deserve to be found, and to have their names returned to them.

Behold the Monster
By Jillian Lauren
Pub Date: July 18, 2023
Edbury
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unfortunately this was not a hit with me. I thought being a true crime I would love it. Sam Little was a very disturbed man.
3 stars