If you enjoy true crime, you will enjoy this book. It details the murders done at the hands of Sam Little. I would give a content warning to those that cannot handle gruesome details. I don't think they were all needed but it did help you understand just how horrific the crimes were. The number of murders this man committed was insane but during this time in history it is easy to see how he could maneuver around and never be caught. He chose victims he thought no one would miss or that society did not care about which aided him in his madness. I enjoyed this book but again if you cannot handle a ton a detail this may not be the book for you. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

It's hard to put thoughts together after reading all the despicable deeds Sam Little committed over the course of his life. I would say this this isn't for the faint of heart. There are detailed conversations with Little about the murders. There is a lot of violence, racism, sexual assault, child molestation, alcohol, drugs, mental illness and suicide involved. It's very hard to read about at times.

This book is full of overwhelming tragedy and anger. It was absolutely maddening how many times he was caught and then released, before finally being convicted of murder. I just couldn't get over how many women would have possibly been saved if he'd been caught faster. I did like the interspersed chapters that the author included from the perspectives of the victims. It was heartbreaking to read what could have been their last thoughts and regrets. The author's focus on the victims and their lives and trying to prove that Little's confessions were true to give the families closure was the bright spot in this book for me.

Overall, this was an insightful and well written true-crime read. I was surprised to have not heard a lot about him before reading this book. Especially since he had confessed to over 90 murders which would make him the number 1 Serial killer in the United States.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the arc of this book!

This is a perfect book for a true crime junkie. This book outlined all of the facts and details related to the Sam Little case. I enjoyed the chapters that read like a story when describing what happened. Sam Little was a very disturbed man.

Unfortunately, this one is going to be a DNF for me. I couldn't get into it, and truly I was looking for a true crime book, but Lauren's interspersed personal stories detracted from the rest.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC in exchange for an honest review. The title of this book perfectly captures the description of serial killer Sam Little. He is a monster and doesn't seem to upset about. A work of non-fiction about who may likely be the most prolific serial killer of all time. Little claims to have killed at least 93 women. The FBI has confirmed a fraction of that. There are some victims that may never be known. One of the unique aspects of this work is the research done by author Jillian Lauren and the fact that she devotes a lot of the book to a study of the victims lives - to show that they were real women, whether they were flawed or looked up by society as less than worthy of the attention.

I love listening to true crime podcasts. That being said, when offered the chance to read this book, I jumped at the chance. I had heard about Sam Little and looked forward to learning more about him. The book is extremely well written and draws you in. The victims become more than victims. The authors descriptions bring them to life. I greatly admire her efforts and tenacity to get through to Sam and help to bring the lost ,and previously anonymous home and give them back their names.

I follow true-crime, and I had never heard of Sam Little. This is not only the story about Little and how he managed to continue his terrible crimes against women over a 35 year period, but it is also about the woman who befriended him in order to get a story, not knowing that her story would be so expansive and provide closure to so many cold cases. First off, I find Lauren's actions admirable. She did things for Little that made her sick in order to get information for law enforcement. She put herself in sketchy circumstances in order to verify Little's accounts. And she persistently ran down details to connect memories to victims. All this while also raising a family. She is amazing! As for Little, he was apparently a monster with a charming face. The ease at which he found his victims ... the ease at which he discarded his victims ... the ease at which he walked away from charges against him! It is an incredible story about one man's sickness and society's discrimination. I was amazed at the detail in which he was able to recount his crimes. Considering the time span and the number of his victims, this is no small feat. Lauren gave an amazing account of his family origin and his life growing into the monster he became (although, I think he was broken from his start). Chilling tale but spellbindingly told.

As a true crime fan who watches the shows and listens to podcasts, I had to read this book. Jillian Lauren has written a book about serial killer Sam Little and has done it in a way that brings a voice to the victims. They aren’t just names any longer. She gives us details from the police, families, and the killer, but also goes into detail about what it takes to solve these cases and bring a monster to justice. This book was well written and a must read for all true crime fans!

Uhhhh wow. I am not one for true crime but I read the golden state killer- but this is not that. This is quite good. It’s a little Wes Moore meets serial killers which I appreciate, and although I’m glad I read it, some parts were very gruesome. 😬

If true crime excites you and you like knowing about real-life serial killers, this one will keep you up at night. So well done, thought out, and the victim list at the end makes you want to barf…or donate to a charity. It’s hard to review this because this guy was a loon and it’s amazing how he was able to slip through the cracks, but bravo- a solid book.

DNF at 28 percent.

This book is exhausting. The author uses WAY TOO MUCH detail—much of which is opinion based. Stop adding information to a so called true book that you’re using to embellish. Stick to facts. Then we have all of the adjectives used. Some paragraphs had more adjectives than other words. It seemed like the author was trying too hard. But only about 3 percent of the 28 I read was at all interesting. On top of that, so much information that’s unhelpful and just congested the book.

My final straw? A detailed sexual assault of a five year old boy. I’m sorry. I can’t.

This book and author are a no go for me. Maybe I’ll try again in the future, but right now I’m done.

I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my review. First, I am a true crime nut. I love true crime books and podcasts and documentaries. So Samuel Little was not a new concept to me. However, the way this book was written was. At first I was expecting a very factual, non-fiction, true crime book. Nope! But I mean that in a good and interesting way. The author gives us a chapter/section of facts when she meets with detectives, victims families, and Samuel Little and then we get a chapter/section of where the author brings the victim and Samuel Little to life. It is like the author is in both the victim and the killer's head - and that, my friend, is no place that I want to be.

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via netgalley and in exchange I'm leaving an honest, thorough review. All opinions are my own.
When I requested this book, I knew absolutely nothing about Samuel Little. I just knew it included interviews with a serial killer, and as someone who listens to true crime podcasts and stuff, I was intrigued by that. Now that I've read it, I'm furious. He got away with so fucking much and it's terrifying.
Not because of the writer, she's talented and thorough. I don't typically read crime novels, though this isn't my first time reading one. Most of the ones I read are fiction.
This isn't fiction, it's reality and it's absolutely fucking terrifying that this man got away with so much. This is in part due to the fact that he targeted women who wouldn't be prioritized--sex workers, addicts, women of color. One was trans. And there were write ups saying "no humans involved." What the actual fuck?
I appreciate the fact that the writer focused on the victims and telling their stories. A lot of true crime experts focus on the criminal and his story, and that always gives me the ick. Because how can you be comfortable doing that, giving the murderers screen time? It isn't about THEM, it's about their victims.
This book is absolutely heartbreaking and it really made me think. He was one of the most prolific serial killers, and the reason he got away with it is because these women weren't viewed as human beings.
It's cathartic that he died of covid--he often told his victims to 'take his breath.' and at the end? He died from an illness that stole his breath.
This book was really intense, but those victims' stories should be told.

Thank you again to netgalley, and Jillian, for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

"I cannot rave enough about this book which does an amazing job of taking the reader through the brutal history of the serial killer Samuel Little. If you are not a usual reader of nonfiction but often read thrillers I suggest this book. I had to remind myself multiple times that this book contained a very real history and real people. If you find this book at your local bookstores pick it up, it took me through many emotions and deserves for people to read it." - My Goodreads review

Outside of what I said on good reads I very much think this book has an important story to tell and is so far made as possibly the best book I have read this year. It is hard to comment such positive things given the information within this book however my praise is for what I feel is an important story for others to read and for the author themself.

This is a deftly written and thoughtful story about the sick psycho who was Sam Little. He is currently pegged as the most prolific serial killer in the US with 93 victims. Lauren got the unimaginable scoop by being able to visit Little in prison and interview him extensively. Included are many of Little’s drawings of his victims, some with their real photos.

A harrowing account of a sadistic, sorry excuse of a human who confessed to murdering over 90 women & the sad truth of how the US justice system failed them over and over and over again.
It would be many, many years, through bullheaded diligence & admirable determination, before this animal finally landed in his forever home, the California State Prison, where he also died in 2020.

Samuel Little, with his soft hands, who never worked for anything. Self righteous, degrading, intelligent and completely out of his damn mind. He just took what never belonged to him, but claimed as his own anyway. Lives included. Lives, especially.

In ‘96, he murdered a woman in the small city where I was born and raised. I had not known this. Actually, I hadn’t known most things about Little, or his trail of death and destruction until now...

Lauren spent so much time with Little, picking his brain, searching for answers, justice for the victims, that when he died, she was notified as he'd listed her as his NOK. She still has his ashes.

To the true-crime junkies, this one’s for you!

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: 7/18/23

5⭐

"I live in a deeply divided city. I do not know if Samuel Little was the criminal we deserved. I know he was the criminal we allowed."

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.

This was a hard read. It obviously dealt with dark and disturbing subject matter. The murders are described in overly graphic detail, the conversations Jillian has with him made my skin crawl, the graphic description of sexual assault on a child made me have to step away from this for a few days. But what I struggled with most was injustice shown to the victims of his crimes. The hard to wrap your head around knowledge that he could have been stopped sooner, had someone just given a shit. That these women, all someone's daughter, we're brutally murdered and tossed aside like garbage then had to be re-victimized by the very people meant to protect them. It's maddening. It's disgusting. It's heartbreaking.

I enjoyed the chapters where we follow Jillian into the prison. As a true crime fan that's not something I'll ever be able to experience. It was nauseating, but fascinating to read his own words. Jillian's deep research made this book far more informative than your average true crime book. This was welcomed, but I found also bogged down a few paragraphs. I love her writing style, it felt candid and fresh, and I really enjoyed it. But again, what I appreciated most, and is something I require in the true crime podcasts I listen to, she gave the victims a voice. The spotlight is always so focused on the killer, that the victims are forgotten, especially the "less dead" demographic.

I absolutely recommend this book to those used to reading true crime, but even then, have a strong constitution. This book is not an easy read. It's not a cutesy podcast. But it is a very skillfully written book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Book : Behold the Monster
Confronting America's Most Prolific Serial Killer
Author : Jillian Lauren

Thanks so much NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for this review!

Let’s start with the cover! This cover is very eye catching. I love a good cover that is going to start off the books journey.

I am a massive true crime junkie and when I was given the opportunity to read and review this book about the #1 most prolific serial killer I was anxious. I knew baseline information about Samuel Little but this book outlined the details and went into the lives & stories further of the cares and victims. Thank you to the author for taking so much care and time to piecing it all together for this.

This book will be sought after by true crime and crime junkies throughout and I feel as though this book should be on every crime junkies shelf. These women’s stories need to be heard as hard as they are to hear. They heartbreaking and I always sit and wonder if he gave up all of his victims. I am happy to see that hundreds of cases can be laid to rest and families have answers. This man was a very terrible man.

Solid four stars from me! This book is a must read for those who follow true crime and unsolved crime alike.

I read about 50%. Jillian Lauren has a unique and beautiful style of writing and the only reason I stopped reading is because the darkness and pain of this story were too much for me. I enjoy non-fiction when the author inserts themselves in the story so this is the style of book that I do like to read, and the fictional chapters were a fascinating element but for my mental health I needed to stop reading.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

A Tragic And Horrific Story With A Lot Of Horrific Acts
This book Behold the Monster by Jillian Lauren was an excellent read. Sam Little is a serial killer and a true monster. This is the first book I have read on Sam Little, and it certainly did not disappoint me. The amount of detail Jillian Lauren has written, after spending a year going backwards and forwards to visit Little and from letters and interviews with Little is absolutely chilling to read.

Little has confessed to over 90 murders and becomes the number 1 Serial killer.
Little got away with his crimes for years which is maddening as he flew under the radar. This book is not for the faint hearted as You get to read the haunting accounts of these visits and the phone calls which contain Violence, racism rape, molestation alcohol drugs mental illness and suicide.
You will be thoroughly horrified by this monster and his deed but
This is a very interesting book about innocent women murdered by Sam Little. There are photographs and dates of the murdered women at the end of the book.
A fantastic true crime read! Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.