Behold the monster is a decent true crime read. With some quirky writing from Jillian. This book gives a lot. And it's pretty creepy.
Definitely worth a read
I received a copy of this book from Netgally for an honest review

As a huge true crime fan, Samuel Little has been on my list of cases to dig into for years. This book is amazing for just that. The amount of detail Jillian Lauren has written, and to know it came from letters and interviews with Little is chilling. A fantastic true crime read!

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for the opportunity to read Behold the Monster in exchange for an honest review.

First, I am so thankful to Jillian Lauren, NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Landmark for granting me digital access to Behold the Monster - a deeper dive into the families and lives of the victims of Samuel Little, who to this day is still on the most notorious serial killers. Cold Case filing and evidence is a crazy thing because, as an avid True-Crime follower, we only recently knew of Samuel Little a few years ago. After all, he was flying so far under the radar that the rest of the world was unaware, outside of the missing person cases. I'm glad to have gotten the chance to consume this information because it's so educational, and hopefully, more unsolved cases can be put to rest, with justice served rightly going forward.

"My only source was not just unreliable. He was terrifying."

A wild ride of a book that takes the breath from your lungs while diving deep into a tragic and horrific history.

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.
There were stories that made me cry- Ninah, Alice, Aggie. There were also moments that made me laugh, like when Lauren sings "Misty" for a man who wants to murder her while on speakerphone with the Texas rangers. As she is taking us into the story of Samuel Little and the stories of many of his victims, Lauren also shows us her life. The overall effect is poignant.
I took away .25 of a star because there were times she gives too much background or detail. Overall though, if you have any interest in true crime, serial killers, or Samuel Little, you have to pick up this book!

Star Rating: 4.75/5
CW: Violence, SA, rape, molestation, language, racism, drugs, alcohol, suicide, mental illness, death of dog, pretty much everything you can think of

One of the beat books I have read so far this year. Ever since I heard of Samuel Little I have wanted to know more about the case and this finally gave me what I wanted. Definitely one of the scariest men to have been around in recent memory.

This was bone chilling good!! And it's True!! Holy crap I read this so fast because I had to know more! This was a great job!!
I just reviewed Behold the Monster by Jillian Lauren. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I received a free copy of, Behold the Monster, by Jillian Lauren, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Sam Little is a true monster, a serial killer, as bad as they come. The poor innocent women he killed, all the times he got away with his crimes, its maddening. This is a very interesting book about innocent women murdered by Sam Little.

3.5 stars

This book is a lot! Like a lot, lot.

What you have is an author who quite obviously has done her research and knows her sh*t. It was a bit tedious after a while, but it is a dark subject, so that is to be expected.
The writing os done well, and it doesn’t feel like a money grab on the backs of victims. It has heart and morals.

This book is a LOT .. a lot of information, a lot of details and a lot of horrific acts. I was about 1.3 through it when I realized that I had read it before: it was originally released in 2021 but is now out again...maybe to overcome the COVID slump so many businesses and publishing houses went through??

You will be thoroughly horrified by this monster and his deeds: this is not a casual read but great for lovers of true crime and law enforcement.

On a side note, it was neat to "meet" the woman behind Renee Ballard in Michael Connelly's Bosch-verse books.

#shortbutsweetreviews

note: there are two links to the GOodread reviews as one book is "stuck" under Michael Connelly as the author and I cannot change it there. Have put in a request, though.

If I can guarantee one thing about Jillian Lauren's Behold the Monster is that you will not feel like there is too little. This book is a lot of everything. Lauren documents her relationship with the most prolific American serial killer, Samuel Little. It also documents Lauren's interactions with various victims, victim's families, and law enforcement members. It is, at all times, interesting for various reasons.

I should point out first that there is a set of true crime readers who want their books to stick to the facts and only the necessary facts when telling the story of a crime or criminal. I would suggest to this subset of readers to look elsewhere for a book on Little. Lauren will intersperse her own experiences, will partially invent scenes, and will introduce people who will show up once and never again. She uses various narrative points of view from chapter to chapter. Her use of language can be both crass and vicious. If any of this sounds like it will drive you insane then go ahead and skip this one.

If you want your true crime to feel lived in and don't mind the author inserting themselves into the narrative then you will probably enjoy this immensely. Usually, I hate anything which is invented by the author in non-fiction. Lauren has an interesting enough perspective to make these scenes feel emotional rather than exploitative. She raises poignant ethical questions about herself without trying to force an answer. I will admit the book lost some steam at the end when it should have been reaching a crescendo but overall I enjoyed it.

(This book was provided as an advance read copy by Netgalley and Sourcebooks.)