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Monster cover art

Monster

Written by: Steve Jackson
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
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Publisher's Summary

On a snowy winter evening in 1982, 21-year-old Mary Brown accepted a ride from a handsome stranger in the resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado. The trip ended with her brutally beaten and raped. Mary survived, but her predator's violence had only just begun. 

After 10 years in prison, Tom Luther was released a far more vicious criminal. Soon, from the Rockies to West Virginia, like Ted Bundy, Luther enticed a chain of women into his murderous trap. In this gripping new edition of a true crime masterpiece, acclaimed author Steve Jackson recounts the intriguing pursuit and long awaited conviction of a charismatic, monstrous psychopath - one who remains a suspect in three other crimes, and has never given up hope of escape.

©2013 Steve Jackson (P)2020 WildBlue Press

What the critics say

"One of the best books short of the famous Ann Rule works." (True Crime Book Reviews)

"Steve Jackson is a born storyteller. He makes you sweat...and turn the page." (Ron Franscell, author of The Darkest Night)

What listeners say about Monster

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

UNPARALLELED STORYTELLING: a “True Crime” junkie’s fix.

Nearly 20 hours of insight and emotions revealed in exploring these true crimes... Absolutely UNPARALLELED storytelling... If I could give more stars, I would.

The narrator and author seem as tight of team as the NecroSearch group they referenced throughout this story and other productions- I was completely enthralled throughout this story (and their other works)... while keeping the respect for the victims, investigators and science, this Author presents, what appears to be, an unbiased representation of each perspective.

Other reviewers (still gave 5 stars) commented on how SAD the story is, and they’re correct- it is very sad, and frustrating (especially when it comes to Debrah Snider’s unconditional love for Tom!), BUT, the author DOES balance the emotional rollercoaster with an ending of contentment and satisfaction.

To be honest- I think anyone who seeks this kind of read, would not be too disturbed or saddened by its accuracy, as they (we) sought it out, and obviously have a curious nature about these details- but this story bypasses the gore, while still giving the impact- and rather BRILLIANTLY focuses on the dialogues and thought processes of each person involved.

I don’t know if he collected this information from transcripts, interviews or confessions, BUT he portrays each personality and inner struggle so well, it’s as if he’s actually created a fictional character that he knows intimately- BUT THEY’RE REAL PEOPLE... and you’ll feel empathy for each- even if it feels yucky.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible book, I couldn't stop listening!

I thought this story would get a little long winded or jump from person to person when I saw it was 19hrs long. Instead, this story is accurate, to the facts, smart and and easy listen. I was sucked in and couldn't stop listening, it's a wild story about the serial killer Thomas Luther and his many victims. Absolutely brilliant writing! can't say enough good about this, I'd recommend it to anyone.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Strikingly Vivid

This True Crime story reads like a Screenplay. The conversations and events are liberally dramatized - to the point where it's difficult to ascertain/evaluate the sources Steve Jackson uses to inform his narrative.. but the author has a genuine talent for description and dialogue. The conversations are strikingly realistic and the crimes are horrifyingly easy to picture (..and the picture is ugly). 'Monster' is a viscerally affecting book.
In addition, Jackson provides an exemplar for the life of a psychopath in and out of Prison.. and offers thoughtful commentary on the nature of crime investigation (as he leads the reader through a Cat & Mouse game between dedicated investigators and Thomas Edward Luther). The combination of 'Movie Of The Week' conceptualization and forensic clinical exploration is effective.

This is the best performance I've heard from reader Kevin Pierce. His tone is excellent, his voice-acting is creditable, and his pacing is much improved over previous efforts (NB: I still needed to increase the playback rate to 1.10X to make up for Pierce's typical plodding approach). Furthermore, the sound editors at Wildblue Press did a remarkable job softening Pierce's often startling sibilance.

This book takes a little too much artistic license for my tastes, but it’s quality production standards compliment an undeniably captivating story about the pursuit, capture, and trial of a genuinely nasty criminal. It is a gut-punch at times, but it's also both entertaining and thought-provoking. I give this recording of 'Monster' a solid 9/10.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Crappy

I gave up at sky as blue as a robins egg… poor poor writing. Far too much conjecture. Frankly an interesting story made boring by a writer grasping for metaphors

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Great

This was my first experience involving a True Crime Audiobook. It was fantastic. A top 10 for me. The Narrator was great. I appreciated this very much as I gambled on it during the summer sale. Needless to say, it were a gamble that paid. Excellent all around. I recommend 👌

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Scary and well narrated

This book is well written and 5he narration is excellent. I’ve looked for more books like this because I liked the narration. Don’t listen alone in the dark. Look over your shoulder if you are walking!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

True crime horrible but so addictive

Unfortunately a wonderfully written true crime story . Narrater is is so easy to listen to! Excellent book

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Disturbing story of a serial killer

The author carefully describes the events and the characters involved in these true crime events. The complexity of emotions that make up the human condition, that can cause one woman to love a man such as Tomas Luther, who himself loved a woman enough to not kill her, even though she chose truth over love. The family's and the victims who were forever changed by what Luther did and how they found a way forward to some kind of healing. And the detective who was driven to leave no stone unturned for a young women who he never got to meet alive. This is a story that will stay with me for a while

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hard to imagine

This book shocked me made me angry also made me cry for the families of this mad man’s victims. If you are into true crime books you will want to read this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

intense

at first I put on just to have something on in the car, as casual listen. this book is not that. it is a deep dive into all aspects of the evil of one man and hopes of others. hopes of a future, hopes of finding love ones, hopes of conviction and so much more. EVIL EXSISTS .

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