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Monster  By  cover art

Monster

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

Critic reviews

"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
Overall
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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

Riveting....harrowingly so.

Giving Steve Jackson another chance in my love for the narrator Kevin Pierce and in my pain and boredom of 23 straight days in the hospital...I am more than midway through this and doing what I’ve never done. Stopping to review for what I am grateful and deeply upset over. The focus on the victims is harrowing. I am a victim who relates to the survival instinct and that’s as much as I can say about it. But after turning away from this author after “Bogeyman” where my bleeding heart sensed deep bias against the accused (yeah go figure),this story has me cheering for Steve Jackson as the reporting on a monster is as real and good as I can handle .... I think I’ll rethink my bleeding heart although I do believe in the presumption of innocence. I also believe in survival and thank Steve Jackson for his sensitive and heart-felt characterization of the surviving victim Mary ..... Amen. This is personal and this author has done well by me. Not only that, I’m unable to sleep and grateful for the reason to care less about that than justice for a true monster. You will not go wrong on this credit or purchase. This is Jack Olsen-Tom Henderson level nonfiction. As I finished the book and now lay in harrowing ‘rehab’ I will add that this maintainsed its icannot put it down kind of listen. Bravo. I want to meet this police investigator detective of pure honor - Scott

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131 people 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

Whoa!

This book needs a warning ⚠️ It is extremely descriptive and at times, hard to listen to.
I have never been moved to tears by a book like this one. The victim’s and their family’s heartbreak is gut wrenching. The performance is phenomenal!!!

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99 people 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

Steve Jackson does it again!

This was an amazingly detailed and so well organized that the 19hrs went by in a flash. The story of Thomas Luther is dark, twisted, and reminiscent of several similar stories in which a burgeoning serial killer is given the chance to improve his "craft" in the prison system just in time for early release to pick up right where he left off. I also learned he has a connection to the local disappearance of Karen Denise Wells in '94. Karen's is a case I've been following for years only to find out Tom Luther was in the area at the time, and may also be responsible for the body of another woman that was discovered near the area not long before Karen disappeared.

Monster reminded me a lot of my favorite true crime book by Greg Olsen about serial killer Arthur Shawcross. Both men were brutal monsters who preyed on the vulnerable, and both received justice...eventually. if you enjoy true crime, you'll love this book.

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57 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

10 hours too long

Moves so slowly that it’s extremely hard to keep paying attention. Needs lots of editing, its a seven hour story told in 17 hours. Performance has little vocal or pace variety.

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42 people found this helpful

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

Steve Jackson 5 stars

For all you true crime fanatics this updated version of "Monster" is well written and well researched, I highly recommend and definitely worth the credit. 5 stars to the narrator Kevin Pierce, when I'm searching for a true crime novel. I find myself looking for any true crime book narrated by Kevin Pierce, and I know forsure the author and book is going to be good.

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35 people found this helpful

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

AWESOME writing and narration!

Loved it! Gregg Olsen did a fantastic job with this work, and Kevin Pierce narrated the story superbly!!!

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32 people 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

Great Book

Could not stop listening! Didn’t even seem like it was almost 20 hours. Could listen to Kevin Pierce narrate anything! Can’t wait to listen to whatever else Steve has written!

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23 people 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

Excellent story with my favorite narrator.

I listen to mystery novels and true crime alike. Many disturbing stories can get my stomach queasy and horrify my mind. Thus book touched my heart. Many times throughout my listening, I found myself wiping away tears. I enjoyed the updates at the end about where everyone ended up, it is a must listen for anyone who enjoys the genre.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

my heart broke for Cher Elder and her family but

I will remember the monster hunters, not the monster.
the story stays with you.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Boring

I didn't like this book at all. It told the same story over and over!
Not long into the book the narrator's voice made the characters blend together. He sounded like a gangster from the 30's. "Ya see?" Just like that.
Finally I said I'd had enough.
I'm sorry I had to put such a negative review.

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7 people found this helpful