A cornerstone of true crime, profiling, is the heart of The Monsters We Make by Rachel Corbett, who travels from Sherlock Holmes to the Chicago roots of the Unabomber.--Christopher Borrelli "Chicago Tribune"

[The Monsters We Make] combines riveting accounts of such infamous murderers as Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy with sharp insights about the rise of the public's fascination with criminal psychology. ... Such evenhandedness permeates the account, elevating it above pulpy indulgence. Readers of true crime will be fascinated.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Serial killers have spawned hundreds of books, but none like this. With a daughter's heart and a reporter's keen gaze, Rachel Corbett turns the stories inside out. She profiles the profilers--their methods, their hubris, and the evils they unwittingly commit. An expertly titrated mix of history, true crime, and memoir, The Monsters We Make is the most intriguing crime book I've read in quite some time.--Mary Roach, New York Times best-selling author of Fuzz, Gulp, and Stiff

The Monsters We Make is a compelling, page-turning book. Part suspenseful true-crime drama, part insightful intellectual history, and part searing memoir--and, thanks to Rachel Corbett's affecting, elegantly crafted narrative, always a gripping story filled with an intriguing parade of deeply-reported characters.--Howard Blum, New York Times best-selling author of When the Night Comes Falling

Corbett [is] a gifted storyteller ... A highly readable, endlessly revealing primer on the homicidal mind.--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In her gripping and illuminating The Monsters We Make, Rachel Corbett takes us on an effortless journey through the allure and perils of trying to grasp the criminal mind.--Benjamin Wallace, New York Times best-selling author of The Billionaire's Vinegar and The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto

In The Monsters We Make, Rachel Corbett goes on an odyssey to show how society identifies the 'manifestations of evil, ' and how they change over time. Using her fabulous investigative talents and a tenacity for research she delves into the science of behavioral forensics and writes a road map to understanding the minds of both criminals and profilers--Robert K. Wittman, founder of the FBI Art Crime Team and New York Times best-selling author of Priceless and The Devil's Diary

"Fascinating. . . . We're all now aware of criminal profiling, thanks to the likes of Silence of the Lambs and Mindhunter, but how does it really work? Corbett casts an entertainingly critical eye over the practice, taking us through a variety of case studies."--Neil Armstrong, Daily Mail

Corbett succeeds in questioning the reliance on profiling in policing and ultimately, the stories we tell ourselves about who is a monster and why. A thought-provoking read for a culture obsessed with true crime.--Laura Chanoux "Booklist"

If your tastes include true crime or police dramas, you're already aware of the role that profiling plays in attempting to better understand violent acts. There's a long history behind that discipline ... [The Monsters We Make] expertly chronicles the complex issues that this science raises.--Tobias Carroll "InsideHook"

The Monsters We Make is narrated so sagely and coolly, I almost didn't realize how much it had to teach. It is a provoking, moving, and original book that has stuck with me long since I turned its last page.--Maggie Nelson, author of The Argonauts

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Pub date: 2025-10-14

Length: 256 pages