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Rachel Monroe
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Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession Audio CD – Unabridged, August 20, 2019

by Rachel Monroe (Author)
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A provocative and original investigation of our cultural fascination with crime, linking four archetypes Detective, Victim, Defender, Killer to four true stories about women driven by obsession.

In this illuminating exploration of women, violence, and obsession, Rachel Monroe interrogates the appeal of true crime through four narratives of fixation. In the 1940s, a frustrated heiress began creating dollhouse crime scenes depicting murders, suicides, and accidental deaths. Known as the Mother of Forensic Science, she revolutionized the field of what was then called legal medicine. In the aftermath of the Manson Family murders, a young woman moved into Sharon Tate s guesthouse and, over the next two decades, entwined herself with the Tate family. In the mid-nineties, a landscape architect in Brooklyn fell in love with a convicted murderer, the supposed ringleader of the West Memphis Three, through an intense series of letters. After they married, she devoted her life to getting him freed from death row. And in 2015, a teenager deeply involved in the online fandom for the Columbine killers planned a mass shooting of her own.

Each woman, Monroe argues, represents and identifies with a particular archetype that provides an entryway into true crime. Through these four cases, she traces the history of American crime through the growth of forensic science, the evolving role of victims, the Satanic Panic, the rise of online detectives, and the long shadow of the Columbine shooting. In a combination of personal narrative, reportage, and a sociological examination of violence and media in the twentieth and twenty-first century, Savage Appetites scrupulously explores empathy, justice, and the persistent appeal of violence.
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  1. Print length
    1 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Audio
  4. Publication date
    August 20, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    5.8 x 1.1 x 5.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1508294534
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1508294535
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rachel Monroe is currently a writer and volunteer firefighter living in Marfa, Texas. She s written about #vanlife for The New Yorker; a romantic con man for The Atlantic, pick-up artists for New York magazine; child abductions on the Navajo Nation for Esquire; and a small-town quilting scandal for Texas Monthly. Her work has appeared in The Best American Travel Writing 2018, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, the Guardian, the Believer, and elsewhere. She is the author of Savage Appetites.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Audio; Unabridged edition (August 20, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Audio CD ‏ : ‎ 1 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1508294534
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1508294535
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 1.1 x 5.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

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Rachel Monroe

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
405 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the content fascinating, well researched, and well written. They also describe the book as an eye-opening, respectful exploration of the crime world. Readers also find it an interesting and fun read.

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ContentWriting qualityReadability
9 customers mention "Content"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the content fascinating and well-researched.

"...An in-depth analysis by a great writer that will demand that you use your brain, your heart & ask questions of yourself honestly...." Read more

"Ms. Monroe has crafted an important and entertaining book here. Well researched and utterly fascinating, Savage Appetites succeeds in being both..." Read more

"The story was really interesting. I love true crime and this author did a great job of putting that “obsession” into context...." Read more

"This is a very well written, well researched book that kept me entertained from start to finish...." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written, thoughtful, and interesting. They also say it explores why women are interested in true crime in a respectful and enjoyable way.

"This is an excellent book- the author profiles four women involved in crime in one way or another, and the organizing principle..." Read more

"Eye-opening, well written book exploring why women in particular are so engrossed with true crime...." Read more

"This is a very well written, well researched book that kept me entertained from start to finish...." Read more

"Interesting presentation of why women are so in to true crime. Rachel breaks it down to four archetypes and then tells a story related to each...." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting, fun, and engaging. They also say it's thoughtful and well-researched.

"Ms. Monroe has crafted an important and entertaining book here...." Read more

"This is a very well written, well researched book that kept me entertained from start to finish...." Read more

"Engaging, thoughtful, well-researched..." Read more

"Interesting and fun read..." Read more

In love with how well this was written!
5 out of 5 stars
In love with how well this was written!
I had no idea what to expect going into this book. I knew it had the makings of a great read: true crime, women who fit into different categories in the true crime world, and the ever-important question, Why are women obsessed with murder?What I loved about this book was the style. It had that literary fiction vibe to it, but for nonfiction. I knew I was reading the words of a very intelligent woman. The outline, if you will, reminded me of The Killer Across the Table by John Douglas; the four parts were The Detective, The Victim, The Defender, and The Killer. The ending is wrapped up tightly and brought all the pieces together brilliantly.I'm a fan for life.
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Top reviews from the United States

Butch
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, thoughtful, well-researched
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2021
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This is an excellent book- the author profiles four women involved in crime in one way or another, and the organizing principle (Detective, Victim, Defender, Killer) is satisfying. If you're familiar with crime you'll find old friends here- Francis Glessner Lee, Lorri Davis- but also unexpected interviews and cultural connections. It's very well-written and difficult to put down. Very much hope to read more of Monroe.
3 people found this helpful
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Julie
4.0 out of 5 stars Stop the Fear. Read this.
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023
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Eye-opening, well written book exploring why women in particular are so engrossed with true crime. An in-depth analysis by a great writer that will demand that you use your brain, your heart & ask questions of yourself honestly. I recommend this book enthusiastically.
One person found this helpful
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Paul Voorhies
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting Sociological Read
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2023
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Ms. Monroe has crafted an important and entertaining book here. Well researched and utterly fascinating, Savage Appetites succeeds in being both academic and unputdownable.
2 people found this helpful
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Savannah
3.0 out of 5 stars interesting read - formatting bothered me
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2023
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The story was really interesting. I love true crime and this author did a great job of putting that “obsession” into context.

The formatting of this book, however, made the content more difficult to digest imo. The chapters would have been better as parts broken down into smaller more manageable chapters.

It also bothered me that there weren’t annotations throughout the book. She listed a bibliography and cite information at the end, but there was no citation at the point of reference. With the type of book she’s written and the argument the book was portraying- a different citation style feels necessary.
One person found this helpful
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Caleb Jagger
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
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This is a very well written, well researched book that kept me entertained from start to finish. Monroe is very good at presenting some lesser known stories about the true crime world in a way that is respectful and enjoyable. It is very apparent that Monroe had spent countless hours researching her subjects and the stories behind them. 5 Stars, a must read!
2 people found this helpful
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Valerity
4.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2019
Rachel Monroe’s book delves into the issue of women and their obsession with true crime. As if that’s always a bad thing. This is basically divided into four sections relating four different cases the author examines as separate cases to consider as studies. I was already familiar with the one of the heiress in the 1940’s who came up with and then crafted a dozen miniaturized crime scenes called nutshells that were used for teaching what later became known as forensics. The second chapter is on a woman who years later, moved into the house where Sharon Tate and others were murdered. She has a thing for the murders and the Tate family in particular and spends her time trying to get to know everything there is to know about both. I remember reading the book she wrote after she eventually managed to get close to remaining family members after mother Doris Tate passed away. The third chapter is about a New York woman who becomes enmeshed with one of the West Memphis Three after seeing a video on it. After falling for one of them by mail, she devotes her life to trying to get him released from death row. And finally, the fourth chapter is about a young female who becomes infatuated with the Columbine school killers after reading all about their exploits online, and begins planning a shooting of her own.

This isn’t a typical true crime book, there is some discussion of the large number of women who are hooked on true crime vs. the small number of men. Then these four different kinds of examples and what they might mean. But it’s still all very interesting if you like the subject. I certainly had no complaints with it and was interested very much.
10 people found this helpful
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CM
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and fun read
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2019
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Interesting presentation of why women are so in to true crime. Rachel breaks it down to four archetypes and then tells a story related to each. These stories involve some high-profile crimes, yet the stories of these women are new perspectives of which I was not aware. You finish this book (I did in two days) yet your mind still lingers... Why do I like true crime? Which archetype do I relate to the most?
11 people found this helpful
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bootlover
5.0 out of 5 stars Bought as a gift for my bestie
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022
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She loves it and says she cannot put it down. She’s a crime junkie and has loved the way this book is written!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2022
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A super inside drum on several important criminal investigations and their effect on society. An excellent read from a talented writer.
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Jane Mainley-Piddock
5.0 out of 5 stars In-depth archival research underpinning really good in-depth writing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2020
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Savage appetites by @rachmonroe is soo damn good..(I’m trying to ration it like a treat) it has the type of brilliant archival research underpinning really good in-depth writing that really appeals to a gal like me...Recommended 5 ⭐️
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Jane Mainley-Piddock
5.0 out of 5 stars In-depth archival research underpinning really good in-depth writing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2020
Savage appetites by @rachmonroe is soo damn good..(I’m trying to ration it like a treat) it has the type of brilliant archival research underpinning really good in-depth writing that really appeals to a gal like me...Recommended 5 ⭐️
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truthtellerUK
2.0 out of 5 stars Not as described
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2022
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Average book which is not at all about the psychology of women obsessing over true crime, rather convoluted stories of several criminals or crime adjacent women. Boring
One person found this helpful
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