God’s Not Here, Only Devils: Revelations from the Toolbox Killers($35.00Value)

Description

The District Attorney began his opening statement with, “If you don't know what hell is like, you're about to find out.” In 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris went on a rape and killing rampage. The pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, sledgehammers, and ice picks they used on their victims became their calling card and moniker: The Toolbox Killers. They were soon apprehended and convicted for their atrocities, but for decades, refused to reveal the location of their victims' bodies. More than two decades later, criminologist Laura Brand had the opportunity to interview this sadistic pair as they sat behind bars, probing the depths of their depravity right up to the days of their deaths. Over this relentless six-year period, Bittaker finally gave Brand what he had withheld from law enforcement and families alike: the precise locations of two victims' remains. Brand's investigation tore open sealed police reports, court transcripts, and witness accounts, and unearthed brutal and shocking new findings: undisclosed victims, forgotten evidence, and chilling new insights that resurrected this nightmare in unimaginable ways. God's Not Here, Only Devils is told through a powerful blend of narratives: the voices of Bittaker himself, his victims, traumatized witnesses, the tenacious lead detective, and the hardened District Attorney. This book pulls the reader into a visceral retelling of the horrors that unfolded and the legacy of terror the Toolbox Killers left behind. “The full story of the horrific Toolbox Killers, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, has never been fully told since their arrest in 1979, until criminologist Laura Brand went into the cage with them and persuaded them to reveal to her their remaining secrets and the darkest depths of their depraved murders shortly before they died.” ―Peter Vronsky, author, "American Serial Killers," "Sons of Cain," and "Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters" “Laura's insight into the mind and life of a notorious and demonic serial killer is truly compelling. Having been involved in serial killings as an investigator for 26 of my 38 years in Law Enforcement, I only wish that other investigators would read this book as a road map of how to conduct interviews by listening and understanding while keeping personal feelings outside the interview room.” ―Gil Carrillo, former homicide detective, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department “For true crime devotees, this is a must.” ― Publishers Weekly “As a long time victim advocate and a board member of Parents of Murdered Children and Surviving Family Members of Homicide, I have learned the stories that truly matter are the ones we refuse to look away from the truth. In Laura Brands God's Not Here , Only Devils , she does exactly that. Her work on serial killer Lawrence Bittaker, is not sensationalism, it's based on meticulous facts of a predator who destroyed so many lives and devastated so many families. What sets this book apart from others in the serial killer genre is her compassion and respect for the victims whose lives were stolen from Bittaker. This is the kind of work that ensures victims are not considered to be footnotes by glamorizing the killer. Laura Brand brings clarity where there has long been a distortion, and she does it with the attention and integrity that victims and their families deserve. God's Not Here, Only Devils is a vital contribution to victim centric true crime and a reminder that truth handled with care can be a powerful form of advocacy.” ―Andy Kahan, Director Victim Services, Crime Stoppers Houston “This gripping true crime account of one woman's journey into the darkness is reminiscent of Capote. Laura Brand's raw chilling dive into the mind of the world's most sadistic serial killers is unmatched. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to understand the mind of a serial killer.” ―Rob and Cindy Dorfmann, co-founders and CEOs, Strong Island Films; co-hosts, “Partners in True Crime: Serial Killer Whisperer” podcast “I've known Laura for years and I am still astonished by how she manages to delve into the abyss occupied by the most violent and demented killers without losing her humanity. Her conversations with Lawrence Bittaker, for example, give us insights that people never want to experience first hand. As an FBI Profiler I studied the crimes of the notorious “Toolbox killers” and listened to their heinous recordings. As distasteful as it was, it was a tremendous learning experience as well. What's amazing is how deftly Laura shares her what she has learned in a way that will educate every person who reads this book.” ―Jim Clemente, retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Profiler; write and producer, “Criminal Minds,” “Manhunt Unabomer,” and “Bluebeard” “You thought you knew killers; but no one knows them like Laura does. Nobody gets this kind of access to evil. Cancel your plans. Lock the doors. Open this book, if you dare.” ―Candice Fox, New York Times best-sell