The Man in the Monster: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer

Written by Martha Elliott

Narrated by Kyra Miller

An astonishing portrait of a murderer and his complex relationship with a crusading journalist Michael Ross was a serial killer who raped and murdered eight young women between 1981 and 1984, and several years ago the state of Connecticut put him to death. His crimes were horrific, and he paid the ultimate price for them. When journalist Martha Elliott first heard of Ross, she learned what the world knew of him-that he had been a master at hiding in plain sight. Elliott, a staunch critic of the death penalty, was drawn to the case when the Connecticut Supreme Court overturned Ross's six death sentences. Rather than fight for his life, Ross requested that he be executed because he didn't want the families of his victims to suffer through a new trial. Elliott was intrigued and sought an interview. The two began a weekly conversation-that developed into an odd form of friendship-that lasted over a decade, until Ross's last moments on earth. Over the course of his twenty years in prison, Ross had come to embrace faith for the first time in his life. He had also undergone extensive medical treatment. The Michael Ross whom Elliott knew seemed to be a different man from the monster who was capable of such heinous crimes. This Michael Ross made it his mission to share his story with Elliott in the hopes that it would save lives. He was her partner in unlocking the mystery of his own evil. In The Man in the Monster, Martha Elliott gives us a groundbreaking look into the life and motivation of a serial killer. Drawing on a decade of conversations and letters between Ross and the author, readers are given an in-depth view of a killer's innermost thoughts and secrets, revealing the human face of a monster-without ignoring the horrors of his crimes. Elliott takes us deep into a world of court hearings, tomblike prisons, lawyers hell-bent to kill or to save-and families ravaged by love and hate. This is the personal story of a journalist who came to know herself in ways she could never have imagined when she opened the notebook for that first interview.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781501974588

Reviews for The Man in the Monster

[veronica.sparrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very hard book to review because it is a very complex and emotional account of a friendship that developed between a journalist and a convicted serial killer. Martha Elliott was originally drawn to the case of Michael Ross because of his request to be executed so that the families of his victims would not have to suffer through another trial.
By the time she first interviewed Michael Ross, he had been taking medication to reduce his violent thoughts and fantasies so she met the man behind the monster. While she did develop a friendship with him over many years she never did forget the horrific crimes he committed. She is very good at conveying her feelings and dilemma as she tried to get to the bottom of why he did what he did and the reason why he wanted the death penalty. She also shows much sympathy for the families who lost their loved ones and is clear in that if he had done that to one of her children she would want to kill him.
What is clear from this book is that there needs to be a review of the legal system especially when the death penalty is involved and also the possibility of mental illness. It is also clear that serial killers cannot be put into one neat little box. The reason someone becomes a serial killer may be different than someone else. There are no neat answers here. The book has given me food for thought (I am undecided on the death penalty) and I never expected anyone to be able to develop a friendship with someone who could commit this type of crime (my own prejudice I had to face). All in all, I think anyone who is for/against/undecided on the death penalty should read this book. You can see both sides of this issue and the issue of how we deal with serial killers. I am still not sure how to feel about the ending of this book but then perhaps for such a serious topic that is fitting. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a compelling tale of how a news reporter in covering a local story about Michael Ross, a serial killer based in Connecticut, came to know him and become his friend. She started out simply trying to cover his death penalty case but over time she gained his confidence and trust so she came to know the real man behind the crimes. She makes a compelling case for the elimination of the death penalty without really stating she is doing so. In this case no one won by having him put to death. The families of the victims endured a decade of court appearances and grief, with on dad even committing suicide after Ross’ execution, proof that Ross’ death did not bring “closure.” What was more horrifying was the fact that experts on both sides believed Ross to be mentally ill, and if you read how he grew up one can understand how that came to be. Not only did he have a terrible childhood, he also exhibited several brain abnormalities, all of these also contributing to his mental illness. Based on these facts, he did not qualify for the death penalty, but after receiving female hormones, Ross did not fight the death penalty because he wanted to make things right with the victims’ families and sought forgiveness from them and God, knowing the families could never forgive him but with his death might get some peace. Elliott does a great job of giving a human face to a terrible situation.

[hubblegal-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m sure this non-fiction book was a very personal and difficult one for the author to write. She befriended a serial killer and seeks to expose the man inside the monster. I’m not at all sure she accomplished that. It was very hard to determine whether anything this killer said or did was the truth or whether he was manipulating others, including the author. By the end of the book, I had little sympathy for this man.

The main debate in the book is whether a killer who is mentally ill should be executed and whether a sex sadist should be considered mentally ill. I don’t believe the author brought anything new to the debate. It’s a very difficult question and one that’s hard to pin down any answers. One of the victims’ father said that he didn’t believe Michael Ross was mentally ill and incapable of making choices as he was able to control his murderous impulses at times. But I don’t think anyone is ever going to be able to fully understand the mind of a killer, even one who was interviewed for as many years as this one was.

The author is a very good writer and does present both sides of the story, even while making it obvious which side she is on. It was an interesting read, but personally, I didn’t believe much of the killer’s reasonings or excuses as to why he became what he did.

This book was given to me by First to Read in exchange for my honest review.