Author Jillian Lauren finds serial killer Sam Little while researching a new crime novel and quickly realises that his decades-long murderous history may be linked to terrible systemic injustices.

Jillian learns that to get inside the mind of the killer she has to delve into her own traumatic past, and in the process uncovers how systemic sexism and racial bias enabled Little.

Little's body count grows to 93 women, making him the most prolific serial killer in American history, but dozens of confessions remain unmatched.

Dealing with a psychopath takes its toll on Jillian's psyche and family; dozens of states close cases, laying bare the havoc Little wrought and triggering a long-overdue public reckoning.

Little's new confessions are matched to cold cases; two female law enforcement agents describe how they caught a killer by focusing on survivors who were ignored in the past.