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Portrait of a Monster: Joran van der Sloot, a Murder in Peru, and the Natalee Holloway Mystery [Hardcover]

Lisa Pulitzer , Cole Thompson
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)

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Book Description

July 5, 2011

From a pair of New York Times bestselling authors with unparalleled access comes an in-depth account of the manhunt for Joran van der Sloot, one of the most reviled accused criminals in the world

 

In May 2005, Natalee Holloway disappeared from a high school trip to Aruba. Five years to the day later, twenty-one-year-old Stephany Flores was reported missing in Lima, Peru. Implicated in both crimes was one young man: Joran van der Sloot.

A twenty-three-year-old Dutchman, Van der Sloot has become the subject of intense scrutiny by the media and the public in the years since 2005. He was arrested and detained by Aruban authorities in connection with the Holloway disappearance, only to be released after questioning. In 2008, during a Dutch sting operation, he admitted to being present for Holloway’s death---but later recanted his statement.

In 2010, on the five-year anniversary of her disappearance, a young business student in Peru named Stephany Flores disappeared, only to be found dead three days later in a hotel room---registered to Van der Sloot. He was arrested for the murder and confessed, but he later claimed he was coerced.

This is the first book to offer a probing look at the man tied to two of the most sensational cases of the decade. It draws from:

• Interviews with members of the families of Joran, Stephany, and Natalee

• Never-before-seen photographs of the crime scene in Peru, fingerprint files, hotel records, and more

• Internal communications between Interpol, the FBI, Aruban officials, and officials in Chile and Peru

• Never-before-seen police files from Chile, Peru, and Aruba

 

Portrait of a Monster offers an unflinching look into the workings of an international manhunt and a chilling portrait of an alleged killer.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This well-detailed book is disturbing and haunting in its revelations of a self-centered cad with a dark side.”--Publishers Weekly

“Journalists Pulitzer and Thompson zero in on Joran van der Sloot, a wealthy young man suspected of killing two young women within five years to the day of each other… This true-crime account delivers excellent and gripping reporting of the crimes and the manhunt.”--Booklist

“A thorough, journalistic recounting of two crimes, five years apart, linked by the same alleged perpetrator…A worthwhile read for true-crime fans and followers of the case.”--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

LISA PULITZER is a former correspondent for The New York Times. She is the author of more than a dozen non-fiction books, including the bestselling Stolen Innocence. COLE THOMPSON is the co-author with Catherine Crier of A Deadly Game, a #1 New York Times bestseller about Laci and Scott Peterson.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (July 5, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312359217
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312359218
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive work on Joran Van der Sloot July 10, 2011
Format:Hardcover
For those like me who developed a strong case of Natalee fatigue, a new book will cure you. After years of wall-to-wall press coverage of a case obviously going nowhere, I became immune to the story. Anytime a "new lead" came up, I turned off the TV, knowing the clue was phony. While I sympathized with the Twittys and Holloways, I just got to the point that I no longer wanted to hear about the case.

But I recently read Portrait of a Monster and it changed my mind. The authors, both long-time true crime authors, are masterful in their portrayal of the two crimes attributed to Joran Van der Sloot: the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and the murder of Stephany Flores. Armed with court documents, police reports, interviews with many of those involved in the case, and photographs of the crime scenes, the authors vividly recreate the two crimes.

Holloway vanished in Aruba in 2005 while on a trip with her high school senior class. The last person known to have seen her alive was Van der Sloot. While he was never charged with kidnapping or murdering her, he changed his story dozens of times. Finally, he fled Aruba for the Netherlands, Thailand, and finally, Peru.

It was there at the casinos that he met Flores, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. When Van der Sloot realized that Flores had several thousand dollars on her, he lured her to his hotel room. Three days after he checked out, she was found dead--beaten, strangled, and smothered.

Portrait of a Monster is the definitive account of these cases. While Joran Van der Sloot awaits trial in Peru, the families of Natalee Holloway and Stephany Flores still grieve.

I recommend this book to all true crime fanatics.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I just finished reading "Portrait of a Monster: Joran van der Sloot, a Murder in Peru, and the Natalee Holloway Mystery". It was a gripping read.

After following this story through the years, there were still so many unanswered questions. I was thoroughly amazed how many of those questions were finally answered in this book. How can Mr. Thompson know so much about this case and EVERYONE involved and the media not?!?!?! The personal details that only someone intimately close to the case could know are revealed throughout. Evertyhing falls in to place in Portrait in an easy-to-follow fashion. Thompson really knows how to tell a story, feeding you all the juicy facts while staying focused on the how and why it happened the way it did.

He really gets inside of Van der Sloot's head and helps you understand everything that went on in Aruba and Peru as well as what led up to these tragic incidents and what's gone on since.

Once I started reading, I literally could not put it down. It was by far one of, if not THE best non-fiction crime books I have ever read. His and his co-author's understanding of this case and all of its intricacies alone is worth the price of the book. I highly recommend it.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Jill F.
Format:Hardcover
This is an excellently-written true crime book about Joran van der Sloot and the crimes he is alleged to have committed in Aruba and in Peru. The authors do an excellent job of interweaving the narratives of what happened in both countries. It is well-researched and hard to put down. I am very interested to see the outcome of van der Sloot's trial in Peru; he is portrayed as a real psychopath. The authors do an excellent job of leaving the reader very interested in the case.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars true crime and great read in one book, at last! July 14, 2011
Format:Hardcover
So often, true crime books make me cringe. I appreciate the fact-finding, but I loathe the poorly written, agenda-laden text. Thankfully, Portrait of a Monster is not such a book. Although I thought I was thoroughly saturated with knowledge of the Natalie Holloway disappearance, this book brings me to scenes on four continents that make me seem like I am in the room. Some of the facts are fascinating, and not just the ones related to the two crimes at the centerpiece. I didn't know Joran tried to reinvent himself in Thailand only because he couldn't reach his intended destination, Australia. His flight from Lima to Santiago after the death of Stephany Flores is captured in extraordinary detail as the reader travels with him down the Pan-American highway with three car service cabbies of questionable integrity themselves. What comes next for Joran is also addressed in the book. Peru has no death penalty or life sentence, so the maximum sentence is 35 years. Whatever the outcome, the US is next in line, ready to try him for the extortion of Beth Twitty. With his trial looming, I cannot recommend this book enough!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent True Crime July 18, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
While on vacation, I thought i'd give this book a try. Have been reading for 24 hours straight. This guy is a better liar than Casey Anthony. Being a true crime affecianado, I've read them all from Ted Bundy to Leopold and Loeb. This is one of the best.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent of this genre July 14, 2011
Format:Hardcover
Followed this case from the outset. didn't know about the book until I saw the co-author, Thompson, interviewed last week on several networks. thought he came across as very credible so bought the book and just finished reading it. Must say, for this genre, it's an unusually well written and researched book.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
For those of us that enjoy reading true crime, this is a great read! It is well researched and deals with both murders connected to van der Sloot. This book should definitely be on your summer read list. I really enjoyed reading this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars What a rat-bag
What an amazing story. I was totally over the Aruba saga..... But Joran is such a conundrum of nasty,mean and fascinating ,clever ,seductive and much , much more.L. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Christian H. Gortz
5.0 out of 5 stars Keep him, Peru...
I hope Peru will keep him based on his pending marriage with a Peruvian woman upon whence he will likely receive citizenship. Read more
Published 17 days ago by E. P. Brookshire
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Shipping
Very fast shipping, great condition, good read if you're into that kind of thing, definitely frustrating to read though, not because of poor grammar or poor writing but because it... Read more
Published 23 days ago by Kelly
5.0 out of 5 stars What a MONSTER
This book is GREAT...................... This guy needs some real help..............Hope he is never let back out into the real world
Published 2 months ago by Tracy Niedzwiedz
4.0 out of 5 stars Monster
Joran Van der Sloot is a very dangerous man. That's the main thing you take away from this book. He got away with murder once, and it was not to be again in Peru. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jonathan M. Pitts
3.0 out of 5 stars its ok
I was not too happy with this book. Every detail I was reading I already knew. It did not shed new details on the murders.
Published 2 months ago by September
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reporting
Just when you thought there was nothing new to this over exposed story comes this great book. Well researched and goes into more background info than any book before. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jamie
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read about a murderer!
Ever since the very beginning of the Natalie Holloway case and now the Stephany Flores murder I've been interested in what will happen to this seemingly psychopath. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars This man is a monster
We all know the story of Natalee Holloway, the beautiful teen who went to Aruba with her class for high-school graduation. And we know that she has never been found. Read more
Published 4 months ago by B. Ryan
4.0 out of 5 stars A Well Written Account
I enjoyed this book immensely.. It doesn't drag out like so many true crime stories.
Van Der Sloot was/is one sick puppy and he should stay locked up forever.
Published 4 months ago by Anchor
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