Books like Portrait of a monster by Lisa Beth Pulitzer

Portrait of a Monster follows the case of Joran van der Sloot, a 22‑year‑old Dutch national implicated in two high‑profile missing‑person murders. Drawing on archival files from law‑enforcement agencies in the United States, Aruba, Chile and Peru, the book chronicles van der Sloot’s arrests, interrogations and alleged confessions, revealing how international investigations unfolded over more than a decade. By assembling court documents, media reports and internal police records, the author presents a detailed portrait of the man at the center of the Natalee Holloway disappearance in 2005 and the 2010 disappearance of Stephany Flores Ramirez in Lima. The narrative explores the investigative processes, media scrutiny and legal complexities that shaped the pursuit of justice in both Caribbean and South American contexts.

First publish date: 2011