The Beast

A Chilling True Story of a Psychopathic Child Killer (Ryan Green's True Crime)

By: Ryan Green

Narrated by: Steve White

Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

In July 1981, just days after his release from jail, Clifford Olson Junior unleashed hell on British Columbia. He kidnapped, raped, and killed six children and teenagers in a single month. While the previous missing children had been treated like runaways, there was now no question that somebody was abducting children in the Lower Mainland area, and the media went berserk.

The police immediately came under scrutiny for failing to connect the previous disappearances. The missing-person cases were passed to homicide detectives, and a whole new investigation began. The police were now hunting a serial killer, and Clifford Olson Junior was one of the main suspects.

From the age of 17, Clifford Olson Junior spent only 1,501 days outside of prison or jail. If his claims are to be believed, he averaged about one murder every 10 days. During his imprisonment, he was assessed on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, a tool designed to evaluate psychopathy. The standard threshold is 25 to 30. He scored a 38 out of 40, the highest rating ever recorded.

The Beast is a chilling account of Clifford Olson Junior and one of the most disturbing true-crime stories in Canada’s history. Ryan Green’s riveting narrative draws the listener into the real-life horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller.

Caution: This book contains descriptive accounts of torture, abuse, and violence. If you are especially sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to listen.

©2021 Ryan Green (P)2022 Ryan Green

Ryan Green has done it again!

Ryan Green has easily become one of my new favorite true crime authors and The Beast did not disappoint. Crimes involving children are some of the worst and to do what he did to those kids takes a special kind of evil and Clifford is right up there with Albert Fish. Ryan always does a fantastic job and once he nailed it!

Chilling book. Very chilling.

This story is quite disturbing because it involves teenage and younger victims. It’s a great book but as a father, I cringed many times at the retelling of some of the stories.

Scary

The descriptions of the killings are very detailed. So detailed, I want to stay home. Take the day off. Hide.

Another 5 star read!

Amazing! I have yet to find a Ryan Green book that wasn't! If you are as obsessed with true crime as I am, u have to read this & then read every other book he's written.

Canadian child molester KILLS his prey!

WOW! I had never heard of this sicko pedo before, and this story is unbelievable. How he fooled everyone in his wake by simulating a meek, milled mannered Joe Shmo is infuriating. He kidnapped and killed kids over and over, right under the cops noses! I ended up hating this piece of trash, but I still loved listening to this audio book. I love Green's engrossing story telling. It wraps you up into another time and place so thoroughly you forget where you really are. Add the sublime narration by Steve White and you have the near perfect listening experience. Don't miss this, or any of Green's books - they are worth the credit!

Another peek into the mind of the disturbed

Ryan Green's books always seem to provide a clever insight into the mind of the killer more than most true crime. His clever way of writing and mixing the facts of a case with the dramatic elements of the lives of the killers make his tales mesmerizing and impossible to stop listening to. "The Beast" is no exception. His detailed account of Clifford Olson Jr. makes you not only fear him through the terrifying details of his crimes, but also makes you feel like you know him by the description of his life and mind.

Thank you, again, Mr. Green. You are an excellent writer. Highly recommend.
(Also, Steve White is a great reader!)

Fascinating

Once again Ryan Green gives us an entrancing true crime story both illuminating and stop provoking. This book is disturbing but also captivating. A fascinating read for anyone into true crime

A terrifying tale of murder and mayhem…

Canada has many claims to fame. The Canadian people are fiercely proud of their renowned Ice Hockey teams and they proudly produce over 70% of the world’s supply of maple syrup. Add to that the breathtaking landscapes, the stunning Northern lights, and their world-famous reputation for friendly and courteous people and it is easy to see that “The Great White North” has much to offer. Sadly, though, not even Canada remains untouched by the grisly stains of misery and terror inflicted by odious individuals intent on satisfying their perverse and repellent proclivities. Clifford Robert Olson Jr. was one such individual, a habitual criminal living more of his life behind bars than not, he remains one of Canada’s most infamous and loathsome contributions to modern society. Later known as the “Beast of British Columbia”, Clifford was somehow able to camouflage his deviant mentality successfully enough to lure countless children and teens into his car for a one-way trip to terror, pain, humiliation, and ultimately death. He furthered his infamy when, upon his capture, he blackmailed authorities into paying his family large sums of money for the location of each of the bodies left in his wake. Reflecting copious amounts of research, Clifford’s story is detailed in this horrifying yet totally compelling book which delves into the mindset of an exceedingly unhinged individual in the eerily insightful manner unique to Ryan Green. In my opinion, this author offers shrewd and intuitive nuances in his exposés that leave the reader with an understanding of the subject’s psychopathy that is rarely equaled in the true crime genre. This is not a story for those easily triggered by suffering and abuse, but it is a story that needs to be told so that Clifford’s victims are remembered.

For fans of the audiobook format, I would like to mention that Steve White, once again, offers an excellent reading that transports the listener right into the scene as an invisible bystander. He has narrated most of Ryan Green’s books and, in my opinion, always provides an outstanding listening experience.

I was given a code for this audiobook, for which I thank the author, but I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.

Great Read

The Beast: A Chilling True Story of a Psychopathic Child Killer (Ryan Green's True Crime) was a great true crime story by Ryan Green. Clifford Olson Junior unleashed hell on British Columbia, in July 1981, just days after his release from jail. He kidnapped, raped and killed six children and teenagers in one month. The police came under scrutiny for failing to connect the previous disappearances. The cases were passed to homicide detectives, and a new investigations began. Clifford became one of the main suspects in the police's hunt for a serial killer. This was another good true crime read by the author.

Holds your interest from start to finish.

This is the first, but definitely not the last, Ryan Green audiobook for me. The story is well told and extremely well performed by Steve White. My only criticism is that it is too short.