The Pit

The True Crime Story of Six Women, One Monster, and the Nightmare Below

De: Ryan Green

Narrado por: Steve White

He called it salvation. They called it hell.

By day, Gary Heidnik was a man of God with money, charisma, and a growing congregation. But behind closed doors, he was building a torture chamber by hand and filling it with women.

His victims were some of society’s most vulnerable. He lured them with promises of food, safety, and salvation. Instead, they were shackled in the basement, starved, raped, and beaten into silence. Heidnik controlled everything: their pain, their survival, their very breath.

This is the shocking true story of the six women who were buried in silence and the monster who built a nightmare beneath his home.

It’s a tale of survival, madness, and the horrifying power of control.

You’ve heard of serial killers.

You’ve heard of cult leaders.

But you’ve never heard of The Pit.

Grim. Gripping. Unforgettable.

CAUTION: This book contains descriptive accounts of abuse and violence. Not for the faint of heart.

©2025 Ryan Green (P)2025 Ryan Green

Nightmare in The Pit

Gary Heidnik was a highly intelligent man who could have done great things. Instead, he chose to become a horrific monster all in a selfish bid to continue his (supposedly) superior bloodline.

In his quest to produce babies to further this cause, he raped and tortured women while keeping them in a pit in his basement. To make matters even worse, many of these women were mentally disabled and didn't even understand what was happening to them. (Not sure this guy really delved into genetics very much!). And, to top off the horrors of his crimes, he also pretended to be a holy man, starting a church to lure in potential victims.

The author has once again taken a true crime story and made it into a highly readable book. I always appreciate that he doesn't just have a list of victim's names; he personalizes them and makes the reader feel like they actually know them. Too often in true crime, victims get lost in the story of the monster committing the crimes. I could truly feel the emotions of these women and the horrors they endured.

The author also does not try to justify the crimes, but instead presents them in a way that truly shows how monstrous and evil the perpetrator really was. It is a sad commentary that monsters walk among us, often victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable.

The narrator has become the voice for Mr. Green's books and he does his usual excellent job with this one. Perfect pacing and inflection, his performance adds a lot to an already great book.