MURDERLAND Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers

What makes a killer kill--nature or nurture? Could it be something else entirely? Narrator Patty Nieman guides listeners through this expansive exploration of one theory behind the rise of the American serial killer in the 1970s-80s. The author, herself raised in Washington State during this time period, methodically builds the case that the proliferation of American serial killers, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, strongly correlates to the rise of industrial pollution via lead smelters in those areas. Nieman's steady tones and solemn but engaging pacing generate rising dismay as the backgrounds of legendary monsters like Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway are intertwined with the often sordid histories of industrial manufacturing conglomerates operating with little to no regulation. N.M. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2025]