Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast

murdershelfbookclub

YOUR true crime book club podcast.Jill tells the true crime book stories in 3 parts. Dive deep into the criminal psyche, updates, and outcomes with the greatest respect for accuracy, victims and families!

  1. 5d ago

    Bonus Mini-Cast: Playing Games with Gary Ridgway!

    Special Bonus Mini-Cast Event! Playing Games with Gary Ridgway!  What if the friendly coworker who lingered after his shift to play Pokémon with you was one of America's most notorious serial killers? In this unforgettable mini episode, private investigator Shane Moreland reveals how an ordinary workplace friendship took a chilling turn when he recognized his former coworker on the news: Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer. Shane revisits the conversations, the warning signs that never appeared, and the unsettling truth that a killer can hide in plain sight. He also shares his remarkable childhood connection to true-crime legend Ann Rule—and the eerie parallel between her experience with Ted Bundy and his own. It's an intimate, stranger-than-fiction story that will leave you wondering: How well do we really know the people around us? AND explore the upcoming October 10, 2026 WINE, DINE AND DEATH Event in  Walla Walla, Washington, that benefits the Little Theater of Walla Walla! BID on Jill's Merch Bag!     Contents: Build a true-crime reading nook with a basket assembled by the Murder Shelf Book Club. It includes six books: autographed copies of Swans Don't Swim in a Sewer by Sheryl "Mac" McCollum and Dog O' War by Aphrodite Jones; and, The Tylenol Murders: A Father's Confession to His Son by Joseph Cibelli; Fatal Lunch: The Death Cap Mushroom Murders by Cheryl Warren; Killer in the House: Ten Days of Terror in a Pennsylvania Suburb by Kathryn Canavan; and The Serial Killer Cookbook by Ashley Lecker. Two Library Lantern mini bookshelf lamps, a 12-ounce insulated travel wine tumbler, a Murder Shelf Book Club tote bag, a bookmark, and drink coasters complete the basket. Estimated fair market value: $175.00 Includes shipping to a US address. Allow 7 to 10 days for delivery.   Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open!   https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for $2- $4 and help pick our next book and enjoy Jill's SERIAL KILLER Case Studies!     www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub Sources, photographs, maps, and other information can be found on Jill's Blog- October 2026

  2. 6d ago

    EP 185 Pt 3, 2ndCast- A Monster in Mount Pleasant by CJ Williams "All or Nothing"

    Part 3: This conclusion of A Monster in Mount Pleasant continues the gripping legal thriller, filled with surprising twists and turns, devastating setbacks, and a justice system forced to balance outrage, evidence, and constitutional rights as it prosecutes a brutal killer. Over the decades, evidence is questioned, convictions are challenged, and long-awaited justice remains painfully uncertain. Courtroom strategies and emotional reckoning collide. At its heart, this episode is about memory, persistence, and the victims whose names should never be forgotten: Karol, Clementine, and Susan. For true crime listeners who want more than headlines, this episode delivers legal complexity, emotional depth, and an unforgettable finale. Listen to Ep 181 and 183, Parts 1 and 2, before this episode! It will make much more sense! Coming in two weeks, Jill chats with the author of A Monster in Mount Pleasant and former prosecutor CJ Williams!   Buy A Monster in Mount Pleasant: A Story of Murders and Justice by CJ Williams on AMAZON or ABE BOOKS. Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open! https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for $2- $4 and help pick our next book and enjoy Jill's SERIAL KILLER Case Studies!     www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub Sources, photographs, maps, and other information can be found on Jill's Blog- September 2026 https://www.murdershelfbookclub.com/2026/09/

    EP 185 Pt 3, 2ndCast- A Monster in Mount Pleasant by CJ Williams "All or Nothing"

  3. Sep 23

    Special Ep 184: I Ate His Heart: Interviews with a Cannibal by Nathalie von Zelowitz, translated by Jon von Zelowitz

    In this special episode, Jill ventures into one of humanity's oldest and most unsettling taboos through Nathalie von Zelowitz's extraordinary true-crime work, I Ate His Heart: Interviews with a Cannibal. Drawing on her decade-long therapeutic relationship with a man identified as 'Bernard', Nathalie von Zelowitz takes listeners far beyond shock value, into the complicated psychology of trauma, identity, compulsion, and the desperate human need to be seen and understood. Jill and the von Zelowitzs explore what it means to confront the unthinkable without sensationalizing it, balancing clinical insight with compassion, accountability, and respect for the victim. Just as compelling is the discussion of Bernard's possible release and the careful work of preparing him for his future outside of Château-Thierry prison in France, and his daunting transition back into a world that has changed dramatically during his decade in prison. This episode invites true-crime readers and psychologically curious listeners to look past the headline horror and ask deeper questions: how does a person become trapped inside such an extreme identity, what role can therapy play in transformation, and what happens when someone long defined by a monstrous act begins to imagine himself as something more?  Though Bernard's case is widely known in France, it remains far less familiar to many listeners in the United States, making this conversation a rare introduction to a disturbing and psychologically complex story. Buy I Ate His Heart: Conversations with a Cannibal by Nathalie von Zelowitz, translated by Jon von Zelowitz, published by Feral House, on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.   Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open! https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for $2- $4 and help pick our next book and enjoy Jill's SERIAL KILLER Case Studies!     www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub Sources, photographs, maps, and other information can be found on Jill's Blog- September 2026 https://www.murdershelfbookclub.com/2026/09/

    Special Ep 184: I Ate His Heart: Interviews with a Cannibal by Nathalie von Zelowitz, translated by Jon von Zelowitz

  4. Sep 16

    EP 183 Pt 2: A Monster in Mt. Pleasant by CJ Williams 'Toys in the Attic'

    Part 2: After the murders of Karol and Clementine Beavers, fear settled over Mt. Pleasant as investigators searched for a killer hiding in plain sight. Among the young men questioned was Monte Seager, a troubled teen who had crossed paths with Karol at Mount Pleasant High School. His alibi raised no immediate suspicion, and the investigation began to drift, leaving the Mount Pleasant community forever changed—more cautious, more fearful, and still with the truth just out of reach.   Then, months later, another violent attack shook the same community—this time at the Iris Restaurant, where bartender Susan Wheelock was attacked, succumbing to her injuries. The clues in this homicide investigation raised eyebrows, as law enforcement began focusing on Monte Seager.  As more evidence began to surface, old suspicions stirred again, pulling the Beavers case back from the shadows. What had once seemed like a trail gone cold now suggested something far more unsettling—a pattern that would take years, forensic persistence, and a series of unexpected turns to bring into focus.     Listen to Ep 181- Part 1 on A Monster in Mount Pleasant first!   Buy A Monster in Mount Pleasant: A Story of Murders and Justice by CJ Williams on AMAZON or ABE BOOKS. Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open! https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for $2- $4 and help pick our next book and enjoy Jill's SERIAL KILLER Case Studies!     www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub Sources, photographs, maps, and other information can be found on Jill's Blog- September 2026 https://www.murdershelfbookclub.com/2026/09/

    EP 183 Pt 2: A Monster in Mt. Pleasant by CJ Williams 'Toys in the Attic'

  5. Sep 9

    Special Ep 182: Protecting children from Predators- RAVEN's Executive Director Jenny Dutton Speaks

    In this powerful special episode, Jill continues an urgent conversation sparked by EP 180, Carlos Rodriguez's The Ugly Underneath, by sitting down with Jenny Dutton, executive director of Raven. A former Florida prosecutor with decades of experience in special victims, homicide, sex crimes, and technology-facilitated child exploitation, Dutton pulls back the curtain on the fight to protect children in a rapidly changing digital world. Together, Jill and Jenny explain how Raven is working on Capitol Hill to secure funding, modernize laws, and support Internet Crimes Against Children task forces that often operate with far fewer resources than the crisis demands. This episode is a wake-up call about the realities of online child exploitation, the rise of AI-generated abuse material, and the gaps in current legislation that make law enforcement's job even harder. But it is also a call to action: Jenny makes clear that ordinary people are not powerless, and that constituents' voices truly matter when it comes to pushing lawmakers to act. If you care about child safety, accountability for tech platforms, and giving investigators the tools they need to rescue and protect vulnerable children, this is an episode you will not want to miss. SUPPORT RAVEN'S WORK- Learn more. Become an ambassador or Donate!     National Center for Missing and Exploited Children   Thorn: Defend Children from Sexual Abuse     Sources, photographs, and information can be found on Jill's Blog- September 2026 Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open! https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for $2- $4 and help pick our next book and talk true crime with other the Murder Bookies!    www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub

    Special Ep 182: Protecting children from Predators- RAVEN's Executive Director Jenny Dutton Speaks

  6. Sep 2

    Ep 181 Pt 1- A Monster in Mt. Pleasant by CJ Williams 'Something has happened"

    Part 1: Author and Mount Pleasant native CJ Williams transports listeners to the seemingly safe and close-knit town of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1978. This was a place known for its unlocked doors, high school sports, family businesses, church gatherings, and neighbors who knew each other by name. However, that sense of security is shattered when the brutal murders of Karol Beavers and her mother, Clementine, upend the entire community. Through Williams's perspective as Karol's classmate, this episode explores not only the details of the crime but also how such violence can permanently change a town's heart. This episode offers much more than a simple recounting of a crime; it is a deeply human story about victims, memory, motive, justice, and the lasting impact one act of violence can have. If you are drawn to victim-centered true crime, personal narratives, and stories that grapple with difficult questions about why people commit violence, this episode is one you won't want to miss.  Buy A Monster in Mount Pleasant: A Story of Murders and Justice by CJ Williams on AMAZON or ABE BOOKS. Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open! https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for $2- $4 and help pick our next book and enjoy Jill's SERIAL KILLER Case Studies!     www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub Sources, photographs, maps, and other information can be found on Jill's Blog- September 2026 https://www.murdershelfbookclub.com/2026/09/

    Ep 181 Pt 1- A Monster in Mt. Pleasant by CJ Williams 'Something has happened"

  7. Aug 26

    Special Ep 180 The Ugly Underneath by Carlos Rodriquez

    In this special episode, Jill chats with retired Washington State Patrol Detective Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez, author of The Ugly Underneath: Navigating the Emotional Toll of Investigating Crimes Against Children, for a conversation that goes far beyond the usual true crime case file. Rodriguez pulls back the curtain on the world of child exploitation investigations—where undercover operations, online predators, human trafficking, and the relentless pursuit of offenders collide with the heavy psychological cost paid by the detectives who do this work. What comes through most powerfully is Carlos's deep concern for endangered children and his unwavering passion for preventing exploitation and rescuing them from harm, even when that mission demanded pieces of oneself. Drawing from his years as a detective, FBI task force officer, and child exploitation investigator, he explains how the book grew out of therapy, reflection, and the need to expose not only the crimes themselves, but also the trauma carried by those fighting to stop them. Buy The UGLY UNDERNEATH by Carlos Rodriquez on AMAZON and BARNES AND NOBLE. Sources, photographs, and information can be found on Jill's blog- August 2026 https://www.murdershelfbookclub.com/2026/08/   Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open! https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for $2- $4 and help pick our next book and talk true crime with the other Murder Bookies!    www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub

    Special Ep 180 The Ugly Underneath by Carlos Rodriquez

  8. Aug 19

    Ep 179: Pt 4 Killer in the House- Reporter/Author Kathryn Canavan Speaks!

    Part 4:  In this fourth installment of KILLER IN THE HOUSE,  Jill chats with reporter and true crime author Katherine Canavan about her book, exploring the 1976 murders of the Abt family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Canavan shares insights from her in-depth research, including her personal eyewitness account. The conversation highlights looking back on the case after 50 years, the devastating impact on survivors, the community's fear during the manhunt, and the troubled background of convicted killer George Geschwendt. She discusses the investigative efforts leading to his confession despite the limitations of 1970s policing. Additionally, Canavan emphasizes the importance of honoring victims and survivors. This episode is essential listening for true crime fans and those interested in the human stories behind these tragic events.  Anyone with information on the double homicide of Ed and Marguerite Vogenberger can call the Bucks County Detectives at 215-348-6354.   Buy Kathryn Canavan's book, Killer in the House: Ten Days of Terror in the Pennsylvania Suburbs on AMAZON or BARNES and NOBLE. Thinking about going to Crimecon 2027? Use Jill's code   murdershelf    and save 10% on your badge! Jill's Merch shop is open! https://www.jusaskjan.com/murder-shelf-book-club Join Jill on PATREON for free, or $2- $4 and help pick our next book and talk true crime!      www.patreon.com/murdershelfbookclub Sources, photographs, and information can be found on Jill's Blog July 2026! https://www.murdershelfbookclub.com/2026/07/

    Ep 179: Pt 4 Killer in the House- Reporter/Author Kathryn Canavan Speaks!
See All (197)

4.7
out of 5
76 Ratings

About

YOUR true crime book club podcast.Jill tells the true crime book stories in 3 parts. Dive deep into the criminal psyche, updates, and outcomes with the greatest respect for accuracy, victims and families!

Information

  • Creator
    murdershelfbookclub
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    197
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Murder Shelf Book Club Podcast

You Might Also Like