The Ultimate Evil cover art

The Ultimate Evil

The Search for the Sons of Sam

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Ultimate Evil

By: Maury Terry
Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $29.99

Buy Now for $29.99

About this listen

The true-crime cult classic that inspired an upcoming Netflix documentary series and companion podcast, The Ultimate Evil follows journalist Maury Terry’s terrifying investigation into the true evil behind the Son of Sam murders.

On August 10, 1977, the NYPD arrested David Berkowitz for the Son of Sam murders that had terrorized New York City for over a year. Berkowitz confessed to shooting 16 people and killing six with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver, and the case was officially closed.

Journalist Maury Terry was suspicious of Berkowitz’s confession. Spurred by conflicting witness descriptions of the killer and by the Queens District Attorney, who was convinced Berkowitz didn’t act alone, Terry spent decades researching, gathering evidence, and interviewing those involved in the case. He released his initial findings in the original publication of The Ultimate Evil in 1987, in which he presented his theory that Berkowitz was a member of the Process Church of the Final Judgment, a cult responsible for the Son of Sam murders as well as other ritual murders across the country. After Terry’s death in 2015, documentary filmmaker Josh Zeman (Cropsey, The Killing Season, Murder Mountain) followed leads Terry left for him, which form the basis of his upcoming docuseries with Netflix and a companion podcast. Taken together with The Ultimate Evil, which includes a new introduction by Zeman, these works reveal the stunning intersections of power, wealth, privilege, and evil in America - from the Summer of Sam until today.

©1987 Maury Terry. Introduction © 2021 by Joshua Zeman (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing
Crime Murder True Crime Exciting Serial Killers True Crime
All stars
Most relevant  
Loved it!
It was very interesting, Maury really dove into the depths with his research. I also loved Keith's (the narrator's) voice

Loved it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

The story itself is good but too much detail. The narration is excellent and I enjoyed it up to where I stopped as I lost interest

Good but too much

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This was an amazing listen, and credit to Maury for his relentless research in leaving no stone unturned in his search for proof that there is more to what meets the eye in the Son of Sam killings. Unfortunately we may never know the full truth behind the killings, but this book certainly can back up that this was not a lone shooter involved, and conspiracy with political objectives covered up the truth.

Fast paced and thought provoking

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I’d you are a fan of deep deep dives into true crime cases this one will not disappoint. Narrator breaths life into the book with authentic accents. Perfect companion piece (for the Netflix series) for anyone who wants to delve much deeper into New York’s 44 calibre killer murders and all of the controversial theories that Maury Terry painstakingly put together over the decades that followed the arrest of David Berkowitz The Son Of Sam.

A Lifetime of Work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This has an amazing amount of research and detail. The information about The Process is fascinating.

The details

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Absolutely loved this book, it's a deep dive into the son of Sam case and I loved every minute of it.

Loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Brilliant investigative journalism by Maury, definetly reccomend this book to anyone interested in true crime or conspiracies.

must listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Thoroughly enjoyed each detailed and factual episode. The narrator had a great voice. I felt each episode went just long enough. An amazing book.

Exceptional

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

reads at times as a sensationalized media story. wanders all over the country which might be where the investigation took him but I'm left wondering if he is making connections that are not there. everything seems to be based on what he was told, not hard evidence. unsure about this one.

long winded

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

With modern psychoactive medication, this book would never have been written. Quite sad/amazing really. more sad than amazing.

Oh dear

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.