MURDERLAND: Crime and BloodLust in the Time of Serial Killers . Content Warning.
Overview
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Fraser is a gripping nonfiction work that blends true crime, environmental history, and memoir to explore the chilling proliferation of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest during the 1970s and 1980s. Published on June 10, 2025, by Penguin Press, this 466-page book delves into why this region became a breeding ground for some of America’s most notorious murderers, including Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgway (the Green River Killer), and others. Fraser, who grew up in Seattle’s Mercer Island during this era, proposes a provocative thesis: the toxic industrial pollution, particularly from lead and arsenic smelters like the ASARCO plant in Tacoma, Washington, may have contributed to the psychological and behavioral disorders that fueled this epidemic of violence. The book transcends traditional true-crime narratives by weaving together personal reflection, scientific inquiry, and social critique to examine the interplay between environmental degradation and human depravity.
