Book Club | Rachel Corbett - The Monsters We Make

Book Club | Rachel Corbett - The Monsters We Make

From Sirens by The Sirens Network

December 12, 2025 · 52 min · Season 4 · Episode 21

About this episode

Rachel Corbett discusses her book 'The Monsters We Make' and explores the complexities of crime, memory, and criminal profiling.

In this episode of Sirens , I’m joined by Rachel Corbett , journalist, academic, and author of The Monsters We Make , for a deeply thoughtful conversation about crime, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves about evil. Rachel shares how her own childhood experiences—and the moments that shaped her understanding of violence and fear—ultimately led her down the path of researching crime, criminal behavior, and the FBI’s approach to criminal profiling. What began as personal curiosity evolved into years of research that challenge some of the most widely accepted assumptions in true crime. We talk in depth about The Monsters We Make , including what inspired the book, how personal history intersects with academic inquiry, and why criminal profiling may not be the reliable investigative tool pop culture has led us to believe. Rachel breaks down how profiling gained its reputation, where it has fallen short, and why its perceived success often looks very different when examined closely. This episode explores the tension between storytelling and science—and asks hard questions about how myths are created, repeated, and cemented in both law enforcement and media. Find more about…

People in this episode

Host: The Sirens Network

Guest: Rachel Corbett

Topics covered

  • crime
  • memory
  • criminal profiling
  • true crime
  • storytelling
  • violence
  • academic inquiry

Keywords

  • true crime
  • criminal behavior
  • FBI
  • profiling
  • violence
  • storytelling
  • academic research

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Monsters We Make

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