Overview
The District Attorney began his opening statement with, “If you don’t know what hell is like, you’re about to find out.” In 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris went on a rape and killing rampage. The pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, sledgehammers, and ice picks they used on their victims became their calling card and moniker: The Toolbox Killers. They were soon apprehended and convicted for their atrocities, but for decades, refused to reveal the location of their victims’ bodies. More than two decades later, criminologist Laura Brand had the opportunity to interview this sadistic pair as they sat behind bars, probing the depths of their depravity right up to the days of their deaths. Over this relentless six-year period, Bittaker finally gave Brand what he had withheld from law enforcement and families alike: the precise locations of two victims’ remains. Brand’s investigation tore open sealed police reports, court transcripts, and witness accounts, and unearthed brutal and shocking new findings: undisclosed victims, forgotten evidence, and chilling new insights that resurrected this nightmare in unimaginable ways. God’s Not Here, Only Devils is told through a powerful blend of narratives: the voices of Bittaker himself, his victims, traumatized witnesses, the tenacious lead detective, and the hardened District Attorney. This book pulls the reader into a visceral retelling of the horrors that unfolded and the legacy of terror the Toolbox Killers left behind.
Full Product Details
Author: Laura Brand (Criminologist) ,
Lawrence Bittaker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:
Width: 15.80cm
, Height: 2.20cm
, Length: 23.20cm
Weight: 0.520kg
ISBN: 9798765189528
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 25 June 2026
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
The full story of the horrific Toolbox Killers, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, has never been fully told since their arrest in 1979, until criminologist Laura Brand went into the cage with them and persuaded them to reveal to her their remaining secrets and the darkest depths of their depraved murders shortly before they died. -- Peter Vronsky, author, ""American Serial Killers,"" ""Sons of Cain,"" and ""Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters"" Laura’s insight into the mind and life of a notorious and demonic serial killer is truly compelling. Having been involved in serial killings as an investigator for 26 of my 38 years in Law Enforcement, I only wish that other investigators would read this book as a road map of how to conduct interviews by listening and understanding while keeping personal feelings outside the interview room. -- Gil Carrillo, former homicide detective, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department For true crime devotees, this is a must. * Publishers Weekly *
The full story of the horrific Toolbox Killers, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, has never been fully told since their arrest in 1979, until criminologist Laura Brand went into the cage with them and persuaded them to reveal to her their remaining secrets and the darkest depths of their depraved murders shortly before they died. -- Peter Vronsky, author, ""American Serial Killers,"" ""Sons of Cain,"" and ""Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters"" Laura’s insight into the mind and life of a notorious and demonic serial killer is truly compelling. Having been involved in serial killings as an investigator for 26 of my 38 years in Law Enforcement, I only wish that other investigators would read this book as a road map of how to conduct interviews by listening and understanding while keeping personal feelings outside the interview room. -- Gil Carrillo, former homicide detective, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Author Information
Laura Brand is a criminologist leading the largest collective study of serial offenders ever conducted, having interviewed over 50 serial killers as part of her groundbreaking work. She has recently teamed up with licensed forensic psychologist Dr. John White to analyze and publish these findings. Laura holds a degree in forensic psychology from Curry College. Over the past decade, she has spent significant time inside San Quentin’s notorious death row, interviewing some of the most dangerous criminals in the nation. Her investigation was the basis of the true crime documentary, The Toolbox Killer, now streaming on Peacock and Oxygen. Laura's unparalleled skills have garnered the attention of law enforcement agencies across the country. She has assisted the San Francisco Cold Case Unit on the Charles Ng & Leonard Lake, David Carpenter, and Joseph Naso cases. Currently, she is working with the Dennis Rader BTK Task Force. Laura’s work has been featured in major outlets such as NBC, Fox News, Newsweek, The Independent, Daily Mail, LAPD Bible, Our Culture Magazine, E! News, and The Hollywood Reporter. She is in the final stages of her first book, which chronicles her tireless re-examination of the Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris case. In collaboration with Strong Island Films, she is also working on another true crime series, hoping to secure funding for victim recovery and identification efforts. In addition, Laura co-hosts the podcast Partners in True Crime: Serial Killer Whisperer alongside Cindy and Rob Dorfman, the CEOs of Strong Island Films. The series delves into her experiences and explores the extractions she has obtained from other serial offenders on San Quentin’s death row.
