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Beyond Cruel: The Chilling True Story of America's Most Sadistic Killer
AUTHORITIES OPENED THE DOOR ON ONE MAN'S HIDDEN LIFE…
Mike DeBardeleben was known as the Mall Passer for the way he passed off fake money at local shopping centers. But when U.S. Secret Service agents finally arrested him, they were met with more than just phony bills. They found that their counterfeiter led a shocking double life… ONLY TO DISCOVER A HOUSE OF HORRORS.DeBardeleben's home was littered with drugs, bondage gear, and a collection of audio tapes in which he recorded the abuse of his countless victims. As the evidence mounted, a terrifying profile emerged of a man who forced women to be his accomplices, practiced sadism, even dressed up in women's clothes―a serial killer whose depraved fantasies led to a spree of violence that would last as long as eighteen years…and would end in a sentence of almost 400 years in prison. As terrifying as it is true, this is the story of a man who proved to be, beyond the shadow of a doubt, BEYOND CRUEL .
Mike DeBardeleben was known as the Mall Passer for the way he passed off fake money at local shopping centers. But when U.S. Secret Service agents finally arrested him, they were met with more than just phony bills. They found that their counterfeiter led a shocking double life… ONLY TO DISCOVER A HOUSE OF HORRORS.DeBardeleben's home was littered with drugs, bondage gear, and a collection of audio tapes in which he recorded the abuse of his countless victims. As the evidence mounted, a terrifying profile emerged of a man who forced women to be his accomplices, practiced sadism, even dressed up in women's clothes―a serial killer whose depraved fantasies led to a spree of violence that would last as long as eighteen years…and would end in a sentence of almost 400 years in prison. As terrifying as it is true, this is the story of a man who proved to be, beyond the shadow of a doubt, BEYOND CRUEL .
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 29, 2015
:: 2 -it could have been better- Stars ::
On the front cover of this book it states that this book is “the chilling true story of America’s most sadistic killer”. Seeing as I am a big fan of true crime novels, this statement made me anxious to read it. Sadly, I was sorely disappointed. The first 200+ pages does NOT detail this man’s murderous lifestyle. Rather, it discusses (and drones on and on) the man’s criminal; history with counterfeiting money. This would be okay if it were the first 50 to 100 pages because it’s good to get an overall background of these criminals. However, the book is only 300 pages. So I feel like the title was a lie- and I hate that!
With that being said, I really didn’t enjoy this book. It’s not what it said it would be. While I appreciate the work that the author put into this book (and it does take a lot of work to write true crime) I had a hard time finishing it. In fact, I skimmed through the last 50 or so pages. Finally, I found the writing style bland and pretty confusing. It seems to jump around quite a bit. So much in fact that I was getting lost very easily.
On the front cover of this book it states that this book is “the chilling true story of America’s most sadistic killer”. Seeing as I am a big fan of true crime novels, this statement made me anxious to read it. Sadly, I was sorely disappointed. The first 200+ pages does NOT detail this man’s murderous lifestyle. Rather, it discusses (and drones on and on) the man’s criminal; history with counterfeiting money. This would be okay if it were the first 50 to 100 pages because it’s good to get an overall background of these criminals. However, the book is only 300 pages. So I feel like the title was a lie- and I hate that!
With that being said, I really didn’t enjoy this book. It’s not what it said it would be. While I appreciate the work that the author put into this book (and it does take a lot of work to write true crime) I had a hard time finishing it. In fact, I skimmed through the last 50 or so pages. Finally, I found the writing style bland and pretty confusing. It seems to jump around quite a bit. So much in fact that I was getting lost very easily.
April 25, 2023
You may need a strong drink and a shower to get this true story out of your mind. And the shower will help to stop your skin from feeling dirty every time you hear the name, Mike DeBardeleben.
This is the true story of the Secret Services' chase of a counterfeiter, who was passing $20 bills at malls around the southeast.
Little did they know that they were also chasing a sadistic killer, who would turn out to be America's worse killer.
When they finally caught Mike for counterfeiting, it was discovered he had several storage units in different states under different names. They needed to find his printing press to make the charges stick.
Upon searching the units they found movies, and photographs, that were truly disturbing.
At this point, they wanted to make sure Mike was locked up until they could investigate the sex crimes further.
This story is an eye-opener to what a twisted person can do to another person.
Read or listen to this true story, if you have a strong stomach and constitution.
This is the true story of the Secret Services' chase of a counterfeiter, who was passing $20 bills at malls around the southeast.
Little did they know that they were also chasing a sadistic killer, who would turn out to be America's worse killer.
When they finally caught Mike for counterfeiting, it was discovered he had several storage units in different states under different names. They needed to find his printing press to make the charges stick.
Upon searching the units they found movies, and photographs, that were truly disturbing.
At this point, they wanted to make sure Mike was locked up until they could investigate the sex crimes further.
This story is an eye-opener to what a twisted person can do to another person.
Read or listen to this true story, if you have a strong stomach and constitution.
January 16, 2022
The book suffers from self censorship. We never learn any details of DeBardeleben's sadistic activities, which defeats the title of the book.
Other sources seem to follow the same pattern; the only example I've found so far was DeBardeleben's voice on a tape excerpt, threatening to burn the victim's back with a cigarette. That's more detailed than anything you will find written here.
Other reviewers find the first part of the book focusing on the counterfeiting activities dull. While not exciting, this does build a sense of anticipation towards the second part.
I hate to sound like a gorehound, but the book does not deliver.
Other sources seem to follow the same pattern; the only example I've found so far was DeBardeleben's voice on a tape excerpt, threatening to burn the victim's back with a cigarette. That's more detailed than anything you will find written here.
Other reviewers find the first part of the book focusing on the counterfeiting activities dull. While not exciting, this does build a sense of anticipation towards the second part.
I hate to sound like a gorehound, but the book does not deliver.
April 23, 2020
After years of hunting down a counterfeiter known as 'The Mall Passer,' Secret Service agents finally catch their man. In the search for his 'plant' (printing press, etc.) they find a storage shed loaded with evidence of his numerous, much worse crimes. Creepy but fascinating.
October 3, 2023
Overall: 3 stars
This was an interesting, if very uneven, true crime book.
I'd never heard of Mike DeBardeleben before reading this, and the fact that he committed so many different and varied crimes is fascinating (in a horrible way): kidnapping, extortion, blackmail, counterfeiting, sexual assault, AND murder. He eluded arrest for years and carried on his crime spree in every part of the US, in multiple states. He was never tried for murder (although he committed multiple) but was sentenced to 375 years in prison. That's just a weird, weird criminal history. And to top it off, he was caught for counterfeiting by the Secret Service who had no idea of his rapes and murders, which they discovered by accident by finding his many, many crime diaries.
As that quick summary shows, this is a weird case, and as a true crime nerd, I find that interesting. However, the writing in this book was a little uneven, and I somehow found it difficult to keep track of different victims and different crimes. Other reviews mention that the book spends too much time on counterfeiting, and I heavily disagree. There was just one chapter on the history of the Secret Service and counterfeiting; the vast majority of the book covers DeBardeleben's many crimes, focusing extensively on his victims and wives (who were also victims in their own ways). The focus on counterfeiting is not the book's problem: it's pacing and narrative flow (which could have been exacerbated by the fact that I listened to the audiobook version; maybe in print it's easier to follow the story).
Regardless, the story is very interesting, and there's a lot of attention paid to the victim's stories, which I appreciate. Just be aware that the pacing is a little choppy and the organization confusing at times.
CW: I usually don't include CWs for true crime because, well, it is what it is, but this book is more gruesome than most. Not because it's particularly gory (it spends very little attention to describing bodies or autopsies), but because it includes several excerpts from DeBardeleben's crime diaries, which include some of the most awful misogynistic thoughts I've ever encountered, and I read a lot of true crime. So watch out: this book is disturbing because of how absolutely garbage and full of hate this man's brain was. Gross.
This was an interesting, if very uneven, true crime book.
I'd never heard of Mike DeBardeleben before reading this, and the fact that he committed so many different and varied crimes is fascinating (in a horrible way): kidnapping, extortion, blackmail, counterfeiting, sexual assault, AND murder. He eluded arrest for years and carried on his crime spree in every part of the US, in multiple states. He was never tried for murder (although he committed multiple) but was sentenced to 375 years in prison. That's just a weird, weird criminal history. And to top it off, he was caught for counterfeiting by the Secret Service who had no idea of his rapes and murders, which they discovered by accident by finding his many, many crime diaries.
As that quick summary shows, this is a weird case, and as a true crime nerd, I find that interesting. However, the writing in this book was a little uneven, and I somehow found it difficult to keep track of different victims and different crimes. Other reviews mention that the book spends too much time on counterfeiting, and I heavily disagree. There was just one chapter on the history of the Secret Service and counterfeiting; the vast majority of the book covers DeBardeleben's many crimes, focusing extensively on his victims and wives (who were also victims in their own ways). The focus on counterfeiting is not the book's problem: it's pacing and narrative flow (which could have been exacerbated by the fact that I listened to the audiobook version; maybe in print it's easier to follow the story).
Regardless, the story is very interesting, and there's a lot of attention paid to the victim's stories, which I appreciate. Just be aware that the pacing is a little choppy and the organization confusing at times.
CW: I usually don't include CWs for true crime because, well, it is what it is, but this book is more gruesome than most. Not because it's particularly gory (it spends very little attention to describing bodies or autopsies), but because it includes several excerpts from DeBardeleben's crime diaries, which include some of the most awful misogynistic thoughts I've ever encountered, and I read a lot of true crime. So watch out: this book is disturbing because of how absolutely garbage and full of hate this man's brain was. Gross.
August 21, 2023
Well-written true crime. Very difficult to read, so posting a trigger warning for sexual violence. Michaud clearly did his research for this story.
November 14, 2022
Mike DeBardeleben was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1940. He was born into a military family, and thus moved several times in his childhood during the World War II years. He had a fairly rough childhood, with his father being quite strict and using very physical punishments for everything. He also grew a hatred for his mother, who was not caring enough to him and apparently neglectful. He joined the United States Air Force, but got into trouble and was discharged fairly quickly. After that, he really began his life of crime. His crimes ranged from thefts to counterfeit money. Ultimately, he was arrested for counterfeit money in Maryville, Tennessee. (That peaked my interest since Maryville is just an hour away from my house.) After that arrest, his other nefarious activities came to light.
I have major problems with this book. The title indicates that the book provides a chilling story. It did not. There was nothing chilling in this book. Most of the book was spent talking about his counterfeit operations. Another good portion of this book was about the court case, which can get very tedious and boring for people reading true crime. I didn't have a problem with that, really, but it was just annoying to me that I bought this book expecting to learn about a serial killer that I had not yet heard of, and I am wasting half my night reading about his counterfeit schemes. While I understand that it is important to the understanding of the man and how he became known to law enforcement, that is not the purpose of me buying this book OR what the title says it is about. I had to just do a Google deep dive to actually learn about this guy and his crimes. I learned more from that than I did this book. I am irritated with myself for buying it, even though it was on sale for $5. I do not recommend this book. Look for another one, or just google about the guy.
I have major problems with this book. The title indicates that the book provides a chilling story. It did not. There was nothing chilling in this book. Most of the book was spent talking about his counterfeit operations. Another good portion of this book was about the court case, which can get very tedious and boring for people reading true crime. I didn't have a problem with that, really, but it was just annoying to me that I bought this book expecting to learn about a serial killer that I had not yet heard of, and I am wasting half my night reading about his counterfeit schemes. While I understand that it is important to the understanding of the man and how he became known to law enforcement, that is not the purpose of me buying this book OR what the title says it is about. I had to just do a Google deep dive to actually learn about this guy and his crimes. I learned more from that than I did this book. I am irritated with myself for buying it, even though it was on sale for $5. I do not recommend this book. Look for another one, or just google about the guy.
April 29, 2012
I did not write much after I'd read this book but what I wrote is enough I think ;)
on Friday, October 19, 2007 I wrote
7 out of 10
This book was interesting but not the best true crime I have ever read.
But good enough to keep you reading. 7.5
on Friday, October 19, 2007 I wrote
7 out of 10
This book was interesting but not the best true crime I have ever read.
But good enough to keep you reading. 7.5
September 8, 2022
Mike DeBardeleben became known as the "mall passer," using counterfeit bills at stores to the tune of over $100,000 over the course of three years in forty four states. At the same time, he was abducting and raping women; a real type A kind of guy. The Secret Service finally captured Mikey at a mall and uncovered boxes and boxes of evidence at various storage units. Flashbacks of Mike's life are downright bizarre. He was somehow able to marry five women and convince at least two of them to assist him in extorting bank managers. Within the boxes opened by the Secret Service were hundreds of photos of nude women, some tied up. Audio tapes of Mike narrating a play-by-play of torture, stunned the lawmen. During an interview, Michael declared himself smarter than Ted Bundy, and like Teddy, represented himself in the courtroom. The number of victims will never be known and the final chapter with the memories of his grown-up daughters is quite sad. Michaud was a co-author of The Only Living Witness and although DeBardeleben is not as interesting as Ted Bundy, the book is a good read.
June 21, 2019
This book is a fine (and thorough) examination of the crimes of a fascinating and truly evil human being. Unfortunately the presentation of the depth and depravity of DeBardeleben's crimes get lost in voluminous amount of case detail presented and makes the book a pretty slow slog through detail after detail. I can easily do 310 pages in about a week or so (maybe longer if life gets in the way) but the fact it took me nearly a year to get through this is a testament to its slowness. In fact, I think I read 2-3 other books while reading this one. Overall, I enjoyed the book but, a different approach might have made the material more engaging (and it could just be me and what I am looking for in a real good read - I'll own that) which unfortunately renders this book by no means the most exciting read in the true crime genre.
January 9, 2021
Good but could be shorter
One of the most depraved individuals I have ever read about. A bit too much of everything but in general written in an interesting way. The reader can not help but be astounded by the sheer volume of his crimes. The book is a great reminder of all we owe to modern day forensic science. Today this guy would have been picked up and convicted after his first couple of crimes on the DNA evidence.
I don’t despise good counterfeiters and I would have enjoyed a more thorough treatment of the process he used to produce the bills and also how he came upon the knowledge. Read the book “Man Overboard” if you enjoy reading about counterfeiting and the role of the Secret Service in bringing counterfeiters to justice.
One of the most depraved individuals I have ever read about. A bit too much of everything but in general written in an interesting way. The reader can not help but be astounded by the sheer volume of his crimes. The book is a great reminder of all we owe to modern day forensic science. Today this guy would have been picked up and convicted after his first couple of crimes on the DNA evidence.
I don’t despise good counterfeiters and I would have enjoyed a more thorough treatment of the process he used to produce the bills and also how he came upon the knowledge. Read the book “Man Overboard” if you enjoy reading about counterfeiting and the role of the Secret Service in bringing counterfeiters to justice.
January 14, 2024
Mike “Long last name” …
There are some wildly different reviews of this book, but I’m leaning towards the higher rating on this. Mike is fortunately behind bars for a very long time. He is the worst of the worst, one that I’d heard about in passing, but had not seen anything about him in any real depth.
This guy passed funny money at malls, but he also attacked women. And they didn’t survive him. This guy did horrible things and womanhood is so lucky he was tracked down and caught.
Well written and a good entry in this true crime library.
There are some wildly different reviews of this book, but I’m leaning towards the higher rating on this. Mike is fortunately behind bars for a very long time. He is the worst of the worst, one that I’d heard about in passing, but had not seen anything about him in any real depth.
This guy passed funny money at malls, but he also attacked women. And they didn’t survive him. This guy did horrible things and womanhood is so lucky he was tracked down and caught.
Well written and a good entry in this true crime library.
May 14, 2021
Mike DeBardeleben was definitely a very bad, sadistic man. Also, apparently, a good forger of American paper currency. I've read & listened to many true crime books and this one was okay.
You learned about DeBardeleben's crimes but the majority of the book seemed to focus on the trials (not a bad thing) and mostly on the agents & lawyers. Yes, I have had focus on the previous points before but not like this. I give it 3 stars.
You learned about DeBardeleben's crimes but the majority of the book seemed to focus on the trials (not a bad thing) and mostly on the agents & lawyers. Yes, I have had focus on the previous points before but not like this. I give it 3 stars.
December 31, 2019
Detail drags but glad to know about this MONSTER
So much detail about the trials! It bored me but surely the author wanted to document the whole ugly truth. He's off the streets forever and was surprisingly like Bundy, psychopathic.Ugh, too bad it takes so much work to find these smart ones. My father was right - NEVER get into a car with a stranger!
So much detail about the trials! It bored me but surely the author wanted to document the whole ugly truth. He's off the streets forever and was surprisingly like Bundy, psychopathic.Ugh, too bad it takes so much work to find these smart ones. My father was right - NEVER get into a car with a stranger!
February 6, 2022
Very interesting read! Not only do you get to go inside the investigation of this horrific man and his crimes, but it also gives you the rundown and history of the secret service and fraud. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
October 28, 2023
A chilling account of a demonic person. There are many triggers in this book and some accounts of unreal cruelty. It's slow at times but worth listening to. It really shows what this man was and what he was capable of.
December 5, 2025
Beyond boring maybe, which should be difficult given the subject matter.
Poor writing really, too much backstory, not enough to 'deliver' what the title implies.
Like most average writers, he doesn't know when or how to finish.
Poor writing really, too much backstory, not enough to 'deliver' what the title implies.
Like most average writers, he doesn't know when or how to finish.
July 26, 2017
Very vague
It wasn't at all what I was expecting. None of the gory details that should be in this type of book,or at least a few details. It was OK but disappointing
It wasn't at all what I was expecting. None of the gory details that should be in this type of book,or at least a few details. It was OK but disappointing
September 14, 2019
Okay book. The cover is very misleading. But okay.
July 10, 2020
Chilling story of evilest of the evil criminal
November 13, 2020
Super interesting look at how this serial killer was caught and tried.
December 20, 2020
Excellent story!!
Love the pace of this book. Could not have gotten a better book in this genre.
All true crime stories should be this good!
Love the pace of this book. Could not have gotten a better book in this genre.
All true crime stories should be this good!
June 12, 2022
Worth reading.
I'm a big true crime reader. This book kept my interest. I'll probably read it again in a few years.
Mikey was a sick, dark man.
I'm a big true crime reader. This book kept my interest. I'll probably read it again in a few years.
Mikey was a sick, dark man.
October 29, 2023
This book was a real disappointment.
December 6, 2023
Listened on audible. Very well narrated, telling the story of someone I'd never heard of. Well put together, chilling, the man is pure evil
March 2, 2024
My family lived on the same street 2 houses down
My older sister remembers Mike. We moved away around 1963
It is very sad he was not able to be a better person
My older sister remembers Mike. We moved away around 1963
It is very sad he was not able to be a better person
June 19, 2025
Very informative about Mike DeBardeleben. I had never heard of him before reading this book. If you like true crime, you will love this one!
July 28, 2025
Another true crime story I was unfamiliar with, which is strange given how much of it I read, watch, and listen to. This book was ok …not great, not terrible.
October 11, 2025
Mind numbingly boring. Had to skim the last half of the book just to finish it.
October 28, 2025
This was a mistake, bought and read only because i liked the other books the author did with roy hazelwood such as “the evil that men do” and “dark dreams” Roy’s the man but the subject of this book is as captivating as watching paint dry. A waste of time, I question why i seek stuff like this out. Don’t make the same mistake, look elsewhere.
Oh and (spoiler) he wasn’t the most sadistic killer, liars.
Oh and (spoiler) he wasn’t the most sadistic killer, liars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews