The Hunt: The True Story of Alaska's Most Notorious Serial Killer, Robert Hansen

by Ryan Green

In the 1970s, a local baker harboured a dark secret that plunged Anchorage into a state of terror. Robert Hansen transformed the pristine Alaskan wilderness into his personal hunting ground.

For 12 years, Hansen lured his victims onto a plane and flew them to a remote cabin. He raped them and released them into the wild before hunting them down.

As the remains of women began to surface, the authorities assembled to track down this merciless murderer.

The Hunt is a chilling account of Robert Hansen's reign of terror. It delves deep into the psyche of a serial killer and captures the reality of his monstrous acts. Ryan Green provides a suspenseful narrative that draws the reader into the real-life horror experienced by the victims with all the elements of a captivating thriller.

This book contains descriptive accounts of abuse and extreme violence. If you are sensitive to this material, it might be advisable not to read further.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2024

Reviews

[Julie Young Buckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fooled Everyone

This is a story about a man who fooled most everyone. He blended in with community, had a wife and kids and his own bakery. A successful bakery, actually.

Excellent story telling about a man with a cruel past who grew up with his quiet resentment about life. He took it out on strangers. It read rather quickly because the narrative flows so easily. For a crude story, this was well put together.

[britt_brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Randomly stumbled upon this book. Never heard of this author, nor this serial killer. Which sadly shows just how many have existed in this country especially in the decades prior to technological advancements in DNA testing, etc. A decent read. We owe it to the victims to hear these heinous stories.

[juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5/5

A very fascinating listen. I needed a good true-crime audiobook and I stumbled across this one, and it was great. The imaginary and disturbing descriptions were wonderfully curated. It ended on a very interesting note, lots of fascinating commentary.

Would recommend for folks to like true crime.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this latest entry into Green's true crime series, we meet the human hunting Hansen, who I read of years ago in Mindhunter . This Alaskan take on femicide includes flavors engendered by that State: hunting skills, asocial behavior, and remoteness. That adds color to two things I enjoy most about true crime books: the evil-that-men-do part and the morality play aspect of eventual justice taking its own, unique forensic route. Green always adds an intriguing first act of potential causes of psychopathy. Here we have an abusive father and a socially inept stutterer.

[Boadicea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this a very basic story without much analysis beyond some banal thoughts (by treating them like animals he became an animal etc.)
Also some imagined scenes are totally unnecessary.

[Jamie Bronstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written. Robert Hansen's crime biography would be more interesting told in the third person without weird attempts by the author to imagine people's internal dialogues.

[JoLynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book when I had time and it wasn’t interesting, and it lacked details, not just details in the crimes because I can do without those but details in the story in general.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy hunting…

In this utterly compelling examination of the life and crimes of a modern serial killer, Ryan Green offers up a detailed look at Robert “Bob” Christian Hansen, a seemingly gentle, slightly awkward family man who ran a bakery in Anchorage, Alaska. Other than his hunting skills, for which he won many awards, he might have passed through life with relatively little notice. All of that changed in the early 80s when his “hunting” became the news story that shocked the world. Robert was not limiting his sport to the abundant game so prevalent in Alaska, he was hunting human beings, specifically, he hunted women. I had been somewhat familiar with this particular case having remembered many of the horrific stories reported in the news back then. I had also watched the 2013 movie, The Frozen Ground starring John Cusack and Nicolas Cage, which dramatized the investigation and subsequent arrest of Robert Hansen. None of this, however, provided me with as much unvarnished reality as this book. Fans of the author will recognize the exquisite attention to detail and the thoroughness of the research required to provide such a vivid picture of the monstrous deeds of this heartless killer. While Ryan Green is well-known for his unique approach to the true crime genre by transporting the reader into the mind of the killer, this book offers a slightly different perspective. Less time is spent in Robert Hansen’s mind than in the minds of the many victims he dispatched in the wilds of Alaska. Their experiences paint a poignant and graphic mental image that will linger long after finishing the book. If you have an interest in true crime, this book is an absolute must-read.

I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but I am sharing my honest and unbiased review on a completely voluntary basis.

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evil Walked Among Us
Robert Hansen was painfully shy when young and he a stutter. When Hansen was older, he married had two children and became an avid hunter. Hansen is believed to have stalked women to learn their habits, eventually picking them up in his car and forcing them at gunpoint to his home, where he would rape them and then take the woman to a secluded area. Hansen would then "hunt" her as if she were wild game before shooting or stabbing his victim. This book was chilling from the start, and it was unbelievable what Hansen was able to get away with and for such a long time.
These crime books are always interesting but are frighteningly scary as you read what Hansens victims went through and how someone could have such a cold heart and no empathy at all for another human being.... Robert Hansen is a truly creepy psychopath.
Ryan Green does not disappoint once again a fantastically written book which you will find hard to put down, Ryan has captured the fear and horror that surrounded this serial killer. Hansen is a psychopath who is an extremely Dangerous and Evil Man who loves to rape, torture, and murder, his victims just for his sexual desire. I highly recommend this book. I am part of the ARC group for Ryan Green, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Judd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across Robert Hansen on one of my many YouTube or Reddit rabbitholes and wanted to know a bit more about this notorious Alaskan serial killer who hunted women for sport in the wilds during the 1970-80s. I was pretty surprised to see that there wasn't a lot in print about the subject matter. Ryan Green's, The Hunt, was at the top of the list so I picked it up.

It was a pretty decent read. There isn't a ton in the way of details and he never cites sources, so if you're looking for something with more interviews with witnesses, detectives, family, etc. this might not be the choice for you. To be fair, Robert Hansen confessed and then clammed up for the rest of his life so much isn't known about him. He also abducted, murdered, and hid the bodies of prostitutes. Due the nature of their professions, they tend to be low priority when they go missing, if they're reported missing at all. Meaning there wasn't a massive manhunt or years of community terror. Green does acknowledge early on that some scenes, characters, and conversations were based on facts but fabricated which is disappointing but I imagine not far off from the truth. Therefore I think it's safer to say that this is dramatized rather than true crime, and that may be a deterrent for a certain set of readers.

[Zelda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outwardly, Robert Hansen just looked like a harmless, small, regular guy who wouldn't be a threat to anyone. And he had a stutter.

But he was actually a voracious, cold blooded torture and murder machine. He liked to mainly pick on prostitutes.

Yes, he had a very abusive childhood. But so have many of us, and we don't go around hurting and killing other people.

I found this book very gripping and intriguing and finished reading it in one sitting. I really like the way the author wrote a lot of the book from the points of view of the victims and of the killer. It made everything seem more real. I was able to imagine the scenarios a lot more vividly.

I highly recommend this book to fans of true crime. Warning: there are quite a few depictions of graphic and bloody violence.

[Cat B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Hansen ... to look at him one would never dream of the horrendous acts he was capable of. Then, in looking closely, one can see nothing behind his eyes. Dead eyes. shark eyes. Robert Hansen was a prolific killer of women, most of whom lived at the edge of society, those who were overlooked and most often never looked for when they disappeared. It is a terribly sad commentary on society, that these women seem so disposable. Again, as always, Ryan Green gives us a cut and dried accounting of what was known then and what has been discovered in the years since Robert's capture and incarceration. We will likely never know the true depths of his crimes.
I received a free reader's copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your basic serial killer story. The unique factor in Robert Hansen's story is that he evolved from being a skilled marksman and hunter of deer and sheep in the Alaska wilderness to seeking human female prey, raping, torturing and chasing them through the snow. He was married twice, had two children, attended church, served in the military and ended up being caught and confessed at least some of his crimes, spending the rest of his life in prison. Green tells the story in a serviceable prose, sometimes trying to convey the influence of Hansen's childhood and to reconstruct the victim's struggles. A little rambling towards the end.

[Imee Benzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

***GIVES ME THE CREEPS***

The moment I started reading this book, I was hooked. Knowing it was based on a real person made me shiver in fear. It was written beautifully. The back story was authentic and made me believe the saying" nature vs nurture." This time, Robert Hansen was made into a monster that preyed on women by his circumstances growing up. He was never allowed to be himself by his authoritarian and a bully father. It is sad that he was able to go on brutalising women they way he did. Sometimes, monsters are made.

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

bullied by his father as a boy and ignored by the girls he turned his intrest into hunting than later he turn his passion of getting girls rape them and hunt them down and kill them he had a cabin and a plane in total he killed 17 women but they estamated there were many more some he buried others he never he would never confess to anything he wasnt caught for they found a fight plan with marks on where he had buried bodys but they figured there were many more that were never found or identified he picked up prostitutes and mostly women that were never reported missing...

[Daniel Kupres · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Frontier

As soon as I’ve started reading I knew the story from a few tv shows that highlighted Robert’s story. Robert grew up in the Midwest brought up by a self employed baker who was domineering. Despite the abuse growing up, Robert still married and went into the family business and moved to Alaska, a great place for hunting. And that is what leads Robert’s favorite prey to hunt.

[Melanie Houghton · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of True Crime writers out there but I think Ryan is the best and this book is now my favorite! Robert Hansen has always interested me due to the way he “hunts” his prey. This is written in a way that gets you involved with the people and the story. The best part is Ryan doesn’t make this just about Robert Hansen. It makes you remember that there were victims also. Best line in the book - “There was nothing like a good head injury to make your day interesting.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Green's take on Robert Hansen and his sick crimes in Alaska. It's scary to think about people like him just walking the streets among us. Thankfully he was captured, but who knows how many others are out there. This is another good read for true crime lovers.

[CDWB · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hunt

Talk about getting goosebumps, read this Alaskan serial killers story. Ryan Green is my favorite True Crime author. His intense research into the mind of a serial killer is unmatched. Want goosebumps too?
Read this book!

[Randi M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely horrifying.

The writing style was fast, brief, and cut to the point of all the terrible details.

I could not imagine being hunted like an animal.
Robert Hansen is the animal, and I don’t know if 461 years is enough.

[Clive Willcocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another well researched and fantastic read from Ryan. The research as usual is superb and must have taken ages. If you like true crime, then you'll love this. Can't wait for the next book.

[Alrena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down.

[Kenneth P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never hear of this beofre

What an eye opener! A great short story that was well delivered and documented by the author. I am hooked and ready to

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great look into the life of Robert Hansen. I had read some on the case before, but this book brought so much more to light, and portrayed the enormity of his crimes.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

True crime. Very scary

[Jess Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an easy read but I found it a little boring in parts and lacked detail.

[Tamara Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was already familiar with this story. This book lacked some details but also shed some light on things I didn't know. The voice actor read it well.

[Maria Lewins · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

Another excellent book from Ryan. His ability to put you right into the story is amazing. Definitely not for the faint hearted.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has once again written a chilling account of a notorious serial killer that most people have never heard of. It is unsure how many women were raped, tortured and murdered by Robert Hanson, but this book personalizes the victims and makes the reader feel their terror. The opening chapter is one of the most horrific accounts of the terror that was inflicted by a deranged monster that I have ever read.

In the wilds of Alaska during the oil boom, many women went missing and the truth about their demise will probably never be known. Most of Hanson's victims were sex workers and lived a transient life, so they were often forgotten or unmissed. At least one of his known victims still remains anonymous after decades and her family will never know what actually happened to her.

The author takes the facts of this case and writes it in such a way that it feels like a novel. But, the atrocities inflicted by Hanson are definitely not fiction. Hanson's upbringing and abuse are presented, not as an excuse for his crimes, but as a possible explanation of his thought process. The author gives names and details of his known victims and presents them in a sympathetic and heartbreaking way.

If you are a "fan" of true crime, Ryan Green is one of the best writers in the genre. He writes in an easy to read manner, presenting facts and giving the victims dignity. Hopefully, his presentation of this type of case will bring peace to these victim's families.

[Marcia Vida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Hansen, also known as the "Butcher Baker," was an American serial killer who operated in Anchorage, Alaska, during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Originally from Estherville, Iowa, he had a troubled childhood, experiencing abuse from his father and bullying at school. Later, he ended up having a history of petty crimes. However, after he moved to Alaska his dark side fully emerged beyond the horror in this wilderness.

Women, predominantly sex workers and dancers, were the targets of Hansen's abduction, torture, and murder. As part of his modus operandi, he kidnapped his victims, flew them to remote locales in his private plane, and then released them into the wilderness to hunt them down. Before killing them with a rifle, he would often let them loose, giving them a false sense of hope.

This book is a captivating narrative leaving readers curious about what will happen next. Each page increases the tension, not to mention the fear for the victims. You can't take your eyes off the story, as the relentless pace and heart-pounding revelations keep you hooked. As Robert Hansen's chilling saga unfolds, you hunger for more, the next clue, and the next revelation.

The author unusually tells true crime stories. He always leaves a strong impression on the reader about his work.

Ryan Green offers a refreshingly unique perspective on true crime storytelling. As he weaves together the intricacies of each case, he leaves an indelible impression on the reader. By evoking powerful emotions, he allows us to descend into the sick psyche of the perpetrator.

Worth it.