The Butcher Baker: The True Story of Robert Hansen the Human Hunter

True Crime Explicit #2

by Genoveva Ortiz, True Crime Seven (Contributor)

Can good and evil coexist? Can a family man also be a ruthless killer? From the start, Robert Hansen seemed destined for an unhappy life. Overworked by his strict parents and relentlessly bullied by his classmates, he spent his teenage years alone. His love of archery and hunting were the only comforts he had until he left his small town for Alaska, the last great frontier. Now a man, his hunting skills earned him prestige, while his new business earned him the trust and admiration of Anchorage's people. It seemed like Hansen had finally turned his life around. When countless women around town went missing, no one had any idea that he was hunting a very different kind of game . Witness the depraved second life of a respected family man--the life of the worst serial killer in Alaska's history . Draw your own conclusions as you explore the story behind the making of The Butcher Baker . True Crime Explicit is a series that contains descriptive accounts of abuse and violence. If you are especially sensitive to graphic content, it is advisable to avoid this series.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

169 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2021

Reviews

[Julie Young Buckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary Reality

This book is well written with a fast paced narrative. How well do we really know the people we work with? And, I must say, the people capturing people like Robert Hansen are getting so precise in their methods of hunting the hunter. I learned a lot from this story.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 and frighteningly entertaining.

[Kade Gulluscio · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Butcher Baker is a true crime novel about serial killer Robert Hansen. Robert Hansen was the most prolific serial killer of Alaska.

This book is shorter in length, only 130 pages, so keep that in mind when picking it up. It may not go into as much detail about every area that you'd like being as short as it is. I do wish it touched more upon his "personal life." Don't get me wrong, it did a little, but I feel like there's a lot missing there.

I also did question whether there was an editor for this book. I found a lot of errors that should have been found and fixed.

If true crime is your jam, you'll likely enjoy reading this one. Robert Hansen is an... interesting & scary man.

[Jeanine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly a discussion of mental illness.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read a book about Robert Hansen. Robert Hansen is a creepy and interesting man. It's interesting how many women he murdered and how long he got away with it.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

[Debbie Zeisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until this book, I didn't even think that a human could be used in bakery. Catherine Ortiz has again taken a horrible inhumane subject and written an understandable concept for anyone to understand. understandable concept of a horrible inhumane

[W. L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking & Engaging

While saddened by his childhood there’s no justifiable reason for what he did to those women. While bullying is awful there are so many people who are able to overcome it. With all of this rage Hansen had I wonder if he’d always grow up to be a monster.

[Irish_I_was_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

"One of the scariest things about evil is that it never looks the way you expect it to."

This book is classified as True Crime. This book is about Robert Hansen, and how their entire life went from childhood to death. His parents forced him to work long hours at the family bakery at a young age and learned to hunt as a kid. He joined the Army Reserves after he graduated High School, and when he got done serving, he returned home to work the bakery. He then became a drill instructor at the Junior Police and left his parents bakery again. He quite the drill instructor job and proceeded to work at other bakeries, until he finally opened his own.

I gave this book five stars. The reason behind that is due to how it showed how there are flaws to the legal system, as well as how well Hansen learned to work the system.

[Zoe Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Play the system and you get away… how foolish these authorities are!
Iv never felt so enrage reading a book! Chapter 8 left me feeling so sorry for that poor lass she finally gets the courage to go on stand against her attacker just for them to twist it and blame the attack on her wtf! They had evidence and instead of looking at it they believe the story he’s a Christian man who loves his wife… please! Then he goes and try’s to ple insanity which they almost believed come on open your eyes! The authorities always seem to their completely ignore what’s in front of them or brush it under the carpet!
By the end of this book im felt feel anger for all the victims this case could have been solved a lot sooner that it was! Don’t let looks desseve you the devil truly could be your next door neighbour.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those incredibly rare times when I say the movie is better than the book. The movie, starring Nicolas Cage as the cop and John Cusack as the sadistic murderer Robert Hansen, is called Frozen Ground.

The short book does give more background about what made Hansen hate women so much. His stutter and the fact that he was unattractive led him to not have success with women, although he did get married to a religious woman. The other thing the book elucidates is that Roy Hazelwood, one of the pioneering minds behind the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, came up with a profile that was uncannily accurate—he predicted that the killer of maybe 20 or 30 women (Hansen couldn’t even remember—!!) was a successful business owner married to a religious woman who was oblivious to her husband’s hobby of torturing women and then hunting them down in the Alaska wild.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just watched a movie (The Frozen Ground-2013) which is based on a true story, I wanted to read more about the serial killer Robert Hansen.

I ordered this book thinking it would go in-depth into the story behind the serial killings. This book is anything but in-depth. It basically touches on the (I feel awkward using this term) "highlights" of the killings.

It is still an interesting read (and a short read at that), but I'm sure there are other books out there with more to the story. The movie was good too.

[Carmen Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. If you are a true crime fanatic this book is for you. It was disturbing but didn’t mind. I think it is very interesting how the minds of serial killers work; their emotions, behavior, feelings, motives, and the love for being in control. This case was crazy and I just think about all the victims that went through hell and how someone could have such a cold heart and no empathy at all.

[Lex Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very scary to think how easily he got away with crimes for so long, and so sad that so many victims bodies either weren't found or remain nameless because of the occupation the girls had that he chose. Its a short and sweet book, it could have had much more detail but great if you just want a quick crime read without all the gory details

[Makenna Fortner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty fast paced. In my halloween mode so this scary book was kind of perfect for that. I have enjoyed this series so far and I’m excited to read the rest at a later time now that I’m in a true crime rabbit hole. I was surprised at how many encounters with the police it took Hansen to endure before he actually got caught

[Jessica Schlafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read but very short

It was a decent but quick read. Not sure if I felt like I was rushed or didn't get enough info. For such a prolific serial killer, the book just seemed to breeze through his active time.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One of the scariest things about evil is that it never looks the way you expect it to.”

Another disturbing book in this series!

“Nobody could imagine the dark fantasies he held or the lengths he would go to make those fantasies a reality until
it was too late.”

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Hansen was a terrible person who got away with far too much. The justice system failed the women in this story and it’s sad. The book itself had quite a few errors in grammar. Not sure if there’s an editor. The book is simple but I think too simple in a few areas.

[Tammie J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think this book had an editor. I found quite a few mistakes.

[Mel Vollano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although entertaining I read this book in less than two hours… Too short for my taste. But it was good. True crime story.

[Brianna Nirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

love these books

[Madeleine Kershow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is by no means a fun read but very interesting. However I didn’t care that much about the police inner issues and drama. But it’s nonfiction so it can’t all be exciting.

[Nadia wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

gripping

Could not put this book down. Lost total track of time. Definitely a great read. Short and sweet. Thanks x

[Mary Vodicka-Trelc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Butcher Baker

I find it interesting that a person gets so much out of committing these terrible crimes. Thank goodness there are detectives determined to find them.