Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing a complimentary copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Forensic Psychologist Samantha Stein works for California's Sexually Violent Predator Law and she examines inmates who have been convicted of sexually violent crimes to determine whether they are eligible for release into society or whether they should be admitted into a state hospital for treatment because they remain a danger to society. I like how the author goes into her experience and the outline of her examinations. She provides examples of offenders she has examined, the questions she asks, and how she comes to the conclusions she does. She also talks about renowned psychologists/psychiatrists who have developed testing techniques to determine the recidivism rates.

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more talk about the backings behind sexual offenses. I thought there was more autobiographical components to the book rather than learning about the evils at our table. That doesn't take away from the fact that I really enjoyed this and was alarmed at some of her patients and their crimes. I also have to say that, coming from someone who has a masters degree in forensic psychology, this was a really cool look into what a forensic psychologist does on a day-to-day basis and what their jobs entail.

Content warnings: sexual assault, child sexual abuse and violence.

A true crime memoir, Samantha Stein is a forensic psychologist who invites you into her world as she assesses sexually violent predators. She discusses some of the client’s that she has worked with in her career, what has contributed to their behaviour and give you insight into the US legal system. She discusses the positives and negatives of the current law, the ethical implications she faces in her work and that everything is not black and white. She challenges stereotypes and believes about offenders and provides interesting statistics.
I found it to be a fascinating read as I enjoy true crime and getting Into the minds of criminals. I particularly enjoyed how she explains how her job affects both her own mental health, understanding of human behaviour and the impact it has on raising her family.
However, it is a heavy and emotionally draining read and won’t be for everyone as it contains traumatic sexual content. It can be a little dry and repetitive with the legal aspects but ideal if this is an area you are interested in particularly for students in psychology.

If forensic psychology interests you then this book is great. I find the subject fascinating especially adding in the legal aspects with psychopathy. Author seems like a credible source with lots of experience.

Samantha goes within the prison system, performs interviews and tries to evaluate
if they can be redeemed and reformed.

Listening to her explain how she has the ability to go in to each case almost with a blank slate is mind boggling.

It also made me wonder how she does it? Sits across from humans who may be pure evil and listen to their pasts, trauma, histories and still have the ability to show empathy as she does.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

The author evaluates sex offenders prior to release to determine whether they fit the profile of a sexually violent predator who is likely to commit additional sexual assaults. Her job is challenging, and it impacts her personal life as well.

In this book that's part memoir, part true crime, part informative nonfiction, the reader learns about sex offenders and is given the opportunity to see them beyond the horrific crimes they commit. They are people, and there is more to them than their crimes.

I have always had compassion for the upper elementary teacher who sexually abused me. If she told the truth, she had a very traumatic childhood filled with violence. This book showed me that she is not an anomaly with that or in other ways. She's very like other sexual predators. So in a strange way, this book helped with my healing.

Some people think it's strange that I have compassion for someone who caused me so much damage. This book helps validate my compassion, as the author shows compassion for what the individuals she evaluates went through too. There is no excuse for what they (or my teacher) did, but there are explanations, and there are risk factors and warning signs for at least some of the sex offenders. There's a chance that prevention measures can be put into place, though of course, it's up to the individual to do the work.

I learned a lot from this book, and it's helped me heal a bit. I am going to re-read it and take notes.

Verdict: This is a highly readable book that's challenging to read and important to read. It gives a lot of food for thought. It also shows how we all need to work together to help prevent violence. It shows the humanity of those who commit horrific crimes, and it holds them accountable as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC! All opinions are my own.

This book is an extremely interesting book,
But would've been better if there was more written about the court proceedings and if Samantha Stein wrote about women sex offenders that would've been interesting to compare between the two.

However, I did enjoy the book

I was really looking forward to Evil at Our Table because with a BA in psychology and finishing my Master’s in criminal justice this semester, this is exactly the kind of book that usually grabs my attention. Forensic psychology has always been a big interest of mine, and the idea of seeing inside the prison interview rooms where these high-stakes evaluations happen sounded fascinating. Samantha Stein’s work under California’s Sexually Violent Predator Law is intense—her decisions can literally determine whether someone goes free or spends the rest of their life locked up. I appreciated how she wrote about that responsibility honestly, and how she balanced empathy with accountability. She doesn’t excuse her subjects, but she also doesn’t dehumanize them, and that perspective really stood out.

There were moments when the pacing felt a little slow, and I kept waiting for it to grab me more. But I realized that might be more about my expectations than the book itself. Nonfiction like this doesn’t always read like a thriller or a TV drama—because it’s real life, and real life doesn’t always have that kind of intensity. What Stein offers instead is a raw, unfiltered view of her work, and in that sense it’s very authentic.

Overall, I found this to be an insightful and thought-provoking read. Even though it didn’t fully hook me the way I hoped, it gave me a lot to reflect on. With my academic background and career goals, I especially valued the rare inside look at the challenges and responsibilities of evaluating offenders. It’s a perspective you don’t often see, and I think it makes the book an important contribution for anyone interested in the intersection of psychology, crime, and justice.

3.75 STARS

Not quite sure how to review this book. If forensic psychology interests you then this book is great. I find the subject fascinating especially adding in the legal aspects with psychopathy. Author seems like a credible source with lots of experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my arc in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 26, 2025
It is Dr. Samantha Stein’s job to assess sexual offenders and recommend whether they deserve to be incarcerated for life, due to their risk of re-offending. Her memoir, “Evil at Our Table: Inside the Monsters Who Live Among Us”, is a terrifying yet honest depiction of just how she gets her job done, and done well, with so much riding on the line, all while raising her own family and trying to keep her two worlds separate.
Stein introduces readers to three of her “patients” (names changed for legal reasons), as she goes through the detailed and rigorous interview process. Readers learn about who these men are and what they’ve done, then Stein explains what her recommendations are. Of course, the process is clearly outlined, leaving Stein with specific protocol within which to make her recommendations. In the state of California, where Stein resides, after she submits her recommendation, there are several other legal steps taken by others, so Stein does not have the final and only say, in order to keep things as fair and unbiased as possible.
Many times throughout “Evil”, Stein talks about how and why she does the job she does and, although I could never do it myself, I can see Stein’s reasoning and it makes sense to me. She talks about how she compartmentalizes, and how she relies on meditation and yoga to help her cope with the stress of her day, and rationally and reasonably provides insight on how she parents young children after facing evil all day.
The hardest part to get behind for me, and many readers likely, is how Stein depicts the patients she works with as humans first, flawed humans who have committed a violent and senseless act, of course, but who still have people who love and support them. I struggled with seeing things the same was as Stein did, and I think a lot of readers, especially those who have experienced sexual violence against them or someone close to them, will struggle with this, too. But this is one of the biggest reasons why Stein is the perfect choice to do this job.
“Evil” is a shocking look at the darkest parts of humanity that most of us purposely avoid thinking about in our daily lives but at its root, it is about humanity and justice. Stein makes absolutely no excuses for her patients, acknowledging their horrendous crimes and the harm they caused (and continue to cause), while maintaining the seriousness and professionalism that her job entails. Honest, disturbing and informative, “Evil” is not an easy read, but it is a fascinating one.

Firstly I’d like to thank Kensington Publishing; Citadel and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Stein brought a wealth of knowledge with her while writing “Evil at Our Table”. I enjoyed reading about her time as an SVP evaluator. She shared a handful of stories about her interviews with inmates who’ve perpetrated a violent sexual offense. I enjoyed her articulation and nuance when explaining the process of completing an SVP evaluation. Furthermore, I really appreciated that she provided complete examples of the exact evaluation looks like, at the end of the book. I appreciated her candor and honesty while discussing the balance between her personal life and professional life. I am aspiring forensic psychologist so this read was very insightful for me.

However, the use of “stream of consciousness” as a literary device is something that I struggle to enjoy; i felt there was an over reliance on it to a point where it felt like it was filler, I would’ve preferred a in-depth explanation on the court proceedings and how she managed that. I feel like the portion of book that was dedicated to the court proceedings were rushed.

Overall, I enjoyed the read, but it left me wanting more.

Samantha Stein does a good job of describing her work in forensic psychology in her book, Evil at Our Table. She is able to portray the complexities of working with people who commit some of the most heinous crimes and still be able to see the humanity within them. If you are interested in psychology, specifically the psychology of criminals, this might be a book to pick up. This book is really hard to read at times because of the sexual violence of the crimes that are committed by the perpetrators she interviews, but she does a decent job of not describing anything in too much detail. Despite that, I did struggle with the content so I would advise considering that before picking this up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC.

Evil at Our Table is a hard read. It does not pretend to be anything else, you can tell from the synopsis. And yet while reading it I found it hard to get through and hard to digest. The psychology behind these terrible things may be interesting, but it is so difficult.

I really enjoyed Evil At Our Table, I’ve always loved the psychology behind some of the worst criminals. Some of the most heinous crimes are sexually motivated and Dr. Stein is tasked with evaluating and assessing whether or not they well re-offend. I appreciated the candor and the deep look into our flawed justice system. I had no idea that a law like the Sexually Violent Predator Law existed.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. This was a fascinating and informative true crime read explaining how sex offenders are assessed by Forensic Psychologists as to their chances of re-offending if they are released back out in to the public as they are coming towards the end of their prison sentence or if the recommendation is for them then to be housed in a mental health facility to prevent them from continuing to offend if they are released. It gave insight into how a psychologist interviews and assesses these people on a daily basis and then also carries on with their own personal lives and raising a family without their day job causing them to then hinder their own children's ability to live "normal" carefree lives when they have spoken to some of the most depraved people and are all to aware of just how vulnerable other people and particularly children are to potentially becoming victims of these offenders. A very insightful read #samanthastein #citadelpress #netgalley #goodreads #thestorygraph #fable#getlitsy #tea_sipping_bookworm #truecrime #bookqueen #bookstagram

Evil at Our Table was just as powerful as it was thought-provoking.

This book follows Dr. Samantha Stein, a forensic psychologist who interviews and evaluates sex offenders under California’s Sexually Violent Predator Law. Her job is intense and emotional—she must decide who can safely return to society and who should remain confined. She faces these decisions alone, in prison interview rooms, with people who have committed deeply disturbing crimes.

What makes this book so compelling is how Dr. Stein approaches each person with honesty, empathy, and a deep understanding of human behavior. She listens to their stories, studies their body language, and tries to separate true remorse from manipulation. It’s not just about the science; it’s about the weight of making decisions that affect lives.

The writing is raw, insightful, and deeply human. It doesn’t sensationalize—it explores the complexity of good and evil, justice, and mental health. Dr. Stein also shares how this work affects her personally, which adds even more depth.

3.5⭐️
I really enjoyed this book. Told by a real life mindhunter. I found this book very informative and as a lover of true crime really enjoyable. Please check TW . Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for ARC.

I thought this book would be more about the prep. That their would be indepth details of what went wrong and the why. What we got was Stein explaining professional burnout. The love of a hard job but the inability to continue to do something your passionate about. The ability to empathize with that you would never think you would be able to understand. It also gives a strong voice for the prison system and its flaws.

I love true crime memoir, and reading about the experiences of those who work in these fields, so I was very excited to get my hands on this book. This book was fascinating to me. The author is a compelling writer, and I found myself very invested in her story. This book deals with sex offenders, a population most of us have strong opinions on. The authors opinions, however are very different than the mainstream public’s and she has some views that could be seen as controversial. I really enjoyed reading from her point of view, and learning what her experience had been with a population of offenders most of us have written off. It was a fascinating read and definitely gave me a lot to think about.

Samantha Stein’s fascinating new book gives us an insider’s look at the imperfect art of sexual offender assessments. Despite horrific crimes, the author sheds light on the complications surrounding guessing what an offender’s future crime(s) might be. She points out the unfair nature of the task of using mandated checklists to ascertain the complexity of a human being. She brings up problematic problems in the system involving racial bias, impoverished upbringings, rushed assessments, cut-backs on payment for qualified assessors, etc. The consequences for the perpetrator is dire, more serious than those imprisoned due to crimes such as murder. Based on checklists (and trial results) largely based on assessments, these offenders can be subject to forced long-term psychiatric hospitalization after serving decades of prison time. When this happens, there is little room for hope, despite an offender’s clearer mind, moral development, increasing self awareness, and determination to change. The author talks about balancing her responsibilities with family life. Her talents as a photographer also give her a healthy outlet. She does not dwell on horrific details of crimes. The focus is on moral responsibilities of those who make difficult decisions and on society. Insightful and riveting, I recommend this book.

As someone who has a master's in forensics and a minor in psychology, this book highly appealed to me! It was so informative, and I enjoyed the memior writing style used to tell the story. I learned so much about the SVP law and how experts can determine whether or not an offender can be let back into society. I'll give this book 3.5 stars. I just wished to hear about some female rehabilitation stories, and at times, some of the educational spots read like a textbook. I still really enjoyed the book overall.

Thank you to Netgalley, Samantha Stein, and Kensington publishing for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review the trigger warnings before reading!

This is a great read for true crime junkies and was very insightful for society (especially women) to see what goes on behind the scenes to institutionalize sexual offenders.

I have a new appreciation to the work that goes into interviewing these criminals to determine the next steps after they complete their sentence. It’s a job I couldn’t imagine doing and one I wouldn’t have the empathy for.

This book gives a good life lesson of empathy and how broad your actions in everyday life can impact those around you even when you just feel you’re doing your normal day to day routine.