Description

She was a beloved teacher. A trusted guardian. A monster hiding in plain sight.

From 1988 to 2009, Emily Cannister; kindergarten teacher, community favorite, and secret killer. Kidnapped and murdered fifteen children. To her neighbors, she was kind and nurturing. Behind closed doors, she was consumed by obsession, delusion, and a desperate longing for the children she could never have.

In 2012, during her third trial, Emily confessed. Yet her admission raised more questions than it answered.

Now, in a chilling 2014 prison interview, investigator Cole King (The Killer Across the Street) comes face-to-face with one of the most horrifying child killers in modern history. Emily details how her victims died, where their bodies were hidden, and why she believed they had to be silenced. But as she speaks, truth and manipulation blur and Cole must untangle whether Emily's words are confession…or control.

The Cannister Trials is a raw, unsettling descent into the mind of a woman who destroyed countless lives in pursuit of a delusional dream. Dark, emotional, and unflinching, this true-crime-inspired thriller dares to ask:

How does someone become a killer,
and why do they need you to understand?