✪ 2025 Taipei Book Fair Award
✪ 2024 Openbook Award

Twenty years ago, Lin Yu-Ju—a seemingly ordinary woman—became a figure of national infamy, branded "the daughter-in-law from hell." Her crimes were chilling: the calculated murders of her own mother, her husband, and her mother-in-law, all for the promise of insurance payouts. The media cast her as a remorseless, cash-hungry predator, but her own voice was conspicuously absent.

Veteran journalist Hu Mu-Qing recognized this gap. The public had been given a one-dimensional portrait—no one had explored Lin’s side of the story. Driven by the mystery of Taiwan’s only female serial killer still awaiting execution, Hu spent two and a half years in relentless pursuit of the truth. Through tense interviews and countless letters, she sought to peel back the layers of media sensationalism.

Throughout her investigation, Hu was forced to confront ethical dilemmas, especially when Lin began requesting marriage to bypass prison visitation rules and seeking financial assistance. When she finally secured Lin’s autobiography, she preserves its raw authenticity—repetitive phrasing, exaggerated storytelling, and misspellings intact—allowing readers to peer directly into the troubled psyche.

This is not a retelling of a grisly crime. It is an examination of how patriarchal narratives shaped public perception. Moreover, it's a profound exploration of investigative journalism itself, delving into Hu Mu-Qing's role and the very act of "interpreting" a complex story.

With meticulous reporting and nuanced analysis, Hu invites readers to confront the case firsthand, to construct their own understanding of crime, justice, and the insidious influence of gender bias.