Tag Archives: Dexter Copycat

Ratings: Dateline’s Deadly House of Cards

It looks like Dateline NBC’s rerun of “Deadly House of Cards,” which featured my narrative non-fiction book on the Mark Twitchell case, has resonated with millions of people.

Preliminary ratings data has placed the two-hour special at the top of the list for Saturday night US broadcasts. And many viewers shared their reactions about the case on social media:

Some viewers were shocked by the connections between the real-life serial killer investigation and both Hollywood and the Dexter television series.

This is an angle I explored in-depth while researching and writing The Devil’s Cinema. Last night, I also shared this excerpt from a prison letter Mark Twitchell sent me, where he responds to my questions about his links with Dexter and his crimes.


Mark Twitchell has always denied that he is a murderer. It’s clear from this letter that he also seeks to downplay his fascination with Dexter too.

Share This:
Facebooktwitterredditmail

Arthur Ellis Award: A Devil of a Win

TORONTO — The Devil’s Cinema has won the Arthur Ellis Award — Canada’s top literary prize in crime writing — as a “well-paced, hard-to-put-down, real-life thriller” exploring the Mark Twitchell criminal case and “Dexter Killer” trial.

Here’s what the jury had to say in its award citation:

“A well-written and researched exploration of a very dark side of a young would-be filmmaker. … The horrific crimes and the trial of Edmontonian Mark Twitchell is deftly presented by Steve Lillebuen in a book that is a well-paced, hard-to-put-down, real-life thriller.”

The award is an incredible honour. I come from a breaking news background, so getting the chance to write the book in the first place was like jumping off the treadmill and straight into a marathon. To have my first attempt at running this race recognised by the Crime Writers of Canada is such a thrill and a real mix of luck and gratitude.

I’ve already thanked many people since the award was announced on May 30th in Toronto. But I must make special mention of the dozens of sources who agreed to be interviewed.

Journalists can’t document history unless sources will cooperate. So many people did. This is their tragic story, and I’m thrilled it has resonated with so many readers around the world.

Share This:
Facebooktwitterredditmail