At once a cold case investigation and self-help memoir, The Trauma Monster follows retired trauma therapist Barb Dorrington as she investigates the unsolved 1968 murder of her childhood friend, Scott Leishman. She meets many survivors during her search for clues. Their stories of abduction, sexual assault, and home invasion are terrifying, but they also serve as catharsis for those who have kept their stories secret for far too long. As she uncovers new leads about key suspects in the case, Dorrington stumbles upon the real heart of her pursuit: to find the trauma monster hiding inside each of us, and drag it out into the light.