Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

270 reviews

emma_ekb's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

there is no doubt in my mind that this is an incredibly important story and i’m so glad it was told. 

that said, it was a challenge to finish this. i listened on audiobook and the first half was very strong, but once we got to the reveal and the trial i was underwhelmed. i liked the focus more on molly burkhardt and her family. not the authors fault necessarily, im just not used to reading historical accounts.

the story picked back up at the end and the authors realization that the murders were part of a bigger issue was very insightful and needed. overall i think the genre just isn’t my cup of tea but im excited to see the movie

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Genocide

hanyaya's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Murder, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, and Physical abuse

wickedspeed's review

dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Murder and Violence

mjverrall's review

dark informative mysterious fast-paced

4.0

This book covers a very important piece of history that I would assume most people are undereducated about. It does so in a very approachable and well written way, but it very much centers the white people’s stories—following the white detective, murderers, and suspects in depth at the expense of some of the victims stories. That being said, it is well worth the read as long as you keep that in mind throughout. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Racism, Violence, and Physical abuse

j_hornick's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Murder, and Racism

cghegan's review

dark informative mysterious sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Death

cyberhavok's review against another edition

dark informative sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Murder, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

mrgrizz's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

alica2's review

challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Another part of history I never learned in school...extremely horrifying account of the Osage murders in the early to mid 1900s. I thought this book laid everything out in an easily digestible way, while centering the impact on the victims and their families. Also in general just a chilling reminder that it's never just about one individual, and the lengths to which greed and racism can go when left unchallenged by social and political structures.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Murder

dobermaier's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I could not put this down. I finished in less than 48 hours. Even having already watched the movie (which I loved), this book still left me gasping and in tears. The book has a much broader scope and obviously gets into the weeds more than the movie. They are two separate entities for sure (I mean, obviously -- one is nonfiction and the other is a dramatized account). 

LOVE the way the book is divided up and I love the self-reflexive nature of the last third. Hearing about the author's experience performing research and talking to relatives of victims and seeing how these harrowing events have impacted the future is stunning. This is the kind of history we need to be reading about -- the absolutely systemic and widespread nature of these murders exemplifies so much about how America operates. It definitely makes me want to read more about the west/southwest United States around the turn of the century, particularly from indigenous perspectives. Will be seeking out Osage authors writing about the reign of terror for sure. One of those stories that, unfortunately, is not at all surprising, but terrifying nonetheless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Violence, and Colonisation