nickynarrates 's review for:

Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser

2.0

informative slow-paced

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Murderland had all the ingredients for a fascinating deep dive - seismic shifts, cartography, and the people who shaped America - but it drowned in its own detail. 

 

The writing is technically impressive, but tries far too hard to be intellectual, stuffing in chaotic amounts of historical facts (did I really need to know when the author of Dune was born? Probably not). The facts do link to the narrative, but they feel unnecessary - more like a flex about research than a foundation. With too many names to track and no clear narrative, I found myself lost, bored, and increasingly frustrated. 

 

DNF at 20%. Just couldn’t push through. 

 

You’ll love this if… your dream book is a geology textbook with a side of name-dropping.