Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose

 

I enjoy reading nonfiction books about American history and true crime. Last year, when I first learned about Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose and narrated by Traber Burns through Chirp's website, I decided to buy a copy of this audiobook based on the publisher's summary.

I had high hopes for Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose, but I was quickly disappointed by the audio production and the narration of this book. The narrator sounded like he was speaking in a tin can and I didn't enjoy the narrator's reading style for Star Spangled Scandal. 

I almost gave up on listening to Star Spangled Scandal several times. But I kept going as I was interested learning about this aspect of American history. However, with that being said, I tuned out routinely due to the narration and audio quality. I also thought Star Spangled Scandal wasn't that engaging in spots... Parts of Star Spangled Scandal felt a bit too sensationalistic to me and other parts were decent enough like most of the trial coverage. I may have had an overall more enjoyable experience reading this book instead of listening to it.

Below is the summary for Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose from Chirp:

The year is 1859 and Congressman Daniel Sickles and his beautiful wife Teresa are the toast of Washington, DC society. President James Buchanan is godfather to their daughter. Philip Barton Key, US Attorney for the District of Columbia (and the son of Francis Scott Key), is one of the couple’s closest friends—so close, in fact, that he often escorts the beautiful Mrs. Sickles to social events when the congressman is too busy.

Revelers in DC are accustomed to the sight of the congressman’s wife with the tall, Apollo-like Philip Barton Key, who is considered “the handsomest man in all Washington society … foremost among the popular men of the capital.” Then one day Congressman Daniel Sickles receives an anonymous note about his wife and Key, setting into motion a tragic course of events that culminates in a bloody confrontation in the street that leaves one man dead and the other charged with murder. This is the riveting true story of the murder and historic trial that shocked 19th century America, now brought to vivid life by historian Chris DeRose with the help of Mrs. Sickles’ writings and other primary sources.

I am giving Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America by Chris DeRose a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer

 

Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer is a book that has been on my reading wishlist for quite a while. I listened to the unabridged audio version of Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer, which was narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen.

I am a fan of true crime and in 2019, I thoroughly enjoyed Whoever Fights Monsters: My Twenty Years Tracking Serial Killers for the FBI by Robert K. Ressler and Tom Shachtman... However, the focus of this nonfiction book was on male serial killers, not women serial killers. In fact, the only female serial killer I knew a little about at the time was Aileen Wuornos.

I am happy that I finally listened to Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer as it focuses on several women serial killers (15+) throughout history and from different countries around the world. All of the women serial killers discussed in Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer were ones I'd never heard of before. The writing for Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer was good and I enjoyed the flow of this book. The narration was decent as well.

Below is the summary for Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer from Audible:

When you think of serial killers throughout history, the names that come to mind are likely Jack the Ripper, John Wayne Gacy, and Ted Bundy. But what about Tillie Klimek, Moulay Hassan, and Kate Bender?

The narrative we're comfortable with is one where women are the victims of violent crime - not the perpetrators. In fact, serial killers are thought to be so universally male that, in 1998, FBI profiler Roy Hazelwood infamously declared that there are no female serial killers. Inspired by Telfer's Jezebel column of the same name, Lady Killers disputes that claim and offers 14 gruesome examples as evidence.

Although largely forgotten by history, female serial killers rival their male counterparts in cunning, cruelty, and appetite. Each chapter explores the crimes and history of a different female serial killer and then proceeds to unpack her legacy and her portrayal in the media as well as the stereotypes and sexist clichés that inevitably surround her.

I am giving Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman

I read the advanced reader's paperback edition of The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman, which I received for FREE through the Goodreads Giveaway program. 

Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman.

I enjoy reading true crime books and nonfiction books about other books. So with this in mind, I wanted to read The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman. The irony is that I've yet to read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I hope to read this classic novel some day... Hopefully sooner rather than later. 

The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman combines the true crime genre by chronicling the kidnapping and rape of 11 year old Sally Horner, who was held for almost 2 years by her abductor, Frank La Salle. This book goes on to additionally discuss Vladimir Nabakov's life and his writing of Lolita. Sarah Weinman makes a very compelling case that Nabokov's novel, Lolita, was inspired by the events surrounding Sally Horner's abduction, rape, etc. and sets out to uncover "how much Nabokov knew of the Sally Horner case and the efforts he took to disguise that knowledge during the process of writing and publishing Lolita."

I really enjoyed reading The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman. In fact, I was pretty impressed with Weinman's writing overall in that it kept me captivated throughout the entire book from start to finish. I also liked the way in which Ms. Weinman organized her book to keep her readers riveted. Additionally, I found The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman to be a quick read.

Below is a summary for The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman from Amazon:

“The Real Lolita is a tour de force of literary detective work. Not only does it shed new light on the terrifying true saga that influenced Nabokov’s masterpiece, it restores the forgotten victim to our consciousness.” —David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon

Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is one of the most beloved and notorious novels of all time. And yet, very few of its readers know that the subject of the novel was inspired by a real-life case: the 1948 abduction of eleven-year-old Sally Horner.

Weaving together suspenseful crime narrative, cultural and social history, and literary investigation, The Real Lolita tells Sally Horner’s full story for the very first time. Drawing upon extensive investigations, legal documents, public records, and interviews with remaining relatives, Sarah Weinman uncovers how much Nabokov knew of the Sally Horner case and the efforts he took to disguise that knowledge during the process of writing and publishing Lolita.

Sally Horner’s story echoes the stories of countless girls and women who never had the chance to speak for themselves. By diving deeper in the publication history of Lolita and restoring Sally to her rightful place in the lore of the novel’s creation, The Real Lolita casts a new light on the dark inspiration for a modern classic.

I am giving The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

West Cork - An Audible Original True Crime Podcast by Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde

If you enjoy listening to podcasts and are a true crime fan, then by all means check out West Cork - An Audible Original True Crime Podcast by Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde. Listening time for West Cork is 7 hours, 52 minutes.

I was able to download West Cork - An Audible Original True Crime Podcast by Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde for FREE from Audible to my Kindle.

In fact, you can also download West Cork from Audible for FREE through May 9, 2018!! 

Below is my honest, unbiased review of West Cork - An Audible Original True Crime Podcast by Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde.

I enjoyed this podcast series quite a bit. But then again I enjoy the true crime genre in general as long as it is well done and intriguing...And of course, West Cork, I felt was well done.

I felt like the narrators/writers of West Cork (Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde) are good ones. I also enjoyed hearing the interviews/clips about the key people/players from West Cork that were a big part of the investigation of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

It's amazing to me that Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered in 1996 and her murder has yet to be solved to this day. Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde do a fine job of laying out the factual events of what happened to Sophie Toscan du Plantier, the investigation itself, the main suspect, and so much more, as there are plenty of twists and turns in this case! 

My only complaint about West Cork is there is no resolution as to who murdered Sophie Toscan du Plantier. It would have been wonderful to discover in the end who exactly murdered her. Maybe one day we'll all learn the answer.

One noteworthy aspect of West Cork that I enjoyed, was seeing various additional material pertaining to the events in the case online on Audible's website, like a map of West Cork, photographs, etc.

The following is a summary of West Cork - An Audible Original True Crime Podcast by Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde from Audible:

This much we do know: Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered days before Christmas in 1996, her broken body discovered at the edge of her property near the town of Schull in West Cork, Ireland. The rest remains a mystery.

Gripping, yet ever elusive, join the real-life hunt for answers in the year’s first not-to-be-missed, true-crime series. Investigative journalist Sam Bungey and documentarian Jennifer Forde guide listeners through the brutal, unsolved murder and the tangled web of its investigation, while introducing an intricate cast of characters, a provocative prime suspect, and a recovering community whose story begs to be heard.

I am giving West Cork - An Audible Original True Crime Podcast by Sam Bungey & Jennifer Forde a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy listening!

15 Gifts For True Crime Fans

I love true crime! So when I discovered an article on Bustle's website titled, 15 Gifts For True Crime Fans That Are Sure To Bring Joy To Their Dark, Twisted Hearts by Charlotte Ahlin, I couldn't wait to see which gifts were being recommended for true crime fans. In the article, Charlotte Ahlin wrote the following:

Murders. Mysteries. Forensic science. Readers who love true crime and thrillers just can't get enough. They've already read just about every book on the shelf that has to do with serial killers, spies, and/or tense investigations of gruesome crimes. All they really want for the holidays is to find a severed head in their mailbox and be pulled into a horrifying real life murder adventure—but that might be a little tough to arrange. So here are a few criminally fun gifts for the true crime and thriller lover in your life that are almost as good as solving a real crime.

True crime readers are kind of a subset of mystery book lovers. Except, instead of a cozy armchair read about a murder at a manor house, they prefer an edge-of-your-seat read about real life cannibals and kidnappers. Their perfect night in involves a Jack the Ripper documentary and a psychological thriller novel based on true events. You don't necessarily have to share their obsession with all things disturbing and suspenseful. But you can certainly give them a true crime related gift that'll bring joy to their dark, twisted heart.

The list of 15 gifts for true crime fans does not disappoint. Click on the top link to see which gift giving ideas will make any true crime fan happy this holiday season.