She Kills: The Murderous Socialite, the Cross-Dressing Bank Robber, and Other True Crime Tales

by Skip Hollandsworth

A superb collection of true-crime stories—written by the magazine’s legendary feature writer, Skip Hollandsworth—which reminds us why America is perennially obsessed with the genre.

Skip Hollandsworth has been covering true crime since long before the podcasts, networks, and television shows discovered it. Texas born and bred, the revered journalist joined Texas Monthly in 1989, and the stories he has written over three-plus decades have helped define a locale and a culture.

Curated by Hollandsworth, She Kills brings together the favorite stories he has written for the magazine, from the tale of the high schooler who grew so close to dear old Dad that she had “no choice” but to poison his refried beans, to the suburban dentist who killed her loving husband by driving over him three times with his teenage daughter in the car.

These are expertly crafted tales that will stop readers in their tracks and leave them gasping with shock and pleasure. Each story is updated by Hollandsworth, who provides background on his original storytelling and new information on the perpetrators and victims, where available.

She Kills is jaw-dropping, addictively readable compendium of the evil that women do. And why. 

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2025

About the author

Skip Hollandsworth is an award-winning journalist, screenwriter, and executive editor of Texas Monthly magazine. His work was included in the 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2010 editions of Best American Crime Writing and he has won a National Magazine Award for feature writing. Hollandsworth co-wrote the acclaimed screenplay "Bernie" with director Richard Linklater. He lives in Texas with his wife

Reviews

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exceptional. A rare piece of journalism which manages to be ethical, addictive, and truly, deeply empathetic. I didn't know this was what was "missing" for me within the True Crime realm until I read it!

Reading the essays felt like sitting around a campfire and listening to someone spin me a d*mn good yarn.

*thank you harper books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. i adored it.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lived in Dallas for a a couple of years and during my time there I discovered Texas Monthly magazine. What drew me to was the superb writing of Skip Hollandsworth who specialized in true crime features. Texas is a big state and therefore there is a lot of crime there. And like everything else, even the crime is bigger (and stranger) in Texas. She Kills is a compilation of some of Hollandsworth’s most interesting articles that have been updated. And the best part is they all feature women criminals.

Women tend to commit crime and particularly murder for different reasons and using different methods than men. This book features a prolific cross dressing bank robber, a high schooler unhappy with a custody arrangement who poisons her father’s refried beans and a long time nurse who suddenly begins killing off her patients among others. Exercising his wonderful ability to weave a narrative, Hollandsworth examines their crimes, their motives and the ways the public reacts to female criminals.

I really enjoyed this collection. It held me captive for the entirety of a rainy Sunday. If you are a true crime addict or just like to read about the complexities of the human psyche, I highly recommend preordering this upcoming book

[readwithmichele · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK: 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚂𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜-𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙱𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚁𝚘𝚋𝚋𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙾𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚛 𝙲𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚃𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜
AUTHOR: Skip Hollandsworth
PUB DATE: October 14, 2025, by @harperbooks
PAGES: 272
RATING: EASY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
GENRE: True Crime/Anthology/Thriller/Suspense

🙏🏼 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ𝕂 𝕐𝕆𝕌𝕤: BIG thanks you to @harperbooks, @netgalley, and the author for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

📖 SYNOPSIS: Ghis book is a chilling & compulsively readable collection of true-crime stories curated & revisited by legendary Texas Monthly feature writer, Skip Hollandsworth. Spanning over three decades of his acclaimed journalism, Hollandsworth brings together a series of gripping narratives centered on Texas female perpetrators; a perspective less commonly explored in mainstream true crime. Each story is rich with detail, empathy, & insight, made even more compelling by the author’s updates on both the criminals and their victims, where new information has surfaced.

ℚ𝕦𝕚𝕔𝕜 & 𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣-𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: Being the true crime junkie that I am AND that I live in Texas, I was extremely excited to receive this arc, and I will tell you it will be in my top books this year! With 44 haunting black-and-white photographs peppering the stories, 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜 is not only visually evocative (it leaves out all the gore & guts), it’s also intellectually arresting! Hollandsworth’s storytelling bridges horror, humor, & human complexity, prompting readers to confront uncomfortable truths about empathy, motive, & the darker shades of humanity. If you love this genre you won’t want to miss picking this one up soon!

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of True Crime cases was so fascinating. These cases cover women who committed crimes in Texas. It's a quick read, and addictive. Definitely a must read for any true crime fan.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Texas Monthly journalist who has made stories relatable for decades put together this collection of stories about women who murdered. Not sure if I am ore fascinated by the murders or the locales, but I absolutely enjoyed the way the tales were told. Eight women covered doesn't nearly cover the entire list of notorious female killers, but these were certainly some unique issues and means.
There was a surprising dig at former Harris County prosecutor and current Cold Justice host Kelly Siegler.

[Madi Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the easiest true crime books to read ever, each case was more fascinating than the last. Told in super concise and detailed fashion, I really loved this one !

[Jamele (BookswithJams) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skip Hollandsworth is known in Texas for being one of the best there is at reporting on true crime and believe me, Texas has had some crimes that are out there and I have always enjoyed reading his pieces in Texas Monthly. She Kills is a curated collection of true crime stories (with updated postscripts) committed by women, all of which are wild and definitely worth your time in reading. I listened via audio, but the physical book includes illustrations and photos that I was glad to have and follow along with. I also liked the focus on women, as we often think of men as the serial killers and bank robbers, and Skip shows that while they may be in the minority, women can be just as diabolical. This is compiled and written with empathy, which showcases how skilled he is as a journalist and why he is so beloved here. If you have not read this one or it is not on your radar, I definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Harper #partner for the gifted copy to review.

[Kate’s Case: Legally Booked Up · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for true crime fans! Highly recommended!

We’ve all heard the saying “truth is stranger (better) than fiction” and this book is the epitome of that phrase.

The book is compromised of various crime tales covered by Skip Hollandsworth throughout his career. Each story has photos, drawings and a postscript. I loved these extra details because you could see the real life person and it added a dramatic effect which made the book more enjoyable.

The postscripts provided any updates or new insights since the story had originally been written and I loved knowing the “where are they now” facts.

My favorite had to be The Notorious Mrs. Mossler, a true femme fatale!

Grab a copy! You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Harper Books for my free advanced reader copy. #HarperBookstagram

[Madison Iszler]

Skip Hollandsworth is a terrific writer, and I like the Texas characters he chooses to focus on and the level of detail his stories have.

[Tori Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It probably isn't fair that I read this so soon after The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and the Stories That Define Us, which really rewired my brain about what great crime writing is capable of. I wasn't familiar with this author or his work before reading this, though he clearly has a reputation as one of the greats; but I really wasn't particularly impressed. This may have been more an issue with the medium--I listened to the audiobook, and the narration there was also a bit of a let-down, with some odd, discordant tonal choices that I found really off-putting. I felt like I couldn't quite pinpoint whether the text itself was really written with such flippancy during moments that should have been profound, or if the narrator simply chose not to adjust her affect for some baffling reason. Whatever the case, I was left with an overall sense of distaste for how these stories were handled.

I've been reading through a few other reviews to try to understand why I seem to have had such a different time with it than other readers, but it's only left me more confused. Were we reading the same book here? I keep seeing people say these stories and their subjects were written with care and empathy, and that was true for like...a couple of these ladies, sure, but certainly not for all. If the author seemed convinced of the subject's innocence, like in the case of Deborah Murphey, he extended her all the sympathy she could need; but when he found them less deserving, that kindly (even patronizing, if I really want to don my hater glasses here) treatment dried up quick. The section about Candace Mossler, especially, was presented without an ounce of empathy for her or anyone she was involved with. I found it callous, crude, salacious, jeering, and overall uninspired. Did we really need the detail that one of her former lovers had received a penile implant at some point in his life? And did that information really need to be delivered as a detail from his postmortem autopsy? There was a little bit of discussion about Mossler's civil rights activism, but this was ultimately just to tee us up for an also-unnecessary description of a sloppy makeout session with Chuck Berry, without any time wasted reflecting on silly, frivolous ideas like racism and miscegenation in the Jim Crow South or anything like that.

Which really brings me to what I think was the overall source of my disappointment with this book. It's clear the author did his research, sought out sources, tried to interview as many people as he could. It's less clear to me that he did any analysis about what he learned. This is a collection of stories about women accused of serious--often violent--crimes, which is notable due to how rare such cases are. But the author never bothers to offer any insight about why women are so much less likely to commit violence than men, nor even makes any gestures toward wanting to do so. There are no real insights offered about what personal, emotional, or societal influences drive people to violent action, nor how we as a society can try to subvert the power of those influences. There was no depth here, no reflection, no reckoning--just a recitation of facts with some flavor text from trial transcripts and personal interviews thrown in. It felt like I was expected to be so scandalized by the mere fact of women behaving badly that I'd be too busy to notice nothing was actually being said. Well gasp, shock, awe--I'm already convinced that women are actually people, fully capable of committing acts infinitely worse than anything discussed here. If the author ever comes up with anything interesting to say about the factors that drive them to commit said acts, or about why they so rarely get driven to that point, get back to me. Until then, I'm gonna continue being unimpressed.

[Julie Maleski (juliereads_alot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

She Kills By Skip Hollandsworth
Publication Date: October 14, 2025
Publisher: Harper Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5⭐)
[Rounded Up To 5⭐]

Thank you to #partner Harper Books and the Harper Influencers program for sending this book in the mail, and to NetGalley for this e-ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

If you're a fan of true crime, then She Kills is a book that you're going to want on your bookshelf! This compilation of true crime cases from Skip Hollandsworth's career as a journalist with Texas Monthly, were some of his favorites over the year. Every one of these cases centers around a female criminal from the state of Texas, and the stories he shared about their lives, their crimes, and their histories were fascinating!

These cases, which Hollandsworth wrote about in his three+ decades-long career covered women in many different time periods. The majority of the cases were not cases with which I was familiar at all -- with the exception of one that included a young spitfire prosecutor named Kelly Siegler (from "Cold Justice" fame) whose courtroom dramatics I had heard about in this trial.

There was the case of the high school student who wanted to live with her mom so much that she "poisoned" her dad's takeout refried beans at dinner. The case of Cowboy Bob who robbed banks for years and eluded the police because "he" was actually a "she." The case of the Angel of Death who was a silent serial killer, injecting meds into hospital patients which would cause them to stop breathing. The case of Mrs. Mossler, a beautiful uptown socialite who was accused of conspiring to kill her wealthy husband with her nephew - with whom she was also rumored to be having an affair. And so many more cases that will leave you surprised.

Hollandsworth presents each case in its own chapter as he originally published it in the magazine. But he also includes a post-script update for each case too. Some of these shocked me, some of them had me shaking my head in disbelief, and some of them had me silently applauding about how badass some of these women were. But all of them were truly fascinating and well-written summaries of true crime cases that were reminiscent of the storytelling in episodes of 48 Hours or Dateline.

Fans of true crime will really appreciate this collection of stories. Residents of Texas will enjoy some of this little-known Texan crime history. And readers who appreciate women who don't fit the norm will really love learning more about these cases. This one is out on October 14th -- and it's a true crime collection for all!

#SheKills #SkipHollandsworth #HarperBooks #HarperInfluencers #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #truecrimereads #truecrime #femalecriminals #Texastruecrimes #bookreviews #bookrecs #booklover #bookaddict

[Kristine Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW. I have a weakness for true crime stories, and over the years, I've enjoyed reading Skip Hollandsworth's pieces in Texas Monthly. His writing is engaging and evocative, his subject matter fascinating, and his angles are always unique.

In SHE KILLS, readers are offered a compilation of eight of his stories, uniquely grouped because the perps of these heinous crimes are women. Texas women, at that! Right up my alley. The stories are gripping and the murders horrific, but it's the human interest element that Hollandsworth manages to coax out that makes the reader reflect and think and wonder.

I very much enjoyed hearing the author read the Introduction, which explains his fascination with true crime, starting at age sixteen, living in Wichita Falls. I was, however, disappointed that his only narration was of that section, and the rest was by a female narrator who I at first thought was AI generated because of odd sentence breaks and uneven pacing. Given the stories are told from first person, I think the audiobook would have been stronger with a male voice to represent Hollandsworth. If nothing else, it would have been a notch better if at least the Postscript to each section were male-voice narrated. And I feel like it should have been disclosed that only the Intro would be author-narrated. I probably wouldn't have purchased the audiobook had I known that.

My feeling is that SHE KILLS is likely better enjoyed by reading with the eyes and not the ears. But no matter what format, it was time well-spent listening to these stories and being reminded of how things are not always as they seem. Judge not, lest ye be judged and all that.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But there’s something in human nature that’s hungry for news from the shadow side of life, and for stories about people—especially, it seems, women—behaving badly, making horrible mistakes, and being capable of unbelievable cruelty.”

Thank you to HarperCollins for the gifted copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

I admittedly consume a lot of true crime. I am fascinated by what causes people to do such unthinkable things, and it has made me more aware out in the world of my surroundings. This is a great collection of different stories of women who’ve committed a range of crimes.

This is such an interesting collection because women commit crimes for very different reasons than men, for the most part. In each story, Hollandsworth recounts everything that led up to the crime and how the media and public treats these women. They’re all part of essays he wrote for Texas Monthly, but they all include updated post-scripts with additional information from after the original pieces were published.

The book includes great illustrations at the beginning of each story as well as photos from each case interspersed throughout. I think that having updates for each case is brilliant because it adds this extra punch, especially since a lot of these are older. Hollandsworth also spoke with these women, trying to get more information out of them. Through this, it’s sometimes hard to get a read on them which makes it even more fascinating. It’s overall a compelling true crime read that I’d recommend to anyone interested in it.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas Monthly is a well-respected, fantastic magazine for narrative journalism. And its longtime writer Skip Hollandsworth is a respected crime reporter. So, when I stumbled across this compendium of his TM magazine articles about Texas crimes committed by women, I was eager to dive in.

This is a great collection of the weird and the wild in Texas crime, going back to the 1950s and '60s but with recent cases too. It just so happens that all the perpetrators are women. This lends a interesting perspective and mostly negates tales of horrific attacks on women.

Hollandsworth curated the collection himself, bringing together some of the favorite stories he has covered. Sometimes Hollandsworth was writing about the crime soon after the court case; other times he was chasing a story he'd heard about from decades before. All are fascinating and well-written. And one of the best parts is that he includes a postscript at the end of each article (some are 20 years old) that tells you what has happened since then.

If you like narrative journalism about interesting crime stories — not necessarily sensational or gruesome — pick up this book.

[Chesli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid entry of true-crime vignettes featuring solely female perpetrators. This collection is expertly crafted by Skip Hollandsworth, one of Texas Monthly's legendary feature writers. It was interesting to learn about all of these cases, along with the updated postscripts, to see where each person is today or if they merely vanished into obscurity. It is an easy read/listen, and I definitely recommend this for fans of true crime and interesting journalism.

I think the one case that has stuck with me the most is Cowboy Bob/Peggy Jo Tallas (referred to as the "cross-dressing bank robber" in the title), with a close second being the story of a high schooler poisoning her father's refried beans with barium acetate.

I also had an enjoyable time hosting Skip Hollandsworth in conversation with Mimi Swartz at Murder By The Book for this book. It's always fun to hear and see the authors behind the books, and it definitely gives you a better understanding of their unique voices.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalist Skip Hollandsworth gives us the good and mostly bad'n ugly true crime, Texas style. I always appreciate when a fellow native Texan can tell it like it is when it comes to human nature's depravity.

Fascinating to learn that Skip was originally inspired back in his Wichita Falls Eagle Scout days when Abbie Burns was the evil-do'er in a murder-suicide with her oilman hubby, Bobby Burns. That crime was a new one for me along with a few other of Skip's true crime tales. However, I remember Nocona nurse Vickie Jackson who killed 10+ patients at the Nocona General Hospital in 2000-2001 (crazy that it continued after the first patient was killed - good grief). And, who could forget Dr. Kendra Hatcher who was the victim of a murder-for-hire orchestrated by the oh-so-jealous Brenda Delgado on September 2, 2015 who went crazy with Kendra dating her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Ricardo "Ricky" Paniagua.

Insanity is everywhere, and this book documents it very well. Word to the wise - audiobook listeners will miss out on the 44 pages of black and white photos.

[Carol Revia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of in depth information on each case of a crime committed by a woman. I was surprised that some of the more notorious examples were not included: the Hills of River Oaks, the Cheerleader mom and the lady dentist who ran over her cheating husband in a hotel parking lot to name a few that come to mind. The case I found most interesting was probably the most recent one covered about the young married mom who stabbed her husband and buried him the back yard because of his gross abuse to her. I remember the case and did not know the couple lived in the same patio home neighborhood my husband and I had our first home in-she lived less than a block away! And, her parents lived in the golf course community where we also had a home - she lived, worked, and was active in my community and I never knew it till reading about it here. I hope Skip writes another book as I know he has lots more stories to tell!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, @harperbooks, and @skiphollandsworth for the gifted ARC!

Rundown:
✨️eight true crime stories
✨️all women
✨️background and up to date info

Synopsis ✒️
Skip Hollandsworth is a journalist who has researched crimes while writing for Texas Monthly for decades. Skip highlights some of his favorite cases in this book with the addition of background information and any updates on these women who have committed heinous crimes.

Thoughts 💭
I couldn't put this down! I flew through this book in record time. It's divided into eight tales of women who have done unthinkable deeds. They range from an escaped fugitive to a nurse who snapped and started killing her patients. Each story also includes background as well as any updates since the article was originally published. This is the perfect read for true crime fans and for the October season.

[Karen Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic read chocked full of some great true crime stories that have even graced the screen in several crime shows.

Each of the seven stories are written as clean, crisp and to the point of understanding the full crime without it feeling like just cold hard facts.

Popular cases across the voluminous state of Texas that most may have heard of, but here they can be viewed in professional detail.

A vengeful nurse, a disguised/surprised bank robber, to a selfish spoiled teen and the poisoning of her parent; the infamous woman who became to be known as the blue eyed butcher and the ever popular, wealthy River Oaks murders.

True crime retelling that gives insiders not just facts but the darker side of humanity.

Thanks to Harper for this arc, truly enjoy any works by Skip Hollandsworth.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and engaging listen covering a collection of crimes committed, or allegedly committed, by women in Texas. This work does not disappoint! Each chapter features a different case, followed by an epilogue that includes updates or new commentary. I opted for the audiobook as that was the first available, but learning that the text editions include photographs, I’ll likely revisit this collection in those formats soon.

I was an avid reader of Texas Monthly in college, so I am familiar with Skip Hollandsworth’s writing style. It’s easy for true crime to veer into exploitation, commodifying the trauma and stories of victims. However, Hollandsworth approaches these accounts with sensitivity, thoughtfully exploring the “why” behind each crime through rich context and nuanced analysis.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a Texan and a long-time fan of Texas Monthly's Skip Hollandsworth, I knew I had to read this book of true crimes committed by women, all in Texas. All were interesting and two grabbed my heart for women who I felt had been wrongfully accused and sentenced. So many places discussed were cities where I had lived and knew exactly the street or neighborhood where things took place. Some were just amusing and some amazing! A great book for Texans who love true crime.

I own the book and paired it with the audio. My only complaint on the audio is that the book is told by Skip and his investigations and interviews, yet narrated by a woman. I would have preferred Skip or a male narrator to get a better feel for this being "his" book.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holds a Foreword and Introduction both that are not worth reading. Only my opinion but skip them if you are an average true crime reader. You don't need the preach and teach.

The copy holds several old, old cases- some of which I've read of before. The first with the female bank robber of decades was excellent. Many of the others were just so, so- although they did give a decent who, what, where, how and somewhat of the "why" on top of it.

The last story was good- full three stars for information.

It reads like a Ann Rule in parts, but much more juvenile type of prose flow. Those are not my favorite methods of writing in this genre. It held good photos and pictorial information beyond 3 stars. Overall mark of 3 stars for that reason.

[Pasty Hag]

In She Kills, Hollandsworth revisits some of his most zany crimes from his time as a journalist and magazine writer. These crimes all feature female criminals, but not all the crimes are murders. There's a woman who decides to go on a bank-robbing spree in her 50s, a traveling musical group of incarcerated women, a devious socialite who murders her husband, and so many more true stories featuring fascinating women. I liked that at the end of each story, the author gives an update on the lives of the women he wrote about. If you like narrative nonfiction that showcases how real life is stranger than fiction, you'll like this collection.

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

* thanks to Harper & Harper Audio for the NetGalley review copies (pub date October 14, 2025)

I was introduced to Skip Hollandsworth through the My Favorite Murder podcast because they frequently use his articles as source materials, but this was my first time reading (and listening to) his work directly. He does an amazing job humanizing his subjects and really explaining what led them down the wrong path (without condoning their actions) -- loved this and will be recommending to any and all true crime fans!

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this!! I read it so fast. All the stories are about female killers. They were originally published at the times the killers were active, but there is an update to each story telling us where they are now (or whatever information Hollandsworth could glean today). The stories are so tragic, especially the one about the woman killing patients by injecting them with a deadly medicine. It is interesting to explore the motivations and pathologies behind the murders, though.

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read Skip Hollandsworth for years and was delighted to get my hands on this book. I had read some of the stories before but others were completely new, I didn’t know about them at all. The book contains a wide range of different kinds of crimes, victims and killers starting in the 1930s, making it interesting to see what has changed and what hasn’t. I also appreciated the follow-up to each story.

[Debbie Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of compelling true crimes stories involving murderous Texas women. I think these were each originally published in Texas Monthly and he provides a bit of a post-script update for each. Skip Hollingsworth is a great writer and I always enjoy his storytelling. It's not just the typical gory details about the crime, it's the way he tells the back story about the people involved and the way he makes you understand and even sympathize with these women.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from Skip Hollandsworth that my Texas Book club will want to read. While true crime is not everyone’s cup of tea, the writing is so clean, easy and sensitive that the subject matter does not seem THAT horrible. You just want to find out why they did it, not the means or sentences the women received. The chapter—The Goree Girls—-was the most unusual and frankly, astonishing. Only in Texas!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare for a book about violence to feel quite so alive with empathy. These stories don’t leer or linger on the spectacle of what was done; they listen. Hollandsworth writes as someone entrusted with these personal truths, but also in search of something more, something deeper. Each account carries the cadence of confession— told as it was told to him, researched with care— and that fidelity gives the collection its quiet power.

Drawn from decades of reporting, these Texas-based stories of women who kill— of ordinary lives that splinter under unbearable weight— hit close to home. I’ve walked some of these same small town roads, spent years in the biggest city’s newsrooms trying to make sense of other people’s worst days— and I recognize a similar ache in this writing: the impulse to understand without exploiting, to tell the truth without taking more than what was already lost.

I was moved, again and again, by how much room he makes for the people inside these tragedies: the mothers, daughters, wives, defense, bystanders: the ones left carrying what can’t be undone. Hollandsworth’s restraint feels radical in a genre that so often thrives on frenzy; refusing to glorify or condemn, only to understand. Every story feels generous, precise, and startlingly alive— proof that listening is its own form of grace.

He restores humanity to the headlines, dignity to the damage, and in doing so reminds us that tragedy is never the whole story. What lingers isn’t horror— it’s the strange, stubborn tenderness of being human at all.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher, via Edelweiss, for an advance e-galley for honest review.

Skip Hollandsworth is a legend in crime reporting, and this collection is a fascinating look at some of Texas's most notorious (or long forgotten) female criminals. I appreciated the follow up information at the end of each article, and would love more collections of the author's writing.