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American Murder Houses: A Coast-to-Coast Tour of the Most Notorious Houses of Homicide
There are places in the United States of America where violent acts of bloodshed have occurred. Years may pass—even centuries—but the mark of death remains. They are known as Murder Houses.
From a colonial manse in New England to a small-town home in Iowa to a Beverly Hills mansion, these residences have taken on a life of their own, gaining everything from local lore and gossip to national—and even global—infamy.
Writer Steve Lehto recounts the stories behind the houses where Lizzie Borden supposedly gave her stepmother “forty whacks,” where the real Amityville Horror was first unleashed by gunfire, and where the demented acts of the Manson Family horrified a nation—as well some lesser-known sites of murder that were no less ghastly.
Exploring the past and present of more than twenty-five renowned homicide scenes, American Murder Houses is a tour through the real estate of some of the most grisly and fascinating crimes in American history.
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
From a colonial manse in New England to a small-town home in Iowa to a Beverly Hills mansion, these residences have taken on a life of their own, gaining everything from local lore and gossip to national—and even global—infamy.
Writer Steve Lehto recounts the stories behind the houses where Lizzie Borden supposedly gave her stepmother “forty whacks,” where the real Amityville Horror was first unleashed by gunfire, and where the demented acts of the Manson Family horrified a nation—as well some lesser-known sites of murder that were no less ghastly.
Exploring the past and present of more than twenty-five renowned homicide scenes, American Murder Houses is a tour through the real estate of some of the most grisly and fascinating crimes in American history.
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
315 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2015
93 people are currently reading
1370 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
January 9, 2015
2.5 Stars
While a good book if you have an interest in big crimes in the US and need a starting point it provides basic details, and can point you to a place to read if you want to know more.
However the writing left much to be desired, and so I stress if you have an interest. Some of the sentences are phrased awkwardly.
The two victims were each hacked and beaten far more than was necessary to kill them.
I also found words repeated numerous times such as "gruesome", which started to get on my nerves, as well as stating the obvious.
Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you go and kill their entire family.
The author did do a great job of finding out where the houses are today, and leaving out any speculations as to ghosts or hauntings. I did enjoy learning the difference between fact and fiction, as several of the houses have become notorious through word of mouth only.
While a good book if you have an interest in big crimes in the US and need a starting point it provides basic details, and can point you to a place to read if you want to know more.
However the writing left much to be desired, and so I stress if you have an interest. Some of the sentences are phrased awkwardly.
The two victims were each hacked and beaten far more than was necessary to kill them.
I also found words repeated numerous times such as "gruesome", which started to get on my nerves, as well as stating the obvious.
Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you go and kill their entire family.
The author did do a great job of finding out where the houses are today, and leaving out any speculations as to ghosts or hauntings. I did enjoy learning the difference between fact and fiction, as several of the houses have become notorious through word of mouth only.
October 16, 2016
Great summation of famous murders through the centuries and descriptions of the houses where they took place. Wish there had been pics of every one, but pics provided were still appreciated.
Read
December 23, 2015I had high hopes for this book but they were destroyed rather quickly. That is not to say this is not a decent book because it is.
Steve Lento did do a job researching a few of the houses, especially when the homes were famous more for legends then fact.
My biggest problem with the book is that in a few cases he jumbled up the facts and left some details out. I noticed this in the Villiisca house. First you read how the killer killed the two girls downstairs then went upstairs. A few pages later he says that the man and woman were killed on the first floor and the first to be found. Then the author failed to mention that a neighbor had a key and went in before getting help. The chapter on the Manson murders fails to mention Sharen Tate was pregnant. I could go on but I won't. Many would not considered these small details a big deal but it makes the rest of the book's details a bit questionable.
If you want to learn about the houses then this book does a good job. The author gives addresses and tells you rather it is a private residence, was torn down, or open to the public. If it is the crimes you are interested in you are better off finding different books.
Steve Lento did do a job researching a few of the houses, especially when the homes were famous more for legends then fact.
My biggest problem with the book is that in a few cases he jumbled up the facts and left some details out. I noticed this in the Villiisca house. First you read how the killer killed the two girls downstairs then went upstairs. A few pages later he says that the man and woman were killed on the first floor and the first to be found. Then the author failed to mention that a neighbor had a key and went in before getting help. The chapter on the Manson murders fails to mention Sharen Tate was pregnant. I could go on but I won't. Many would not considered these small details a big deal but it makes the rest of the book's details a bit questionable.
If you want to learn about the houses then this book does a good job. The author gives addresses and tells you rather it is a private residence, was torn down, or open to the public. If it is the crimes you are interested in you are better off finding different books.
May 12, 2015
This book will help you plan your next vacation.
September 15, 2017
This was an enjoyable, quick read thumbnailing the sorry events at a number of homes that have become tourist attractions after someone got murdered inside them. I had never heard of some of these cases before and the author made me want to know more about each one. Oddly, he includes the square footage, the size of the lot each house is on, and the number of bedrooms and baths, as if he were listing them for sale. The writing was a little clumsy at times, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book. This volume is a fine example of the benefits of using a proper publishing house instead of the DIY methods so many people use today; "lie" and "lay" are used correctly, and all the apostrophes are where they belong. I'm sorry to say I hoped in vain that this book would identify for me the novelized crime in Only In New England The Story of A Gaslight Crime.
December 17, 2018
Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
October 10, 2019
I am not much of a reader myself, but when I do read I enjoy the topics of murders and other horror types of literature. When my mother dragged me to the bookstore this summer the cover attracted me to the book instantly. I did not end up reading it during the summer, but when I was told by the Teacher-Lady we needed a choice book I thought instantly, this was what I wanted to read.
It is hard to give a summary for this book because of the fact that every chapter has a different story so I will share the summary of my favorite chapter. In the chapter titled, “Helter Skelter Houses” It talked about the frightening reign of the Manson family. In the summer of 1969, in Los Angeles, California, a man named Charles Manson and a group of his followers committed a series of brutal and horrific murders. Manson believed that the end of the world was approaching because a race war was going to occur so he brought in upon himself to make the first spark. The first murder occured on a man named Gary Hinman who had recently recieved a large inheritance. The family was very low on income and would do anything at this point to earn a few bucks. They showed up at the house and Hinman tried to explain that he did not have any of the money there. They waited on him for days until it became clear he was not going to cough it up. The group brutally killed him and smeared the words, “Political Piggy” across the wall in his blood. This failed to commence a race war so he thought the only option would be to commit another murder. This time he sent four family members to “totally destroy everyone there.” They killed 5 people that were in the house of attack doing brutal things like stabbing one person 51 times, shooting them twice, and hitting them with a handgun an additional 13 times. They wrote the word “Pig” on the door in blood and then fled. Manson was not pleased with how the conducted the murders so they next day he took them to see how it should be done. They killed the two house owners by stabbing one person 26 times and the other 41 times. They left the word “War” carved into one of the victims' stomachs. The family lived on a ranch of a half blind men who barely knew the family was living at the ranch. The police eventually raided the farm and arrested 25 of the family members and Manson for auto-theft charges. One of the family members was scared of the family and wanted out, so she proceeded to rat out Manson for being the ring leader in this murder spree. Eventually Manson lost his murder trials and was sentenced to death.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the setup and format of the chapters. Every chapter would start with the background of the killers and victims and tell you their motives, childhood, and what else went wrong. It would describe how it happened and then the process to solving the case and how the murderer was found. However not every case was solved.
One part of the book I did not like was when the author would include stories that were not solved. I think the author should have stuck to cases that had endings because after reading about the whole case you want to know how it was resolved while those that didn’t leave a disappointing ending to the chapter.
It is hard to give a summary for this book because of the fact that every chapter has a different story so I will share the summary of my favorite chapter. In the chapter titled, “Helter Skelter Houses” It talked about the frightening reign of the Manson family. In the summer of 1969, in Los Angeles, California, a man named Charles Manson and a group of his followers committed a series of brutal and horrific murders. Manson believed that the end of the world was approaching because a race war was going to occur so he brought in upon himself to make the first spark. The first murder occured on a man named Gary Hinman who had recently recieved a large inheritance. The family was very low on income and would do anything at this point to earn a few bucks. They showed up at the house and Hinman tried to explain that he did not have any of the money there. They waited on him for days until it became clear he was not going to cough it up. The group brutally killed him and smeared the words, “Political Piggy” across the wall in his blood. This failed to commence a race war so he thought the only option would be to commit another murder. This time he sent four family members to “totally destroy everyone there.” They killed 5 people that were in the house of attack doing brutal things like stabbing one person 51 times, shooting them twice, and hitting them with a handgun an additional 13 times. They wrote the word “Pig” on the door in blood and then fled. Manson was not pleased with how the conducted the murders so they next day he took them to see how it should be done. They killed the two house owners by stabbing one person 26 times and the other 41 times. They left the word “War” carved into one of the victims' stomachs. The family lived on a ranch of a half blind men who barely knew the family was living at the ranch. The police eventually raided the farm and arrested 25 of the family members and Manson for auto-theft charges. One of the family members was scared of the family and wanted out, so she proceeded to rat out Manson for being the ring leader in this murder spree. Eventually Manson lost his murder trials and was sentenced to death.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the setup and format of the chapters. Every chapter would start with the background of the killers and victims and tell you their motives, childhood, and what else went wrong. It would describe how it happened and then the process to solving the case and how the murderer was found. However not every case was solved.
One part of the book I did not like was when the author would include stories that were not solved. I think the author should have stuck to cases that had endings because after reading about the whole case you want to know how it was resolved while those that didn’t leave a disappointing ending to the chapter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2022
Just as the title says, this is a collection of twenty-nine murder houses from around America - from the early 19th century to 21st century. These are houses of famous people, celebrities and others were houses of ordinary people where brutal murders were committed.
Among the houses discussed in this book - The LaLaurie Mansion, The Lizzie Borden House, The Villisca Axe Murder House, The Amityville Horror House, The Kreischer Mansion, and so on. Well, you get the idea!
I liked how concise each chapter was which makes it easy to read. It reads like a fiction and I enjoyed that too!
Overall, this is a book to go to if you want to learn about murder houses in America. They are brutal and bloody, and this book did not shy away from the graphic details - you have been warned!
Among the houses discussed in this book - The LaLaurie Mansion, The Lizzie Borden House, The Villisca Axe Murder House, The Amityville Horror House, The Kreischer Mansion, and so on. Well, you get the idea!
I liked how concise each chapter was which makes it easy to read. It reads like a fiction and I enjoyed that too!
Overall, this is a book to go to if you want to learn about murder houses in America. They are brutal and bloody, and this book did not shy away from the graphic details - you have been warned!
January 4, 2016
This is an awesome, albeit disturbing book, however still fascinating. A review will follow soon. I've got other digitals from Penguins FTR program that are about to drop off my device so just a bit to read those and I'll be back for this one......
For now, 5 stars's hands down. Creepy, but fascinating. Not too much, but just enough. Some I knew about, others completely *new to me* stories
Thank you Penguin Publishing and Berkley Publishing Group for the chance to read this ARC!! It feels creepy to say I loved it due to its content, however I requested it, I Loved it and I thank you greatly.
For now, 5 stars's hands down. Creepy, but fascinating. Not too much, but just enough. Some I knew about, others completely *new to me* stories
Thank you Penguin Publishing and Berkley Publishing Group for the chance to read this ARC!! It feels creepy to say I loved it due to its content, however I requested it, I Loved it and I thank you greatly.
May 9, 2019
Is it weird to say I loved a book about murder houses? 🤔
Oh well I did, this is was just a fun and quick read for any true crime lover ❤🗡 or maybe haunted house fan. The book does go into pretty good detail about the houses an the murders that took place in them, but on some of them it does leave you wanting to know more. So you can see this is just a little guide maybe to some other books you might want to read about these houses or the murders that took place in them. And the awesome part is he even tells you about other books and other crimes and things like that, a nice little quick true crime read.
Oh well I did, this is was just a fun and quick read for any true crime lover ❤🗡 or maybe haunted house fan. The book does go into pretty good detail about the houses an the murders that took place in them, but on some of them it does leave you wanting to know more. So you can see this is just a little guide maybe to some other books you might want to read about these houses or the murders that took place in them. And the awesome part is he even tells you about other books and other crimes and things like that, a nice little quick true crime read.
March 1, 2016
This book was amazing, it kept me hooked from the first chapter and was very interesting, a must for any true crime fan
July 30, 2018
A fascinating book for those interested in true-crime writing.
May 26, 2024
This is one of those true crime books I recommend reading alongside something else. Not because the stories included in “American Murder Houses” is particularly gruesome or detailed, but because it’s just not that engaging otherwise. I’m not saying that the selected houses aren’t worth talking about, some are genuinely interesting and I learned a lot about the lore surrounding places that have since become legend (like the Amityville House and The Gardette-LaPrete House). And while most of the houses are famous either because of the serial killer who lived there, or the fame the murders themselves garnered (either because of the celebrities involved or the media circus around the crime) the selection of the homes and crimes included was… odd. Meaning, the house itself was an afterthought and not really involved in the crime the way you’d expect from “murder houses”.
True crime does not need to be sensationalized, but it shouldn’t be dry either. Something horrific happened and the natural inclination most people have (at least if they are interested in the subject matter like I am) is to understand why someone would do this, or, in the frame of the “murder houses” what was it about this home that then held on to these gruesome crimes that would then make the home stigmatized, and later part of the legend. Unfortunately, I think something that could have been really interesting was simply written by the wrong author. In his acknowledgements, Lehto is the first to admit he has no idea what attracts people to true crime, and if you don’t have that at least small amount of morbid curiosity, maybe don’t write this kind of book? I think that’s what contributed to a lot of the dryness of what was presented, as well as the odd mix of homes. Some are included simply because someone very famous died on the premises, not necessarily IN their home (like Lennon and Versace), or are famous because of the media circus around the crime (the Menendez brothers and the Nicole Brown-Simpson murder), but the homes themselves? Not part of the story the way that the Lizzie Borden House is, or even the Amityville House and the LaLaurie Mansion are. On top of that, when you throw in the homes where serial killers did part of their spree right up against the homes where a mother drowns her children due to postpartum depression (as in the Andrea Yates house), I have to wonder what really was the criteria for what house was or was not selected for this sort of anthology. Why include Andrea Yates’ home but ignore, say, H.H. Holme’s actual murder hotel where he also lived? Or even the home of Ed Gein? Those homes are as much part of the story as the crime’s themselves, and yet not even an honorable mention whereas the Manson murders are ALL included, all the homes. See what I mean about just including famous murders rather than places where the “murder house” is actively part of the history?
While it was nice to get a refresher on some of these rather famous homes and the crimes that gave them fame, this book wasn’t particularly interesting as a whole, and, again, I question some of the homes that were included at all. It was interesting to see some of the lawsuits and then state laws that came about due to selling homes that had death or murder happen in them and how/when a realtor has to disclose that information, but that was just the Afterword of this book so not really much of a focus, either. This book is, sadly, a bit forgettable, hence the 2.5 stars. I’m just glad I was reading something else in tandem with this or I think I’d have put it down and moved on without even noticing.
True crime does not need to be sensationalized, but it shouldn’t be dry either. Something horrific happened and the natural inclination most people have (at least if they are interested in the subject matter like I am) is to understand why someone would do this, or, in the frame of the “murder houses” what was it about this home that then held on to these gruesome crimes that would then make the home stigmatized, and later part of the legend. Unfortunately, I think something that could have been really interesting was simply written by the wrong author. In his acknowledgements, Lehto is the first to admit he has no idea what attracts people to true crime, and if you don’t have that at least small amount of morbid curiosity, maybe don’t write this kind of book? I think that’s what contributed to a lot of the dryness of what was presented, as well as the odd mix of homes. Some are included simply because someone very famous died on the premises, not necessarily IN their home (like Lennon and Versace), or are famous because of the media circus around the crime (the Menendez brothers and the Nicole Brown-Simpson murder), but the homes themselves? Not part of the story the way that the Lizzie Borden House is, or even the Amityville House and the LaLaurie Mansion are. On top of that, when you throw in the homes where serial killers did part of their spree right up against the homes where a mother drowns her children due to postpartum depression (as in the Andrea Yates house), I have to wonder what really was the criteria for what house was or was not selected for this sort of anthology. Why include Andrea Yates’ home but ignore, say, H.H. Holme’s actual murder hotel where he also lived? Or even the home of Ed Gein? Those homes are as much part of the story as the crime’s themselves, and yet not even an honorable mention whereas the Manson murders are ALL included, all the homes. See what I mean about just including famous murders rather than places where the “murder house” is actively part of the history?
While it was nice to get a refresher on some of these rather famous homes and the crimes that gave them fame, this book wasn’t particularly interesting as a whole, and, again, I question some of the homes that were included at all. It was interesting to see some of the lawsuits and then state laws that came about due to selling homes that had death or murder happen in them and how/when a realtor has to disclose that information, but that was just the Afterword of this book so not really much of a focus, either. This book is, sadly, a bit forgettable, hence the 2.5 stars. I’m just glad I was reading something else in tandem with this or I think I’d have put it down and moved on without even noticing.
October 2, 2024
For true crime fans this book is a well researched and written "listacle" of a light read. Well, it's "light" in that the violent crimes committed in these houses receive only core detail description. It may be too much for some, but those people would probably not want to pick up this book in the first place.
November 25, 2021
The title does accurately encapsulate the contents of the book, a series of mini-essays on American houses in which murder has taken place (or is believed to have taken place, since he's got a couple houses in New Orleans where there was no murder, no matter what people say). There were some houses on the list I hadn't heard of, although he also hit many of the famous ones (and of course the house on the cover is the Amityville Horror house---which WAS the site of a mass murder, even if the Lutzes faked the haunting). He provides brief histories of the houses post-homicide, whether they've sold, how much they've sold for, are they open to the public (a few of them have been turned into museums, although the murders that happened there are not why Taliesin can be toured). Unfortunately, Lehto is not a very good writer. While his material is fascinating, his writing is dull and badly repetitive and, honestly, not very deeply researched. I checked the book out of the library hoping he might have something interesting to say about Lizzie Borden's house, but he did not.
October 11, 2018
This was an interesting and unusual read. This is an excellent beginning book of some of the worse murder crime scenes in the United States. I can't agree with the notorious part of the title since there were a few I had never heard of, even though one of the places mentioned is only a few towns away from where I live. I think this would be a great book to have if you want to plan a slightly morbid road trip. I have to admit there are a few houses listed in here that I would love to see, especially the one in Amityville, NY. This would be a great book to start with if you are interested in the True Crime genre and just beginning to read about it.
March 5, 2015
This was an interesting take on a true crime book. Most true crime books focus on the crime and the criminal, but this book focuses on the house and location the crimes took place. I enjoyed that there were several crimes that I wasn’t familiar with. It made me want to look more into them. There were also plenty of crimes that I had read about previously, and I enjoyed revisiting them. Very interesting read.
I received a free advanced copy of this book from Penguin's First to Read Program.
I received a free advanced copy of this book from Penguin's First to Read Program.
June 18, 2017
I loved this book, macabre as that statement sounds. I've always been intrigued by deeds most wicked done by others, why do they do it?
Anyway, this book is about the houses that have housed these wicked deeds. Being a big believer in ghosts and residue energies left in a house it makes sense that these houses must hold the energy of those events. It must surely take a lot of love to eridate the evil that once lived in those homes.
Anyway, this book is about the houses that have housed these wicked deeds. Being a big believer in ghosts and residue energies left in a house it makes sense that these houses must hold the energy of those events. It must surely take a lot of love to eridate the evil that once lived in those homes.
December 3, 2019
Well written one of a kind true crime. I've found all the books about ghosts/hauntings I can read but not about the actual real estate the events took place on.
This book embodies the brick and mortar remainder of the crime.
Bad choice of words, forgive me.
It seems common to tear down the structure where something unsavory occurred. This book is a compilation of those exceptions.
They're called murder houses.
And anything residual about them lies only in our imaginations.
This book embodies the brick and mortar remainder of the crime.
Bad choice of words, forgive me.
It seems common to tear down the structure where something unsavory occurred. This book is a compilation of those exceptions.
They're called murder houses.
And anything residual about them lies only in our imaginations.
June 18, 2015
I don't read many non-fiction books and the ones I do read are all true crime. This book was simply a fun little read for me. There were some crimes in here that I hadn't heard of yet so it was interesting to me. In all it wasn't a bad book!
November 19, 2018
This book was an easy read. I will say again that I would only recommend to someone just getting into true crime or to someone whom is interested in dark tourism. I hadn’t heard of a few of the crimes mentioned in the book - but i myself am not interested in visiting the homes.
February 13, 2024
As you know from my previous reviews, I love me some history. but I wanted to stray away from historical figures like I had been reading, and take a dive into some historical events. It was when searching for this criteria that I Came Upon the book “American Murder Houses.” “American Murder Houses” is a book written by Steve Lehto that was published in the year 2017. In this book Lehto explores the history of some of the most infamous houses in America. He includes the events that took place inside the house, the investigations that followed, and the aftermath and effect that it had on the community of these Estates. The chilling stories in this book offer readers insight into True Crime and excellent historical analysis.
The book is structured in a way that makes it kind of difficult to review, but here's my best shot. Each chapter is a different murder. starting with the case of Lizzie Borden and ending with the case of Andrea Yates. It also covers some well known murders like the murder of John Lennon, Gianni Versace, the demented acts of the Manson family, and OJ Simpson's ex-wife and ex-wife’s new husband Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. With over 25 chapters filled with over 25 murders, this book is a lot to unpack. The chapters start with a meticulously researched in depth summary of the events that took place inside said house. It goes over the scene the night of the crime, the people involved, the motive for the killings, and the discovery of the bodies. After the summary, it goes into the aftermath of close friends, Neighbors, and the community that it affected. The background information comes next, the author takes a dive into the mind of the Killer and analyzes what enabled them to commit such a horrible Act, often a theme is a troubled childhood or a crime of love. However, some people were just cold-blooded killers. This was the case of the Green River serial killer mentioned in the book, who killed over 80 prostitutes and dumped their bodies into the Green River in Washington. Next comes the investigation in which Lehto explains how the police came to catch the Killer, if they did. He takes a look at people questioned, possible leads, eyewitnesses, interrogations, and everything you could possibly imagine about the criminal process. These information-packed chapters really show you how much work Lehto put into this book to make it great, and it paid off. Throughout the book, the examination of cultural fascination with these houses is very interesting. At the end of each chapter he designates a paragraph or so to address the legal and ethical issues of owning one of these quote on quote “murder houses”. He gets a short summary of what happened to the house after the murders have been committed and how many people have owned it since, he also lets you know if it is up for sale or currently owned.
For me, this book was an incredible read and definitely had its pros. One of which being the clear amount of in-depth research done by the author on the subject matter. Which I feel demonstrates Lehto’s passion for True Crime and desire to maybe rehatch some case debates that have been closed for a very long time.The informative and gripping demeanor of the chapters ensures that readers will be engaged and getting takeaways from each case. This blend of gripping storytelling and thorough research makes for a great read and something I would definitely recommend to one of my friends. Also, I really felt like I was learning something in every sentence of the book. This minor but very important detail of any book scratches a colossal itch for me as the reader and any historical based book that can do that, is truly amazing. However one thing I would warn readers about is also strangely the amount of detail that the author goes into during the book. While I appreciate all of it and love to learn more about the ins and outs of these murder cases, I know that a lot of people would probably be freaked out by some of it. This is why I asked readers to approach it with moderation. If you don't think you can handle it then don't read it (but can you really not handle it?). Lehto Really plunges himself into these scenes and lets you know how the bodies were laid out, what weapon was used, exactly where they were stabbed/axed/shot/strangled etc. The 911 calls made by the people who found the bodies, or the mentally insane people who had committed the murders and ratted themselves out, are extremely disturbing and not for the weak. However, I think personally that if you're going to let some words on a paper freak you out at the expense of your knowledge, then you shouldn't be reading this book.
Overall, based on my taste in books, I probably sound like a broken record but this was amazing. I give it five stars and it was probably the best book I've read all year. I definitely am going to check out more murder-based books in the future, I promise I'm not a psycho.
The book is structured in a way that makes it kind of difficult to review, but here's my best shot. Each chapter is a different murder. starting with the case of Lizzie Borden and ending with the case of Andrea Yates. It also covers some well known murders like the murder of John Lennon, Gianni Versace, the demented acts of the Manson family, and OJ Simpson's ex-wife and ex-wife’s new husband Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. With over 25 chapters filled with over 25 murders, this book is a lot to unpack. The chapters start with a meticulously researched in depth summary of the events that took place inside said house. It goes over the scene the night of the crime, the people involved, the motive for the killings, and the discovery of the bodies. After the summary, it goes into the aftermath of close friends, Neighbors, and the community that it affected. The background information comes next, the author takes a dive into the mind of the Killer and analyzes what enabled them to commit such a horrible Act, often a theme is a troubled childhood or a crime of love. However, some people were just cold-blooded killers. This was the case of the Green River serial killer mentioned in the book, who killed over 80 prostitutes and dumped their bodies into the Green River in Washington. Next comes the investigation in which Lehto explains how the police came to catch the Killer, if they did. He takes a look at people questioned, possible leads, eyewitnesses, interrogations, and everything you could possibly imagine about the criminal process. These information-packed chapters really show you how much work Lehto put into this book to make it great, and it paid off. Throughout the book, the examination of cultural fascination with these houses is very interesting. At the end of each chapter he designates a paragraph or so to address the legal and ethical issues of owning one of these quote on quote “murder houses”. He gets a short summary of what happened to the house after the murders have been committed and how many people have owned it since, he also lets you know if it is up for sale or currently owned.
For me, this book was an incredible read and definitely had its pros. One of which being the clear amount of in-depth research done by the author on the subject matter. Which I feel demonstrates Lehto’s passion for True Crime and desire to maybe rehatch some case debates that have been closed for a very long time.The informative and gripping demeanor of the chapters ensures that readers will be engaged and getting takeaways from each case. This blend of gripping storytelling and thorough research makes for a great read and something I would definitely recommend to one of my friends. Also, I really felt like I was learning something in every sentence of the book. This minor but very important detail of any book scratches a colossal itch for me as the reader and any historical based book that can do that, is truly amazing. However one thing I would warn readers about is also strangely the amount of detail that the author goes into during the book. While I appreciate all of it and love to learn more about the ins and outs of these murder cases, I know that a lot of people would probably be freaked out by some of it. This is why I asked readers to approach it with moderation. If you don't think you can handle it then don't read it (but can you really not handle it?). Lehto Really plunges himself into these scenes and lets you know how the bodies were laid out, what weapon was used, exactly where they were stabbed/axed/shot/strangled etc. The 911 calls made by the people who found the bodies, or the mentally insane people who had committed the murders and ratted themselves out, are extremely disturbing and not for the weak. However, I think personally that if you're going to let some words on a paper freak you out at the expense of your knowledge, then you shouldn't be reading this book.
Overall, based on my taste in books, I probably sound like a broken record but this was amazing. I give it five stars and it was probably the best book I've read all year. I definitely am going to check out more murder-based books in the future, I promise I'm not a psycho.
July 25, 2024
I got this when I was looking for books on Audible. I'm so bad at picking books on Audible :(
This book kinda reads like a lengthy buzzfeed article. Each chapter is about a particular house with the address listed, it's history leading up to the murder, and what has happened to it since with its latest selling price. This book was published in 2015 so all the houses are laughably cheap in post-pandemic dollars.
For people who are already enthusiasts when it comes to stories like this (for me, I'm not so much a fan as I just happen to fall down Wikipedia rabbit holes often), there isn't really any new or in depth information about each place.
Except for the entry on Frank Lloyd Wright. Man, Steve Lehto has a massive boner for Frank Lloyd Wright. That chapter is just a love letter. I picture Steve Lehto typing it with big ol hearts for eyes the whole time.
Anyway, it was fine to read while I was playing stupid games on my phone so I wouldn't feel completely unproductive.
This book kinda reads like a lengthy buzzfeed article. Each chapter is about a particular house with the address listed, it's history leading up to the murder, and what has happened to it since with its latest selling price. This book was published in 2015 so all the houses are laughably cheap in post-pandemic dollars.
For people who are already enthusiasts when it comes to stories like this (for me, I'm not so much a fan as I just happen to fall down Wikipedia rabbit holes often), there isn't really any new or in depth information about each place.
Except for the entry on Frank Lloyd Wright. Man, Steve Lehto has a massive boner for Frank Lloyd Wright. That chapter is just a love letter. I picture Steve Lehto typing it with big ol hearts for eyes the whole time.
Anyway, it was fine to read while I was playing stupid games on my phone so I wouldn't feel completely unproductive.
September 28, 2022
For this book to have been about the most notorious murder houses, quite a few things were left out and were wrong. Other reviews have stated some examples, so I won't go into detail. This book is a good starting point for these houses because it really does only hit a few sentences on each house and then moves on. It just wasn't what I was looking for as someone who has seen a lot of information on these houses for many years.
October 4, 2018
This was not a bad listen until the last chapter when it went into way too much detail about real estate law and buying and selling haunted and murder houses. Anyway a fun enjoyable easy listen that covered a murder per chapter so I could listen to this as slow as I wanted.
March 21, 2023
Listened to this one. I’ve never been one for true crime stuff, but I did enjoy the historical/cultural significance of each of the stories told. As other reviewers have noted, the writing left a little bit to be desired, but it was a fun listen.
April 10, 2023
The stories were interesting—it contained well-known and lesser-known cases. But I couldn’t get behind the writing style. It was quite choppy, which made it hard for me to get into the stories.
July 20, 2023
I love learning about murder houses, crime so if you love this, this is the book for you.
August 15, 2024
Basically a travel guide that is unique because it stops at many of the nation's houses where the most famous murders of the last 200+ years took place. Includes addresses and updates on who may live there now. If this is your idea of a vacation, read this book.
July 24, 2023
Hot on the heels of another book I didn't really expect to read, about the possible multiple murders committed by a single, unimaginably deranged family annihilator (yes, there is actually such a thing, one which apparently has occurred with such frequency that there's a technical term for it) who may have traversed the United States, from coast to coast, murdering entire families over the course of nearly twenty years, I wanted to see if any of the unfortunate victims were listed in this volume.
We the People have had a long fascination with murder scenes, or at least those where notorious deaths occurred: The Shootout at the O.K. Corral (which wasn't really the actual scene), Bonnie and Clyde's ambush and death, the site of John Dillinger's death at the hands of the FBI, the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre - these events and sites are household names, and are still frequently visited despite the chagrin of locals. Some herald these sites as tourist draws, but many don't.
Unfortunately for humanity, another entire category of sites is "murder houses," which is now, if it weren't before, a household name in the US - the initial American Horror Story series featured it as their first theme, which was based on something of a conglomerate of actual occurrences. This book is a catalog of some of the more famous ones, but some obscure ones are included as well, which I wouldn't really have thought to include, in favor of more significant sites.
Although it's somewhat light on detail, it does include a fairly diverse collection of them. That said, the author and I clearly have a different idea of what constitutes a "murder house." Mine would be that the murders have to have actually occurred at, you know... the house?? This collection takes quite a bit of liberty with regard to the actual locations. Cielo Drive/Sharon Tate House? Check. Lizzie Borden, Villisca Axe Murders, the Clutter Farmhouse, made famous by Truman Capote's immortal "In Cold Blood?" Check.
Others in this collection? Not so much. Those which made the list here but where the crimes didn't even occur in the house include the Dakota apartment building in NYC, outside of which the murder of John Lennon occurred, the apartment building where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered, which wasn't in the apartment unit, and the one the author starts with, the sidewalk, basically, where Gianni Versace was gunned down. They may have been famous locations, but I wouldn't put them on a list of so-called "murder houses."
Another criterion for me would be that the "murder house" has to be the actual one where the crime(s) occurred, even if it's been restored. It can't have been demolished and something else rebuilt on the site. That knocks out several of these, where there's either nothing remaining of the structure where the famous crimes occurred, or something else was built in its place. So, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, two of which burned down before the latest iteration, wouldn't make the grade for me, either.
That said, overall, it gets a three-star rating for the fact that someone put together a capable list of some of the more famous crime locations, if people want to visit them, but I also want to note that some of the material is out of date, so I would recommend checking online to make sure you get something more current. It offers at least an overview of the major points, but it doesn't have the depth to make it a guidebook, so if you do want to visit any of these location, especially if you're going out of your way to do so, I would definitely do supplemental reading and research before you go so you can get the most out of your visit. Something that the book does offer is a short bibliography of further reading on each of the entries.
There was one passage which really rubbed me the wrong way, so I thought I'd mention it. In the entry on the murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, the author writes, "The address of the house has been changed to limit gawkers, but they still come by. Perhaps eventually people will stop driving by and having their pictures taken in front of the house where the little beauty queen was murdered."
Except... you GAVE THEM THE ADDRESS (the old AND new one) in a book you ostensibly wrote to make money, from based on the locations of houses where dozens of people, including numerous children, were slaughtered. So... now, you want to take the high road? Perhaps eventually people like him will stop publicizing and making money off them, perpetuating their infamy (doubtful). Yeah, you don't get to look down your long nose and judge other people when you're essentially facilitating them visiting infamous crime locations. Dude put that in a book HE wrote, entitled AMERICAN MURDER HOUSES. Coast-to-Coast TOUR, no less.
Hypocrisy, much?
I would also like to note, although I'm not going to go into detail, that there are a fair number of factual errors and omissions here, which makes it somewhat irksome, if someone's done their homework and knows more about the individual sites or events than the author. As stated above, if you're really interested or planning a visit, do your own supplemental research, as there are some glaring errors here. Otherwise, it's worth a look, if you're into this sort of thing. Came across this while researching something else, but it's also interesting to see how various authors have interpreted and reported on these famous events.
ENTRIES AND INFORMATION
LaLaurie Mansion: New Orleans, LA: 1834. 1140 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Lizzie Borden House: Fall River MA: 1892. 230 2nd St., Fall River, MA, 02721
Conrad Aiken House: Savannah, GA: 1901. 228 E. Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah, GA 31401
Villisca Axe Murder House, AKA the Moore House: Villisca, IA, 1912: 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca, IA 50864
Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright House: Spring Green, WI: 1914. 5607 County Rd. C, Spring Green, WI, 53588 (Burned down/Rebuilt)
The "Hex" House: Stewartstown, PA: 1928. 1709 Rehmeyer's Hollow Rd., Stewartstown, PA 17363
The Clutter Farmhouse: (Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood"), Holcomb, KS: 1959. Oak Avenue, Holcomb, KS, 67851 (Private Road)
Richard Speck Nurse Murder House: Chicago, IL: 1966. 2319 E. 100th St., Chicago, IL, 60617
Manson Murder Houses: 1969
1) The Hinman House: 964 Old Topanga Canyon Rd., Topanga, CA, 90290
2) Cielo Drive/Tate House, 10066 Cielo Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (Demolished)
3) La Bianca House, 3311 Waverly Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Candyman Corll Murder House: Pasadena, TX: 1973. 2020 Lamar Dr., Pasadena, TX, 77502
The Amityville/DeFeo House: Amityville, NY: 1974. 108 Ocean Ave., Amityville, NY, 11701
Ruppert Family Murder House: Hamilton, OH: 1975. 635 Minor Ave., Hamilton, OH, 45015
The Unicorn Murder House: Philadelphia, PA: 1977. 2411 Race St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104
The Dakota Apartment Building: (Site of John Lennon's Murder), New York City: 1980. 1 W. 72nd St., New York, NY, 10023
Mercer-Williams House: (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), Savannah, GA: 1981. 429 Bull St., Savannah, GA 31401
The Wonderland Murder House: Los Angeles, CA: 1981. 8763 Wonderland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Chateau Marmont: (John Belushi), Hollywood, CA: 1982. 8221 Sunset Blvd., Bungalow #3, Hollywood, CA, 90046
Menendez Brothers Murder House: Beverly Hills, CA: 1989. 722 N. Elm Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Rifkin Murder House: East Meadow, NY: 1993. 1492 Garden St., East Meadow, NY, 11554
Brown-Simpson/Goldman Murder Site: (O.J. Simpson Murders), Los Angeles, CA: 1994. 879 S. Bundy Dr., Los Angeles, CA, 90049
JonBenet Ramsey House: Boulder, CO: 1996. 749 15th St., Boulder, CA 80302
General Wayne Inn: Merion, PA: 1996. 625 Montgomery Ave., Merion, PA, 19066
Versace Murder Site: Miami Beach, FL: 1997. 1116 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, FL, 33139
The Green River Killer House: SeaTac, WA: 1998. 21859 32nd Pl., SeaTac, WA, 98198
Andrea Yates House: Houston, TX: 2001. 942 Beachcomber Ln., Houston, TX, 77062
Kreischer Mansion, Staten Island, NY: 2005. 4500 Arthur Kill Rd., Staten Island, NY, 10309
Gardette-Laprete House: New Orleans, LA. 716 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA, 70116
We the People have had a long fascination with murder scenes, or at least those where notorious deaths occurred: The Shootout at the O.K. Corral (which wasn't really the actual scene), Bonnie and Clyde's ambush and death, the site of John Dillinger's death at the hands of the FBI, the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre - these events and sites are household names, and are still frequently visited despite the chagrin of locals. Some herald these sites as tourist draws, but many don't.
Unfortunately for humanity, another entire category of sites is "murder houses," which is now, if it weren't before, a household name in the US - the initial American Horror Story series featured it as their first theme, which was based on something of a conglomerate of actual occurrences. This book is a catalog of some of the more famous ones, but some obscure ones are included as well, which I wouldn't really have thought to include, in favor of more significant sites.
Although it's somewhat light on detail, it does include a fairly diverse collection of them. That said, the author and I clearly have a different idea of what constitutes a "murder house." Mine would be that the murders have to have actually occurred at, you know... the house?? This collection takes quite a bit of liberty with regard to the actual locations. Cielo Drive/Sharon Tate House? Check. Lizzie Borden, Villisca Axe Murders, the Clutter Farmhouse, made famous by Truman Capote's immortal "In Cold Blood?" Check.
Others in this collection? Not so much. Those which made the list here but where the crimes didn't even occur in the house include the Dakota apartment building in NYC, outside of which the murder of John Lennon occurred, the apartment building where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered, which wasn't in the apartment unit, and the one the author starts with, the sidewalk, basically, where Gianni Versace was gunned down. They may have been famous locations, but I wouldn't put them on a list of so-called "murder houses."
Another criterion for me would be that the "murder house" has to be the actual one where the crime(s) occurred, even if it's been restored. It can't have been demolished and something else rebuilt on the site. That knocks out several of these, where there's either nothing remaining of the structure where the famous crimes occurred, or something else was built in its place. So, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, two of which burned down before the latest iteration, wouldn't make the grade for me, either.
That said, overall, it gets a three-star rating for the fact that someone put together a capable list of some of the more famous crime locations, if people want to visit them, but I also want to note that some of the material is out of date, so I would recommend checking online to make sure you get something more current. It offers at least an overview of the major points, but it doesn't have the depth to make it a guidebook, so if you do want to visit any of these location, especially if you're going out of your way to do so, I would definitely do supplemental reading and research before you go so you can get the most out of your visit. Something that the book does offer is a short bibliography of further reading on each of the entries.
There was one passage which really rubbed me the wrong way, so I thought I'd mention it. In the entry on the murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, the author writes, "The address of the house has been changed to limit gawkers, but they still come by. Perhaps eventually people will stop driving by and having their pictures taken in front of the house where the little beauty queen was murdered."
Except... you GAVE THEM THE ADDRESS (the old AND new one) in a book you ostensibly wrote to make money, from based on the locations of houses where dozens of people, including numerous children, were slaughtered. So... now, you want to take the high road? Perhaps eventually people like him will stop publicizing and making money off them, perpetuating their infamy (doubtful). Yeah, you don't get to look down your long nose and judge other people when you're essentially facilitating them visiting infamous crime locations. Dude put that in a book HE wrote, entitled AMERICAN MURDER HOUSES. Coast-to-Coast TOUR, no less.
Hypocrisy, much?
I would also like to note, although I'm not going to go into detail, that there are a fair number of factual errors and omissions here, which makes it somewhat irksome, if someone's done their homework and knows more about the individual sites or events than the author. As stated above, if you're really interested or planning a visit, do your own supplemental research, as there are some glaring errors here. Otherwise, it's worth a look, if you're into this sort of thing. Came across this while researching something else, but it's also interesting to see how various authors have interpreted and reported on these famous events.
ENTRIES AND INFORMATION
LaLaurie Mansion: New Orleans, LA: 1834. 1140 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Lizzie Borden House: Fall River MA: 1892. 230 2nd St., Fall River, MA, 02721
Conrad Aiken House: Savannah, GA: 1901. 228 E. Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah, GA 31401
Villisca Axe Murder House, AKA the Moore House: Villisca, IA, 1912: 508 E. 2nd St., Villisca, IA 50864
Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright House: Spring Green, WI: 1914. 5607 County Rd. C, Spring Green, WI, 53588 (Burned down/Rebuilt)
The "Hex" House: Stewartstown, PA: 1928. 1709 Rehmeyer's Hollow Rd., Stewartstown, PA 17363
The Clutter Farmhouse: (Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood"), Holcomb, KS: 1959. Oak Avenue, Holcomb, KS, 67851 (Private Road)
Richard Speck Nurse Murder House: Chicago, IL: 1966. 2319 E. 100th St., Chicago, IL, 60617
Manson Murder Houses: 1969
1) The Hinman House: 964 Old Topanga Canyon Rd., Topanga, CA, 90290
2) Cielo Drive/Tate House, 10066 Cielo Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (Demolished)
3) La Bianca House, 3311 Waverly Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Candyman Corll Murder House: Pasadena, TX: 1973. 2020 Lamar Dr., Pasadena, TX, 77502
The Amityville/DeFeo House: Amityville, NY: 1974. 108 Ocean Ave., Amityville, NY, 11701
Ruppert Family Murder House: Hamilton, OH: 1975. 635 Minor Ave., Hamilton, OH, 45015
The Unicorn Murder House: Philadelphia, PA: 1977. 2411 Race St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104
The Dakota Apartment Building: (Site of John Lennon's Murder), New York City: 1980. 1 W. 72nd St., New York, NY, 10023
Mercer-Williams House: (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), Savannah, GA: 1981. 429 Bull St., Savannah, GA 31401
The Wonderland Murder House: Los Angeles, CA: 1981. 8763 Wonderland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Chateau Marmont: (John Belushi), Hollywood, CA: 1982. 8221 Sunset Blvd., Bungalow #3, Hollywood, CA, 90046
Menendez Brothers Murder House: Beverly Hills, CA: 1989. 722 N. Elm Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Rifkin Murder House: East Meadow, NY: 1993. 1492 Garden St., East Meadow, NY, 11554
Brown-Simpson/Goldman Murder Site: (O.J. Simpson Murders), Los Angeles, CA: 1994. 879 S. Bundy Dr., Los Angeles, CA, 90049
JonBenet Ramsey House: Boulder, CO: 1996. 749 15th St., Boulder, CA 80302
General Wayne Inn: Merion, PA: 1996. 625 Montgomery Ave., Merion, PA, 19066
Versace Murder Site: Miami Beach, FL: 1997. 1116 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, FL, 33139
The Green River Killer House: SeaTac, WA: 1998. 21859 32nd Pl., SeaTac, WA, 98198
Andrea Yates House: Houston, TX: 2001. 942 Beachcomber Ln., Houston, TX, 77062
Kreischer Mansion, Staten Island, NY: 2005. 4500 Arthur Kill Rd., Staten Island, NY, 10309
Gardette-Laprete House: New Orleans, LA. 716 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA, 70116
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