Who Killed the Candy Lady?: Unwrapping the Unsolved Murder of Helen Brach

by James Ylisela

A deep dive that “has brought together all the evidence” in the fascinating cold case of a millionaire widow, the Chicago horse mafia, and murder (Daily Mail).   Thirty-five years ago, Helen Brach walked out of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and vanished without a trace. By all accounts, the sixty-five-year-old heiress to the E.J. Brach & Sons candy fortune was in good health. But shortly after her leaving the clinic the details of Helen Brach’s life—and presumed death—moved from fact to speculation, and they have been shrouded in mystery ever since.  Who Killed the Candy Lady?: Unwrapping the Unsolved Murder of Helen Brach is the true and complete story of Helen Vorhees Brach’s mysterious disappearance and unsolved murder, as told by veteran Chicago journalist Jim Ylisela. This book will reveal the sordid facts behind the case and the seedy underbelly of Chicago’s notorious crime world. Drawing from never-seen documents, interviews, and insiders’ perspectives of prosecutors, horse thieves, and candy heiresses alike, Who Killed the Candy Lady? is a true-to-life whodunnit.   This is a fascinating and entertaining tale, and after finishing it readers will be unable to stop themselves from jumping to their own conclusions. Written with the straightforward precision and sly wit of a longtime Chicago writer immersed in the case’s details, Who Killed the Candy Lady? is the ultimate guide to this unsolved murder mystery.   “It only took me a day to read this book because I could not put it down . . . A fantastic writer and great storyteller.” —Nerd Problems

Genres: True Crime, Crime

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2014

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book doesn't go into many courtroom details and minute investigative procedures, like many true crime books do. The author confesses to having spent numerous years working on this case, and so I did find it a little odd that the book was so short after having spent all that time gathering information. However, it would appear the author's main goal was to briefly present the case against two men, and ultimately allow the reader to determine which person committed the crime. Despite its brevity, the book is still really interesting and the case shone a harsh light on horse racing the general population found shocking. To this day the body of Helen Brach has never been found and it is debatable if the real killer is sitting behind bars. A cold case? An unsolved mystery? You decide.

Over all this one is a 3.5 for me.

* disclaimer* This review is the property of Night Owl Reviews - for the complete review visit- http://www.nightowlreviews.com

[Cayddrick Harris-Ballard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stumbling across an old American Justice episode about the still unsolved disappearance and presumed murder of American Candy empire heiress Helen Brach, I became intrigued with the case and found this book about the case. Quick read but somewhat repetitive, However, I do like that leaves the reader to make their own conclusions with the caste of characters. While being a true crime novel, it reads like an old detective noire.

[Kristin Downer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

Full review is posted at http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-r...

Reading a non-fiction book, especially one about an unsolved murder, is much different from reading a fiction novel. As a huge fan of mystery and thriller books, I started ‘Who Killed the Candy Lady: Unwrapping the Unsolved Murder of Helen Brach’ by James Ylisela Jr. with an open mind to see if I could get into this. I loved it. Have I mentioned that I also love true crime?

‘Who Killed the Candy Lady’ follows the story of Helen Brach, heiress to the Brach candy fortune (You know you’ve eaten those mints!). In 1977, after leaving the Mayo Clinic from a checkup, Brach disappeared. You would think decades later there would have been a closed case and solved. Unfortunately, this one sits open.

This story has so many people involved and not even I could come up with a conclusion. I have some guesses on who is guilty, but as a closed case, we may never know the real answer. Ylisela is a journalist and teacher in the Chicago area. He was able to depict this case in a way made interesting to the readers. It felt like I was reading a novel. In my opinion, that made this book so much more appealing to the masses. Not everyone is interested in real-life crime or documentaries. By writing this in the way he did, Ylisela made it an interesting read and I wanted to find out the answers. Unfortunately, there are no answers seeing as the case is open. But, for a case I knew very little about to start, I now can name suspects, those who have been put behind bars (innocent or guilty?), and those were just victims of a huge conspiracy.

Ylisela did a fantastic job of drawing me in and hooking me. It only took me a day to read this book because I could not put it down. Great descriptions and flashbacks so you understood every part of the story. He did a great job researching and giving all the information without attempting to sway the readers opinion. A fantastic writer and great storyteller. 4 out of 5 stars. A definite recommendation.

[Giddy Girlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until recently, I was not familiar with the disappearance of Helen Brach so this book was my first foray in to the case. To say that the case is complicated is an understatement. Although the heiress disappeared without a trace, the possible culprits ranged far and wide and their reasons for potential involvement include a large cast of characters. It could potentially get really confusing, but it was written in a clear and concise manner that made it easy to avoid the tangles of "who's who" while reading.

The tone of the writing was like an old gumshoe detective, which actually was kind of fun. The story of the Helen Brach case reads like a mishmash of movie tropes, including everything from Westerns to Mafia. It's not at all surprising to hear that the cast of characters who may have been involved in her disappearance are the inspirations for well-known Hollywood films. It makes for a lively read even though the story still has no ending.

Ylisela has provided a couple of possible theories for the disappearance but ultimately leaves it to the reader to decide on their own.

I picked this up as a free ebook copy and really enjoyed it.

[S.A. Molteni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Killed the Candy Lady? by James Ylisela is a well-written, wonderfully crafted non-fiction tale of the disappearance of Helen Brach, heiress to the Brach candy fortune.

As a cold case that bears re-opening, Ylisela pain-stakingingly provides the facts as he knows them of this unsolved mystery. From Chicago crime world connections to horse thieves, the tale of the disappearance of Brach is woven tightly into a Hollywood-like drama of whodunnit. There are so many people involved that it is difficult to determine who the actual culprit could be, which is why the mystery remains unsolved to this day.

The author brought this cold case back to life in the pages of Who Killed the Candy Lady? It reads like a fictional novel, written in such a way to keep me, the reader, engaged and intrigued from beginning to end. I read through the entire book in one sitting, wanting more of the story at the end.

I would definitely recommend this to those who like a good mystery/drama whether non-fictional or fictional, this book would appeal to both types of readers.

[CoffeeTimeRomance andMore · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the spirit of “and more” in Coffee Time Romance & More, I decided to give this true crime book a try. I enjoy true crime, generally, and this book did not disappoint. It is written in a clear, concise manner, and I appreciated the author’s first-hand research and correspondence with key players. James Ylisela Jr. unfortunately does not solve the crime, but presents two plausible theories and enough facts readers may decide for themselves. Who Killed the Candy Lady? paints a chilling tale of murder, greed, organized crime and, ultimately, justice unserved for the innocent Helen Brach.
Veronica
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Susan Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

FASCINATING ACCOUNT

This well-written book does its best to discover what happened to Helen Brach. The reader gets immersed in the facts and feels like a master sleuth himself. The facts about some professional horse owners during those times were upsetting.

[Emily Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

An quick read that gives an interesting look into this very intriguing case.

[Morgue Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt very robotic, a frank discussion of the facts and reiteration of accounts made by those involved. A good read for those who enjoy true-crime, but not a gripping page-turner.

[Jeanne Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murderers and Horsemen

Having owned horses in Chicago during the 70's and 80's this book was a walk down memory lane. It was an interesting read and well documented.