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The Unclaimed Victim
Living decades apart, two women get caught in the web of an infamous serial killer.
In 1938, at the height of the Great Depression, a madman hunts his victims through the hobo jungles of Cleveland, terrorizing the city. Ethel Harding, a prostitute struggling to survive both the cold streets and the Torso Killer, takes refuge with a devout missionary sect—only to find that its righteous facade conceals the darkest of secrets.
Sixty years later, the police find the butchered body of Alfred Wiley in the woods. But before his daughter, Kris, can even identify the remains, things he never told her begin to surface one by one—a mysterious private eye who’d been tracking him, an eerie website devoted to the unsolved “Torso” murders, missing archives, stolen books, and an abandoned Bible factory harboring vagrants. The more she learns about her father’s obsession with the Torso Killer, the more Alfred’s death appears to be related, pulling Kris further into Cleveland’s hellish past.
Living decades apart, Ethel and Kris must unravel the truth behind the city’s most notorious serial killer…or die trying.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2017
1303 people are currently reading
1593 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Pulley
6 books712 followersD.M. Pulley lives in northeast Ohio with her husband, her two children, and a dog named Hobo. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a Professional Engineer rehabbing historic structures and conducting forensic investigations of building failures. Pulley's structural survey of a vacant building in Cleveland inspired her debut novel, The Dead Key, the winner of the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Since then, Pulley has sold over a half a million books worldwide, and her work has been translated into eight different languages.
Pulley's historical mysteries shine a light into the darker side of life in the Midwest during the twentieth century, when cities like Detroit and Cleveland struggled to survive. Her latest novel, No One’s Home (due out September 1, 2019), unravels the disturbing history of an old mansion haunted by family secrets, financial ruin, and murder. The abandoned buildings, haunted houses, and buried past of the Rust Belt continue to inspire her work.
Pulley's historical mysteries shine a light into the darker side of life in the Midwest during the twentieth century, when cities like Detroit and Cleveland struggled to survive. Her latest novel, No One’s Home (due out September 1, 2019), unravels the disturbing history of an old mansion haunted by family secrets, financial ruin, and murder. The abandoned buildings, haunted houses, and buried past of the Rust Belt continue to inspire her work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
November 8, 2017
4.5 stars
I'm always thrilled when I choose a book that I think is going to be merely one thing and it turns out to be MORE! It's serendipity! That is exactly what I found with D. M. Pulley's The Unclaimed Victim. I assumed it was just a suspense novel but I found a book filled astounding historical information from one the worst eras in Midwest history: the 1930s - 50s.
Most Americans are familiar with the activity of the KKK in the southern part of the US but few realize the largest concentration of the Klan and Nazi sympathizers during the Depression was in the Midwest, specifically Indiana and Ohio. Unfortunately vestiges of these organizations and those who believe in their merits have survived in the rural pockets of the region. They take aim at anyone who is different.
I give you this background as context for the story which intertwines the tales of two women: Ethel, a prostitute from the 30s and Kris, a young woman who has just been told of the possible death and dismemberment of her father. Through the marriage of these two stories, we learn of the Torso Killings, a true event, which happened in Ethel's time but eerily relates to Kris as well. As Kris discovers more about the Torso killer her own life is put in jeopardy until we reach the climatic twist near the end of the story. This twist would appear unbelievable, and I daresay many find it so, but I've known a few people like Kris's nemesis in my lifetime, people whose horrific secrets are hidden perhaps until after they are dead. So, for me, living in a very small, rural town in the Midwest, I believed. More importantly, after concluding the book there is a wonderful list of references regarding everything upon which the book was based. I've been hanging out in online libraries ever since!
This is a fabulous mystery/suspense thriller and an even better historical fiction novel. I highly recommend this one!
(Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for my advanced copy)
November 13, 2017
I read The Dead Key by D.M. Pulley in 2015 and it was a good book, but it was the second book The Buried Book that really made an impression on me. So, when I saw this books cover and read the blurb did I know I just had to read it.
I have a thing for dual storylines so I was quite thrilled to get a story that is both sets in 1938 and in 1999. This is quite a dark story, with both women from different periods getting involved in the Torso killings. Ethel Harding lives a hard life a prostitute and by accident does she get involved when she sees and hears things she shouldn't. 60 years later and Kris Wiley learns that there is a possibility that the butchered remains of a body is her father. But, there are odd things in her father's life and she learns things that make her wonder if she knew the man at all.
The Unclaimed Victim is a bleak book. The story is interesting, it just never gets really thrilling to read. I found the pacing of the story slow and there came a moment when I had read half the book, and I just was unsure if it was worth continuing. Thankfully, I kept going and the last part of the book was better with a faster pace and revelations that I didn't expect. I think what the book lacks is suspense. I mean it has everything for a good creepy setting, a spooky big old house where one easily can get lost in. But, I never felt that it got under my skin and to be honest neither Kris nor Ethel really made an impression on me. Truthfully, I found that the 1938 storyline worked not as well as the one in 1999. I can see the necessity to have it, but everything the story shifted did I wait for it to go back to 1999.
Still, as I wrote above was it worth reading the book. I did not expect the twist that came towards the end of the book and I love it when I get surprised like that. I liked how the book was set in 1999, it's not that long ago, but reading this book makes me realize how much has happened since then. I look forward to reading the next book D.M. Pulley will publish.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
I have a thing for dual storylines so I was quite thrilled to get a story that is both sets in 1938 and in 1999. This is quite a dark story, with both women from different periods getting involved in the Torso killings. Ethel Harding lives a hard life a prostitute and by accident does she get involved when she sees and hears things she shouldn't. 60 years later and Kris Wiley learns that there is a possibility that the butchered remains of a body is her father. But, there are odd things in her father's life and she learns things that make her wonder if she knew the man at all.
The Unclaimed Victim is a bleak book. The story is interesting, it just never gets really thrilling to read. I found the pacing of the story slow and there came a moment when I had read half the book, and I just was unsure if it was worth continuing. Thankfully, I kept going and the last part of the book was better with a faster pace and revelations that I didn't expect. I think what the book lacks is suspense. I mean it has everything for a good creepy setting, a spooky big old house where one easily can get lost in. But, I never felt that it got under my skin and to be honest neither Kris nor Ethel really made an impression on me. Truthfully, I found that the 1938 storyline worked not as well as the one in 1999. I can see the necessity to have it, but everything the story shifted did I wait for it to go back to 1999.
Still, as I wrote above was it worth reading the book. I did not expect the twist that came towards the end of the book and I love it when I get surprised like that. I liked how the book was set in 1999, it's not that long ago, but reading this book makes me realize how much has happened since then. I look forward to reading the next book D.M. Pulley will publish.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
November 15, 2017
D. M. Pulley returns following The Buried Book and The Dead Key with her latest historical fiction THE UNCLAIMED VICTIM—a blending of fact and fiction, history, a gruesome unsolved murder mystery, with dual timelines and dark hidden secrets.
“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” – Fredrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good, and Evil, 1886
Pulley is a pro at digging up the dark secrets of the past and blending with the present while intertwining her own fascinating "what if" shocking conclusion.
Cleveland, Ohio. In 1999 a man is found, Alfred Ray Wiley. The daughter Kris recalls the argument with her father. He wanted her to move back home. He did not like her wasting her time with starving artists.
A tattoo. Dark secrets. Her father’s obsession with the Torso Killer. The library books. and the Search for a Psychopathic Killer.
The Torso Killer got his name by cutting off his victims’ heads, arms, and legs. What did her father have to do with this horrible stuff?
Thirteen bodies from 1934-1938, victims of the serial killer dubbed as the “Torso Killer, and the “Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run.”
In the past, 1938 during the Great Depression. A madman terrorizing the city.
Ethel Harding, a prostitute. The monstrous Harmony Mission. She was desperate. A horrible mistake. Her mother had thrown her out onto the street.
A religious cult. Brutal slayings. White supremacist. Crime group. Unsolved murders. The casualties of the Depression littered the banks with starving children and battered women. Bodies found in the river.
From 1935 to 1938, bodies were dumped in the area known as Kingsbury Run, a creek bed that runs from East 90th Street and Kinsman Road to the Cuyahoga River.
The victims included seven men and five women. Most were hobos and prostitutes, people living on the edge at a time when Cleveland was hard hit by the Great Depression. Many weren't missed for months.
Pulley takes a real shocking story and adds her own unique spin. It's her second book that shines a light on Cleveland's notorious past; the first, 2015's "The Dead Key," was a thriller set in the old Cleveland Trust Tower.
From 1930’s Ethel and 1990’s Kris – how are the two cases linked?
As with Pulley’s other two books, they are well-researched blending mystery, intrigue, and history.
Creepy and haunting, based on the most gruesome crime spree in Cleveland history, making headlines across the nation--and still haunting the streets of Cleveland. The killer who was never caught.
For fans of historical mysteries with a twist of Gothic. Also, fans of Aimee Austin (Sylvie Fox)’s Casey Cort Legal series - set in Cleveland will enjoy (have read them all). Always interesting for readers located in the South to visit the shocking secrets of the Midwest. Found myself doing additional research to learn more.
The author includes additional research for those interested in this era. View Video with the author.
Looking forward to seeing what's next.
A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.
JDCMustReadBooks
“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” – Fredrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good, and Evil, 1886
Pulley is a pro at digging up the dark secrets of the past and blending with the present while intertwining her own fascinating "what if" shocking conclusion.
Cleveland, Ohio. In 1999 a man is found, Alfred Ray Wiley. The daughter Kris recalls the argument with her father. He wanted her to move back home. He did not like her wasting her time with starving artists.
A tattoo. Dark secrets. Her father’s obsession with the Torso Killer. The library books. and the Search for a Psychopathic Killer.
The Torso Killer got his name by cutting off his victims’ heads, arms, and legs. What did her father have to do with this horrible stuff?
Thirteen bodies from 1934-1938, victims of the serial killer dubbed as the “Torso Killer, and the “Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run.”
In the past, 1938 during the Great Depression. A madman terrorizing the city.
Ethel Harding, a prostitute. The monstrous Harmony Mission. She was desperate. A horrible mistake. Her mother had thrown her out onto the street.
A religious cult. Brutal slayings. White supremacist. Crime group. Unsolved murders. The casualties of the Depression littered the banks with starving children and battered women. Bodies found in the river.
From 1935 to 1938, bodies were dumped in the area known as Kingsbury Run, a creek bed that runs from East 90th Street and Kinsman Road to the Cuyahoga River.
The victims included seven men and five women. Most were hobos and prostitutes, people living on the edge at a time when Cleveland was hard hit by the Great Depression. Many weren't missed for months.
Pulley takes a real shocking story and adds her own unique spin. It's her second book that shines a light on Cleveland's notorious past; the first, 2015's "The Dead Key," was a thriller set in the old Cleveland Trust Tower.
From 1930’s Ethel and 1990’s Kris – how are the two cases linked?
As with Pulley’s other two books, they are well-researched blending mystery, intrigue, and history.
Creepy and haunting, based on the most gruesome crime spree in Cleveland history, making headlines across the nation--and still haunting the streets of Cleveland. The killer who was never caught.
For fans of historical mysteries with a twist of Gothic. Also, fans of Aimee Austin (Sylvie Fox)’s Casey Cort Legal series - set in Cleveland will enjoy (have read them all). Always interesting for readers located in the South to visit the shocking secrets of the Midwest. Found myself doing additional research to learn more.
The author includes additional research for those interested in this era. View Video with the author.
Looking forward to seeing what's next.
A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.
JDCMustReadBooks
November 15, 2017
I am a big fan of this author, have loved her books, her writing style and the way she incorporates history into her story. The direction she takes her characters are twisty and unpredictable which is refreshing and keeps the reader’s interest until the end. I would highly recommend this book and her others as well.
December 15, 2017
A special thank you goes out to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer publishing for allowing me to read this early! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
TW: child and spousal abuse, derogatory terms used for African Americans and Jews
I picked this up from the Read Now section of Netgalley after reading The Wife Between Us because I really hooked on mystery/thrillers after that. I was also going to read this for #arctober and I never got around to it. The cover intrigued me along with the title and I grabbed it without even reading the synopsis. Something I never do.
Well, I'm glad I did this because this was insane! This is considered historical fiction and some of the things mentioned in this book, such as the KKK actually happened. Well, the KKK is still around, unfortunately. But that is for another day.
Moving on.
This book has two MCs, Kris and Ethel. Ethel's story is set in the 1930s, where the notorious Torso Killer is running loose, killing prostitutes and poor homeless people and cutting off their body parts. Gruesome, I know. Kris' story is happening in 1999, where she is trying to find out what happened to her father.
I think that is all I should give away of this story. This is one of those books that is best read going in completely blind. It worked for me. I had a blast reading the different timelines and attempting to figure out what in the world was happening and what was going to happen next.
I highly suggest this book if you are looking for a historical fiction mystery/thriller. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing until the very end.
TW: child and spousal abuse, derogatory terms used for African Americans and Jews
I picked this up from the Read Now section of Netgalley after reading The Wife Between Us because I really hooked on mystery/thrillers after that. I was also going to read this for #arctober and I never got around to it. The cover intrigued me along with the title and I grabbed it without even reading the synopsis. Something I never do.
Well, I'm glad I did this because this was insane! This is considered historical fiction and some of the things mentioned in this book, such as the KKK actually happened. Well, the KKK is still around, unfortunately. But that is for another day.
Moving on.
This book has two MCs, Kris and Ethel. Ethel's story is set in the 1930s, where the notorious Torso Killer is running loose, killing prostitutes and poor homeless people and cutting off their body parts. Gruesome, I know. Kris' story is happening in 1999, where she is trying to find out what happened to her father.
I think that is all I should give away of this story. This is one of those books that is best read going in completely blind. It worked for me. I had a blast reading the different timelines and attempting to figure out what in the world was happening and what was going to happen next.
I highly suggest this book if you are looking for a historical fiction mystery/thriller. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing until the very end.
November 28, 2017
Haunting, Horrifying, and Hypnotizing!
Two women in two different times connected by the same gruesome murders and a gospel press building. D.M. Pulley has quickly become the master of the dual narrative. A harrowing tale intertwined with historical fact, her third thriller haunts, horrifies, and hypnotizes. Much like the building in which it is set, once you enter, you'll be racing to the exit, then banging to get back inside.
Two women in two different times connected by the same gruesome murders and a gospel press building. D.M. Pulley has quickly become the master of the dual narrative. A harrowing tale intertwined with historical fact, her third thriller haunts, horrifies, and hypnotizes. Much like the building in which it is set, once you enter, you'll be racing to the exit, then banging to get back inside.
March 7, 2018
The Unclaimed Victim was my second D.M. Pulley book, and truth be told, I waffled back and forth between two and three stars when rating it. I rather liked The Dead Key, with its dual narratives and the novel way it wove the history of Cleveland into the storyline. The Unclaimed Victim is structured similarly, so I went in optimistic, but ultimately found this book less effective thanks to a ridiculous high-concept take on the historical elements, weak, one-dimensional characters (Kris can be described in one word: meek), and some ham-fisted commentary on race relations.
Like The Dead Key, The Unclaimed Victim takes place in Cleveland, moving back and forth in time to follow erstwhile college student Kris in 1999, and grizzled sex worker Ethel in 1938. The thread tying the two women together across time are the notoriously unsolved Cleveland Torso Murders, a series of grisly slayings that occurred between 1934-38. This is where TUV is the strongest: when it focuses on real-life details, and expands on those personal narratives. Flo Polillo and Edward Andrassy were indeed two of the Torso Killer victims, and the book humanizes them and the other victims (all of whom were likely easy prey living on the fringes of society during the Great Depression) through Ethel’s familiarity with them and their hardscrabble lifestyle. Likewise, Eliot Ness was in fact Cleveland’s Director of Public during the time of the killings, though his level of involvement in the investigation was likely minimal.
But the book goes off the rails when it tries to answer the question of who is ultimately behind the Torso Murders, and why they committed such heinous crimes. There is no single crazed madman here, but a vast conspiracy orchestrated by a ridiculous patchwork of villains operating across the Rust Belt. There are Nazis. There are anti-Bolsheviks. Deranged evangelical Christian cultists? You bet! The Ku Klux Klan? They’re here too! Imagine Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, just a little grosser and set on the Cuyahoga.
Even more weak than the villains - none of whom are particularly interesting or nuanced, just hateful and cruel - is their motive, which is never made particularly clear. They...want to rid the world of filth? They...hate people who aren’t white, and/or are white but also poor? They’re anti-Semites? They hate the New Deal? It’s never explicitly stated, so we’re left to assume it’s all of the above. What I do know is committing a series of widely-publicized murders by dismemberment seems like a wildly ineffective method for a secret cult to rid society of its riff-raff, in addition to being, at best, a pretty iffy way to start a white supremacist revolution.
As full disclosure, I listened to this as an audiobook, and unfortunately the narrator “does voices” - a distracting and unnecessary affectation that always brings to mind prim librarians reading children fairy tales. Kris and her family are saddled with a baffling southern accents despite being from Northwest Ohio, elderly women are given voices that say “I’m planning to bake Hansel and Gretel a little later,” and men’s voices are all stylistically very similar to a child attempting to imitate their dad on the phone. If you’re interested in this title, I would strongly advise you skip the audiobook.
Like The Dead Key, The Unclaimed Victim takes place in Cleveland, moving back and forth in time to follow erstwhile college student Kris in 1999, and grizzled sex worker Ethel in 1938. The thread tying the two women together across time are the notoriously unsolved Cleveland Torso Murders, a series of grisly slayings that occurred between 1934-38. This is where TUV is the strongest: when it focuses on real-life details, and expands on those personal narratives. Flo Polillo and Edward Andrassy were indeed two of the Torso Killer victims, and the book humanizes them and the other victims (all of whom were likely easy prey living on the fringes of society during the Great Depression) through Ethel’s familiarity with them and their hardscrabble lifestyle. Likewise, Eliot Ness was in fact Cleveland’s Director of Public during the time of the killings, though his level of involvement in the investigation was likely minimal.
But the book goes off the rails when it tries to answer the question of who is ultimately behind the Torso Murders, and why they committed such heinous crimes. There is no single crazed madman here, but a vast conspiracy orchestrated by a ridiculous patchwork of villains operating across the Rust Belt. There are Nazis. There are anti-Bolsheviks. Deranged evangelical Christian cultists? You bet! The Ku Klux Klan? They’re here too! Imagine Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, just a little grosser and set on the Cuyahoga.
Even more weak than the villains - none of whom are particularly interesting or nuanced, just hateful and cruel - is their motive, which is never made particularly clear. They...want to rid the world of filth? They...hate people who aren’t white, and/or are white but also poor? They’re anti-Semites? They hate the New Deal? It’s never explicitly stated, so we’re left to assume it’s all of the above. What I do know is committing a series of widely-publicized murders by dismemberment seems like a wildly ineffective method for a secret cult to rid society of its riff-raff, in addition to being, at best, a pretty iffy way to start a white supremacist revolution.
As full disclosure, I listened to this as an audiobook, and unfortunately the narrator “does voices” - a distracting and unnecessary affectation that always brings to mind prim librarians reading children fairy tales. Kris and her family are saddled with a baffling southern accents despite being from Northwest Ohio, elderly women are given voices that say “I’m planning to bake Hansel and Gretel a little later,” and men’s voices are all stylistically very similar to a child attempting to imitate their dad on the phone. If you’re interested in this title, I would strongly advise you skip the audiobook.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2018
4.5 stars. Wow, that was something else and based on true events. You can trust Pulley to write something completely different. You never know what you're going to get. I've now read all three of her books and have enjoyed them all but this took things to another level, it was a cracker. It was also a lot darker than her earlier work. Her books all seem to feature two time lines with events from the past intersecting with events in the present. She does this really well and I like the format a lot.
This book links the Torso Killer murders of the late 1930s with ongoing events today and builds a fictional story around the killer or killers. These killings actually took place (creepy yeah?) and Pulley weaves a compelling and dark story around the whole sordid episode. The book also highlights the bleak prospects of Cleveland's poor after the Great Depression and how few options they had in the quest for simple survival. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will certainly keep an eye out for Pulley's next book. It is sure to be something completely different again.
This book links the Torso Killer murders of the late 1930s with ongoing events today and builds a fictional story around the killer or killers. These killings actually took place (creepy yeah?) and Pulley weaves a compelling and dark story around the whole sordid episode. The book also highlights the bleak prospects of Cleveland's poor after the Great Depression and how few options they had in the quest for simple survival. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will certainly keep an eye out for Pulley's next book. It is sure to be something completely different again.
November 17, 2017
While I am not a fan of books that jump from viewpoint to viewpoint and from the future to the past and back, this story was compelling enough for me to read and even enjoy. The characters are well rounded and unique. set in two different time periods, the story follows a number serial murders, which are gruesome in the extreme. In 1938, the protagonist is a prostitute that finds herself overhearing things she shouldn't and becomes part of the "torso" killer scene...In 1999, our new protagonist is a young wanna-be artist who finds herself asked to identify a headless, appendage-less torso as her father. She can't do it, even though there are the right tattoos on the body. What had her father gotten himself into? What is she getting into?
This is more a historical fiction than a thriller, but the author has a knack for mixing real facts with fiction to create stories that leave readers wondering about the possibilities.
This is more a historical fiction than a thriller, but the author has a knack for mixing real facts with fiction to create stories that leave readers wondering about the possibilities.
February 10, 2019
This is the tird novel by D.M. Pulley and she's now definitely one of my favourite authors! Her second novel "The buried book" is my favourite of the three but this one was also quite good!
The story takes places in two different time lines, one in 1938, the other in 1999. The latter of the two was what really impressed me. Is that something that could really happen in North America, less than twenty years ago?? I went to the internet and discovered that Cleveland is in fact the fifth deadliest town of America. I would have never thought it.. and the idea of someone finding himself/herself in a situation like that..it's unthinkable, enraging, it left me without the words to express my feelings! D.M.Pulley's works are sometimes difficult, but they are also worth it, she knows how to write and her characterization is superb.
The story takes places in two different time lines, one in 1938, the other in 1999. The latter of the two was what really impressed me. Is that something that could really happen in North America, less than twenty years ago?? I went to the internet and discovered that Cleveland is in fact the fifth deadliest town of America. I would have never thought it.. and the idea of someone finding himself/herself in a situation like that..it's unthinkable, enraging, it left me without the words to express my feelings! D.M.Pulley's works are sometimes difficult, but they are also worth it, she knows how to write and her characterization is superb.
January 8, 2018
Two women, 60 years apart, search for a serial killer who dismembers victims. In 1938 Ethel is trying to stay alive on the Cleveland streets with the infamous Torso Killer, the case that foiled Eliot Ness. In 1999 Kristin, a CSU student, becomes involved with people still trying to solve the killings after her father goes missing and parts of his body are found back in her hometown of Criderville, Ohio.
A good, fast-paced story told in alternating chapters. Liked the local aspect of CLE setting. Told as fiction, but could the author have really solved the murders??
A good, fast-paced story told in alternating chapters. Liked the local aspect of CLE setting. Told as fiction, but could the author have really solved the murders??
December 12, 2017
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I could not become interested in this no matter how hard I tried. I didn't see any point, and I didn't see how the two stories really related to each other. I wanted to try to tough it out and find out, but I just couldn't do it any longer. I found myself dreading picking it up, and when I feel that way, it's time to move on.
I could not become interested in this no matter how hard I tried. I didn't see any point, and I didn't see how the two stories really related to each other. I wanted to try to tough it out and find out, but I just couldn't do it any longer. I found myself dreading picking it up, and when I feel that way, it's time to move on.
February 3, 2018
Suspenseful, entertaining read that splits time between 1999 and post great depression, 1939. Cults, skin heads, and death stalk Cleveland, Ohio. Pulley's characters come from the wrong side of the track, and make a living the best they can, but they are not bad people just doing the best they can in a bad situation. This is the third book I've read by Pulley, and I enjoyed all of them.
October 17, 2017
Very interesting story. Ethel is awesome. Ethel is my favorite character. I enjoyed reading this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
November 19, 2017
Very unique
I really wanted to take my time with this book as there is a wait for her next book but it was so good I couldn't slow down reading it I needed answers!
I really wanted to take my time with this book as there is a wait for her next book but it was so good I couldn't slow down reading it I needed answers!
February 16, 2019
There are many unclaimed persons in this novel, all victims of the killer dubbed 'the torso killer' or killers, whose reign of terror over the midwest for more than 60 years remained unsolved. Though death was arrived at in various ways, all the victims were headless and with arms and legs severed at each joint. Most heads and hands remained undiscovered in an effort, it was thought, to hamper identification of the remains. And though remains were found in Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania, the vast majority of the murdered remains were located in the Cleveland area of Ohio.
We spend time in the late 1930's and early '40's with a prostitute and alcoholic known as Ethel or Hattie or Ambrosia as she finds her life more and more intertwined with that of the torso killer, even unable to shake him off by hiding out in the local christian shelter, the Harmony House. It becomes obvious to Ethel that the destitute and homeless are the perfect victims for this crime spree. There is no one to miss them, no one to stir up a fuss when they are never seen again.
Interspersed between chapters are actual press clippings from area newspapers through the years, each announcing yet another mutilated body attributed to the Torso Killer. These clippings speak to the probability that there are several persons involved in these murders. And they never really stop even though those murdered are not part of our story. But who and what and how involved were the members of the KKK and the Silver Shirt Legion?
In 1999 we pick up the story with the experiences of Kris Wiley, an Auglaize County girl, 19 and a college student in Cleveland. Her father, a single parent since the death of Kris' mother 13 years ago, has apparently become the latest victim of the torso killer. It doesn't take Kris long to figure out that despite all her years in the tiny insular town of Wapakoneta, she virtually has no one there that she can trust.
The Unclaimed Victim in an excellent who-done-it. D. M. Pulley brings us a smooth tale, easy to follow despite the jumps back and forth through time. I found it very interesting that Pulley in her prior life was a professional engineer and worked at rehabbing historic structures. I found myself intrigued by the Cleveland building that plays a major role in this novel, the labyrinth of joined buildings that were a military hospital during the civil war, and in the '20's and '30's housed the bible publishers and the various aspects of Harmony House.
Birthday gift from Mac!
We spend time in the late 1930's and early '40's with a prostitute and alcoholic known as Ethel or Hattie or Ambrosia as she finds her life more and more intertwined with that of the torso killer, even unable to shake him off by hiding out in the local christian shelter, the Harmony House. It becomes obvious to Ethel that the destitute and homeless are the perfect victims for this crime spree. There is no one to miss them, no one to stir up a fuss when they are never seen again.
Interspersed between chapters are actual press clippings from area newspapers through the years, each announcing yet another mutilated body attributed to the Torso Killer. These clippings speak to the probability that there are several persons involved in these murders. And they never really stop even though those murdered are not part of our story. But who and what and how involved were the members of the KKK and the Silver Shirt Legion?
In 1999 we pick up the story with the experiences of Kris Wiley, an Auglaize County girl, 19 and a college student in Cleveland. Her father, a single parent since the death of Kris' mother 13 years ago, has apparently become the latest victim of the torso killer. It doesn't take Kris long to figure out that despite all her years in the tiny insular town of Wapakoneta, she virtually has no one there that she can trust.
The Unclaimed Victim in an excellent who-done-it. D. M. Pulley brings us a smooth tale, easy to follow despite the jumps back and forth through time. I found it very interesting that Pulley in her prior life was a professional engineer and worked at rehabbing historic structures. I found myself intrigued by the Cleveland building that plays a major role in this novel, the labyrinth of joined buildings that were a military hospital during the civil war, and in the '20's and '30's housed the bible publishers and the various aspects of Harmony House.
Birthday gift from Mac!
October 14, 2017
2 and 1 / 2 stars
Kris Wiley, the protagonist in this story, refuses to believe that her father is dead. He was on a fishing trip when he was murdered and dismembered. She sees his driver’s license, items of clothing and other artifacts, including a tattoo but still comes up with excuses as to why it is not him. Puleese!!
I got to 59% in the book with Kris still refusing to believe that her father was dead before I gave up. I did not finish the novel.
I must say that I have read each of the D.M. Pulley novels since “The Dead Key” and they have gotten progressively worse in the wandering and disjointed plots. The words in the story are well put together, but the plotting is all over the place. Kris is a totally unsympathetic character and I did not feel any empathy or sympathy for her at all. Why do all of D.M. Pulley’s characters need to grow the heck up? I usually truly enjoy Thomas & Mercer’s novels, but was sorely disappointed in this one.
I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
Kris Wiley, the protagonist in this story, refuses to believe that her father is dead. He was on a fishing trip when he was murdered and dismembered. She sees his driver’s license, items of clothing and other artifacts, including a tattoo but still comes up with excuses as to why it is not him. Puleese!!
I got to 59% in the book with Kris still refusing to believe that her father was dead before I gave up. I did not finish the novel.
I must say that I have read each of the D.M. Pulley novels since “The Dead Key” and they have gotten progressively worse in the wandering and disjointed plots. The words in the story are well put together, but the plotting is all over the place. Kris is a totally unsympathetic character and I did not feel any empathy or sympathy for her at all. Why do all of D.M. Pulley’s characters need to grow the heck up? I usually truly enjoy Thomas & Mercer’s novels, but was sorely disappointed in this one.
I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
January 29, 2018
Our book club read her first book The Dead Key and did not give it a good review. When I saw the reviews for this book, I thought I would give it a chance. I am in the minority I guess. I found the whole thing preposterous! I live on the outskirts of Cleveland so always interested to see a book by a Cleveland author but this was not my cup of tea. Don't think I will try her second one.
April 7, 2018
4.5.. oh gosh! I don't even know what to say when rating this book. First it is definitely a page turner. Full of action What really brought me to read this book was the true events that was based inside. I recommend all to read!
March 25, 2021
Dori - per RFS
.
Il macellaio di Cleveland è un serial killer realmente esistito e mai identificato dalle autorità. Questo romanzo cerca di dare una risposta al mistero con un epilogo di fantasia non ben riuscito.
La storia inizia con Kris che deve fare i conti con la scomparsa del padre, un burbero cacciatore con il quale ha sempre avuto un rapporto di odio/amore. Lei, che si era trasferita da poco, quando torna a casa, scopre che il padre, prima di sparire, stava facendo delle ricerche sul Macellaio di Cleveland.
La narrazione, però, è divisa in due filoni: c’è Kris, nel 1999 che cerca di fare chiarezza su ciò che è accaduto a suo padre, e c’è Ethel, nel 1938, periodo in cui gli omicidi del macellaio pazzo erano avvenuti, prostituta alcolista e squattrinata che inizia, per caso, a indagare sui misfatti e sul mistero nascosto dietro l’assassinio dei suoi amici senzatetto.
Questi due filoni narrativi si incrociano alla fine, quando Kris verrà a scoprire che gli omicidi non sono mai cessati e sono opera di un gruppo di suprematisti bianchi che invocano il repulisti delle strade da quelli che per loro sono abomini in terra: criminali, prostitute, neri, ebrei, etc.
Il fatto che il romanzo sia a due voci mi ha salvato dall’assistere costantemente alla stupidità di Kris: una giovane donna petulante, dal carattere fastidioso e dall’indole sospettosa e paranoide. Le parti, infatti, in cui la protagonista era Ethel mi sono piaciute molto di più perché la squattrinata prostituta è una donna combattiva, sagace, intelligente e molto forte.
Praticamente, ogni volta che si passava all’anno 1999 mi veniva da mettermi le mani nei capelli nel leggere i dialoghi tra Kris e l’amico Jimmy: a onore del merito, devo ammettere che costruire un personaggio così rompiscatole non è cosa da tutti, quindi, comunque, faccio i miei complimenti alla scrittrice.
Al termine del romanzo, l’autrice spiega un po’ da cosa è nato questo libro: i crimini del Macellaio non hanno mai avuto un colpevole e D.M. Pulley ha ben pensato di immaginarsene uno, anzi, molti, addirittura una intera setta di nazisti… Ecco, il fatto che si parta da un presupposto vero e si arrivi a un finale di fantasia mi ha lasciata leggermente basita, avrei preferito una ricostruzione del caso del mostro di Cleveland senza l’interposizione di una storia inventata di sana pianta, oltretutto, non sempre vincente nei contenuti.
Lo stile del romanzo è lineare, la storia si fa leggere volentieri anche se ci sono dei punti in cui risulta noiosa (soprattutto, repetita iuvant, nelle parti che vedono come protagonista Kris!) e il finale non solo è scontato ma è anche mal spiegato: sembra, a un certo punto, che i membri della setta siano ovunque, infiltrati anche nella polizia di Cleveland, eppure Kris e Jimmy vengono messi sotto copertura lontani da quella stessa città… dopo aver scoperto chi è realmente il Macellaio, avrei preferito un epilogo in cui venisse dichiarato anche dalla polizia il ritrovamento del killer, insomma, una risoluzione più definitiva.
La storia sentimentale che dovrebbe vedere come protagonisti Kris e lo squatter Jimmy è, secondo il mio modesto parere, a dir poco deludente anche se, sicuramente, non è questo il genere di libro dove poter reperire una bella storia d’amore.
Insomma, tutto sommato sono arrivata alla fine del romanzo senza tante emozioni, né sconvolgimenti: apprezzo moltissimo la ricerca storica dell’autrice e il fatto che, all’inizio di ogni capitolo, ci fossero degli stralci di giornale con le vere notizie in merito al caso sul Macellaio, ma la storia disegnata intorno alla realtà non è stata all’altezza delle mie aspettative.
.
Il macellaio di Cleveland è un serial killer realmente esistito e mai identificato dalle autorità. Questo romanzo cerca di dare una risposta al mistero con un epilogo di fantasia non ben riuscito.
La storia inizia con Kris che deve fare i conti con la scomparsa del padre, un burbero cacciatore con il quale ha sempre avuto un rapporto di odio/amore. Lei, che si era trasferita da poco, quando torna a casa, scopre che il padre, prima di sparire, stava facendo delle ricerche sul Macellaio di Cleveland.
La narrazione, però, è divisa in due filoni: c’è Kris, nel 1999 che cerca di fare chiarezza su ciò che è accaduto a suo padre, e c’è Ethel, nel 1938, periodo in cui gli omicidi del macellaio pazzo erano avvenuti, prostituta alcolista e squattrinata che inizia, per caso, a indagare sui misfatti e sul mistero nascosto dietro l’assassinio dei suoi amici senzatetto.
Questi due filoni narrativi si incrociano alla fine, quando Kris verrà a scoprire che gli omicidi non sono mai cessati e sono opera di un gruppo di suprematisti bianchi che invocano il repulisti delle strade da quelli che per loro sono abomini in terra: criminali, prostitute, neri, ebrei, etc.
Il fatto che il romanzo sia a due voci mi ha salvato dall’assistere costantemente alla stupidità di Kris: una giovane donna petulante, dal carattere fastidioso e dall’indole sospettosa e paranoide. Le parti, infatti, in cui la protagonista era Ethel mi sono piaciute molto di più perché la squattrinata prostituta è una donna combattiva, sagace, intelligente e molto forte.
Praticamente, ogni volta che si passava all’anno 1999 mi veniva da mettermi le mani nei capelli nel leggere i dialoghi tra Kris e l’amico Jimmy: a onore del merito, devo ammettere che costruire un personaggio così rompiscatole non è cosa da tutti, quindi, comunque, faccio i miei complimenti alla scrittrice.
Al termine del romanzo, l’autrice spiega un po’ da cosa è nato questo libro: i crimini del Macellaio non hanno mai avuto un colpevole e D.M. Pulley ha ben pensato di immaginarsene uno, anzi, molti, addirittura una intera setta di nazisti… Ecco, il fatto che si parta da un presupposto vero e si arrivi a un finale di fantasia mi ha lasciata leggermente basita, avrei preferito una ricostruzione del caso del mostro di Cleveland senza l’interposizione di una storia inventata di sana pianta, oltretutto, non sempre vincente nei contenuti.
Lo stile del romanzo è lineare, la storia si fa leggere volentieri anche se ci sono dei punti in cui risulta noiosa (soprattutto, repetita iuvant, nelle parti che vedono come protagonista Kris!) e il finale non solo è scontato ma è anche mal spiegato: sembra, a un certo punto, che i membri della setta siano ovunque, infiltrati anche nella polizia di Cleveland, eppure Kris e Jimmy vengono messi sotto copertura lontani da quella stessa città… dopo aver scoperto chi è realmente il Macellaio, avrei preferito un epilogo in cui venisse dichiarato anche dalla polizia il ritrovamento del killer, insomma, una risoluzione più definitiva.
La storia sentimentale che dovrebbe vedere come protagonisti Kris e lo squatter Jimmy è, secondo il mio modesto parere, a dir poco deludente anche se, sicuramente, non è questo il genere di libro dove poter reperire una bella storia d’amore.
Insomma, tutto sommato sono arrivata alla fine del romanzo senza tante emozioni, né sconvolgimenti: apprezzo moltissimo la ricerca storica dell’autrice e il fatto che, all’inizio di ogni capitolo, ci fossero degli stralci di giornale con le vere notizie in merito al caso sul Macellaio, ma la storia disegnata intorno alla realtà non è stata all’altezza delle mie aspettative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2018
“Living decades apart, two women get caught in the web of an infamous serial killer.”
The backdrop of the story is centered around a real-life series of murders at the height of the Great Depression in 1938. The victims, a number of thirteen, were found beheaded and dismembered. Many of the victims were known as the “working poor”, those who had nowhere to go but to reside in shanty towns, the area known as the Cleveland Flats or Hobo Jungle.
This was the case that haunted Eliot Ness, famed for bringing down Al Capone. Though he had little to do with the investigation, he was responsible for the unlawful kidnapping and interrogating one of the prime suspects, Dr. Francis Sweeney, as well as the demolition and burning of Kingsbury Run. Kingsbury Run was the place where the murderer or muderers dumped its victims.
The burning of Kingsbury Run left many of the working poor , homeless, thus tarnishing Eliot Ness’s spotless career. Close to retirement and shortly after the burnings of the murder site, the killer was emboldened to taunt the Public Safety Director of Cleveland by placing the remains of two victims in view of his office window.
In D.M. Pulley’s, The Unclaimed Victim, the story is split between two women--Ethel and Kris.
Ethel Harding, an aging, street-wise prostitute, finds herself struggling to survive from more than the cold, embittered streets of Cleveland, Ohio. There is a murderer about. She has seen death--murders, but this is something worse--darker. A killer that is targeting people like her. As the killer’s grip and the inevitability of falling prey to the assailant tightens, Ethel, aka Ambrosia, is taken into a convent by a kind, young nun, by the name Mary Alice.
Inside the the missionary sect, Ethel--known as Hadie, begins to peel back the facade of the righteous and the well intended. She might even in the process uncover the face of true evil.
Sixty years later Kris Wiley, college student, daughter to an over-bearing father, and deceased mother, must face that the pieces of a corpse found in the woods might be the remains of her father, Alfred. Waiting to discover through DNA testing if the remains are indeed her dad, she uncovers a book of newspaper clippings, documenting the murders of the Cleveland Torso Killer. In the quest to understand the man she called father, Kris is lead to a library containing missing archives, strange symbols on her door, and a mysterious website dedicated to the unsolved case of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run.
Decades apart, the author weaves the central determination of these women to reveal and stop a killer. To do so they must protect themselves, but the pervading question is from whom?
Be prepared for a few twist and turns throughout this story. I was at the edge of my seat up to the very end. My mouth open at that one thing--quickly after slapping my forehead, thinking, “Of course--why didn't I see that?”
This is a great read, compiled from a brilliant writer. I recommend this book to all desiring a memorable thriller.
The backdrop of the story is centered around a real-life series of murders at the height of the Great Depression in 1938. The victims, a number of thirteen, were found beheaded and dismembered. Many of the victims were known as the “working poor”, those who had nowhere to go but to reside in shanty towns, the area known as the Cleveland Flats or Hobo Jungle.
This was the case that haunted Eliot Ness, famed for bringing down Al Capone. Though he had little to do with the investigation, he was responsible for the unlawful kidnapping and interrogating one of the prime suspects, Dr. Francis Sweeney, as well as the demolition and burning of Kingsbury Run. Kingsbury Run was the place where the murderer or muderers dumped its victims.
The burning of Kingsbury Run left many of the working poor , homeless, thus tarnishing Eliot Ness’s spotless career. Close to retirement and shortly after the burnings of the murder site, the killer was emboldened to taunt the Public Safety Director of Cleveland by placing the remains of two victims in view of his office window.
In D.M. Pulley’s, The Unclaimed Victim, the story is split between two women--Ethel and Kris.
Ethel Harding, an aging, street-wise prostitute, finds herself struggling to survive from more than the cold, embittered streets of Cleveland, Ohio. There is a murderer about. She has seen death--murders, but this is something worse--darker. A killer that is targeting people like her. As the killer’s grip and the inevitability of falling prey to the assailant tightens, Ethel, aka Ambrosia, is taken into a convent by a kind, young nun, by the name Mary Alice.
Inside the the missionary sect, Ethel--known as Hadie, begins to peel back the facade of the righteous and the well intended. She might even in the process uncover the face of true evil.
Sixty years later Kris Wiley, college student, daughter to an over-bearing father, and deceased mother, must face that the pieces of a corpse found in the woods might be the remains of her father, Alfred. Waiting to discover through DNA testing if the remains are indeed her dad, she uncovers a book of newspaper clippings, documenting the murders of the Cleveland Torso Killer. In the quest to understand the man she called father, Kris is lead to a library containing missing archives, strange symbols on her door, and a mysterious website dedicated to the unsolved case of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run.
Decades apart, the author weaves the central determination of these women to reveal and stop a killer. To do so they must protect themselves, but the pervading question is from whom?
Be prepared for a few twist and turns throughout this story. I was at the edge of my seat up to the very end. My mouth open at that one thing--quickly after slapping my forehead, thinking, “Of course--why didn't I see that?”
This is a great read, compiled from a brilliant writer. I recommend this book to all desiring a memorable thriller.
January 15, 2018
Pulley dives back into Cleveland to tackle a historical serial killer’s story that’s yet to be solved.
Cleveland in 1938 is a rough place to be. Little work, no booze, and a notorious serial killer that keeps leaving parts of his victims, but never the whole body. The “Torso Killer” has been active for a while and continues to stump the police. Most of his victims cannot be identified because he doesn’t leave them anything to be identified with, such as a head or hands. The targets of his crimes are mainly prostitues and drug dealers that live in the less desireable places within Cleveland. Once such person is Ethel Harding who never asked for this life, but does what she must to get by. When a young woman from a nearby mission named Mary Alice convinces Ethel to come to the mission, she finds that her life may not be as bad as she thought.
Fast forward to 1999, Kris Wiley gets a call that her father has been killed and she must identify the remains, which there is only a torso. As she goes through her fathers things, she begins to find that he was obsessed with a serial killer from the 1930s that was never caught. In fact, there is a whole network of people obsessed with the case. As she tries to uncover what he was messed up in, she begins to receive threats to stop her search and go home. Can she unravel her father’s death and solve a decades old cold case at the same time?
Pulley’s historical suspense writing is ratcheting her up to a new level of writers. I was hooked in the old story and had to research parts of it myself. She placed the names of the officers and investigators at just the right place to match history. And her depiction of Cleveland in the depression took me there to see it in my mind. There is no doubt that this is a seedy novel, but it is supposed to reflect that era and way of life. If you can indulge yourself a little, you’ll find that this story is more than face value. There is a lot of foul language and sexual content, so it is recommended only for mature readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Cleveland in 1938 is a rough place to be. Little work, no booze, and a notorious serial killer that keeps leaving parts of his victims, but never the whole body. The “Torso Killer” has been active for a while and continues to stump the police. Most of his victims cannot be identified because he doesn’t leave them anything to be identified with, such as a head or hands. The targets of his crimes are mainly prostitues and drug dealers that live in the less desireable places within Cleveland. Once such person is Ethel Harding who never asked for this life, but does what she must to get by. When a young woman from a nearby mission named Mary Alice convinces Ethel to come to the mission, she finds that her life may not be as bad as she thought.
Fast forward to 1999, Kris Wiley gets a call that her father has been killed and she must identify the remains, which there is only a torso. As she goes through her fathers things, she begins to find that he was obsessed with a serial killer from the 1930s that was never caught. In fact, there is a whole network of people obsessed with the case. As she tries to uncover what he was messed up in, she begins to receive threats to stop her search and go home. Can she unravel her father’s death and solve a decades old cold case at the same time?
Pulley’s historical suspense writing is ratcheting her up to a new level of writers. I was hooked in the old story and had to research parts of it myself. She placed the names of the officers and investigators at just the right place to match history. And her depiction of Cleveland in the depression took me there to see it in my mind. There is no doubt that this is a seedy novel, but it is supposed to reflect that era and way of life. If you can indulge yourself a little, you’ll find that this story is more than face value. There is a lot of foul language and sexual content, so it is recommended only for mature readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
January 8, 2018
THE UNCLAIMED VICTIM is a dual story line of both fact and fiction, history, and an unsolved murder, with dark hidden secrets giving you the perfect amount of mystery a reader needs.
Ethel set in 1938 and Kris in 1999 are the main characters in each setting both involved somehow in the Torso killings.
In the 1930's a killer is running loose, killing prostitutes and the homeless cutting off their body parts which names him to be the Torso Killer.
Your first are introduced to Kris Wiley who is asked to come identify a headless body, the police suspects that there is a possibility that it might be her father. Kris is dead set that this is not her father and refuses to identify which leaves the body in a stand still, stuck in the freezer. Kris then finds out some rather off-putting facts in her father's life that makes her re-think how well she knew the man she called father. Which leads her into a scary path that will put her life and other's in danger.
Ethel Hardings, a prostitute in the 1930's accidentally hears things she shouldn't and becomes part of the "torso" killer scene. You get tot travel through her time with what leads us all up to the ending 60 years later.
I enjoyed this story sooo much. I enjoyed the dual story line and trying to figure out what was going on and how it all connected. I'm a huge fan also of the time era of the 30's so it kept me fully intrigued with Ethel's story more so.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THIS NOVEL!!!!
Ethel set in 1938 and Kris in 1999 are the main characters in each setting both involved somehow in the Torso killings.
In the 1930's a killer is running loose, killing prostitutes and the homeless cutting off their body parts which names him to be the Torso Killer.
Your first are introduced to Kris Wiley who is asked to come identify a headless body, the police suspects that there is a possibility that it might be her father. Kris is dead set that this is not her father and refuses to identify which leaves the body in a stand still, stuck in the freezer. Kris then finds out some rather off-putting facts in her father's life that makes her re-think how well she knew the man she called father. Which leads her into a scary path that will put her life and other's in danger.
Ethel Hardings, a prostitute in the 1930's accidentally hears things she shouldn't and becomes part of the "torso" killer scene. You get tot travel through her time with what leads us all up to the ending 60 years later.
I enjoyed this story sooo much. I enjoyed the dual story line and trying to figure out what was going on and how it all connected. I'm a huge fan also of the time era of the 30's so it kept me fully intrigued with Ethel's story more so.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THIS NOVEL!!!!
December 27, 2017
A creepy page turner!
I could not put this book down! From the start I was drawn in to discover more about these two female characters, one from the 1930's and the other living in 1999. The author has a gift for drawing the reader in immediately, the story is very spooky, full of twists and turns all centered upon the two main characters, Ethel and Krit, who are thrown into a web of hardships and mysteries they fight to live through all centered upon one of Cleveland 's unsolved murders, The Torso killer. If you love stories with old abandoned historical buildings - this book is for you!
I could not put this book down! From the start I was drawn in to discover more about these two female characters, one from the 1930's and the other living in 1999. The author has a gift for drawing the reader in immediately, the story is very spooky, full of twists and turns all centered upon the two main characters, Ethel and Krit, who are thrown into a web of hardships and mysteries they fight to live through all centered upon one of Cleveland 's unsolved murders, The Torso killer. If you love stories with old abandoned historical buildings - this book is for you!
November 14, 2017
Better read as historical fiction than as a thriller, this creatively framed novel uses the dual time period device to explore mid 20th century Cleveland. The alleged death of Kris' father in the contemporary thread plunges her into a search for information about the Torso Killer. Some might quibble with Kris' reaction but think how you might feel. Ethel, a prostitute in the 1930s, is the spark for the historical info. Cleveland was not a pretty place in those days; if you aren't familiar with it, and I'm not, you'll learn something. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
March 5, 2018
This book is about a string of killings and dismemberings of hobos and prostitutes in Cleveland in the 1930s. It alternates between the depression era and the late 1990s. Kris' father goes missing and a dismembered body is found that is thought to be his. Kris has doubts about the ID of the remains. She finds a scrapbook that belongs to her dad and has news clippings and pictures about the serial killings. She struggles to find out how the killings and her father are linked. At the center of her investigation is a rambling old building where Bibles were typeset and printed back in the 1930s by members of a religious cult. In the 1990s, the building is abandoned but full of poor squatters, some of whom befriend Kris and help her pursue her clues. She meets Jimmy, who has his own reasons for being just as obsessed with the killings as Kris. Corruption in the Cleveland police department is uncovered along with a possible link to the killings. For a look at pure evil and poverty and some of the most desperate and downtrodden characters of the depression era, this book would be hard to beat.
March 10, 2018
This was the first book I have read by D.M. Pulley and I can say that I will be reading more of hers. It was gripping and kept my interest throughout, although since it's got two stories running alongside each other, I sometimes forgot where one story left off by the time we got back to it. I could hardly put it down. Then to my surprise, at the end in the epilogue, the author tells us that this is historical fiction--she based it on research about Cleveland's torso murders back in the late 1930s. Some of the characters were historical. So I especially like this book now! I find it haunting my mind in unexpected moments.
I have a number of nonfiction books going right now and will have a difficult time staying with them now that I have D.M. Pulley's "The Dead Key" ready to read!
I have a number of nonfiction books going right now and will have a difficult time staying with them now that I have D.M. Pulley's "The Dead Key" ready to read!
February 1, 2021
Based on a series of gruesome murders of prostitutes in Cleveland from 1935-1938, referred to as The Torso Murders, THE UNCLAIMED VICTIM moves between 1999 and 1938 after the butchered body of Alfred Wiley is found in the same area. His daughter discovers that her father had an unusual fixation on the original murders, which were never solved.
The early years revolve around Ethel, a prostitute who finds shelter with a missionary sect. Or does she?
The story examines both the Torso Murders and Alfred's life and travels through tunnels in downtown Cleveland trying to determine how the original killings took place and if her father actually had a connection to them.
There are many twists and the ending is unexpected.
The early years revolve around Ethel, a prostitute who finds shelter with a missionary sect. Or does she?
The story examines both the Torso Murders and Alfred's life and travels through tunnels in downtown Cleveland trying to determine how the original killings took place and if her father actually had a connection to them.
There are many twists and the ending is unexpected.
January 24, 2018
A good read.
This story let's us blimps in to the past. As with other historical fiction, I am reminded of just how fortunate we are in modern day. The hardships faced by those trying to survive during the days when the Torso Killer, The Silver Shirt Legion and so many other barbaric and also economic forces were insurmountable.
A great story, well told and worth a read x
This story let's us blimps in to the past. As with other historical fiction, I am reminded of just how fortunate we are in modern day. The hardships faced by those trying to survive during the days when the Torso Killer, The Silver Shirt Legion and so many other barbaric and also economic forces were insurmountable.
A great story, well told and worth a read x
February 9, 2018
A very good book, I think my second-favorite of the three books D.M. Pulley has written.
"The Dead Key" is still my favorite, and I think "Unclaimed Victim" is somewhat better than "The Buried Book" was. Plus, it is based on some historical accounts of Cleveland crime with plenty of fiction added in.
"The Dead Key" is still my favorite, and I think "Unclaimed Victim" is somewhat better than "The Buried Book" was. Plus, it is based on some historical accounts of Cleveland crime with plenty of fiction added in.
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