The Mystery of Beautiful Nell Cropsey: A Nonfiction Novel

by Bland Simpson

As compelling as fiction, The Mystery of Beautiful Nell Cropsey tells the dramatic story of the disappearance of nineteen-year-old Nell Cropsey from her riverside home in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in November 1901. Bloodhounds, detectives, divers, and even a psychic were brought in to search for her, and the case immediately became a national sensation. Bland Simpson, who first heard the tale as an Elizabeth City schoolboy, weaves this true story into a colorful nonfiction account, told in three first-person Nell's sister Ollie; famous newspaper editor W. O. Saunders, who covered the case as a young reporter; and Jim Wilcox, Nell's beau, who was implicated in the case. Nell and Jim's romance, her disappearance, the great search, the trials, and their aftermath are artfully reconstructed from interviews, court records, and newspaper accounts. <!--from the
Word spread like that into the swamps where the slaves had run, where convicts had run--mightn't Nell Cropsey run there too? Back deep toward the lake at the heart of the great Swamp, where the ghost of an Indian girl searched each night for her lost lover, by firefly lamp, gliding in her white canoe.

And word spread far beyond those low tidelands, as the dailies in the big Eastern cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia and New York played up the mystery til Nell Cropsey and Jim Wilcox were the talk of the nation and the booming little river port Elizabeth City was suddenly on the map.-->

Genres: Mystery, True Crime, Nonfiction

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Bland Simpson's many books include "Ghost Ship of Diamond Shoals: The Mystery of the Carroll A. Deering" and "Into the Sound Country: A Carolinian's Coastal Plain" (both from the University of North Carolina Press). A member of the Tony Award-winning Red Clay Ramblers, Simpson has collaborated on such musicals as "King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running", "Kudzu", and the Broadway hit "Fool Moon". He teaches creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was the 2005 Fine Arts recipient of the North Carolina Award, the state's highest civilian honor."

Reviews

[Randy Ladenheim-Gil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hoped this would be something like the murder of Mary Rogers--I just signed up for a talk about her in NJ in November. Instead, there's just a slow "nonfiction novel" based on the truth, but without any supposition of what might have happened to Nell, who, it turns out, wasn't particularly beautiful after all. Told in a handful of voices as well as other sections in third person, there isn't much to lead the reader to decide what might have happened to her, and after about 100 pages, I didn't really care. The author is from Elizabeth City, NC, where Nell lived for the last couple of years of her life and where she disappeared and died, and I can understand why he was fascinated by the story, but why on earth didn't he actually write a novel about it instead of offering nothing beyond the basic tale itself? I have a number of questions beyond who might or might not have killed Nell. Why did this small town open its arms to the Cropsey family when they moved there in 1898? All Simpson seemed to come up with was that they were Democrats. A family that shows up from Brooklyn is A-OK just because of that? I'll never get back the time I spent reading this. I could have checked out a website and come up with the same information in fifteen minutes!

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poe once said something along the lines of, "the death of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world." I'm certain that's why I was so captivated by this case when I first heard about it while watching a television program. The book was an interesting read, but I found myself wishing to learn more about who Nell was before her death. Additional photographs, diary entries, letters, etc. would have been wonderful. Of course, I cannot really demand any primary source material of that sort when I'm not sure if it even exists, but still haha. A fascinating true story that I would love to learn more about.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Bland Simpson, the author of this book, was my honors thesis advisor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Reading this book brought back memories of Bland telling our class stories as a part of his teaching style. No one loves eastern North Carolina, its landscape and its mysteries, more than Bland.

If you’re looking for a tidy true crime read that ties up the loose ends, this isn’t the book for you.

If you want to read something poetical with elements of true crime and mystery, you would probably enjoy this “nonfiction novel.”

[Mike Pritchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Many is the time I made that swim with a prayer in my heart- Lord, forgive me, for I put her in this Black River with a nod" Ollie Cropsey

Elizabeth City's most famous mystery is put into a novel well put together using facts and a bit of fiction, hear say, and imagination to fill gaps in the story that was a national scandal over a hundred plus years ago.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for anyone wanting to learn more about Elizabeth City and Nell Cropsey. The telling of her mystery also includes history of Elizabeth City back in the early 1900's. The way things were done back is crazy. they just zeroed in on Jim from the bet go

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF for me

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction' recreation of events surrounding 1901 disappearance of Elizabeth City, NC 19-year-old Nell Cropsey. The facts of the book are nonfiction, with the only apparent fictional recreation some first-person omniscient thoughts by some of the main characters.

The mystery, in real life and in the book, is not solved at the end, by the way, which leaves you torn between wanting to know who really did it, and enjoying the speculation about who may have done it and why and how.

[Avary Doubleday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read, particularly since we just visited Hertford and Elizabeth City. It's frustrating that the mystery of her death has not been solved.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story, interesting to read about how a sensational case played out in a small NC town around the turn of the century. Now I want to visit that area!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written with multiple voices telling the story, the reader feels the confusion, angry and heartbreak over the disappearance of Nell. Good read.