What do you think?
Rate this book
Murder at the Brown Palace: A True Story of Seduction and Betrayal
Seduction, murder, and mayhem in the courtroom—a true Law and Order tale, as gripping today as it was 100 years ago!
On May 24, 1911, one of the most notorious murders in Denver's history occurred. The riveting tale involves high society, adultery, drugs, multiple murders, and more, all set in Denver's grand old hotel, the Brown Palace.
At the center of the storm was the seductively beautiful Denver socialite Isabel Springer. Little did ambitious John W. Spring, wealthy Denver businessman and politician, know that lovely Isabel, 20 years his junior, had been feeding the romantic fire of an out-of-town suitor at the same time she had become cozy with a man he regarded as a friend and business partner.
Flirtation and romantic promises all culminated in a barroom confrontation, followed by two of the most lurid trials in Colorado history. This tragic story of a crime of passion is one readers won't be able to put down.
Murder at the Brown Palace was on the Denver Post best-seller list for 22 weeks.
On May 24, 1911, one of the most notorious murders in Denver's history occurred. The riveting tale involves high society, adultery, drugs, multiple murders, and more, all set in Denver's grand old hotel, the Brown Palace.
At the center of the storm was the seductively beautiful Denver socialite Isabel Springer. Little did ambitious John W. Spring, wealthy Denver businessman and politician, know that lovely Isabel, 20 years his junior, had been feeding the romantic fire of an out-of-town suitor at the same time she had become cozy with a man he regarded as a friend and business partner.
Flirtation and romantic promises all culminated in a barroom confrontation, followed by two of the most lurid trials in Colorado history. This tragic story of a crime of passion is one readers won't be able to put down.
Murder at the Brown Palace was on the Denver Post best-seller list for 22 weeks.
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2003
40 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
October 22, 2017
I didn't think the murder or story was all that salacious, not really worthy of an entire book.
September 16, 2024
This is just facts stated. There seems to be no effort to type the story together. It seemed like a list of facts.
December 5, 2018
The story was kind of hard to follow. There would be a whole section on the train and the another thing that happened after the trial and then the story whiplashed back to some other things that were happening st the same time as the trial.
There was a significant amount of details and stories repeated.
This book could have been much shorter and concise.
Overall the story was interesting albeit a bit sad. But fun to think of my city and different places that things happened!
There was a significant amount of details and stories repeated.
This book could have been much shorter and concise.
Overall the story was interesting albeit a bit sad. But fun to think of my city and different places that things happened!
February 28, 2015
Since I am not native to Colorado, I thought this might be an interesting story to read of what is already Colorado's colorful history. I would not say it was as gripping as the summary suggests but it was interesting at least for awhile. The whole story did indeed wrap around murder and mayhem at the Brown Palace which I have yet to visit but certainly have seen.
The person who was most prominent for the whole affair, Isabel Springer, was sadly missing throughout much of the story. This was two-fold partly due to the fact she was a woman of society whom the men tried to keep out of the papers and secondly because she was ousted from Denver when her husband divorced her. She remained aloof and although did appear in court one time, she mostly lived in the New York area and died a pauper. There is an interesting epilogue that you simply must read that involves this author.
This whole story is a bit over the top and so many atrocities happened over the course of time. It also showed, at least to me, what high society privilege could buy and not buy. Many people who do not have money but find themselves maybe in a similar situation (murder I mean), would be thrown in jail without the privilege of creature comforts while awaiting or standing trial. This sickened me.
It also sickened me to see how Isabel Springer used men to gain her ever desire. Although they gave her much, she found no problem with turning against them if it suited her purposes. Her consorts and husband were not as upstanding as they seemed to be either. In the end, no one gained anything and the loss of life, status, and wealth was great.
The last thing that made me ill was the awful justice system and lack if integrity on so many sides. Mr. Henwood's initial trial may have come out very differently if certain things would have happened. The twist of whom he stood trial for to begin with was thought provoking, it is not whom you may think. I will not spoil that information though.
This book was interesting, I will give it that. However, it is written by a journalist and often comes across as a journalist attribute but I will give him his due as it was well researched and as complete as possible. The details were repetitive and somewhat boring but this too was due to the facts were often in newspapers articles of the day. I was glad to see photos of the real people of which the murder and subsequent trials took place.
Overall, there is a very different Denver today. The headlines in in the early 1900's would have certainly been sensational news as the author pointed out and does make for a good story to retell, especially, I am sure, at the Brown Palace. Yet, in book form, it is hardly as gripping as it was then.
Even so, I give this book 3 stars and I certainly learned a bit of Colorado history.
SIDE NOTE: Ironically, as I was writing this review, The Travel Channel's Show Mysteries At The Castle featured this very story but in brief. They gave a short summation of the trial but not a complete picture as the author has done here. They focused on what happened to the land that John W. Springer owned after his death. His luxurious mansion still exists and the roaming lands that he once owned are now part of Highland, Colorado with many homes built on the land.
Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Naila Moon
The person who was most prominent for the whole affair, Isabel Springer, was sadly missing throughout much of the story. This was two-fold partly due to the fact she was a woman of society whom the men tried to keep out of the papers and secondly because she was ousted from Denver when her husband divorced her. She remained aloof and although did appear in court one time, she mostly lived in the New York area and died a pauper. There is an interesting epilogue that you simply must read that involves this author.
This whole story is a bit over the top and so many atrocities happened over the course of time. It also showed, at least to me, what high society privilege could buy and not buy. Many people who do not have money but find themselves maybe in a similar situation (murder I mean), would be thrown in jail without the privilege of creature comforts while awaiting or standing trial. This sickened me.
It also sickened me to see how Isabel Springer used men to gain her ever desire. Although they gave her much, she found no problem with turning against them if it suited her purposes. Her consorts and husband were not as upstanding as they seemed to be either. In the end, no one gained anything and the loss of life, status, and wealth was great.
The last thing that made me ill was the awful justice system and lack if integrity on so many sides. Mr. Henwood's initial trial may have come out very differently if certain things would have happened. The twist of whom he stood trial for to begin with was thought provoking, it is not whom you may think. I will not spoil that information though.
This book was interesting, I will give it that. However, it is written by a journalist and often comes across as a journalist attribute but I will give him his due as it was well researched and as complete as possible. The details were repetitive and somewhat boring but this too was due to the facts were often in newspapers articles of the day. I was glad to see photos of the real people of which the murder and subsequent trials took place.
Overall, there is a very different Denver today. The headlines in in the early 1900's would have certainly been sensational news as the author pointed out and does make for a good story to retell, especially, I am sure, at the Brown Palace. Yet, in book form, it is hardly as gripping as it was then.
Even so, I give this book 3 stars and I certainly learned a bit of Colorado history.
SIDE NOTE: Ironically, as I was writing this review, The Travel Channel's Show Mysteries At The Castle featured this very story but in brief. They gave a short summation of the trial but not a complete picture as the author has done here. They focused on what happened to the land that John W. Springer owned after his death. His luxurious mansion still exists and the roaming lands that he once owned are now part of Highland, Colorado with many homes built on the land.
Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Naila Moon
June 21, 2011
After my Colorado excursion of 2010, and being a lurid Colorado history fan, I picked this up, not really knowing the history of the Brown Palace.
It's an interesting scenario: rich, beautiful, Denver socialite gets caught up in a deadly love triangle involving her husband, ex lover and would be lover (who's never quite proven to be a lover, chivalrous and naive or passionately, but idiotically, fueled?).
While historically accurate, I felt the writing was too academic, which is not a bad thing (Judith Norte Temple's treatment in Baby Doe Tabor: the Madwoman in the Cabin, is a fine example of facinating academic tone and style). But this reads more like a drawn-out journalistic coverage lacking style.
While I realize that in covering history, the writer is limited to often a small amount of resources, but even historians should approach their work as artists, and sleuth-like conjecture is always at the heart of good nonfiction writing.
I yearned to know more about Isabel Pattern Springer. Was she raised with good morals? Was she known to be depressive, overly intelligent? What was her early life like?
Kreck could have done more general coverage of, say, Victorian repressive norms, to show how perhaps she might have been sexually or intellectually repressed.
For example, at the end of Judith Norte Temple's coverage of Baby Doe, we get a TRUE sense of the kind of PERSON she was, society's historical views as well as the facts. But not the case here.
Informative read, but just be ready to skim many parts.
It's an interesting scenario: rich, beautiful, Denver socialite gets caught up in a deadly love triangle involving her husband, ex lover and would be lover (who's never quite proven to be a lover, chivalrous and naive or passionately, but idiotically, fueled?).
While historically accurate, I felt the writing was too academic, which is not a bad thing (Judith Norte Temple's treatment in Baby Doe Tabor: the Madwoman in the Cabin, is a fine example of facinating academic tone and style). But this reads more like a drawn-out journalistic coverage lacking style.
While I realize that in covering history, the writer is limited to often a small amount of resources, but even historians should approach their work as artists, and sleuth-like conjecture is always at the heart of good nonfiction writing.
I yearned to know more about Isabel Pattern Springer. Was she raised with good morals? Was she known to be depressive, overly intelligent? What was her early life like?
Kreck could have done more general coverage of, say, Victorian repressive norms, to show how perhaps she might have been sexually or intellectually repressed.
For example, at the end of Judith Norte Temple's coverage of Baby Doe, we get a TRUE sense of the kind of PERSON she was, society's historical views as well as the facts. But not the case here.
Informative read, but just be ready to skim many parts.
August 17, 2019
I picked this up at the Brown Palace during a recent vacation. We were staying at the hotel, and having had drinks in the very spot where the murder took place, I was eager to learn more about the event. This book was informative; unfortunately, it was more journalistic than narrative, so the story was not as compelling as it might have been. Nevertheless, it was entertaining, and I'd recommend it to those who travel there.
March 18, 2015
The story had great potential, and if it would have been written as a novel could've been much better. It read like a long newspaper story, with bios of characters. About halfway through I realized I just didn't care enough and life's too short to read bad books. DNF
September 28, 2011
Ho-hum....liked this one not so much.
June 11, 2016
Although the book has some good research, the author does not know how to put it into a readable narrative.
July 8, 2019
Would have been an interesting magazine article but enough depth for a book.
July 1, 2025
The Brown Palace mentioned in the title of this book, in case any potential readers might not know, is a famous hotel in Denver. As such, this true crime story that took place there is probably of greatest interest to Denver residents or those with some connection to the Brown Palace itself. But I’m here to tell you that the story detailed in this book ought to be of interest to readers anywhere and everywhere, because it describes a love triangle—or perhaps more accurately, a love quadrilateral—that ended with a double homicide right in the hotel’s lounge.
And it was quite the murder indeed, though true crime fans will probably find it less sensational than many of the other things they read about. Indeed, the murder itself takes place and is almost fully described in the book’s opening pages, leaving the rest to detailed backstories of the various players involved and the legal battles following the crime. As such, whether this is the book for you depends largely on your purpose for it. If you’re looking for a historical account, this book is excellent. Few stones are left unturned and you’ll come away with a complete account of the entire affair, including brief biographies of all involved. But if you’re looking for the kind of true crime story that reads like a horror or thriller novel, you might find this one a bit too academic in its approach. Which is not to say the writing is dry; rather, I mean only that the author has chosen not to omit many (if any) of the details he uncovered.
That said, the author is to be credited for impeccable research. Though the crime occurred more than a century ago, the author was able to track down sufficient information to really bring all the characters to life and to make the story seem as relevant as if it all happened only yesterday instead of more than a hundred years in the past.
And it was quite the murder indeed, though true crime fans will probably find it less sensational than many of the other things they read about. Indeed, the murder itself takes place and is almost fully described in the book’s opening pages, leaving the rest to detailed backstories of the various players involved and the legal battles following the crime. As such, whether this is the book for you depends largely on your purpose for it. If you’re looking for a historical account, this book is excellent. Few stones are left unturned and you’ll come away with a complete account of the entire affair, including brief biographies of all involved. But if you’re looking for the kind of true crime story that reads like a horror or thriller novel, you might find this one a bit too academic in its approach. Which is not to say the writing is dry; rather, I mean only that the author has chosen not to omit many (if any) of the details he uncovered.
That said, the author is to be credited for impeccable research. Though the crime occurred more than a century ago, the author was able to track down sufficient information to really bring all the characters to life and to make the story seem as relevant as if it all happened only yesterday instead of more than a hundred years in the past.
January 31, 2021
My husband and I have at least one trip to Denver, CO in the near future, and I’ve been toying with the idea of staying at the Brown Palace Hotel. My mom had purchased this book on her last trip to Denver, and I thought I’d check it out in case we ever end up staying there.
It’s a pretty interesting story, and one I’d never heard before at all. For a time period that was very prim and proper, reading about the saucy love triangle (quadrangle?) was shocking to imagine. I was also impressed with the number of pictures the reader gets which always add to any nonfiction book I read. Finally, other than the actual crime, the other history of Denver was an added bonus.
I never was outright bored; however, I was not wowed either. This story is interesting and a piece of Colorado history, but is it enough to warrant its own book? No, a section in a collection of stories on crime or history of Colorado would have served its purpose better. A lot of statements or quotes get reused throughout the book because there just isn’t enough to pick apart.
I’m glad I picked this up because I will look at the Brown Palace in a new light whenever I do visit it. I also greatly appreciate my newfound knowledge of Colorado history and would love to tour Springer Castle (or Highlands Ranch Mansion as it’s now known) someday. I think it’s worth a read if you’ve got some connection or interest in Colorado.
It’s a pretty interesting story, and one I’d never heard before at all. For a time period that was very prim and proper, reading about the saucy love triangle (quadrangle?) was shocking to imagine. I was also impressed with the number of pictures the reader gets which always add to any nonfiction book I read. Finally, other than the actual crime, the other history of Denver was an added bonus.
I never was outright bored; however, I was not wowed either. This story is interesting and a piece of Colorado history, but is it enough to warrant its own book? No, a section in a collection of stories on crime or history of Colorado would have served its purpose better. A lot of statements or quotes get reused throughout the book because there just isn’t enough to pick apart.
I’m glad I picked this up because I will look at the Brown Palace in a new light whenever I do visit it. I also greatly appreciate my newfound knowledge of Colorado history and would love to tour Springer Castle (or Highlands Ranch Mansion as it’s now known) someday. I think it’s worth a read if you’ve got some connection or interest in Colorado.
September 30, 2023
I read this book for a History Colorado book club and I absolutely loved it. It felt like historical tabloid reading and was very different from the books I usually read. I liked how each chapter went into more detail about each character in the story, and this history was well-researched.
I found the narrative around Isabel Springer to be an interesting insight into white women socialites's experiences in the early 1900s. Although the author did not offer his own interpretation that I felt was at all progressive, it was interesting for me as a reader to fill in the gaps and empathize with Isabel Springer - her love affairs with abusive men that she kept trying to be with, and her drug addictions - given her context.
I live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, just 1 block away from John & Isabel Springer's first house, so it was a lot of fun imagining the two of them strolling around and seeing the house I live in now (built in 1900).
If you're looking for a quick (and kinda "trashy") historical read about white Denver in the 1900s, this is a good choice. I especially recommend it if you live in Denver, Littleton, or Highlands Ranch because the history in this story is directly related to the land you live on today.
I found the narrative around Isabel Springer to be an interesting insight into white women socialites's experiences in the early 1900s. Although the author did not offer his own interpretation that I felt was at all progressive, it was interesting for me as a reader to fill in the gaps and empathize with Isabel Springer - her love affairs with abusive men that she kept trying to be with, and her drug addictions - given her context.
I live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, just 1 block away from John & Isabel Springer's first house, so it was a lot of fun imagining the two of them strolling around and seeing the house I live in now (built in 1900).
If you're looking for a quick (and kinda "trashy") historical read about white Denver in the 1900s, this is a good choice. I especially recommend it if you live in Denver, Littleton, or Highlands Ranch because the history in this story is directly related to the land you live on today.
April 15, 2019
Having read several books about the lawlessness of Denver during western times, I thought it might be interesting to read about the law and Denver in the early 1900s. Newspaperman Dick Kreck has written a true story about a beautiful woman who was married to a famous Denver politician but involved with two other men at the same time. Those two men got into arguments and finally to murder.
The story is readable but that's about all that can be said for it. The characters are one-dimensional and fairly uninteresting. Probably the most interesting thing about the novel is the end -- telling what happened to each of the main characters after the trial(s).
The story is readable but that's about all that can be said for it. The characters are one-dimensional and fairly uninteresting. Probably the most interesting thing about the novel is the end -- telling what happened to each of the main characters after the trial(s).
November 4, 2021
This book would have been more interesting as historical fiction. It was written like gathered newspaper articles, a slight look into the character's past and future, but even that information was rather uninteresting in the way it was written. Yadda, yadda, yadda really kept going through my mind (bring me something I can sink my eyes into and enjoy!) The most fascinating part was how many newspapers were in the Denver area at that time. Sorry, Dick, the title promised so much more. Our book club enjoyed an afternoon tea at the Brown Palace to discuss this book; that was fun. But everyone pretty much agreed; the book was lacking.
September 9, 2019
I picked this up in the Brown Palace gift / coffee shop after a weekend stay there. I enjoyed learning about the hotel’s past and appreciated the research effort, but it was organized strangely and seemed to skip around. I wanted to know more about how the suites and areas mentioned in the book are being used today. I also wanted to know more about Isabelle Springer’s life after the trial.
August 24, 2019
This was fascinating. It’s written by an excellent journalist who presents an accurate, detailed account of what happened, which was astounding. I’ll f a master storyteller took this and rewrote it, it could be a dynamite movie.
February 11, 2020
I thought I'd like this since it was about a real murder in historic Denver. But I didn't like the writing style. And I felt like the whole story could have been covered in a newspaper or magazine article.
March 9, 2020
I work nearby and have been inside the building hundreds of times. I picked up the book in the coffee shop. The story is short. The trial and appeals are long. It is interesting what was scandalous and what wasn't 109 years ago.
April 10, 2021
It wasn’t advertised as being a mystery but I was really thinking there would be more case solving or mystery to the book. Nor was the story as scandalous as stated. The part I liked most was the talk of hot air balloons.
July 17, 2022
Not a page turner - more about the lives of the people involved. The murder itself as the center of the story really just drew an interesting group of characters together. Being true history made it interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2022
The author definitely put ti Time into researching the situation. I imagine it would take a bit of digging to uncover the actual events. It was interesting and informative. I wouldn’t call it riveting. I found it in the mystery section, but all the case was curious, the book isn’t a mystery.
February 11, 2023
Well researched and well written story of scandal and murder in Denver in the early 1900s. Interestingly, two of the main characters in this murder story grew up in St. Louis (one graduated from CBC in 1895).
Food: Tea at the Brown Palace, if possible; otherwise, tea at home.
Food: Tea at the Brown Palace, if possible; otherwise, tea at home.
January 25, 2018
The history of Denver was cool to learn about but the story was too wordy for me
February 5, 2018
While this was an interesting true story it’s not as scandalous as the title and description would lead you to believe. It could have been fully covered in about two chapters or 30 pages.
December 12, 2018
Enjoyed the local connection with Denver and the Brown Palace. Was surprised to learn the Highlands Ranch connection, as Springer was the builder of the original mansion here.
February 13, 2019
Interesting factual book about Denver & Molly Brown.
September 10, 2019
3.5 I thought the history of the surrounding area of Denver more interesting than the murder
March 9, 2020
Not very interesting.
Boring read. If I had not paid for it, I would have quit reading this book early on. But just my opinion.
Boring read. If I had not paid for it, I would have quit reading this book early on. But just my opinion.
March 13, 2020
The story was interesting, but the way all the detail was provided seemed mechanical, not flowing like a story should.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews