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Murder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb Tried to Commit the Perfect Crime
How did two teenagers brutally murder an innocent child...and why ? And how did their brilliant lawyer save them from the death penalty in 1920s Chicago? Written by a prolific master of narrative nonfiction, this is a compulsively readable true-crime story based on an event dubbed the "crime of the century."
In 1924, eighteen-year-old college students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb made a decision: they would commit the perfect crime by kidnapping and murdering a child they both knew. But they made one crucial as they were disposing of the body of young Bobby Franks, whom they had bludgeoned to death, Nathan's eyeglasses fell from his jacket pocket.
Multi-award-winning author Candace Fleming depicts every twist and turn of this harrowing case--how two wealthy, brilliant young men planned and committed what became known as the crime of the century, how they were caught, why they confessed, and how the renowned criminal defense attorney Clarence Darrow enabled them to avoid the death penalty.
Following on the success of such books as The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and The Family Romanov , this acclaimed nonfiction writer brings to heart-stopping life one of the most notorious crimes in our country's history.
In 1924, eighteen-year-old college students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb made a decision: they would commit the perfect crime by kidnapping and murdering a child they both knew. But they made one crucial as they were disposing of the body of young Bobby Franks, whom they had bludgeoned to death, Nathan's eyeglasses fell from his jacket pocket.
Multi-award-winning author Candace Fleming depicts every twist and turn of this harrowing case--how two wealthy, brilliant young men planned and committed what became known as the crime of the century, how they were caught, why they confessed, and how the renowned criminal defense attorney Clarence Darrow enabled them to avoid the death penalty.
Following on the success of such books as The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and The Family Romanov , this acclaimed nonfiction writer brings to heart-stopping life one of the most notorious crimes in our country's history.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2022
96 people are currently reading
1062 people want to read
About the author
Candace Fleming
66 books632 followersI have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
March 14, 2022
A solid telling of the story of Leopold & Loeb -- a case I realized I'd very much melded in my mind with the fictionalized version in Rope, so it was good to get the facts straightened out. In reality, the pair's attempt at a "perfect murder" is even more gross, pathetic, and juvenile than in Hitchcock's film. I have appreciated recent reexaminations of killers like Ted Bundy, for example, that have torn apart the myth of their "perverse genius" -- Bundy was an idiot who just got lucky for far too long because of police incompetence. Similarly, Leopold & Loeb's murder was about as "imperfect" (taking "perfect" to mean "clever") as it can be. They, fortunately, were swiftly caught.
None of this is really Fleming's thesis, however; I'm not sure she has one: she's basically doing a workmanlike recounting of the facts, which is fine. A few authorial tics did bug me: most significantly, her use of the epithet "the teenager(s)" to describe Leopold and/or Loeb. This occurs so often it started to make me grind my teeth. She also leans a bit heavily into the idea that both boys were warped by their evil governesses in a way that starts to feel tropey. Also she reasserts the analysis from the time that Loeb was a psychopath -- a diagnosis of questionable use, in my opinion, and especially coming from psychiatrists who also thought that Leopold's homosexuality was a mental illness or a moral perversion. This book is definitely more of a retelling than a reexamination.
But it's still solid, and I'm glad to have the true story decoupled in my mind from Hitchcock's more glamorous version. (Although P.S.: also rewatched Rope; it doesn't hold up all that well.)
None of this is really Fleming's thesis, however; I'm not sure she has one: she's basically doing a workmanlike recounting of the facts, which is fine. A few authorial tics did bug me: most significantly, her use of the epithet "the teenager(s)" to describe Leopold and/or Loeb. This occurs so often it started to make me grind my teeth. She also leans a bit heavily into the idea that both boys were warped by their evil governesses in a way that starts to feel tropey. Also she reasserts the analysis from the time that Loeb was a psychopath -- a diagnosis of questionable use, in my opinion, and especially coming from psychiatrists who also thought that Leopold's homosexuality was a mental illness or a moral perversion. This book is definitely more of a retelling than a reexamination.
But it's still solid, and I'm glad to have the true story decoupled in my mind from Hitchcock's more glamorous version. (Although P.S.: also rewatched Rope; it doesn't hold up all that well.)
March 14, 2022
Thank you so much to Penguin Audio for my ALC of Murder Among Friends. This is a case I didn’t know much about and it was very interesting to listen to. It was about Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb and their decision to kidnap and murder a child in 1924. They thought they could pull off the perfect crime, but while getting rid of the body, Nathan’s eyeglasses fell out of his jacket pocket. This book follows the case of how two rich and educated men planned and committed the “crime of the century”. It goes into detail on how they were caught, why they confessed, and how they hired a renowned criminal defense attorney to escape the death penalty.
Thoughts: I had never heard about this case before I read this book. I was grabbed by the phrase “crime of the century” and loved hearing about the Chicago suburbs since my family is from there. It was like a car crash where I couldn’t look away- I had to keep reading no matter how depraved the book got. Nathan and Richard were disturbing and pretty evil, and wanted to kill for the “adventure” of it. The book was well-researched and fast-paced, making it an easy and intriguing read.
I liked the point the author made about these boys getting away without receiving the death penalty because they were rich and educated. There were many cases near the same time where the person got the death penalty because they couldn’t afford such a prominent lawyer. It was also wild to hear about how the lawyer changed their plea from not guilty to guilty in order to get away from a jury and only have to convince the judge that they shouldn’t get the death penalty. It was a fascinating and dark story, and the dynamic between Nathan and Richard was unique and intriguing. 4 stars!
Thoughts: I had never heard about this case before I read this book. I was grabbed by the phrase “crime of the century” and loved hearing about the Chicago suburbs since my family is from there. It was like a car crash where I couldn’t look away- I had to keep reading no matter how depraved the book got. Nathan and Richard were disturbing and pretty evil, and wanted to kill for the “adventure” of it. The book was well-researched and fast-paced, making it an easy and intriguing read.
I liked the point the author made about these boys getting away without receiving the death penalty because they were rich and educated. There were many cases near the same time where the person got the death penalty because they couldn’t afford such a prominent lawyer. It was also wild to hear about how the lawyer changed their plea from not guilty to guilty in order to get away from a jury and only have to convince the judge that they shouldn’t get the death penalty. It was a fascinating and dark story, and the dynamic between Nathan and Richard was unique and intriguing. 4 stars!
August 12, 2022
i could’ve fixed them (by being their non-evil governess)
November 16, 2023
Murder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb Tried to Commit the Perfect Crime by Candace Fleming is a true crime book I've been meaning to read for a long time. I spotted it at my library awhile back, but I'm glad I finally decided to pick it up. I was also already somewhat familiar with the case going in, but Candace Fleming does a fantastic job of putting everything together and laying it all out. If you're looking for a fascinating true crime read, you can't miss the story of Leopold and Loeb. Now that I've read this, I'm going to have to rewatch Alfred Hitchcock's Rope which was inspired by this and is a hidden gem.
August 4, 2022
Chalk this up to another book I stayed up past my bedtime to finish. When I sat down earlier in the afternoon to start it, I didn't think I'd be sucked in like I did because I went in not knowing anything about Leopold and Loeb other than their names are "famous". And leave it to Candace Fleming, queen of nonfiction writing for teens, to make me not do anything other than read.
I will say that when you want to read a mystery or thriller and you are reading people like Karen McManus and April Henry, that's fiction. Fleming just wrote about two REAL people and their trying to commit the perfect murder of a little kid because they had twisted personalities that their finding one another exacerbated- throwing fuel on an already volatile fire of apathy and imbalance.
The interplay of their privileged Jewish families in Chicago, their education, the abuses they suffered from being neglected by their parents and raised by governesses all came to a head when they met each other and interwove a sexual relationship with a friendship and then shared their desires which with other people would have ended then and there, but with each other, they conspired to murder (which was billed as a kidnap and ransom).
The story as a whole is riveting, absolutely insane to realize happened, and stellarly written page by page, scene by scene. And her source notes rival none.
"In case that hadn't shocked reporters, he added, 'Making up my mind whether or not to commit murder was about the same as making up my mind whether or not to have pie for dinner.'"
"Crowe asked a question. 'You wouldn't take ten thousand dollars out of my pocket if I had it?' 'It depends on whether I thought I could get away with it,' said Nathan. He lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair."
"At a nearby table, a woman pointed at him, then whispered in her husband's ear. They both turned and stared. Nathan got up and walked over to their table. 'I beg your pardon, madam, but I'm not Nathan Leopold. I've been embarrassed several times today by being mistaken for him.' Smiling innocently at the startled couple, he returned to his herring. One of the police officers elbowed the other. 'How'd you like to be able to lie like that?'"
"Clarence Darrow was mythic, claimed the Chicago Daily Tribune. He had 'wandered in a labyrinth of laws' and 'slain a dragon- Man's inhumanity to man.' Spectators had arrived in the courtroom convinced that Leopold and Loeb should be hanged. But after experiencing Darrow's 'marvelous skill as a pleader,' they had 'wavered and changed their minds, and come to believe that, after all, [the boys] must not be sent to the gallows.' The lawyer had 'performed a miracle,' the newspaper concluded."
I will say that when you want to read a mystery or thriller and you are reading people like Karen McManus and April Henry, that's fiction. Fleming just wrote about two REAL people and their trying to commit the perfect murder of a little kid because they had twisted personalities that their finding one another exacerbated- throwing fuel on an already volatile fire of apathy and imbalance.
The interplay of their privileged Jewish families in Chicago, their education, the abuses they suffered from being neglected by their parents and raised by governesses all came to a head when they met each other and interwove a sexual relationship with a friendship and then shared their desires which with other people would have ended then and there, but with each other, they conspired to murder (which was billed as a kidnap and ransom).
The story as a whole is riveting, absolutely insane to realize happened, and stellarly written page by page, scene by scene. And her source notes rival none.
"In case that hadn't shocked reporters, he added, 'Making up my mind whether or not to commit murder was about the same as making up my mind whether or not to have pie for dinner.'"
"Crowe asked a question. 'You wouldn't take ten thousand dollars out of my pocket if I had it?' 'It depends on whether I thought I could get away with it,' said Nathan. He lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair."
"At a nearby table, a woman pointed at him, then whispered in her husband's ear. They both turned and stared. Nathan got up and walked over to their table. 'I beg your pardon, madam, but I'm not Nathan Leopold. I've been embarrassed several times today by being mistaken for him.' Smiling innocently at the startled couple, he returned to his herring. One of the police officers elbowed the other. 'How'd you like to be able to lie like that?'"
"Clarence Darrow was mythic, claimed the Chicago Daily Tribune. He had 'wandered in a labyrinth of laws' and 'slain a dragon- Man's inhumanity to man.' Spectators had arrived in the courtroom convinced that Leopold and Loeb should be hanged. But after experiencing Darrow's 'marvelous skill as a pleader,' they had 'wavered and changed their minds, and come to believe that, after all, [the boys] must not be sent to the gallows.' The lawyer had 'performed a miracle,' the newspaper concluded."
December 25, 2024
This book is fascinating and disturbing. I'm not a fan of true crime but I do love narrative nonfiction. It had been a while since I'd read a narrative nonfiction book, so when I picked this one up I devoured it. Fleming has told a really compelling story. I knew the bare bones of the story, of course, but there was so much about the two murderers and their trial that I didn't know. I learned a lot.
May 19, 2022
Richie’s Picks: MURDER AMONG FRIENDS: HOW LEOPOLD AND LOEB TRIED TO COMMIT THE PERFECT CRIME by Candace Fleming, Random House/Anne Schwartz, March 2022, 368p., ISBN: 978-0-593-17742-6
“Because it’s murder by numbers, one, two, three
It’s as easy to learn as your ABCs”
– The Police (1983)
“On the morning of Wednesday, May 21, 1924, Chicagoans opened their morning newspapers to learn that baseball slugger Babe Ruth had joined the New York Army National Guard; President Calvin Coolidge had taken a chlorine-gas cure for his sore throat; and movie director Cecil B. DeMille’s sweeping silent film The Ten Commandments was opening at a movie house in the city’s Loop. Also in the news was a story about an attempted police raid on a bootleg brewery in the city. Tipped off by a ‘bought’ cop, the gangsters had dumped the incriminating evidence–thousands of gallons of beer–into the sewer just before the police arrived. Within minutes, a five-foot-tall geyser of beer had spewed into the air from a manhole. It lasted for more than an hour.
In the Kenwood neighborhood, the Leopolds’ chauffeur, Sven Englund, went downstairs to the garage and–as he did every weekday morning at seven-thirty–started Nathan’s Willys-Knight [automobile]. Englund drove it around to the side door.
Moments later, Nathan got into it. He had a big day ahead, starting with an eight o’clock criminal law class, followed by a nine o’clock lecture on nineteenth-century French poets, and then another law class at ten. After that, he and Richard would commit murder.
Nathan put the car in gear. He sped off to campus.”
Which would be tougher to confront–being the parent of a murdered child, or being a parent whose teen is making national headlines for murdering a neighbor’s child–just for the thrill of it? As a parent, the nightmare-inducing MURDER AMONG FRIENDS is a pretty tough book for me to write about.
As a father, I’ve always wanted the best for my kids: contentment; good health; self-worth; and feeling loved. A good education; a rewarding career; a great partner; and maybe, one day, children of their own.
Most teens who read MURDER AMONG FRIENDS will not have confronted the humbling experience of being a parent and making parenting mistakes. It will be easy for them to criticize the way that Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb’s respective parents raised them, or, more specifically, how the parents hired servants to raise them. After all, Nathan and Richard were scions of two of the wealthiest men in 1920s Chicago. These men could afford governesses and provide their kids with monthly allowances that, in equivalent dollars, exceed many family incomes today.
Yes, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murdered the child Bobby Franks, Loeb’s neighbor and second cousin, just for the hell of it. The murderous teens certainly did not need the ransom money they demanded, but it was a significant aspect of their exciting adventure. It was fun for them to create a series of clues that could have led to a big payout, had they not gotten caught.
Because Leopold and Lowe confessed to the crime, the criminal legal proceedings that ensued inevitably focused on whether the pair would be hanged for the murder, or whether they would receive life sentences. But this is where the parents’ wealth figured mightily. Their parents hired legendary attorney Clarence Darrow, who becomes a pivotal character in this unbelievable-but-true piece of history.
Knowing some barebones basics of criminal procedure will be sufficient to cause readers to gasp about the manner in which the press and other visitors had frequent, unsupervised access to the prisoners, and how law enforcement and the press worked together.
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were seriously disturbed young people. As the author, at one point, concludes, Nathan had a psychotic disorder that might have been treatable with today’s medications and therapies. And as for Loeb,
“The same cannot be said for Richard, whom psychiatrists would most certainly diagnose as a psychopath. His symptoms were classic. Psychopathy is characterized by superficial charm, poor judgment, and a failure to learn from experiences. Psychopaths are attention-seekers and thrill-seekers. They lack remorse or shame, have a grandiose sense of themselves, lie pathologically, and are cunning and manipulative. Other people are merely objects to be used for the psychopath’s benefit. Psychopaths are coldhearted and calculating.”
Candace Fleming has won many awards for her nonfiction work. The depth of research that has gone into this one is stunning. A sophisticated and troubling tale, I’d recommend MURDER AMONG FRIENDS for high school students. It would also be a good recommendation for any brilliant and mature middle schoolers who will be able to understand the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche, whose theories were embraced by Nathan Leopold, and whose work is repeatedly alluded to. Arguably the most ambitious and powerful work to date undertaken by Ms. Fleming, MURDER AMONG FRIENDS is one hell of a ride.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
“Because it’s murder by numbers, one, two, three
It’s as easy to learn as your ABCs”
– The Police (1983)
“On the morning of Wednesday, May 21, 1924, Chicagoans opened their morning newspapers to learn that baseball slugger Babe Ruth had joined the New York Army National Guard; President Calvin Coolidge had taken a chlorine-gas cure for his sore throat; and movie director Cecil B. DeMille’s sweeping silent film The Ten Commandments was opening at a movie house in the city’s Loop. Also in the news was a story about an attempted police raid on a bootleg brewery in the city. Tipped off by a ‘bought’ cop, the gangsters had dumped the incriminating evidence–thousands of gallons of beer–into the sewer just before the police arrived. Within minutes, a five-foot-tall geyser of beer had spewed into the air from a manhole. It lasted for more than an hour.
In the Kenwood neighborhood, the Leopolds’ chauffeur, Sven Englund, went downstairs to the garage and–as he did every weekday morning at seven-thirty–started Nathan’s Willys-Knight [automobile]. Englund drove it around to the side door.
Moments later, Nathan got into it. He had a big day ahead, starting with an eight o’clock criminal law class, followed by a nine o’clock lecture on nineteenth-century French poets, and then another law class at ten. After that, he and Richard would commit murder.
Nathan put the car in gear. He sped off to campus.”
Which would be tougher to confront–being the parent of a murdered child, or being a parent whose teen is making national headlines for murdering a neighbor’s child–just for the thrill of it? As a parent, the nightmare-inducing MURDER AMONG FRIENDS is a pretty tough book for me to write about.
As a father, I’ve always wanted the best for my kids: contentment; good health; self-worth; and feeling loved. A good education; a rewarding career; a great partner; and maybe, one day, children of their own.
Most teens who read MURDER AMONG FRIENDS will not have confronted the humbling experience of being a parent and making parenting mistakes. It will be easy for them to criticize the way that Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb’s respective parents raised them, or, more specifically, how the parents hired servants to raise them. After all, Nathan and Richard were scions of two of the wealthiest men in 1920s Chicago. These men could afford governesses and provide their kids with monthly allowances that, in equivalent dollars, exceed many family incomes today.
Yes, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murdered the child Bobby Franks, Loeb’s neighbor and second cousin, just for the hell of it. The murderous teens certainly did not need the ransom money they demanded, but it was a significant aspect of their exciting adventure. It was fun for them to create a series of clues that could have led to a big payout, had they not gotten caught.
Because Leopold and Lowe confessed to the crime, the criminal legal proceedings that ensued inevitably focused on whether the pair would be hanged for the murder, or whether they would receive life sentences. But this is where the parents’ wealth figured mightily. Their parents hired legendary attorney Clarence Darrow, who becomes a pivotal character in this unbelievable-but-true piece of history.
Knowing some barebones basics of criminal procedure will be sufficient to cause readers to gasp about the manner in which the press and other visitors had frequent, unsupervised access to the prisoners, and how law enforcement and the press worked together.
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were seriously disturbed young people. As the author, at one point, concludes, Nathan had a psychotic disorder that might have been treatable with today’s medications and therapies. And as for Loeb,
“The same cannot be said for Richard, whom psychiatrists would most certainly diagnose as a psychopath. His symptoms were classic. Psychopathy is characterized by superficial charm, poor judgment, and a failure to learn from experiences. Psychopaths are attention-seekers and thrill-seekers. They lack remorse or shame, have a grandiose sense of themselves, lie pathologically, and are cunning and manipulative. Other people are merely objects to be used for the psychopath’s benefit. Psychopaths are coldhearted and calculating.”
Candace Fleming has won many awards for her nonfiction work. The depth of research that has gone into this one is stunning. A sophisticated and troubling tale, I’d recommend MURDER AMONG FRIENDS for high school students. It would also be a good recommendation for any brilliant and mature middle schoolers who will be able to understand the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche, whose theories were embraced by Nathan Leopold, and whose work is repeatedly alluded to. Arguably the most ambitious and powerful work to date undertaken by Ms. Fleming, MURDER AMONG FRIENDS is one hell of a ride.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
July 21, 2024
Completely fascinating and absolutely and entirely wild. I can’t believe I knew nothing about this before, but this book is such an interesting exploration of all the angles of this case.
Am I becoming a nonfiction girl?
5 stars.
Am I becoming a nonfiction girl?
5 stars.
June 11, 2022
I’m not sure I really wanted to read this book, but once begun I could hardly put it down. Fleming in a master at putting real events in a context, compelling, stark and relentless.
January 17, 2023
Really loved this book. Great for true crime fans grades 8+ (& adults!!). I wish the cover was better, but the writing makes it feel like you are just reading a podcast.
March 31, 2022
Like anyone who is interested in and fascinated by true crime, I've read about Leopold and Loeb many times. Psychopathic teens who killed a kid just because they felt like it. Calculating, pompous, entitled and lacking in emotional maturity... or emotions in general, these two will always have a strong spot in the history of true crime. And for good reason.
Perhaps you have heard of them too? Or have at least watched Murder by Numbers... a film loosely based on the two (which was just ok). The audio is great - Angela Dawe is a fantastic narrator. Even though I knew this story, it was fun to listen and get a little bit of a different view. It was obvious that there was a lack of emotion - that they almost knew *how* they were supposed to act as opposed to naturally being this way. Such began the journey to make sure they don't get the death penalty. A turning point and start for the insanity defense.
Nature vs. nuture. While both barely adults (at the age of eighteen) certainly had their differences, they were extremely loyal to each other. Together as a team, they felt invincible. Honestly, if you enjoy true crime, definitely pick this one up. The story still fascinates me to this day.
Perhaps you have heard of them too? Or have at least watched Murder by Numbers... a film loosely based on the two (which was just ok). The audio is great - Angela Dawe is a fantastic narrator. Even though I knew this story, it was fun to listen and get a little bit of a different view. It was obvious that there was a lack of emotion - that they almost knew *how* they were supposed to act as opposed to naturally being this way. Such began the journey to make sure they don't get the death penalty. A turning point and start for the insanity defense.
Nature vs. nuture. While both barely adults (at the age of eighteen) certainly had their differences, they were extremely loyal to each other. Together as a team, they felt invincible. Honestly, if you enjoy true crime, definitely pick this one up. The story still fascinates me to this day.
April 8, 2022
Pretty gruesome true crime book. Well-written but for a mature reader.
September 26, 2025
These two should have been the subjects of Monster Season 2.
Full review coming soon!
Full review coming soon!
May 2, 2022
Definitely a teen-read that I won't be handing my almost 11 year old nephew just yet: it'll keep for a couple of years. But still, so, so good. The facts of the case and how they were discovered by law enforcement were clearly laid out, and the overall historical importance of the trial was also well stated.
I haven't read a ton of true crime, but I generally love Candace Fleming, and this one didn't let me down.
I haven't read a ton of true crime, but I generally love Candace Fleming, and this one didn't let me down.
August 21, 2023
Incredibly captivating as well as readable. I was blown away by the sheer psychological aspect of it, as well as the legal battle. That lawyer was something else.
March 25, 2024
While I’m not typically a non-fiction or a true crime reader, this book was interesting and enjoyable.
The book doesn’t focus solely on the crime part of the case, it centers in around the trial. And, as someone who wants to be a criminal defense lawyer, I really enjoyed it. This probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, which is okay, but it’s mine. Clarence Darrow is someone who I hope to be-minus him being an old man. I could do without that.
Anyways, I think that everyone should give this book a try. It’s written in a way that doesn’t feel entirely non-fiction, so more people can probably enjoy it.
The book doesn’t focus solely on the crime part of the case, it centers in around the trial. And, as someone who wants to be a criminal defense lawyer, I really enjoyed it. This probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, which is okay, but it’s mine. Clarence Darrow is someone who I hope to be-minus him being an old man. I could do without that.
Anyways, I think that everyone should give this book a try. It’s written in a way that doesn’t feel entirely non-fiction, so more people can probably enjoy it.
February 14, 2025
I've always been fascinated by this case and now I need to go back to the Chicago History Museum to see the collected artifacts and evidence!
April 17, 2023
A well-written retelling of a famous crime (one I had never heard of). The bits about how criminal investigations were conducted back then, including how ridiculously sloppy police work and autopsies were, fascinated me. The drama had me shaking my head and frustrated. I wanted to read at least one book by this respected YA nonfiction author, and this story seemed the most interesting, but true crime isn't actually my favorite genre (or even in the top 10). Not Fleming's fault that I didn't give it 5 stars.
October 30, 2023
This is a sad and tragic story. The storytelling is very factual. It’s ok but not fascinating. It does get better toward the end.
April 10, 2022
Another excellent narrative nonfiction book from Fleming. Even though I had watched a documentary on this topic, I learned so much. Last fall, my 6th graders did a nonfiction book club. Fleming's Curse of the Mummy was one of the most popular titles. It is stunning that Fleming has another great title out so early in 2022. This is impeccably researched. It is a gruesome crime that has sexual references. Even though The Borden Murders, by Miller, has been very popular with my higher reading sixth graders, I have not decided if this would be an appropriate choice as an option for sixth graders. Many of them watch Criminal Minds etc. type TV shows. I always ask students to bring parent permission notes and all parents have always agreed to the choices I have given the students. I hope this will at least get some Newbery consideration. It fits the upper range of Newbery. In the last few years, there have been very few nonfiction titles given consideration. Great nonfiction is so important for middle schoolers. Students come in thinking all nonfiction is boring. Most of the time the students' only experience with nonfiction is sitting around a horseshoe shaped table reading boring nonfiction with a letter on the back. Even though this is controversial subject matter for younger students, I am sure there are many middle school readers that will dive in and realize that well-written nonfiction can be captivating. I am thankful for authors like Fleming, for giving us great books to assist children to love nonfiction.
June 17, 2024
Rating: 4 Stars
For a book dedicated to true crime fanatics and lovers of the movie Rope , Fleming establishes a thrilling narrative centered around the murder of a young, 14 year old, Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard ("Dick") Loeb. The story is in chronological order; beginning from the boys both being raised by governesses (who the author analyzes to be evil due to emotional and sexual abuse occuring, although that is not a confirmable theory to why the boys grew up to commit 'the murder of the century') in considerably messed up and cold households. Then, onto how they committed the murder, how the authorities drew the case back to them, and how their brilliant lawyer contended their case in court.
I love murder mysteries as much as the next guy, so my next natural shift was into true crime. I quite enjoyed the narrative storytelling rather than a rehash of the nitty gritty details of the case, even though this book can be considered a retelling rather than a reexamination. The author makes some hasty claims, such as the evil governesses and with Loeb being a psychopath causing the crime to occur. It might've been the case, but they were never verified.
On my way to find some more true crime, cya!
---pre-review---
First ever true crime book, and it was solid! Review to come.
For a book dedicated to true crime fanatics and lovers of the movie Rope , Fleming establishes a thrilling narrative centered around the murder of a young, 14 year old, Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard ("Dick") Loeb. The story is in chronological order; beginning from the boys both being raised by governesses (who the author analyzes to be evil due to emotional and sexual abuse occuring, although that is not a confirmable theory to why the boys grew up to commit 'the murder of the century') in considerably messed up and cold households. Then, onto how they committed the murder, how the authorities drew the case back to them, and how their brilliant lawyer contended their case in court.
I love murder mysteries as much as the next guy, so my next natural shift was into true crime. I quite enjoyed the narrative storytelling rather than a rehash of the nitty gritty details of the case, even though this book can be considered a retelling rather than a reexamination. The author makes some hasty claims, such as the evil governesses and with Loeb being a psychopath causing the crime to occur. It might've been the case, but they were never verified.
On my way to find some more true crime, cya!
---pre-review---
First ever true crime book, and it was solid! Review to come.
April 2, 2022
I read this for a class, it wasn't my kind of book, I'm not into true crime, or history, or very much non-fiction. But this book was really good and I read it in one sitting. I wondered how she had so much detail on them for the first half or so of the book, but then you get to after they get arrested, and it makes sense. I liked how the author efficiently and effectively explained the attitudes of the day and the knowledge level of forensics of the day. I recently read Man From the Train, which is set during the same period, well, a little earlier but pretty close, and this was similar. Both are worth reading.
August 13, 2022
In 1924, intelligent and wealthy teens Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were convinced they could pull off the perfect crime and they spent a couple months planning it. They kidnapped and murdered young Bobby Franks and figured they’d get away with it but things started going wrong almost from the start. Fleming recounts Leopold and Loeb’s relationship, the murder, and the trial. The story was disturbing and fascinating at the same time. I also found the difference in police work interesting. Angela Dawe does a good job narrating the audio version of the book. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy reading true crime.
December 18, 2024
A great look into one of criminal history’s most infamous cases. Why did Leopold & Loeb commit this atrocious crime and why did it fascinate 1920s-era Chicago so much? Fleming dives deep into the criminals’ lives, crime, trial, and lives in prison. Well researched, beautifully written, and extremely informative.
December 16, 2023
Held my attention well enough. Reminds me of when brian david gilbert compared the halo novels to a margarita. He said smth like “it might be detrimental to my health but its tasty and i can crush it quickly”
April 2, 2022
Known as the Crime of the Century, two privileged teenagers set out to execute the perfect crime in May 1924. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were nineteen and eighteen, respectively, when they hatched their plot, ending up kidnapping and killing 14-year-old Bobby Franks, just for the thrill of it. They were certain that they'd dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's and would have no problem getting away with murder. After all, they were the sons of wealthy parents, lived in Kenwood, one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago, and they'd gotten away with other indiscretions in the past. But they made mistakes, including sending a ransom note and leaving a pair of eyeglasses at the crime scene. Although the Chicago police at that time weren't known for their efficiency or trustworthiness, in this case, they prevailed, and the two boys were arrested and brought to trial. Author Candace Fleming excels in the writing of narrative nonfiction, and this book is no exception. She provides interesting details about the plans for the crime, the actual murder itself, and the aftermath, including the trial, presided over by Judge John Caverly with famed attorney Clarence Darrow working for the defense. Readers will be interested in some of the arguments made by the prosecution attorney Robert Crowe as well as by the defense team and the desperate decision that prevented them from being given the death penalty. In many respects, the sensational trial, which drew mobs desperate to enter the courtroom or hear the verdict, is even more interesting than the crime itself. While refusing to let the two young men escape blame for their crime, Fleming spends some time exploring the boys' relationships with their families and friends or acquaintances as well as placing some responsibility on the influence of their governesses during their formative years. But in many respects, it seems clear that it is the relationship the boys had with each other that inevitably sparked the murder. It's impossible not to wonder if there would ever have been a murder had their paths not crossed--or would they have found someone else just as sympathetic and jaded to do the deed with them. With several archival photographs, almost 50 pages of notes and sources, this book is backed by thorough research and the always pitch-perfect writing of Fleming. Readers will feel as though they are in the Chicago area in 1924, racing through the streets in flashy cars, presenting one face to the public and another one in private, believing in their own superiority. I've said it before, and I'll reiterate it here: When it comes to narrative nonfiction and complex stories and personalities, a book by Candace Fleming is a sure bet.
January 12, 2023
More 2023 Printz contenders, surprise surprise.
Candace Fleming rarely misses, and I enjoyed this story of Nathan Leopold and Richards Loeb's history, crime, and subsequent trial, as well as the implications of this high-profile case. This works really well as a book for teens, as the subjects are teens themselves and this reads like a YA version of a true crime novel.
The crime in question was the kidnapping and murder of a 5 year old boy that Leopold and Loeb committed just for fun -- just to see what it would be like to committ a crime. Fleming's narrative sets the reader up to understand that both boys come from childhood trauma and parental emotional neglect, but that Richard Loeb probably skewed more toward psychopathy and Nathan Leopold had a mental illness. She also explores their homosexual relationship (stemming from Leopold's homosexuality and Loeb's desire to be desired) and their wealth/priviledge that bankrolled their criminal defenses, ultimately resulting in escaping the death penalty. Fleming also discusses the boys' Jewish heritage and how that was taken up in conversations surrounding this case -- particularly in regards to perceptions of unworthy wealth and moral depravity.
This was an enjoyable read, though a very short one. For a story that was billed as "the crime of the century," I had never actually heard about it, so I did enjoy going into this one blind and learning the details of the case as they were presented to me. As always, Fleming constructs a narrative that reads more like fiction and the story was well-paced.
Will it win a Printz? I'm guessing not, but it could be a solid contender for the Exellence in Nonfiction Award (Fleming is always a favorite).
Candace Fleming rarely misses, and I enjoyed this story of Nathan Leopold and Richards Loeb's history, crime, and subsequent trial, as well as the implications of this high-profile case. This works really well as a book for teens, as the subjects are teens themselves and this reads like a YA version of a true crime novel.
The crime in question was the kidnapping and murder of a 5 year old boy that Leopold and Loeb committed just for fun -- just to see what it would be like to committ a crime. Fleming's narrative sets the reader up to understand that both boys come from childhood trauma and parental emotional neglect, but that Richard Loeb probably skewed more toward psychopathy and Nathan Leopold had a mental illness. She also explores their homosexual relationship (stemming from Leopold's homosexuality and Loeb's desire to be desired) and their wealth/priviledge that bankrolled their criminal defenses, ultimately resulting in escaping the death penalty. Fleming also discusses the boys' Jewish heritage and how that was taken up in conversations surrounding this case -- particularly in regards to perceptions of unworthy wealth and moral depravity.
This was an enjoyable read, though a very short one. For a story that was billed as "the crime of the century," I had never actually heard about it, so I did enjoy going into this one blind and learning the details of the case as they were presented to me. As always, Fleming constructs a narrative that reads more like fiction and the story was well-paced.
Will it win a Printz? I'm guessing not, but it could be a solid contender for the Exellence in Nonfiction Award (Fleming is always a favorite).
May 23, 2022
Candace Fleming is at her best in this compelling nonfictional account of the murder of Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, scions of two of the wealthiest men in Chicago in the 1920's. (I couldn't put it down - it was a like a train wreck that you just can't help stopping to take in the details...)
Opening with the actual kidnapping and murder, the book jumps back in time to their formative years of privilege. These two young men experienced very troubling childhoods; their upbringing was handed over to their governesses who abused them. They became co-dependent parts of a whole. With Leopold's book smarts and Loeb's manipulative street smarts, the two young - in their late teens - plotted together to commit "the perfect murder", thinking they would get away with it. Their arrest, trial by judge, and conviction was a sensation across the country at that time.
Fleming does a stellar job of fleshing out not only the lives of these two mentally/emotionally disturbed young men, but also of the time period and place they lived - showing the odd (by today's standards) relationship between the police and press and the expectations of society at the time. She goes step-by-step to demonstrate how their hubris informed their actions and, ultimately, lead to their downfall. The details included are what makes this such compelling reading and include quotations from sources discovered during the extensive research Fleming conducted - books by Clarence Darrow, Leopold, and one of the defense psychiatrists, newspaper and magazine articles from the time period, notes from interviews of the two young men and people that knew them, and trial transcripts.
True crime fans will salivate over this one. For mature readers, grade 8 up.
Opening with the actual kidnapping and murder, the book jumps back in time to their formative years of privilege. These two young men experienced very troubling childhoods; their upbringing was handed over to their governesses who abused them. They became co-dependent parts of a whole. With Leopold's book smarts and Loeb's manipulative street smarts, the two young - in their late teens - plotted together to commit "the perfect murder", thinking they would get away with it. Their arrest, trial by judge, and conviction was a sensation across the country at that time.
Fleming does a stellar job of fleshing out not only the lives of these two mentally/emotionally disturbed young men, but also of the time period and place they lived - showing the odd (by today's standards) relationship between the police and press and the expectations of society at the time. She goes step-by-step to demonstrate how their hubris informed their actions and, ultimately, lead to their downfall. The details included are what makes this such compelling reading and include quotations from sources discovered during the extensive research Fleming conducted - books by Clarence Darrow, Leopold, and one of the defense psychiatrists, newspaper and magazine articles from the time period, notes from interviews of the two young men and people that knew them, and trial transcripts.
True crime fans will salivate over this one. For mature readers, grade 8 up.
July 26, 2022
Fleming takes us along with Leopold and Loeb as they plot to murder and collect a ransom on a boy in their neighborhood. The book covers the sentencing phase and contains the many details Fleming is famous for.
I was interested to note that Fleming regularly used the term "teenagers" to describe Leopold and Lobe given that we know that white males who are 18 and 19 are often called "teenagers" while male people of color the same age are routinely characterized as "men." I'm curious if Fleming put thought into using this word. Leopold and Lobe were still teenagers, but did that change the way readers saw them? If Leopold and Lobe were Black, would we still be calling them teenagers.
Read for Librarian Book Group
I was interested to note that Fleming regularly used the term "teenagers" to describe Leopold and Lobe given that we know that white males who are 18 and 19 are often called "teenagers" while male people of color the same age are routinely characterized as "men." I'm curious if Fleming put thought into using this word. Leopold and Lobe were still teenagers, but did that change the way readers saw them? If Leopold and Lobe were Black, would we still be calling them teenagers.
Read for Librarian Book Group
June 25, 2022
This book is excellent: compelling, hard to put down, and about something I knew nothing about. It’s also about two young men who decided, for fun and thrills, to kill a child. So it’s gruesome reading and my ambivalence about true crime came up a lot while reading. But I also couldn’t look away and couldn’t stop sharing facts about the case with my fiancé. I would recommend this to older teens and adults who like true crime.
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