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Butcher's Work: True Crime Tales of American Murder and Madness
A Civil War veteran who perpetrated one of the most ghastly mass slaughters in the annals of U.S. crime. A nineteenth-century female serial killer whose victims included three husbands and six of her own children. A Gilded Age “Bluebeard” who did away with as many as fifty wives throughout the country. A decorated World War I hero who orchestrated a murder that stunned Jazz Age America. While other infamous homicides from the same eras—the Lizzie Borden slayings, for example, or the “thrill killing” committed by Leopold and Loeb—have entered into our cultural mythology, these four equally sensational crimes have largely faded from public memory. A quartet of gripping historical true-crime narratives, Butcher’s Work restores these once-notorious cases to vivid, dramatic life.
278 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2022
51 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
About the author
Harold Schechter
79 books1,395 followersAka Jon A. Harrald (joint pseudonym with Jonna Gormley Semeiks)
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend, Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bug and Nevermore and The Mask of Red Death.
Schechter is married to poet Kimiko Hahn. He has two daughters from a previous marriage: the writer Lauren Oliver and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Schechter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
October 23, 2022
In Butcher's Work: True Crime Tales of American Murder and Madness, the author presents four killers, their victims and their heinous crimes. Their crimes are not well known as other crimes committed around the same times as their garnered more press and revulsion.
The author did an impressive amount of research in the writing of this book. I previously another book by the author Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer was impressed by his research in that book as well. In this book, the author details their crimes and what happened to the killers. With each section, the author also details other crimes that were committed using the same means as the killers in this book.
Readers might find themselves asking, how did they get away with their crimes for so long? How many times can someone change their name and get away with it? How many deaths can be associated with one person and people don't get suspicious?
Fans of true crime will find this interesting.
#ButchersWork #NetGalley.
Thank you to University of Iowa Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
The author did an impressive amount of research in the writing of this book. I previously another book by the author Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer was impressed by his research in that book as well. In this book, the author details their crimes and what happened to the killers. With each section, the author also details other crimes that were committed using the same means as the killers in this book.
Readers might find themselves asking, how did they get away with their crimes for so long? How many times can someone change their name and get away with it? How many deaths can be associated with one person and people don't get suspicious?
Fans of true crime will find this interesting.
#ButchersWork #NetGalley.
Thank you to University of Iowa Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
November 11, 2024
Harold Schechter's approach to True Crime is one to which new writer's of True Crime should aspire. His books are not about the lascivious details, nor the psychology of those committing the crimes, nor about the "heroic" investigators who've caught a "monster," although those elements do occur in his books; instead, his books are about the history of crime, the history of U.S. crime, and he goes out of his way to contextualize the crimes he covers in their historical moments, using history to reveal something about his nation -- and that something is the way American myth building suggests that their great crimes and criminals of the U.S. are outliers, anomalies, rather than a permanent and far reaching fixture of the nation.
Butcher's Work: True Crime Tales of American Murder and Madness takes a fairly infamous era of American criminality -- the era of Leopold and Loeb & Lizzy Borden -- and outlines four villains of that age who all perpetrated just as fantastic and oftentimes bloodier crimes than their famous counterparts, yet their crimes are all but forgotten by the public because they, somehow, failed to ignite the titillating zeitgeist that their more famous brethren achieved.
Schechter has argued in other books, and again here in Butcher's Work, that the famous crimes of an era are never actually unique to their era, but that they do tap into whatever a specific era fears most. For Leopold and Loeb & Lizzy Borden, it is the youth rebelling against authority; they represented society's overarching fear of a loss of control of their children. But a travelling con man turned serial killer, a woman poisoning her family / families (also a serial killer) for insurance money, a Bluebeard poisoning a long string of wives (yup, you guessed it: serial killer), also for insurance money, and a psychopathic war hero disposing of his pregnant wife and some homeless collateral damage (not a serial killer, this one) simply to be free of her -- all brutal and sensational crimes -- did not encroach on what society cared most about in that moment. Thus, they are largely forgotten.
Schechter does a fine job of illustrating his thesis, and along the way he spices up his history with famous men and women of the period who bump up against these killers, all in the name of historical context. His approach needs to emulated. It elevates True Crime to an academic pursuit worthy of historical analysis, thus reducing the fetishization of murder by making it less about emotion and more about facts.
So, if you haven't read Schechter and you love True Crime, it's time to give him a day in court.
Butcher's Work: True Crime Tales of American Murder and Madness takes a fairly infamous era of American criminality -- the era of Leopold and Loeb & Lizzy Borden -- and outlines four villains of that age who all perpetrated just as fantastic and oftentimes bloodier crimes than their famous counterparts, yet their crimes are all but forgotten by the public because they, somehow, failed to ignite the titillating zeitgeist that their more famous brethren achieved.
Schechter has argued in other books, and again here in Butcher's Work, that the famous crimes of an era are never actually unique to their era, but that they do tap into whatever a specific era fears most. For Leopold and Loeb & Lizzy Borden, it is the youth rebelling against authority; they represented society's overarching fear of a loss of control of their children. But a travelling con man turned serial killer, a woman poisoning her family / families (also a serial killer) for insurance money, a Bluebeard poisoning a long string of wives (yup, you guessed it: serial killer), also for insurance money, and a psychopathic war hero disposing of his pregnant wife and some homeless collateral damage (not a serial killer, this one) simply to be free of her -- all brutal and sensational crimes -- did not encroach on what society cared most about in that moment. Thus, they are largely forgotten.
Schechter does a fine job of illustrating his thesis, and along the way he spices up his history with famous men and women of the period who bump up against these killers, all in the name of historical context. His approach needs to emulated. It elevates True Crime to an academic pursuit worthy of historical analysis, thus reducing the fetishization of murder by making it less about emotion and more about facts.
So, if you haven't read Schechter and you love True Crime, it's time to give him a day in court.
July 24, 2022
I've enjoyed Schechter's books in the past and liked this one as well. It's always a good thing when I can find true crime cases that I've never heard about before after reading it for nearly 50 years now. This book tells about some that were new to me, so a bit obscure to the average reader. They made Leopold and Loeb (whom I just finished reading an upcoming new book about) look like rank amateurs. I was especially mesmerized by the "Bluebeard" who got so many women to marry him under so many names. Then he would make off with most or all of their assets.
October 27, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the University of Iowa Press for an advanced copy of this true crime collection detailing acts from the turn of the 20th century.
People love the bad guy. Not just the antihero, but murderers and serial killers have fans and groupies who can tell more about the life of the Green River Killer than their own lives. Podcasts like Serial or Last Podcast on the Left never seem to lack stories to tells about gruesome murders and stories of savagery, nor seem to lack listeners to hear them. Women declare their love of murderous husbands, or line up for hours just to get a thrill out of seeing them in court. This is not new, or because of the Internet, or lack of church in people's lives, as certain segments of society might claim. This has been going on for a long time, as long as America has been a country, and before that. Butcher's Work: True Crime Tales of American Murder and Madness by the master of macabre and mass murders Harold Schechter, details 4 cases of American murder from the end of the Civil War to the end of the Jazz age.
A man missing a thumb is hired to work at a lonely farmstead, over the feelings of the farmer's wife, who does not trust the man. Soon he leaves but memories of the farmer's wealth bring him back, with horrific results. A women who has the worst luck of having both children and husband die with horrific regularity takes a job in Connecticut as a companion for a sick woman, where she meets her final husband, whose health suddenly turns. A World War I veteran engages in shootout outside his apartment with a robber who threatens the veteran and his wife. Both the villain and the wife are dead, but what really happened in that dark hallway? A German gentleman looking for love places ads in papers all over America, while leaving broken hearts, emptied bank accounts and sometimes bodies in his wake.
Harold Schechter has a real gift for writing these kind of stories with care, ability and not even a trace of exploitation. That would be easy, and Schechter has never taken the easy way, even with books whose ghoulishness practically writes itself. These stories look at the crime, society, even American and world history to give an idea of why these people might be motivated to kill and what was going on around them which made them difficult to spot. No one is really innocent here. The police who might try to find their man, or woman, but prefer to do nothing. Juries who don't prosecute. Reporters who lie to victims families, make up false stories for newspapers, and worse blocking chimney's to get photos of dead people out of evacuated houses. Even the people who travel to murder scenes and take souvenirs, dripping them in the blood of victims as mementos. No one is spared and this is quite refreshing. The writing is plain, honest, and yes gross in spots while detailing crimes, but again not exploitive, again proving why he is one of the best scholars of true crime writing today.
Not for fans of the breathless writing, that seems to be most true crime, and true crime podcasts. This is a very well written collection on crime in America, and just as good as some of Schechter's other works. For fans of good true crime writing, or for mystery writers and historical fiction writers to get an idea of what little has changed in murder and for story ideas.
People love the bad guy. Not just the antihero, but murderers and serial killers have fans and groupies who can tell more about the life of the Green River Killer than their own lives. Podcasts like Serial or Last Podcast on the Left never seem to lack stories to tells about gruesome murders and stories of savagery, nor seem to lack listeners to hear them. Women declare their love of murderous husbands, or line up for hours just to get a thrill out of seeing them in court. This is not new, or because of the Internet, or lack of church in people's lives, as certain segments of society might claim. This has been going on for a long time, as long as America has been a country, and before that. Butcher's Work: True Crime Tales of American Murder and Madness by the master of macabre and mass murders Harold Schechter, details 4 cases of American murder from the end of the Civil War to the end of the Jazz age.
A man missing a thumb is hired to work at a lonely farmstead, over the feelings of the farmer's wife, who does not trust the man. Soon he leaves but memories of the farmer's wealth bring him back, with horrific results. A women who has the worst luck of having both children and husband die with horrific regularity takes a job in Connecticut as a companion for a sick woman, where she meets her final husband, whose health suddenly turns. A World War I veteran engages in shootout outside his apartment with a robber who threatens the veteran and his wife. Both the villain and the wife are dead, but what really happened in that dark hallway? A German gentleman looking for love places ads in papers all over America, while leaving broken hearts, emptied bank accounts and sometimes bodies in his wake.
Harold Schechter has a real gift for writing these kind of stories with care, ability and not even a trace of exploitation. That would be easy, and Schechter has never taken the easy way, even with books whose ghoulishness practically writes itself. These stories look at the crime, society, even American and world history to give an idea of why these people might be motivated to kill and what was going on around them which made them difficult to spot. No one is really innocent here. The police who might try to find their man, or woman, but prefer to do nothing. Juries who don't prosecute. Reporters who lie to victims families, make up false stories for newspapers, and worse blocking chimney's to get photos of dead people out of evacuated houses. Even the people who travel to murder scenes and take souvenirs, dripping them in the blood of victims as mementos. No one is spared and this is quite refreshing. The writing is plain, honest, and yes gross in spots while detailing crimes, but again not exploitive, again proving why he is one of the best scholars of true crime writing today.
Not for fans of the breathless writing, that seems to be most true crime, and true crime podcasts. This is a very well written collection on crime in America, and just as good as some of Schechter's other works. For fans of good true crime writing, or for mystery writers and historical fiction writers to get an idea of what little has changed in murder and for story ideas.
November 7, 2022
4/5 stars
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher
This book is exactly what it claims to be. If you pick this up you will find yourself learning about four different American crimes that, while infamous back then, are now mostly forgotten and unknown. Very well researched, this book focused a lot on the history of the crimes. This isn't a thriller, nor is it written to keep you at the edge of your seat. If you enjoy a more fast paced narrative with foreshadowing and intrigue this won't be the book for you.
I quite enjoyed it. I had never heard of any of the cases and was shocked to learn some of the details. I really like history so I appreciated all the research the author did for this. I will say that some of the writing was a bit dry, which I didn't particularly dislike but some readers might find boring. I'll also add that I do feel like some extra details could have been cut from the narration. Overall this was an enjoyable read.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher
This book is exactly what it claims to be. If you pick this up you will find yourself learning about four different American crimes that, while infamous back then, are now mostly forgotten and unknown. Very well researched, this book focused a lot on the history of the crimes. This isn't a thriller, nor is it written to keep you at the edge of your seat. If you enjoy a more fast paced narrative with foreshadowing and intrigue this won't be the book for you.
I quite enjoyed it. I had never heard of any of the cases and was shocked to learn some of the details. I really like history so I appreciated all the research the author did for this. I will say that some of the writing was a bit dry, which I didn't particularly dislike but some readers might find boring. I'll also add that I do feel like some extra details could have been cut from the narration. Overall this was an enjoyable read.
March 30, 2025
Of the crimes that occurred in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, there's a handful that everyone's familiar with - Lizzy Borden, Leopold & Loeb, the Lindbergh baby, etc. But there's plenty more similarly heinous and bizarre stories that are more submersed by the depths of time, four of which are told here.
A quartet of old-fashioned true crime, running from the heels of the Civil War to the heels of World War One. Schechter does an excellent job of creating a sense of place and time for each of the stories, and narrates them in a mildly sardonic way. However, I like my true crime on the bizarre side, and that's not the case with some of these stories - they echo better known crimes, and you can understand how they were forgotten.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator is very clear and informative in tone, if a bit dry. The dryness does make it a bit hard to follow what's going on when you're tired though, especially in the cases you don't find as interesting.
A quartet of old-fashioned true crime, running from the heels of the Civil War to the heels of World War One. Schechter does an excellent job of creating a sense of place and time for each of the stories, and narrates them in a mildly sardonic way. However, I like my true crime on the bizarre side, and that's not the case with some of these stories - they echo better known crimes, and you can understand how they were forgotten.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator is very clear and informative in tone, if a bit dry. The dryness does make it a bit hard to follow what's going on when you're tired though, especially in the cases you don't find as interesting.
February 13, 2024
True tales of crime sprees from the early part of the 20th century. Interesting cases but there seemed to be too much filler, like the writer was trying to get to a certain word count.
December 27, 2024
A good reminder that there is truly nothing new under the sun.........
July 9, 2025
people are trash.
January 3, 2023
An Amazing Book
I've read most of Harold Schechter's books, and I have to say, this one was his best, in my opinion. Even though it's four different cases, I was riveted with each one. This book just flows.
The first crimes committed start right after the Civil War, and the last case goes into the early 1900s.
This book was a real page turner; every single crime (or crimes) was so interesting (and one, horrifying as well).
I actually found myself laughing out loud when one of the suspects in a particularly gruesome crime was stopped by a policeman in Philadelphia because he "looked suspicious" and when the policeman greeted
the man, (who was German) by saying hello, the man replied
"how de do." The policeman then said "might you be a Dutchman? " the suspect replied " No. Me a Frenchman. "
I have no idea why that made me laugh; maybe it was just such a ridiculous reply!
That silliness aside, every case Mr. Schechter presents was obviously so incredibly well researched, one almost can picture the strange and almost unbelievable goings on during the crimes, to the arrests, to the punishments.
I have to say, after a person committed a particularly heinous crime in the 1800s, the newspaper coverage is quite amusing, while the crimes themselves are not amusing AT ALL.
People could pretty much leave a town or city of their birth and become whoever they chose to be, with no Driver's licenses or Social Security numbers, it was fairly easy. Sadly, some men and women who chose to change their identities could ruin quite a few lives, (or end them).
Thank goodness it's not that way today.
I could not recommend this book more highly. When I was reading the final story, and it was over, I was truly disappointed!
The author's research is detailed and let's you know he's not just inserting his own words or thoughts. It's what was recorded at the time.
If you like true crime, or even if you don't, I really suggest reading this book. I'm so glad I bought it. Worth every penny.
I've read most of Harold Schechter's books, and I have to say, this one was his best, in my opinion. Even though it's four different cases, I was riveted with each one. This book just flows.
The first crimes committed start right after the Civil War, and the last case goes into the early 1900s.
This book was a real page turner; every single crime (or crimes) was so interesting (and one, horrifying as well).
I actually found myself laughing out loud when one of the suspects in a particularly gruesome crime was stopped by a policeman in Philadelphia because he "looked suspicious" and when the policeman greeted
the man, (who was German) by saying hello, the man replied
"how de do." The policeman then said "might you be a Dutchman? " the suspect replied " No. Me a Frenchman. "
I have no idea why that made me laugh; maybe it was just such a ridiculous reply!
That silliness aside, every case Mr. Schechter presents was obviously so incredibly well researched, one almost can picture the strange and almost unbelievable goings on during the crimes, to the arrests, to the punishments.
I have to say, after a person committed a particularly heinous crime in the 1800s, the newspaper coverage is quite amusing, while the crimes themselves are not amusing AT ALL.
People could pretty much leave a town or city of their birth and become whoever they chose to be, with no Driver's licenses or Social Security numbers, it was fairly easy. Sadly, some men and women who chose to change their identities could ruin quite a few lives, (or end them).
Thank goodness it's not that way today.
I could not recommend this book more highly. When I was reading the final story, and it was over, I was truly disappointed!
The author's research is detailed and let's you know he's not just inserting his own words or thoughts. It's what was recorded at the time.
If you like true crime, or even if you don't, I really suggest reading this book. I'm so glad I bought it. Worth every penny.
January 1, 2023
Very in-depth look at four historical true crimes.
This book takes a look at four specific criminals, all of which were new to me:
- Anton Probst, who murdered an entire family
- Lidiya Sherman, who murdered family members with arsenic
- Johan Schmidt (went by many names), who conned and murdered widowed women
- Carl Wanderer, who staged a robbery to murder his wife
Schechter does a very good job of telling the stories. There is a TON of detail and SO many direct quotes. Although the stories were horrifying and some parts were very graphic (especially the first story), the writing was excellent and the research was done so well.
If you enjoy podcasts or audiobooks, I would recommend you listen to this book instead of reading it. I am not too big into audiobooks but enjoy podcasts, and the writing style felt very much like a podcast to me.
Thank you to University of Iowa Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
This book takes a look at four specific criminals, all of which were new to me:
- Anton Probst, who murdered an entire family
- Lidiya Sherman, who murdered family members with arsenic
- Johan Schmidt (went by many names), who conned and murdered widowed women
- Carl Wanderer, who staged a robbery to murder his wife
Schechter does a very good job of telling the stories. There is a TON of detail and SO many direct quotes. Although the stories were horrifying and some parts were very graphic (especially the first story), the writing was excellent and the research was done so well.
If you enjoy podcasts or audiobooks, I would recommend you listen to this book instead of reading it. I am not too big into audiobooks but enjoy podcasts, and the writing style felt very much like a podcast to me.
Thank you to University of Iowa Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
August 31, 2022
The premise of Schechter’s Butcher’s Work is intriguing enough to entice any fan of true crime to pick it up: Serial killers and murder are nothing new, why have we forgotten some crimes and remembered others? And, more curiously, what are those cases which we have forgotten? The easy answer is that they weren’t horrendous enough, disgusting enough, criminal enough to earn a place in our long, collective memory. But the cases in Butcher’s Work dismisses that possibility quickly; the crimes highlighted in this work are all that and more chilling. The fact that they have disappeared from our remembrance is itself quite a horrific notion.
Butcher’s Work is divided into four sections: Butcher’s Work, The Poison Fiend, Lady-Killer, and The Ragged Stranger. As their titles suggest, each one focuses on a particular method or victim of murder. There is a featured case of each, but interspersed within the pages of the chapters are cameos of other criminals employing the same method. Collectively they form a creepy landscape of crime, where trusting another human being is something to fear. Lady-Killer was one of my favorite sections. Marriage and murder form the central focus here, a gendered violence perpetrated by men against women. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but DANG, how did these men get away with this? Oh, right, but still!
Schechter is a marvelous story-teller. The prose flows, as compellingly as the stories and characters. And, as a researcher myself, I deeply appreciate the depth and details Schechter has excavated in this work. The result is not only a focused, historically rich, and keen archival piece of work; Butcher’s Work is also a nuanced landscape of American life in the 19th century. Schechter brings to the reader’s attention how it is not only the ambition of the criminal, but also the systems and structures of society that permit and foster these crimes. How else might a man such as Hoch in Lady Killer commit bigamy and murder so successfully and remain for so long undetected? What gave him the confidence to believe in his own acquittal? Of course, the criminals here were apprehended, so there is a more optimistic ending. We can rest knowing the authorities — police, witnesses, lawyers, courts, etc — did succeed in forcing them to confront their crimes. But, I could not help but wonder how many others got away with it altogether? The idea is spine-chilling.
Butcher’s Work is a fantastic read for any fan of true crime and 19th century American history.
Butcher’s Work is divided into four sections: Butcher’s Work, The Poison Fiend, Lady-Killer, and The Ragged Stranger. As their titles suggest, each one focuses on a particular method or victim of murder. There is a featured case of each, but interspersed within the pages of the chapters are cameos of other criminals employing the same method. Collectively they form a creepy landscape of crime, where trusting another human being is something to fear. Lady-Killer was one of my favorite sections. Marriage and murder form the central focus here, a gendered violence perpetrated by men against women. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but DANG, how did these men get away with this? Oh, right, but still!
Schechter is a marvelous story-teller. The prose flows, as compellingly as the stories and characters. And, as a researcher myself, I deeply appreciate the depth and details Schechter has excavated in this work. The result is not only a focused, historically rich, and keen archival piece of work; Butcher’s Work is also a nuanced landscape of American life in the 19th century. Schechter brings to the reader’s attention how it is not only the ambition of the criminal, but also the systems and structures of society that permit and foster these crimes. How else might a man such as Hoch in Lady Killer commit bigamy and murder so successfully and remain for so long undetected? What gave him the confidence to believe in his own acquittal? Of course, the criminals here were apprehended, so there is a more optimistic ending. We can rest knowing the authorities — police, witnesses, lawyers, courts, etc — did succeed in forcing them to confront their crimes. But, I could not help but wonder how many others got away with it altogether? The idea is spine-chilling.
Butcher’s Work is a fantastic read for any fan of true crime and 19th century American history.
November 22, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my humble review.
This interesting work posits that serial killers have always been a part of American history and that many have fallen off the radar for one reason or another. I enjoy reading old true crime and this book does fairly exhaustive research into the particular killers that Schechter felt exemplified his statement.
The most interesting thing that I found about the killers in this book was how they all seemed to "repent" their crimes or accept punishment, only to change their minds when faced with actual consequences. I think it truly speaks to the megalomania that serial killers seem to all share - they are confident in their ability to convince others that they are either innocent or that they do not deserve the death penalty. When they are thus faced with their true mortality, that confidence wavers, causing them to throw hail marys in the hopes of landing some reprieve.
A well-written and researched addition to any true crime fan.
This interesting work posits that serial killers have always been a part of American history and that many have fallen off the radar for one reason or another. I enjoy reading old true crime and this book does fairly exhaustive research into the particular killers that Schechter felt exemplified his statement.
The most interesting thing that I found about the killers in this book was how they all seemed to "repent" their crimes or accept punishment, only to change their minds when faced with actual consequences. I think it truly speaks to the megalomania that serial killers seem to all share - they are confident in their ability to convince others that they are either innocent or that they do not deserve the death penalty. When they are thus faced with their true mortality, that confidence wavers, causing them to throw hail marys in the hopes of landing some reprieve.
A well-written and researched addition to any true crime fan.
July 8, 2022
My biggest pet peeve with true crime is people not only copy and paste but will totally rewrite the same story over and over again. That is not a problem with this book. Not only of these stories obscure, but they are so interesting. In One of the stories the murder victims preacher sold the case and found the culprit. There were so many stories that I hadn’t heard of and he would only reference popular ones to get to the ones unheard of before. I truly enjoyed this book and although I haven’t finished it yet is it super long I wanted to write this review so others could enjoy Butcher’s Work bye Harold Schechtner. This isn’t the first book I have read by him and I must say I look forward to reading more. I received this book from net Gally and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.
October 8, 2022
Huge thanks to NetGalley for an early look at Butcher's Work!
This is my second book by Harold Schecter, and I will say I wasn't disappointed. Though the last book I read by him was devasting, it was so well written and researched that I jumped at the chance to read his next book. Butcher's Work follows the same pattern, only less heartbreaking.
While these are still tales of murder through the early part of the United States, some of these crimes were bizarre. Like the man who just kept changing his name, getting married, killing brides, or leaving them with nothing, only to repeat the process for years. Only to almost get caught, slip out of their fingers, and start all over again.
Each chapter is well-researched, and I liked that they start with a small headline crime. Something that sort of sets the scene for what the chapter is going to entail. To get your mind ready for the weirdness that is about to happen. But each chapter is jammed packed with information about the city, the victims, and about the do-er. It doesn't just focus on one element.
I will say that the chapters did run a little longer. There were places where it felt like things were drawn out, and I would lose my focus on the book. End up doing something else. Though I always come back to it in the end. Still, there were moments when I was hoping we could skip to the end.
Though, as a whole, I enjoyed reading this and I've already recommended it to people for when it gets released!
This is my second book by Harold Schecter, and I will say I wasn't disappointed. Though the last book I read by him was devasting, it was so well written and researched that I jumped at the chance to read his next book. Butcher's Work follows the same pattern, only less heartbreaking.
While these are still tales of murder through the early part of the United States, some of these crimes were bizarre. Like the man who just kept changing his name, getting married, killing brides, or leaving them with nothing, only to repeat the process for years. Only to almost get caught, slip out of their fingers, and start all over again.
Each chapter is well-researched, and I liked that they start with a small headline crime. Something that sort of sets the scene for what the chapter is going to entail. To get your mind ready for the weirdness that is about to happen. But each chapter is jammed packed with information about the city, the victims, and about the do-er. It doesn't just focus on one element.
I will say that the chapters did run a little longer. There were places where it felt like things were drawn out, and I would lose my focus on the book. End up doing something else. Though I always come back to it in the end. Still, there were moments when I was hoping we could skip to the end.
Though, as a whole, I enjoyed reading this and I've already recommended it to people for when it gets released!
January 1, 2024
This book features several historical true crime cases from all across America over the years. Each case is briefly discussed, leaving time for multiple cases to be highlighted. Despite the fact that there are multiple cases featured in this book, each one is packed with enough details that you get a really good concept of the case. In fact, there were a couple mentioned that I am looking forward to researching more in the future. If you like brief true crime stories in the vein of the collections by Ann Rule, this might be something for you to look into.
I bought this book on Audible, and started it several days ago at work and finished up today while working on laundry. The listening time for this book is listed at 8 hours, but I believe mine was a little less because I listen at a little bit faster of a speed. If you are interested in a physical copy, it is less than 300 pages. Harold Schechter is one of my favorite crime writers. I prefer his books that focus on a single person, but I bought this one simply because he wrote it. I have nothing negative to say about this book, as it was written in his typical style that made reading enjoyable. There were plenty of facts and evidence in the book that the author did his normal level of exceptional research on. I appreciated that there were cases I had never heard of in this book, because I love to learn. I have two more by this author that I am looking forward to getting to.
I bought this book on Audible, and started it several days ago at work and finished up today while working on laundry. The listening time for this book is listed at 8 hours, but I believe mine was a little less because I listen at a little bit faster of a speed. If you are interested in a physical copy, it is less than 300 pages. Harold Schechter is one of my favorite crime writers. I prefer his books that focus on a single person, but I bought this one simply because he wrote it. I have nothing negative to say about this book, as it was written in his typical style that made reading enjoyable. There were plenty of facts and evidence in the book that the author did his normal level of exceptional research on. I appreciated that there were cases I had never heard of in this book, because I love to learn. I have two more by this author that I am looking forward to getting to.
September 30, 2022
“Butcher's Work: True Crime Tales of American Murder and Madness,” by Harold Schechter ISBN 1609388534, ISBN13: 9781609388539), Published Date: 28 Oct 2022, earns 3 stars.
The stated premise of the book was to examine why some heinous murders remain prominent in the memory of the general populace and why others don’t, e.g., the Manson Family Murders vs. the Simpson-Goldman Murders. The author states he’ll answer the question by examining four murders that occurred within the last 100 years or so.
The author does a good job of researching and reviewing the facts and circumstances of these four cases, but really fails to do the analysis and come to any definitive conclusions as to why some cases remain prominent and why others fade into obscurity. Thus, neither the central stated purpose was achieved, nor what to do with such insights, which was disappointing.
Sincere thanks to the author, and the University of Iowa Press, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
The stated premise of the book was to examine why some heinous murders remain prominent in the memory of the general populace and why others don’t, e.g., the Manson Family Murders vs. the Simpson-Goldman Murders. The author states he’ll answer the question by examining four murders that occurred within the last 100 years or so.
The author does a good job of researching and reviewing the facts and circumstances of these four cases, but really fails to do the analysis and come to any definitive conclusions as to why some cases remain prominent and why others fade into obscurity. Thus, neither the central stated purpose was achieved, nor what to do with such insights, which was disappointing.
Sincere thanks to the author, and the University of Iowa Press, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
November 5, 2024
This is the first true crime book I have ever read so I’m not sure what the genre is typically like. With that being said, Schechter begins the book making the interesting observation that these cases are just as heinous as some of the more notorious cases in American crime history, but much less known. He then spends the remainder of the book not exploring this concept at all. He does not answer or theorize why they may be lesser known or what the fascination with other well-known crimes is. There is no juxtaposition or thematic connection between the cases he chose. It’s just chapter after chapter of facts and about cases, something I found to be dull and tiresome. Perhaps those questions have been sufficiently answered in true crime discourse and I am unaware, and therefore there was no need for answers in this particular book. Regardless, I found nothing to keep my attention in this one.
February 14, 2024
An in depth examination of four lesser known murder cases, much of this book was fascinating, though the narrative suffered greatly from repetitiveness and SO MUCH FILLER. It was really noticeable in the last story in particular. When the line, "The couple went to a movie" would have sufficed, we're treated to a tale of not only what movie they attended, its plot, and cast, but we hear about ALL the other movies that were playing that night that they might have seen instead.
And, did we really need to know EVERY nickname assigned by the press to a each killer?
My favorite story was the anecdote about an over-achieving bigamist; with wives numbering in the double digits, this matrimonial enthusiast stole money, and occasionally the lives of the women unfortunate enough to have fallen under his spell.
And, did we really need to know EVERY nickname assigned by the press to a each killer?
My favorite story was the anecdote about an over-achieving bigamist; with wives numbering in the double digits, this matrimonial enthusiast stole money, and occasionally the lives of the women unfortunate enough to have fallen under his spell.
October 23, 2022
In this true crime novel, Schechter takes us through several instances of American cases of murder and explores each one in depth. The amount of research that must have gone into this book is incredible. Though, I expect nothing less when it comes to one of my favorite true crime authors.
It’s always surprising to find cases that have been swept under the rug by society when “less brutal” killers are elevated to infamy and here is where we can explore a few of those events.
This is a very gritty and informative read for anyone a fan of the genre. The author doesn’t hold back and you may want to schedule meal times no where near the point you read it.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this copy of the book in exchange for a review.
It’s always surprising to find cases that have been swept under the rug by society when “less brutal” killers are elevated to infamy and here is where we can explore a few of those events.
This is a very gritty and informative read for anyone a fan of the genre. The author doesn’t hold back and you may want to schedule meal times no where near the point you read it.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this copy of the book in exchange for a review.
March 23, 2023
Dive into the world of murder and mayhem with this fabulous book!
Harold Schechter takes you through a handful of cases, giving you as much information as possible, and drawing an account of the victims, the perpetrator, and the grisly facts surrounding each case. There were some cases that I was familiar with, and some that I was not, so it was the absolute perfect read!
This book will horrify and delight you in turn, as you are reading through cases of bygone eras, and learning about some of the criminal masterminds, or those that wanted to be criminal masterminds.
A fabulous and interesting read!
Harold Schechter takes you through a handful of cases, giving you as much information as possible, and drawing an account of the victims, the perpetrator, and the grisly facts surrounding each case. There were some cases that I was familiar with, and some that I was not, so it was the absolute perfect read!
This book will horrify and delight you in turn, as you are reading through cases of bygone eras, and learning about some of the criminal masterminds, or those that wanted to be criminal masterminds.
A fabulous and interesting read!
September 26, 2022
Not all sensational murder cases have maintained notoriety through time. Harold Schechter brings four such cases forward, relating them to modern readers using references to the shocking murders we know. These cases are thoroughly researched and fleshed out, including quotes from source materials (some of which convey people's views when the murders occurred). Many think that public obsession with true crime is a modern trend. Schechter shows that's not true and was possibly even more disturbing in the past.
September 9, 2024
I often wonder, with all the suffering inflicted on so many people—even centuries later—where does it all go? Who pays for it? Families annihilated, lives cold-bloodedly taken—for what? For money? All those lives cut short—what was the purpose of their existence? Where does all that suffering end up? By reading this book, are we perpetuating that suffering or helping to expiate it? What led Harold Schechter to believe it was important to write about it? Are we immortalizing the perpetrators, or are we honoring the memory of the victims? It’s all deeply troubling.
July 13, 2022
This true crime book is difficult to read for two reasons: the 19th century murder cases explored in the book are grisly (hence the title). Also, the author's writing style is filled with dry, expository background material which slows down the reader. Schechter makes it difficult for the reader to engage with the material.
July 21, 2022
This is a well written body of work packed full of in depth case information. The description of the time the cases take place put you in a front row seat to the mayhem.
I very much enjoyed reading this book. Even tho I knew that cases quite well as is I learned things I didn’t.
A true crime lovers must read!
I very much enjoyed reading this book. Even tho I knew that cases quite well as is I learned things I didn’t.
A true crime lovers must read!
March 19, 2023
Another amazing one of kind book by one of the greatest True Crime Historians ever. This is another trip into criminal history. Crimes forgotten about through time. This book vividly displays the brilliance of Non-Fiction Storytelling. It digs deep into history and displays it out for the reader in all it's horror. Highly recommended for any lover of history or True Crime.
December 10, 2023
Good Book
The stories in this book had me hooked. The fact that someone could actually get away with the types of crimes of the Bluebeard is shocking and I can see why crime and murder was such a media draw in the past. The writing was riveting and detailed, enough to grab your interest, but not too much to be boring.
The stories in this book had me hooked. The fact that someone could actually get away with the types of crimes of the Bluebeard is shocking and I can see why crime and murder was such a media draw in the past. The writing was riveting and detailed, enough to grab your interest, but not too much to be boring.
November 7, 2024
I’d already heard about one of the poisoners featured here, and I found the dogged recounting of the bigamist’s crimes tedious, but Schecter does marvelous research and name checks plenty of other wicked killers—taps book, “This baby can fit so many murderers, so much true crime!” Might’ve been nice to have a conclusion rather than leaving the last story to peter out, but eh.
January 14, 2025
The first story was so long and drawn out I had no energy for the remaining three stories. To add insult to injury, two of the stories were the exact same, just swap the genders of the murder and their victims. Maybe if the first story hadn't been so repetitive in it's delivery I would have found the rest more intriguing.
May 28, 2025
It was okay, but it was uneven. The straight out reading of lawyer's statements was often unnecessary. I would also have liked more details about some of what actually happened but instead it was court transcripts again.
Audio: this narrator absolutely did not help this book, his voice is unpleasant and harsh.
Audio: this narrator absolutely did not help this book, his voice is unpleasant and harsh.
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