The Murder of the Century: Not the Average ‘Whodunit’ Mystery Picture this, you're out on a nice stroll on a bright sunny day in New York. When all of a sudden, while admiring the view, you see dismembered bloody arms floating down the East River. This was a reality for two young boys from New York on June 26, 1897. This non-fiction mystery story is not your average ‘whodunit’ mystery, it is also a gripping story of two rivals fighting for the ultimate prize in the publishing world of 1897, the public’s attention. After identifying the murder victim William Guldensuppe, simply by guessing his occupation based on his body type, Detective Arthur Carey begins falling down the investigation rabbit hole. He took every piece of information he could find, such as the cloth Guldensuppe’s body parts were wrapped in, and tracked them down. His clues and discoveries led him to the apartment of Mrs. Augusta Nack, a sweet German immigrant neighbor of Guldensuppe. Feeling like he hit a dead end, he kept digging and looking for any possible hints to find the murderer. It would take him a lot more than just his discoveries to solve this case, Carey wasn’t working alone. Journalists of both The New York Journal and The World had started an all-out journalism war over this mystery case. Both publications must race to the bottom of this gruesome mystery, pulling out all stops to win the affection of society. Even going as far as renting entire apartments and putting out reward ads just for a quote. This unique and fascinating story is told in a fast-paced manner in which readers can find themselves easily engaged in the storyline, hanging on each word and waiting for the next. The book spotlights two different careers, both with equal drive and motivation to get the job done. Journalists even attempted to become the detectives themselves and outwit the real detectives. In which in this unusual case, they succeeded. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter who the murderer was, it was the chase that held the opportunity to captivate the average reader's attention and keep it. And if you think the chase for the murderer was thrilling for journalists, wait til you read about the bloodbath fights for spots in the courtroom. The Murder of the Century by Phil Collins lived up to the title, and more. Readers will surprisingly find more than what they’re looking for with this book, and if they read carefully they’ll find a lesson or two.
Picture this, you're out on a nice stroll on a bright sunny day in New York. When all of a sudden, while admiring the view, you see dismembered bloody arms floating down the East River. This was a reality for two young boys from New York on June 26, 1897. This non-fiction mystery story is not your average ‘whodunit’ mystery, it is also a gripping story of two rivals fighting for the ultimate prize in the publishing world of 1897, the public’s attention.
After identifying the murder victim William Guldensuppe, simply by guessing his occupation based on his body type, Detective Arthur Carey begins falling down the investigation rabbit hole. He took every piece of information he could find, such as the cloth Guldensuppe’s body parts were wrapped in, and tracked them down. His clues and discoveries led him to the apartment of Mrs. Augusta Nack, a sweet German immigrant neighbor of Guldensuppe. Feeling like he hit a dead end, he kept digging and looking for any possible hints to find the murderer. It would take him a lot more than just his discoveries to solve this case, Carey wasn’t working alone.
Journalists of both The New York Journal and The World had started an all-out journalism war over this mystery case. Both publications must race to the bottom of this gruesome mystery, pulling out all stops to win the affection of society. Even going as far as renting entire apartments and putting out reward ads just for a quote.
This unique and fascinating story is told in a fast-paced manner in which readers can find themselves easily engaged in the storyline, hanging on each word and waiting for the next. The book spotlights two different careers, both with equal drive and motivation to get the job done. Journalists even attempted to become the detectives themselves and outwit the real detectives. In which in this unusual case, they succeeded.
At the end of the day, it didn’t matter who the murderer was, it was the chase that held the opportunity to captivate the average reader's attention and keep it. And if you think the chase for the murderer was thrilling for journalists, wait til you read about the bloodbath fights for spots in the courtroom.
The Murder of the Century by Phil Collins lived up to the title, and more. Readers will surprisingly find more than what they’re looking for with this book, and if they read carefully they’ll find a lesson or two.