America's Femme Fatale
The Story of Serial Killer Belle Gunness
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Red Lightning Books
Published:5th Oct '21
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
How does a Norwegian farm girl become an infamous American serial killer, responsible for upward of 40 murders?Born in rural Norway in 1859, "Belle" Storset Sorenson Gunness was constantly dealt bad hands in life—so she decided to take life into her own hands.
InAmerica's Femme Fatale: The Story of Serial Killer Belle Gunness, Jane Simon Ammeson traces Gunness's path from a poor teenager rejected by a wealthy lover; to a new wife in Chicago, desperate to escape the poverty of her childhood and impatient for a child to love; to an ambitious, widowed landowner in La Porte, Indiana. Ammeson's careful research reveals how the young immigrant slowly turned into one of America's most dangerous serial killers, allegedly murdering husbands, lovers, and children, and, for a price, disposing of inconvenient corpses for others. Ammeson brings this shocking story to life, detailing the suspicious neighbors who were cowed into silence by Belle's intimidating personality, the culture of orphanages trafficking children and matrimonial agencies, the carnival atmosphere that exploded around the pile of bones found on Gunness's farm, and the sensational reporting that filled newspapers for months.
Perfect for true crime fans fascinated by the creation of a sociopathic serial killer, America's Femme Fatale will leave you entertained and looking over your shoulder.
Ammeson uses astute research and punchy prose to chronicle Belle's transformation from destitute farm girl to one of history's most egregious female serial killers. . . . Compact and captivating, this salacious tale of murderous greed during the early twentieth century will be devoured quickly by true-crime fans.
-- Michelle Ross * BOOKLIST / Amer Library Assn *It's a mesmerizing cautionary tale I had to keep reading despite the late-night hour. . . . Ammeson writes narrative nonfiction with a sense of drama to propel us along the unbelievable.
-- Rita Kohn * NUVO *Speaking of wild women, you'll be riveted by America's Femme Fatale. More than a century has gone since Belle Gunness killed her first victim and she didn't stop there. Belle went on to kill at least thirteen more people over the course of just twenty years. Money was involved, of course, and she had a little bit of help now and then, but what's creepiest about Belle are the circumstances of her death. And now you've gotta read the book...
-- Terri Schlichenmeyer * Webb Weekly - The Bookworm SISBN: 9781684351596
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 14mm
Weight: 318g
208 pages