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Hell's Half Acre Susan Jonusas

Hell's Half Acre By Susan Jonusas

Hell's Half Acre by Susan Jonusas


$21.99
Condition - Very Good
Out of stock

Summary

A devastating true crime investigation into the heart of one the 19th Century's most brutal crimes.

Hell's Half Acre Summary

Hell's Half Acre by Susan Jonusas

A suspense filled tale of murder on the American frontier-shedding new light on a family of serial killers in Kansas, whose horrifying crimes gripped the attention of a nation still reeling from war.

'A carefully researched and horribly compelling examination of unimaginable evil intruding upon everyday life' The Observer

In 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders.

The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders-one among the thousands relocating farther west in search of land and opportunity after the Civil War-were capable of operating a human slaughter pen appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and whether justice ever caught up to them is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. Set against the backdrop of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre explores the environment capable of allowing such horrors to take place. Drawing on extensive original archival material, Susan Jonusas introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, many of whom have been previously missing from the story. Among them are the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail, and the fugitives that helped the murderers escape.

Hell's Half-Acre is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact and an entire family of criminals can slip through a community's fingers, only to reappear in the most unexpected of places.

Dark and bloody, hard-nosed but lyrical, Hell's Half-Acre is a true-crime mass-murder mystery from the Old West. Susan Jonusas has stripped down a notorious story, researched it to hell and back, and rebuilt in prose so immediate and immersive that it feels like she must have been there. Beware the Benders, but all hail Susan Jonusas. This is a stunning debut from a great and powerful new voice in narrative non-fiction. Dan Jones, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Templars, The Plantagenets and Blood and Thrones

About Susan Jonusas

Susan Jonusas attended the University of St Andrews and holds a Masters in Science, Technology and Medicine in History from Kings College London. During her Masters she focused on the intersection between crime and technology in the 19th Century. She was a bookseller, but now spends her free time on the archery range. This is her first book.

Additional information

GOR012357961
9781471190308
1471190307
Hell's Half Acre by Susan Jonusas
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Simon & Schuster Ltd
20220526
368
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Hell's Half Acre