The Tangled Mass

by Cyrus D. Hogue

In 1936 a sensational murder trial dominated the headlines in Wilmington, North Carolina. When news broke that a railroad employee was accused of poisoning his daughter-and that he was the prime suspect in the murders of his first and second wives--the small town was captivated by the possibility of a serial killer in their midst. In The Tangled Mass, the author has provided an invaluable portrait of life in a small Southern town in the '20s and '30s. This novel paints a vivid picture of the American justice system in a time when forensic science was in its infancy.

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this book 4 stars, but I suspect that would only apply to folks who live in or near the Wilmington NC area. This is a crime and justice novel based on true events in the area's history and fictionalized by a Wilmington attorney who knew the murder victim.

Apparently this trial and its outcome in often cited as an early trial based largely on circumstantial evidence. At 210 pages, it was a quick read and I enjoyed the local history. Had I lived elsewhere, I would likely have rated it 3-stars, maybe even 2.