Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann

[Angela]

From Goodreads:

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, they began to be killed off. One Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, watched as her family was murdered. Her older sister was shot. Her mother was then slowly poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more Osage began to die under mysterious circumstances.

In this last remnant of the Wild West—where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes such as Al Spencer, “the Phantom Terror,” roamed – virtually anyone who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll surpassed more than twenty-four Osage, the newly created F.B.I. took up the case, in what became one of the organization’s first major homicide investigations. But the bureau was then notoriously corrupt and initially bungled the case. Eventually the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the bureau. They infiltrated the region, struggling to adopt the latest modern techniques of detection. Together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most sinister conspiracies in American history.

A true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history.

I read this for 2018's Week 5 - a book about or inspired by real events. A compelling, heartbreaking read, it details truly awful mass killings, and details how the ramifications of this horrific crime have been felt for generations.

[Jenni]

Angela wrote: "I read this for 2018's Week 5 - a book about or inspired by real events. A compelling, heartbreaking read, it details truly awful mass killings, and details how the ramifications of this horrific crime have been felt for generations."

This was one of my favorite books from 2017. I agree - it is a heartbreaking tale.

[Traci]

One of my favorite books this year. There are so many interesting, awful details about the tribe I hadn't known about. After serving on my first jury earlier this summer, the details about trying to attempt to solve the crimes and how that progressed added just another layer of intrigue to these horrible crimes.

[Kristy]

I read this for week 1 2019, a book nominated for an award in a genre you enjoy. This was nominated for The National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for nonfiction. This is a heartbreaking and infuriating story.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I'm considering adding this on to my Book of the Month club box next month -- is it worth owning?

[Anastasia]

It is a good read. My rule for owning are I will reread it several times. This one would not qualify under that rule. :/

[Lizzy]

And I read it for the prompt where the title includes an astronomical term. It fits a lot of categories, and is well worth the read.

[Celia]

I read this for 2019 Week 20. A book featuring indigenous people of a country

Never knew about the Reign of Terror that inflicted death on the Osage Indians in the 1920's.

Very good read and learned a lot.

[[deleted user]]

I read this for 2019's Week 20: A book featuring indigenous people of a country. A poignant read of who we are as a country.