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The Girls Of Murder City: Fame, Lust, And The Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago (2010)

by Douglas Perry(Favorite Author)

3.64 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0670021970 (ISBN13: 9780670021970)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Viking Adult

review 1: Just okay for me. This book was just missing something. It was part biography of the playwright and part historical Chicago crime chronicle, but couldn't decide which it wanted to be. Perry knew he could get more money out of using the identifiable play as a headline to draw readers in, but his coverage of those stories and the trials wasn't all that interesting. Then he talked about the Leopold and Loeb case as well as a couple of other stories that weren't really part of the main story but which were included because the playwright covered those stories in her reporter days. Though I found these other stories somewhat interesting, it didn't all tie together well and his coverage of them left a bit to be desired in terms of thoroughness. Some of the factual tidbits w... moreere interesting but mostly, I was a bit bored and felt it could have been better.
review 2: The Girls of Murder City: Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers who Inspired Chicago was an excellently written tale of the murderesses of Cook County Jail. This included Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan, the inspiration of Velma Kelly and Roxy Hart. The author's goal of writing was to inform, and Perry delivered. He not only spoke of the girls in Cook County, but also spoke of the play's writer, Maurine Watkins, Prohibition, and the era of jazz and cabaret, making for a very interesting book.Although the story is more of a collection of history, I gleaned the theme of "fake it until you make it". Belva and Beulah, although guilty as sin, spun tales of passion and rage, until everyone (except Watkins) believed them. I also saw the theme of corruption in Chicago at this time. Sex, drugs, and money, all reasons for the many murders committed by women during this time.The third person limited style was very effective, and provided an excellent pairing with the narrative style. The story was in chronological order, following all of the main characters and telling the events when they eventually crossed paths. I enjoyed this book very much. Since I loved the movie and had no idea it was based off a true story, I wanted to read it. I really liked how the author explained the situations, not just in Cook Jail, but in Chicago itself. I also really liked how informed I was after reading, and how it told me about the where all of the characters ended up. I disliked that the book could be dull when in the Chicago Tribune following Maurine at work, but a small detail compared to the rest of the book. It is unlike I've ever read and I wouldn't change a thing. less

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