Shocking would be the word, if countless cases hadn’t proven how terrible people can be to each other. Monstrous might be better. Evil. Horrific. For fans of Erik Larson, Jon Krakauer, or Grann’s previous book, The Lost City of Z, Killers of the Flower Moon exposes a little known saga of American history, and the previously unknown extent of the conspiracy which spiraled out from those events. In an ironic turn, massive oil deposits were found on the remote reservation that the Osage tribe had been forced onto, making them the wealthiest people per capita in the world. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. Based on original research and primary sources, Killers is a nonfiction thriller that ranks in the absolute best of the genre.
— Sara, Atlanta
This is a sordid story from America’s history that I had never heard before. The Osage Indians were hustled off their land onto a small piece of Oklahoma scrub land that white men didn’t want. That is, until oil was discovered. After tribe members became immensely rich, many died in unexpected and unnatural ways. Local law enforcement couldn’t come to any conclusions so in comes a group of undercover agents from the Bureau of Investigation, later becoming the FBI, in one of the earliest uses of national law enforcement. This thrilling, infuriating true crime story uses the stories of individuals like Mollie Burkhart to examine the larger tale of greed and murder. Officially 24 died in this “reign of terror” but the story is much broader and its impact is still felt today. This is non-fiction that I wish weren’t true but it reads like a fantastic conspiracy tale from the best of our fiction story tellers.
— Sydne, Atlanta
May 2017 Indie Next List
“One of the most horrific chapters in American history is brought back to the national consciousness with alarming detail in Killers of the Flower Moon. After the Osage Indian Nation strikes oil, its members become rich beyond their wildest dreams, only to encounter a vast and murderous conspiracy that will leave more than 60 members of the nation dead. David Grann reconstructs those murders and the subsequent investigations with astonishing care and reveals the depths of a conspiracy that stretched from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C. This story will certainly be one of the most important books of 2017.”
— Steven Shonder, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL
Summer 2018 Reading Group Indie Next List
“Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (The Lost City of Z) is a page-turner that reveals a part of American history long forgotten. In the 1920s, the Osage Indians of Oklahoma were some of the wealthiest people in the world. They were also being poisoned and murdered. Grann covers all the sordid details, brings the principal characters to life, and just when you think it’s all figured out, reveals new information. It’s a compelling story of greed, betrayal, J. Edgar Hoover, the Wild West, and murder, still resonating with the Osage today.”
— Alison DeCamp, Between the Covers, Harbor Springs, MI
Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history, from the author of The Lost City of Z. • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage 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, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.
As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and 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 a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.
Look for David Grann’s latest book, The Wager, coming soon!
About the Author
DAVID GRANN is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and THE LOST CITY OF Z. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON was a finalist for The National Book Award and won an Edgar Allan Poe Award. He is also the author of THE WHITE DARKNESS and the collection THE DEVIL AND SHERLOCK HOLMES. Grann’s storytelling has garnered several honors, including a George Polk Award. He lives with his wife and children in New York.
Praise For…
A New York Times Notable Book
Named a best book of the year by Amazon,Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, GQ, Time, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine,NPR,Vogue, Smithsonian, Cosmopolitan, Seattle Times, Bloomberg, Lit Hub, andSlate
“The best book of the year so far.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Disturbing and riveting. . . . Grann has proved himself a master of spinning delicious, many-layered mysteries that also happen to be true. . . . It will sear your soul.” —Dave Eggers, New York Times BookReview
“A marvel of detective-like research and narrative verve.” —Financial Times
“A shocking whodunit. . . . What more could fans of true-crime thrillers ask?” —USA Today
“A master of the detective form. . . . Killers is something rather deep and not easily forgotten.” —Wall St. Journal
“David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon is unsurprisingly extraordinary." —Time
“A masterful work of literary journalism crafted with the urgency of a mystery. . . . Contained within Grann's mesmerizing storytelling lies something more than a brisk, satisfying read. Killers of the Flower Moon offers up the Osage killings as emblematic of America's relationship with its indigenous peoples and the 'culture of killing' that has forever marred that tie.” —The Boston Globe
“[C]lose to impeccable. It's confident, fluid in its dynamics, light on its feet. . . . The crime story it tells is appalling, and stocked with authentic heroes and villains. It will make you cringe at man's inhumanity to man.” —The New York Times
“One of the most horrific chapters in American history is brought back to the national consciousness with alarming detail in Killers of the Flower Moon. After the Osage Indian Nation strikes oil, its members become rich beyond their wildest dreams, only to encounter a vast and murderous conspiracy that will leave more than 60 members of the nation dead. David Grann reconstructs those murders and the subsequent investigations with astonishing care and reveals the depths of a conspiracy that stretched from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C. This story will certainly be one of the most important books of 2017.”
