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A review by simranpradhan
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
5.0
My first ever non-fiction book, this novel is the detailing of the systematic murders of the Osage tribe who were forcefully displaced from their native lands to the state of Oklahoma, which was later found out to be a land filled with an abundance of rich oil. The oil brought money to the denounced and sneered upon Native Americans, but it soon lead to a sinister conspiracy by the whites who set out to get their money by cruel and malicious strategies. The hero of this 1890s tale might be said to be FBI agent Thomas White, who after the many failed attempts of other investigators took over the case. The book also details the birth of the FBI in the US, and how the solving of the Osage murders was its first big break which lead to the country believing in them.
It's hard for non-fiction to keep me tuned, but David Grann is simply, a splendid writer. Unlike other non-fics I had read, the author didn't put himself in the story up until the very last part- making the entire book to be a sinister crime novel that could be adapted for a television series. One of the few things that stand out from the narration is the author's method of bringing back the lost long details of the past to life, it's clear with every page how much research must have been done in order to put together a story which was documented in an era so wildly different from ours, it's resources extremely limited and obscure. It also sheds light on the author's own detection skills, truth be told. Grann's way of writing horrific scenes of crime without dwelling on too much of the emotions or imagery simply puts the reader where they exactly should be: in a chill and in silence, to feel the ruthlessness of the murderers, to feel the coldness of their hearts. Regardless to say, I will thank David Grann for finally breaking my long felt dislike for non-fiction.
It's hard for non-fiction to keep me tuned, but David Grann is simply, a splendid writer. Unlike other non-fics I had read, the author didn't put himself in the story up until the very last part- making the entire book to be a sinister crime novel that could be adapted for a television series. One of the few things that stand out from the narration is the author's method of bringing back the lost long details of the past to life, it's clear with every page how much research must have been done in order to put together a story which was documented in an era so wildly different from ours, it's resources extremely limited and obscure. It also sheds light on the author's own detection skills, truth be told. Grann's way of writing horrific scenes of crime without dwelling on too much of the emotions or imagery simply puts the reader where they exactly should be: in a chill and in silence, to feel the ruthlessness of the murderers, to feel the coldness of their hearts. Regardless to say, I will thank David Grann for finally breaking my long felt dislike for non-fiction.