Rating: 4/5
*I received an ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Let me start by saying that this book has already been released, I only received my ecopy a few days prior to the release, so I wasn't able to review prior to the publication day. But, also let me say that when I read the synopsis for this book I was extremely intrigued. The book is a fictionalized recounting of the life and murders of serial killer Belle Gunness in the late 18th century/early 19th century. Does that not sound incredibly cool? One of my favorite types of movies is biopics. This is essentially a written biopic and I'm so glad that I read it! Let's get into the review!
Synopsis from Amazon:
An audacious novel of feminine rage about one of the most prolific female serial killers in American history--and the men who drove her to it.
They whisper about her in Chicago. Men come to her with their hopes, their dreams--their fortunes. But no one sees them leave. No one sees them at all after they come to call on the Widow of La Porte.
The good people of Indiana may have their suspicions, but if those fools knew what she'd given up, what was taken from her, how she'd suffered, surely they'd understand. Belle Gunness learned a long time ago that a woman has to make her own way in this world. That's all it is. A bloody means to an end. A glorious enterprise meant to raise her from the bleak, colorless drudgery of her childhood to the life she deserves. After all, vermin always survive.
Let me start by saying that the entire premise is super interesting. The way that Bruce was able to portray Belle was done very well. One of the things that people wonder after a serial killer is discovered, is what drove them to it. What were the mental processes that went into the decision to take the lives of other people? Bruce set out to do just that, and she did it very effectively. It's true that I don't know very much about Belle Gunness, but I feel like that only added to my enjoyment of the book. The way that Bruce was able to paint a very vivid picture of this woman in a way that gives her a slice of humanity, without undermining the awful things that she had done was exceptional. That is to say, that the character depth and development was all very well done. I think that it takes a special eye to be able to develop the character of a person that was actually once alive. All we have regarding Belle Gunness' personality and character is anecdotal hearsay from people that knew her (what was written at least), old articles in the news, and some letters that she sent. The haze that history cast upon the woman, had to be decoded and written in a way that truly encapsulated her character. The way that we see Belle go from a sympathetic character that we were definitely rooting for, to this monster that kills just to feel something, was wild. We watched her descent into crime and at times we even felt for her.
The way that the dialogue was written also felt very natural and accurate for the time period. The portrayal of the plight of a poor woman in the 19th century also felt very well done. The way that women in that time had to work themselves to the bone for their families was very fascinating to read about from the perspective of a woman at the time (even if it was through the lens of a person from the 21st century). The imagery produced by the descriptions, be that the good or the ugly, were done tactfully. Bruce was able to transport the reader into these houses with Belle. We were able to see what she saw and experience the world as she did.
On the negative side, I feel like the author took a bit too much liberty in writing the book. I do like that she included an author's note, kind of laying out the changes she made, but it still felt like too much. There were just a lot of things added for the sake of the story; they did add to the depth of the story, but it also skewed the actual history. I kind of feel like if so many things were going to be changed, Bruce could've just altered a few details and made it a complete work of fiction. To be honest, I'm a little torn on it all. I enjoyed the story, and I think it was better for the additions (somewhat, I'll touch on this in a moment), but I also feel like the closer that it could've stuck to the actual history the better. But once again, the police never interviewed Belle Gunness, so we will never really know the whole story. We can only really know from secondhand sources. So, I'm not particularly upset about the additions, especially since Bruce detailed them in the author's note. But, I also think that some weren't wholly necessary, the most prominent being Nellie (told you I'd come back to it). I liked the addition of Nellie and seeing her side of things. Getting to see how it felt to be around your own sister, all without realizing that she is murdering people was really cool. However, she was used far too much in the book. Her point of view could have been cut half of the amount that it was used, especially as it is largely fiction. I found myself losing interest whenever it would shift to her point of view. I also think that some of Belle's chapters could've been cut as well. What I'm saying is that the book as too long. I got kind of bored around the middle. I know that much of it was for the sake of development, but it still kind of dragged. Also there were some graphic sexual scenes in this book, I'm not complaining about that, just the fact that the man she was sleeping with is entirely fictionalized makes it feel wrong. It makes it feel gratuitous and there just for the sake of being salacious.
All-in-all, I feel like most of my complaints are relatively small and that the book was an overall good read. I really enjoyed it, and I think it would be enjoyed even more in audiobook form. I personally read the ebook, but I can see this book performing even better in audiobook format. Because of this book, I can see myself getting into more fictionalized recounting of serial killers' lives. Is that a little niche? Maybe, but it's always fun to discover little reading niches that you enjoy. Thank you so much to Berkley for allowing me to read this book early! In the Garden of Spite by: Camilla Bruce is available everywhere right now, and if you like thrillers, fiction, and true crime, I think that you will really love this book.