THE BLOODY CENTURY
True Tales of Murder in 19th Century America

by Robert Wilhelm

Narrated by: Charles Huddleston

Production by: Robert Wilhelm

Captivating, Intriguing, and Fascinating!

In the 19th Century, murder became well known through newspaper accountings and music. This is a highly researched collection of 50 famous and not-so-famous murders from Lizzie Borden to Tom Dula to Delia Green and more!

The author, Robert Wilhelm, has researched each of the 50 cases meticulously detailing the truth and fiction around each case. The design of this book is fascinating as he begins with the report, followed by the court case outcomes, and ends with an original version of a song, newspaper accounting, or myth. One example is the case of Tom Dula, he begins with what happened, and the outcome of the case, and ends with the folk song performed by Tom Dooley. With Lizzie Borden, we have the same structure but followed up with the rhyming lyrics that made this horrifying tale of murder into a kid’s nursery rhyme. With each tale, he completely immerses the listener.

The narrator, Charles Huddleston, captivates the listener with clear, deliberate speech, seamlessly guiding them through each story of the narrative. Huddleston’s use of tonal inflection and nuance builds suspense and moments of relief keeping the listener immersed and drawing them deeper into the stories and the era.

This is a great selection of stories that explain the meaning of and existence of some songs, rhymes, and other bits of trivia. The historical aspect of each tale helps to provide missing information, intriguing beliefs of the time, and more. I wish the songs were better but given the time in which they were written and performed, they accurately reflect the era. This is an informative and satisfying book for anyone who enjoys exploring tales of crime.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.