Camilla Bruce explores the life and crimes of a female serial killer, Belle Gunness, the Black Widow of La Porte, famous for being the first female serial killer in America. She takes what is known about Belle’s real crimes, imagines what Belle’s life might be like, and weaves a compelling fictional story in an attempt to understand someone like Belle and how her crimes could have happened. She captures the social and cultural elements of Belle’s life that could have contributed to her frame of mind while crime exploring themes of gender roles, power/control, abuse, poverty, class, and injustices toward women in Belle’s time.
My Two Cents
Belle is both compelling and terrifying, and I was drawn into Belle’s world and her twisted mind. She is engaging with how resourceful and determined she is to climb the social ladder and pull herself out of poverty. Her twisted mind is terrifying yet fascinating with how she justifies her actions.
Camilla Bruce explores the life and crimes of a female serial killer, Belle Gunness, the Black Widow of La Porte, famous for being the first female serial killer in America. She takes what is known about Belle’s real crimes, imagines what Belle’s life might be like, and weaves a compelling fictional story in an attempt to understand someone like Belle and how her crimes could have happened. She captures the social and cultural elements of Belle’s life that could have contributed to her frame of mind while crime exploring themes of gender roles, power/control, abuse, poverty, class, and injustices toward women in Belle’s time.
My Two cents
Belle is both compelling and terrifying, and I was drawn into Belle’s world and her twisted mind. She is engaging with how resourceful and determined she is to climb the social ladder and pull herself out of poverty. Her twisted mind is terrifying yet fascinating with how she justifies her actions.
Belle’s crimes are heinous and shocking, as Camilla Bruce adds how she imagined them to come adding tension and suspense to the story. Bruce gets descriptive with Belle’s crimes with some gore that gives you that feeling of wanting to look away but can’t because you have to know what happens next.
While a bit longer than it needed to, it drags in parts, it is a haunting and engaging read that left an impression on me.
Penny For Our Thoughts 