David Grann writes narrative non-fiction. That’s a true story written in the style of a fiction novel. His research is thorough and his writing is riveting. When I read The White Darkness about Henry Worsely’s expedition to Antarctica, I declared I would read more of his books. Now that the movie Killers of the Flower Moon is out, I took the opportunity to revisit this author, and reading the book first seemed like a good idea. I was not disappointed. Grann is a master at literary journalism and has uncovered a chilling conspiracy in American history. The book is full of photographs which I found interesting and helpful.
In the 1920’s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffered cars and lived in mansions. Then one by one, the Osage began to be murdered, and those investigating those murders were killed. Mollie Burkhart watched as her family became a prime target. In an era of lawlessness, J. Edgar Hoover hired an undercover team headed by a Texas Ranger Tom White, to solve the mystery.
Here is a link to a half-hour interview with David Grann which is fascinating and well worth a listen, but save it for after you’ve read the book, since there are spoilers: click here.
The history of the Osage was completely new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about it. Now I am looking forward to seeing the movie! Here is the trailer:
Joanne's Reading Blog 
My husband’s book group just read and discussed this and I know I will read it, too. I think I will wait till after the holidays, however.