Camilla Bruce's In The Garden of Spite is a haunting and atmospheric novel that transports readers to the chilling world of one of America's most notorious female serial killers, Belle Gunness. Set against the backdrop of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bruce weaves a mesmerizing tale of ambition, desire, and the darkness that lurks within the human soul. In The Garden of Spite is a masterfully crafted work of historical fiction that will captivate and disturb readers in equal measure. With its spellbinding prose, complex characters, and haunting portrayal of one woman's descent into madness, it is a testament to the enduring allure of true crime and the dark side of the American dream. Camilla Bruce has crafted a truly unforgettable tale that will linger in the minds of readers long after they've turned the final page. Highly recommended.

I have a hard time getting into horror/crime, so of course my review is a bit biased-- it was hard for me to get into this, even though the plot is so intriguing. I enjoyed learning about Belle Sorensen, and will definitely have nightmares to come considering it's based off a very true story...

Why is it somehow more terrifying when women are the murderers? This is a truly fascinating story of the life and crimes of Belle Gunness, a little know female serial killer.

I anticipated that this would be a horrific, gory, disturbing, and upsetting read, and matched my expectations. What I didn't anticipate was how dull I found this book in light of the content. The story just didn't move and it was hard to make myself drudge through until the end.

Based on the real life serial killer, Belle Gunness. She was the first female serial killer. This was such an interesting read. Belle was so ruthless, willing to do anything to get ahead in life. This is such a dark and haunting book. Horror in and out. I enjoyed it, although it was a bit long.

This book was so crazy! It was nothing I expected but everything I absolutely needed. Dark, macabre, and so hard to put down. I loved every single minute of it. What makes it even more fascinating is that it's true! Yes there are changes and embellishments, but still! I loved all the author's notes and thoughts at the end. I loved this book!

I've always been fascinated by true crime since I read Helter Skelter back in 1988 when I was 7 years old. Back then, while fascinated, I didn't really understand what I was reading, and my descent into the world of serial killers began. While In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce is a work of fiction, it nonetheless has some basis in historical fact. That's probably what makes it all the more terrifying when you really think about out. Violent, gruesome, dark, and very very bloody makes this tale about one of the few true female serial killers in history a must-read.

I really struggled with the content of this book. I thought I could handle it but I cannot. It’s pretty dark and gruesome and j was unable to keep going. Sorry!

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.

This book was exactly the type of fall, spooky read I needed to get me through this summer heatwave, especially paired with my current feminine rage. In the Garden of Spite is a fictional take on the historical “Black Widow of La Porte”-- of the famous “trifflers need not apply” quote if you’re a fan of the My Favorite Murder podcast. This book hooks you in from the beginning and really digs into how a Norwegian immigrant girl ultimately grows up to be a legendary serial killer. I especially liked that we see the narrative from Belle’s perspective and her sister Nellie’s– it highlights what Bruce is doing by showing Belle’s homicidal psychopathy compared to a normal human being. Five stars! Grab it quick before Bruce comes out with her next book about the Bloody Benders of Kansas in November!

Book source ~ NetGalley

In 1877, Belle Sorensen was born Brynhild Paulsdatter Størset in Selbu, Norway to very poor parents. When she’s 17, something catastrophic happens that changes the course of her life. She turns into a killer. Not just once. Oh, no. She kills many people in the course of her lifetime. Yikes. How did I never hear about this woman?!

Holy shit. This woman is…heinous. Truly so. And Camilla Bruce does a brilliant job of taking the facts that are known about Belle and filling in with absolutely believable fiction. Because damn.

This book is fascinating. Belle is two sides to a coin. She can be sweet and loyal, but also calculating and ruthless. She has moments of being rash and yet can be extremely patient. A completely flawed character who is horrifying and driven. No matter how far she has come from her beginnings it’s never enough.

On the other hand, the story is also told from her sister Nellie’s POV. Nellie is sweet and caring. She believes in her sister and loves her with all her heart. But as the years pass Nellie begins to suspect her sister is not all she portrays herself to be. But Nellie can’t bring herself to face the truth that is staring at her from cold blue eyes. So she buries her head in the sand, letting a serial killer get on with her work.

I’m not sure how I never heard of this woman. I do love a good serial killer story, both in fiction and nonfiction. Belle’s story is one that’s hard to read, but also hard to put down. There are plenty of trigger warnings for this so I’ll just say, it’s not for the faint of heart. Yowzers.

I really wanted to like this, because the story of Belle Gunness is so compelling, but I hate the fact that she felt the need to fictionalize so much of it. Her story doesn’t need to be fictionalized. They always say truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case it’s extremely true. A horror novelist could not hope to match what she actually did, yet the author felt the need to elaborate, add other characters,And make her more articulate than she actually was. The beauty of Truman Capote’s “in cold blood” is that it tells the story as a narrative without taking away from the actual story. I don’t feel this author succeeded in creating that same magic. Is it a chilling story? Yes, of course, but it would’ve been with no elaboration. You would be better to find one of the many podcast episodes about her and just hear the actual story.

If you like true crime, historical fiction, and My Favorite Murder, you HAVE to read this one. Bruce's deep dive into Belle Gunness' horrifically violent history is compellingly balanced with her interpretation of the serial killer's emotional mindset.

WOW! As someone addicted to historical true crime, I devoured this book. Camilla Bruce does a great job of getting into Belle's head. She lets the reader understand the possible motivations of one of the worst killers in US history, but without actually sympathizing with her. She does this by splitting the novel between two narrators, Belle and Belle's older sister, a family oriented woman who finds herself torn between loyalty to the memories of her sweet younger sister and the knowledge of what that little sister has become.

This book is a work of fiction and some of the crimes attributed to Belle are not included, but overall it is well researched. Highly recommend. Plus, if you listen to the audiobook you get the treat of a excellent narrator whose voice brings great distinction and depth to both characters.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I have an odd obsession with Serial Killers, so reading a fiction story based on the real life of Belle/Bella Sorensen was quite an exhilarating ride. Her story is one that has always left me intrigued - and while this isn't a non fiction in the full sense, I thought that Camilla Bruce did an excellent job weaving her story the way she did.

I also loved the chapters of Bella's sister. Again, while not non fiction, it was fun to get an inside look at what a family member is possibly thinking and feeling.

I highly recommend this book for everyone!

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce was an interesting book. On one hand, it was well written and seemed to be thoroughly researched. I was interested in the premise of the book - a true crime, dramatized novel about Belle Sorensen, a female serial killer in the Chicago/northwest Indiana area at the turn of the 20th century. I had never heard of Belle before and couldn't wait to learn more. I wished the author made this novel a little less gory. The true crime aspect came on strong, and parts were hard to read for me. But in general, this was a book that I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so engrossed by the characters right off the bat. Dianne Freeman's writing is out of this world, if you've been in a reading slump this is a great place to start, it absolutely blew me away!

I've known about Belle Guinness (I guess in this case it's Sorenson), One of the first female serial killers so when I saw that there was a fictional book about Belle I jumped at the chance. It was fun to see what Bruce came up with for Belle's fictional life and how she filled in some of the holes in this real life story.

Overall, a interesting read

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce is a 2021 Berkley publication.

A gripping fictional account of serial killer Belle Sorensen-Gunness

As a young woman, Belle is viciously attacked by a former lover, leaving her irrevocably damaged, unable to have children, and deeply embittered.

Her sister, Nellie, who lives in America, gives her a chance to escape her ruined reputation- but even Nellie, who gives Belle the benefit of the doubt at every turn, can't turn a blind eye to her murderous ways…

Wow. I was not at all familiar with Belle or her true backstory until I picked up this book. This fictionalized account of Belle’s life is very well written, filling in the gaps with interesting possibilities as to Belle’s frame of mind, her manipulations, plotting, and the thrill she receives from killing.

Belle was a prolific killer- dubbed "The Black Widow of La Porte, Indiana"- using men to achieve, and further, her financial comfort.

The book switches narratives between Nellie and Belle- as one chronicles her descent into mass murder and the other continues to live in denial, rationalizing and hoping for her sister to settle- until finally she must face her suspicions once and for all.

The story is very eerie, atmospheric and edgy, despite its rather slow pacing. Bruce did a terrific job with the characterizations, painting a terrifying portrait of Belle who seemed completely devoid of a conscience, so bent on her spiteful vengeance, she completely loses any vestiges of humanity she may have once held-

While Nellie desperately searches for an explanation, some way for her to cope with, or rationalize, Belle’s criminal enterprise.

While this is a work of fiction, many truths were incorporated into the story. Belle wasn’t the most prolific female serial killer out there-apparently- but she was likely responsible for more deaths than can be proven.

This account of events is shocking and the portrayal of Belle is riveting- and of course has prompted me to look for further reading on this subject.

Overall, this might not be a paranormal or supernatural tale- but it is a good story to read close to Halloween.

Because it is based on true events, it is even more terrifying, and left me chilled right to the bone!

4 stars