Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

My hat is off to Camilla Bruce. She has managed to paint an utterly convincing yet undoubtedly creepy portrait of Belle Gunness, female serial killer. IN THE GARDEN OF SPITE is a well-researched and fascinating attempt to fill in the historical gaps of this true crime story.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction with a bit of gore.

A female serial killer in early times. An unlikable subject and character. predictable--you know men are getting killed but still held my interest . I liked the character of the sister and the interplay with the children.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

First line: PERSONAL – comely widow who owns a large farm in one of the finest districts in LaPorte County, Indiana, desires to make the acquaintance of a gentleman equally well provided, with view of joining fortunes. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with personal visit. Triflers need not apply.

Summary: Belle Gunness, a Norwegian immigrant, has learned some hard lessons early on. Upon her arrival in Chicago she married with the hopes of achieving the American dream. But the life she dreamed of did not come true. She was disappointed in her husband, home and lifestyle. She must make her own way in the world by any means necessary. Mysterious deaths, house fires and heated arguments the legend of the Black Widow of LaPorte begins to take hold.

My Thoughts: Before finding this book on Netgalley I had never heard of Belle Gunness. She was a female serial killer. She killed an estimated fourteen people but may be linked to many more. I was really intrigued by the premise, the story and the character of Belle. It was very disturbing to be inside her head. She rationalized everything she did. But even a book about a serial killer I found much of it to be drawn out. There was long periods of time passing and very little happening. I think that much of this could have been taken out and the story would have felt more thrilling.

After finishing I visited www.newpapers.com via the library’s learning databases. I wanted to see what the newspapers of the time were reporting about this woman. Many had the same headline or story. Then there was a resurgence of sightings and murders that some believed were connected to her. There is still lots of mystery around this century old murderer. It’s crazy how reality can be even stranger than fiction.

FYI: Very gruesome at parts.

I was able to get a early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Part of the publisher’s description”
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.

This book was a good read that provides an account of real life serial killer in a enjoyable serving of historical fiction. Hoping my book club will select this one because the topics of evil being born or created; at what point does someone not realize what they are doing is wrong; and who is complicit in Bella’s crimes would make wonderful points of discussion!

4 stars

Camilla Bruce is now on my list of must-read authors. Her interest in the darker elements of the female experience—and in this case, the sociopathic murderous elements—makes for fascinating reading. This was a great work. But it could have been shorter.

Concept: ★★★★★
Character portrayals: ★★★★★
Pacing/Length: ★★★

Have you heard the story of the Widow of La Porte? Belle Gunness' reign as one of the most prolific female series killers in early 1900s America is a chilling (and true) tale.

Belle Gunness was born Brynhild Storset in Norway in the 1800s to a poor family of rural tenants. Her earliest years are spent with vicious nurture and violent nature, and an early sexual encounter gone extremely sour—the author's editorializing at work with this fact, as this encounter is rumored in Norway but not officially confirmed--leads to her first murder. Little Brynhild poisons her abuser and likes the feeling of power she gets.

Little Byrnhild doesn't do well in Norway. The villagers whisper about her and her pride chafes at the knowledge that everyone in her small town knows of her shame. She writes to her older sister, Nellie, in America and desperately asks for her to help her.

Nellie agrees to fund Brynhild's voyage to America and takes her under her wing in a Norwegian-American apartment community in Chicago. Brynhild becomes Bella. Bella's pride, greed, and need for control over the men in her life lead to some dark decisions... and her sister Nellie begins to suspect that something is not all right with her sister.

As the years go by, Bella's life seems to be marked by obvious tragedy. Her husbands and children just keep...dying. And her homes and businesses just keep... burning down. What's up with that? Eventually, Bella moves to rural Indiana and marries Peter Gunness, her new persona as Belle Gunness begins. And once Peter suffers a tragic accident with a meat grinder—or cleaver, depending on who you ask—what's a twice-made widow to do with a huge farm but create an ad asking for male farm hands to come and help her? It's not exactly her fault if all the men disappear in the night...

The black widow spider creates her wicked web...

Told in two points of view, one from Belle herself and one from her sister, Nellie, In the Garden of Spite takes us along for the ride as we silently witness Belle's entire life from girlhood to her bloody reign as Belle Gunness on her murder farm. It's a chilling tale meant to unsettle, and Camilla Bruce's mastery of ominous, distanced writing really sells the tension throughout this almost 500-page novel.

But bringing up the length of this book brings up my only caveat—it was pretty long. In the marketing, the focus is entirely on Belle's time in La Porte as a murdering farm widow. This seems to be a bit misleading and definitely affected how I viewed the pacing of the book. When you start a book expecting to read a novelization of the Widow of La Porte....and then it takes 380 pages to get to Belle's life as "Belle Gunness" in the first place... Honestly, it made the first 3/4 of the novel feel incredibly slow. I kept waiting for the "real" plot to happen and that took away from the experience of reading the characters' life stories.

I'd definitely recommend going into this knowing that you're getting a life's story and not a snapshot novelization or a glorified true crime fixation.

This is a personal and chilling character study of one woman's descent into the darkest levels of the human psyche and her lack of acceptance of her own darkness. It's also about the toll that life on her loved ones, and the knife's edge between loving and protecting your family versus realizing the monster in your family tree.

Definitely read the author's note at the end - it gives a lot of context for Belle's real life, the amount of research the author used, and a key list of artistic differences that the author decided to take on in order to explore the themes.

Thank you to Berkley, Goodreads, and NetGalley for my giveaway ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

In the Garden of Spite is an intriguing 19th and early 20th century historical fiction story with true crime leanings. Belle, formally known as Brynhild, is a Norwegian whose troubles in her homeland lead her to America where she joins her older sister Nellie in Chicago for a better life. When Nellie meets her at the train station, she is greeted by a less than cheerful sister and soon realizes that life with Belle isn’t a bed of roses.
People began to whisper about Belle and their suspicions of her, and bodies are piling up but that didn’t stop men from flocking to her! Longing for a life away from the city and to live on a farm, Belle gets her wish and sure enough, things get a lot more interesting.

But who is Belle Gunness?

Yeah, you’re really going to get to know her well by reading this book.
In the beginning of the story, I felt empathy for Belle. She was abused badly-to say the least-by the farmer’s son she worked for. Her family life was dysfunctional, stark, poverty-stricken, abusive and cruel. The people in her community did not look kindly on her family. Not long into the story my feelings for Belle took a turn when the she crosses over the forbidden boundary in taking a life.
What are the traits of a female serial killer? If you don’t already know, I think it is safe to say, you’ll discover quite a few of them in this tale.

Nellie observed troubling signs of Belle’s character when she was a child but never dreamed it would lead something so sinister. She can’t help but make excuses to herself to not take action. No one wants to think the worse of their kin.

As much as I tried to sympathize and understand Nellie’s inner turmoil, I struggled with the fact that when lives are being taken, she continued to be in a state of denial. Or was it fear? There are moments in life when you’ve got to stop making excuses for people. Murder would be one of them!

To make the story even more engrossing, Belle has a particular friend. His name is James Lee and they have a lot in common to say the least. It’s creepy how Belle and James discuss the killings so casually. Like it’s just a normal conversation about daily tasks and the like. It leaves you feeling quite unnerved yet morbidly fascinated. James is a bit of a mystery though. Other than being in Bella’s life, her support and a killer for hire, I often wondered how else he lived his life. Hmm…

The topic of serial killers’ is gruesome and some of the murder scenes in the book are a bit graphic, Bruce is careful not to delve too much into gory details in such a way, that it would be too disturbing to read. Her descriptions of the murderous acts, and Belle’s rationalizing the killings in her mind, gives you a clear picture of how truly wicked Belle is. Though Belle sees it differently. All she wants is a simple life, nice things, plenty of food on the table, a family that adores her and pig farm of her own. Is that too much to ask for?

I do enjoy reading true crime stories because I’m interested in the human mind. One can imagine psychological thrillers are not easy to write or research for that matter. You really have to dig deep in the minds of psychopaths if you want to be true to the subject. A scary place to be for sure, though not all of them are murderers, of course. This is the first book I’ve read by Bruce and I must say, this sub-genre is her niche-if you will. Despite the daunting premise, she definitely had me on edge throughout the book in a bizarre, entertaining sort-of way. She is a great story-teller and one heck of a writer.
Stephanie Hopkins

So, I wanted to like this more than I did. Being a lover of murder, I am well aware of the various retellings of this story. In this fictionalized version, the main events stay true to form while others are most likely embellished and added upon. Nellie's chapters for instance which added really nothing to the story. The writing is also a bit tedious and overblown reminding me a lot of the older style of writing which I guess makes sense considering the years the novel is set in. Bt I found it a bit draining to slug through.

It wasn't my jam but it will probably do better with readers who enjoy this era.

considering I am not someone who likes historical fiction, I'm so surprised at how much I liked this! it was so interesting and I loved following Bella throughout her life. I also think it had some really interesting commentary on femininity & being a woman in the 18-1900's - commentary that still applies today. I don't know if I would necessarily call this horror - even though there is murder involved it just doesn't read like a "typical" horror novel. to me, it reads like a historical fictional memoir about a serial killer. I do think it was a little too long for my taste but of course that's a personal preference.

Oh my gosh! This story was like a train wreck. I just couldn’t look away. Based on one of the most prolific female serial killers in America, the author doesn’t hold back in sharing Belle Gunness and her story.
I’m pretty sure Belle didn’t care much for anyone, but especially men. However, she did like money, and that was behind why she killed them. She started out in Chicago and eventually moved to a farm in La Porte, Ind., going through men all the while. People talked, of course, but nobody had any proof.
You’ve got to read this to find out the back story of her life and how she managed to carry out her murders.
There could be a film of this for sure!

Thank you @berkleypub for our gifted review copy.⁣
🔪⁣
My insatiable apppetite for true crime comes directly from my mother @nannarino The first time I went to the mall by myself, she regaled my friends and I with the story of Ted Bundy and we were all weary of anyone asking for help in a cast.⁣
⁣
As soon as I heard about Camilla Bruce’s IN THE GARDEN OF SPITE - about America’s first serial killer, Belle Gunness.⁣
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“The author’s note really seals the deal on this incredible true crime novel. We see nature vs. nurture and we also see Belle who is dead set on what she believes and what she’s going to do. This is a long one, so be ready. While it is non-fiction, it doesn’t read like a textbook. The author is really descriptive and man, what a tale- I mean what a true story! It’s grisly, dark & everything I want in a true crime book.”⁣

As someone who has had an interest in psychology for most of my life, I've always wondered about whether people who commit monstrous acts are born that way, created by circumstance, or a combination of both. And this book really speaks to that debate.

While the story IS based on a real person, aspects of it are creatively embellished (as detailed in the author's note). Belle Gunness starts life out as Brynhild Størset. We meet her as a teenager who works as a maid on a farm. She is pregnant by the son of the family who owns the farm, and fully expects that he's going to marry her. Her sense of entitlement leads her to try to force his hand, with disastrous results. When a brutal attack ends her hopes and her pregnancy, something kindles in her and she begins to let spite rule her life.

There are some major warning signs in Brynhild even before this event seems to flip a switch - she' grows up in an abusive household, and was molested at least once in childhood. Because her family was poor, she was discouraged from speaking up about the molestation, and had very little power over any of her circumstances. In addition, This attack triggered something in Brynhild and turned her from an angry and powerless young woman into what would eventually become a brutal and prolific serial killer.

When her sister helps her come to America, she reinvents herself as Bella, but can't quite leave certain parts of herself behind. I loved the dual points of view. While I initially empathized with Brynhild/Bella, as the book went on, I found it more and more difficult to like her as a character. She was such a vile character, and continually blamed, denied, and lied to others, even to herself. The other point of view was her sister, Nellie. It's always been extremely intriguing to me to see the differences between people who grow up in the same situation but turn out so differently. Nellie was kind, sweet, and empathetic, and while she had some inkling of what Bella was doing, as her older sister, she also had an ingrained response to protect Bella no matter what.

Even as I was horrified, I couldn't stop reading. It's graphic and brutal, and definitely not for the faint of heart. But it's an interesting take on a story that still doesn't have any clear answers - what really happened to Bella Gunness?

Really enjoyed this one. I love how the author merged what actually happened (who Bella married, how she murdered some victims) and what is unknown (how she died, why she killed). Even though Bella wasn't ever a really likelable character I was still rooting for her and was interested in her getting away with her "enterprise."

I liked Jame's character, her having a confidante was definitely a must have, but in the female driven book, it may have made the book a little better with another female who helped her. It may have been necessary for it to be a man though, being in the 1800s/early1900s.

Whoa! This was such a chilling read, especially given its inspiration (Belle Gunness was a real serial killer). Eek! I love the way Camilla Bruce draws us into Belle's story and mindset piece by piece until we can understand how she might have gotten to where she did in her psyche. (Even while we spend the entire time horrified, biting our nails and wanting her to stop -- while knowing full well that she won't.) The story starts off with a BANG and the momentum never stops. There were quite a few moments where I squealed and thought DON'T DO IT! I love how Bruce kept the story suspenseful and appreciated the author's note at the end diving into her research.

I did appreciate seeing Belle from Nellie's perspective, in part because it would have been taxing to stay in Belle's twisted mind for the entire time. Though I will admit that it was a bit frustrating at times to watch Nellie delude herself. Regardless, I think it was well done (and that frustration isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it felt true to the situation).

This was one of my rare forays into historical horror and it was an enjoyable, chilling experience! Huge thank you to Berkley Pub for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Based on the real life serial killer, Belle Gunness, this is a gruesome account of her life, her motivations, her loves, and her victims. Belle comes from poor beginnings in Norway and suffers unthinkable abuse and brutality in her early years, but is determined to make a new life for herself in America, the land of opportunity. And that she does. Determined never to go hungry again, she enjoys spending money and designing a life without want. What she wants, she quickly gets. And with the help of a devilish partner, she continuously reinvents herself and builds an “enterprise” of fraud and terror as a black widow.

The author does a fine job of painting the inner workings of a disturbed sociopathic mind. She describes a world of abundance and the onslaught of decay in each iteration of Belle’s life. It was also interesting to flip between Belle’s perspective and that of her sister’s. With her sister, we consider the view from someone who loves a serial killer, her doubts, her excuses, her denial, protection, and eventual realization of the person her sister has become. There is also folklore brought into the story and the theme of nature vs nurture in determining who we are.

The book felt too long, but overall, I was fascinated by it and completely overwhelmed by the realization that it is largely based on actual events. It was hard to comprehend, and sickening at times in its reality, but fascinating for sure!

I found this book both thrilling and fascinating.. The author did a good job telling Belle's story while making it enjoyable to read. It made for a nice escape from the world on some cold gloomy winter nights. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a galley of this book for review.

3 words to describe this book: dark, brutal and fascinating. This book is based on the life of Belle Gunness, who was also known as the Black Widow of La Porte, America's first documented female serial killer and possibly the most prolific. She's credited with at least 40 murders in the areas of La Porte, Indiana and Chicago between 1884 and 1908. Belle was born Brynhild Stortset in the tiny village of Selbu, Norway in 1859 to a poor family. She emigrated to Chicago to live with her sister Nellie in her early 20's. This book tells her story from the perspectives of Belle and her sister Nellie. The author, Camilla Bruce, did meticulous research to try to piece together Belle's life and understand the woman behind the notorious reputation. The author notes in the afterward that many parts of the story are factual, with fictional details added to fill in the blanks and speculate on her motivation. Her story is very dark - circumstances were not kind to Belle as a child and young woman, which likely helped to shape her into the woman she became. In her life, there followed a series of accidents, illnesses and arson that add up to much more than coincidence. Her outlook and her methods were savagely violent - this book is not for the faint of heart. There's a lot of violence and gore. Although I wouldn't call Belle a likable character, being inside her mind makes the whole affair seem almost reasonable. The men pushed her to it - what else could she do? It was brutal, disturbing, and a total page turner that had me on the edge of my seat. If you enjoy reading about serial killers, dark historical fiction, or true crime, you won't be able to put this book down. Thank you to Berkley Pub and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the Garden of Spite is a fictionalized account of Belle Gunness, a notorious serial killer from 1884-1908. She lured her victims to her farm outside of LaPorte, Indiana via newspaper ads run in Chicago newspapers. The Widow Gunness needed someone to help her with her large farm and with her children. Only males with means and willing to pay a personal visit need apply. Before she was discovered, she killed forty men (at least.) She slipped away from the farm and was never brought to justice for the murders.
The novel starts back in Belle’s home country of Norway, when Belle, then known as Little Brynhild Størset lived with her family in grinding poverty. Norway is where Little Brynhild first got away with murder, a feat she would repeat over her lifetime.
Bruce’s novel is a mix of historical fiction, true crime, and suspense. She immerses the reader into Guinness’ world, and the result is a horrifying book that is difficult to put down. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time.
Recommendation
Recommended. Bruce does a fantastic job of immersing the reader into Gunness’s world. The suspense level is high throughout the book, even though the ending isn’t a surprise.

Why I liked it:
This novel presents feminine rage in a clear and concise manner. As the reader, you won't be tempted to forgive Belle's actions, but you will understand what led her to that moment. She's not a sympathetic character, but so much of her life is a reaction to the incident from her early years in Norway that I did not forget her humanity despite all of the gore.

What I would like to change:
There was a point, particularly after we arrived in La Porte, Indiana, where the plot began to feel very repetitive and where Belle's character stopped achieving any sort of growth. I know that it served the purpose of illustrating just how unchecked her crimes were at that time, but it did get a little tedious from the reading perspective.

"We are all just creatures on this earth, fending for ourselves the best that we can. There is nothing unnatural about me. I walk the same pastures as any other. I am as natural as they come. There are just not many of my kind."

Wow. what a story! This largely fictionalized account of the real serial killer, The Widow of La Porte, Belle Gunness, is very slow to start but when it takes off -- you will find it impossible to put down. Despite lengthy investigations, there is still no accurate tally of the number of men, women, and children she killed. Although remains were found on the farm she owned in Indiana, it is believed that there are many unaccounted for given anecdotal evidence and a great deal of suspicion. In fact, there is nothing found to indicate when and where she died. The narrative is told from the viewpoints of Belle (also known as Bella) and her sister, Nellie.

The main feeling that I had while reading was that of dread. I could hardly believe that someone this evil was able to get away with what she did for so long. She is definitely a psychopath, very manipulative, and incredibly heinous. Everything she did was to protect herself and for money though there is an attempt to give her behavior a motive based on something that happened to her in Norway before she came to the United States. The author explains in an endnote that much of this novel is creative license, but if even a part of this is factual, it's a gruesome tale. Much of the book was quite difficult to read yet I could not stop reading as I had to know the extent of her terrible crimes. The truly scary part is to know that those murders essentially went unpunished and the many victims never got justice.

Definitely you will need to find something light and sweet to calm your emotions once you've finished.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend to those who can stomach it!

** “People are so foolish; they beg to be deceived.” **

** “This is how curses are made: someone does something to another, and traps that person in a web with threads so fine they can hardly be seen. There is no escaping that web.” **

Camilla Bruce delivers a fictionalized telling of real life serial killer Belle Gunness in the incredibly intriguing “In the Garden of Spite.”

After Belle, born Brynhild Storset, is brutally attacked in her homeland of Norway as a teen, she first gets the deadly taste of revenge, which she takes with her to America as a young adult. The book follows Belle for the next three decades as she eventually gives into her fatal urges to always have more and not settling for less, all while acting out of spite.

“In the Garden of Spite” is a fascinating story of how a simple farm girl becomes one of America’s most notorious and earliest serial killers. It cautions against acting out of anger, spite and deception — and the dark road those emotions can take one down.

It also reminds us of the impact of the stains of sin, and that “Some stains won’t wash away.”

Blending truth and supposition, Bruce does an incredible job of researching the life of Belle, and what could have taken her down the dark road of murder.

Anyone who loves true crime stories, as well as tales about murder and serial killers, will love this story.

Disclaimer: “In the Garden of Spite” does contain a number of moments of intimacy, as well as occasional swearing.

Five stars out of five.

Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.