The story line of this book was good and very interesting. The main character made me soooo mad!!! How does someone like her not get caught??? The book really dragged in spots, but overall, I liked it. It is interesting to read about people in history, and in this case, a woman who got away with soooo much! @berkleypub

“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.”

A fictionalized account of infamous serial killer Belle Gunness, IN THE GARDEN OF SPITE takes readers on a journey from Belle’s tragic beginnings to her rise to wealthy, connected woman, with a trail of bodies in between. Known to many as The Butcher of Men, this book puts readers inside Belle’s head and we get to witness first hand every moment from the heartbreak and the tragedy, to the violence and the gore that eventually earns Gunness that well-earned moniker.

Having just a passing familiarity with Gunness, this is a book that, when I first heard of it, I knew I needed to read. Serial killers in and of themselves are horrifically fascinating, and ones of the female persuasion are even more so. People speculate that it was rage that eventually drove Gunness to commit all of the heinous and horrific acts, and after reading this book and bearing witness to the many tragedies that befell Belle (even if they are mostly fiction), I’d believe it. Bruce does such a phenomenal job with making Gunness seem less a monster and more a mere human woman that it was difficult at times not to sympathize with her. Though let’s be real here — she is most definitely a sociopathic monster, even when you want to believe that perhaps that isn’t the case.

Bruce stays true to the parts of Belle’s story that are common knowledge, and I love that she weaves in a lot of fiction among the fact. The bones of the true story are what this novel are built on, but it’s all of the extras — the made-up characters, the social events, the courting periods with her various husbands that give Gunness the personality we can only imagine she had in life. Bruce is an excellent storyteller, and this is certainly a book that was equal parts horrifying and entertaining. 4.5 stars, and now I’m off to fall down the Belle Gunness rabbit hole. (Seriously, it’s fascinating stuff!)

*Many thanks to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the arc!

I knew nothing about Belle Gunness before I saw this book offered on NetGalley, but it sounded interesting, so I requested it. And interesting it is.

Belle Gunness was a serial killer whose murderous spree stretched from 1884 to 1908. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storseth, she grew up in Norway, living an impoverished life as the daughter of a tenant farmer. After suffering abuse at the hands of men – her father, a local boy who got her pregnant – she vowed that she would have better, and she would not be subject to men’s torment.

She immigrated to America, following her sister Nellie, where she rechristened herself Bella, or Belle. The story is told from the viewpoints of both Belle and Nellie, and this gives us the chance to see not only Belle’s thought process, but Nellie’s. Nellie swings from convincing herself that everything is fine to being certain that something is very wrong with Belle, that she’ll have to act against her own sister. Honestly, I kind of wanted to smack Nellie for dithering so much and not doing something about Belle, but I can also see where she would have been terrified to actually try to stop the horrors unfolding.

Belle’s difficult formative years apparently impacted her deeply and brought out the worst in her. She is a difficult character to feel any kind of empathy for. She is grasping, greedy, always wanting more than what she has. She marries a good man, but that isn’t enough for her. She wants children and finds a way to acquire them (there really isn’t another word that fits), and she does love them, as best as she is able. But Belle’s desire for the good life, the best life, leads her to do horrible, brutal things.

This book isn’t for the squeamish. Belle’s murder methods aren’t gentle. She used a cleaver to dismember her victims for easier disposal. It’s not unnecessarily graphic just for shock value, but there’s really no nice way to write that.

It just boggled my mind as I read to think that all these men could vanish and have their disappearance go basically unquestioned, at least at first. In most instances, people seemed to take Belle at her word that the men had been there, but had gone on somewhere else. But then, I reminded myself that this was before the age of internet access and quick communication, that no one could log in and check these men’s credit card activity or phone records. But still. For a woman to be able to kill that many people, dispose of them, and then be able to get away with it for as long as she did is mind-blowing.

Ms. Bruce did her research, and the book is well-written. It isn’t an easy read due to the subject matter, but it is a fascinating look at an intriguing historical figure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance reader copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Wow! I honestly had no idea what I was getting into with this book, the cover looked cool. I absolutely loved it. I loved and hated different characters. I was happy at times and frustrated at times. I didn't realize until the author's note that this was based on a true story. That made it even better for me! I want to research more about Belle Gunness!

I love books on historical murderesses and this was an interesting in sight into a little known woman of history, I hadn’t heard of her before this novel and was pleasantly surprised to research the true story along with reading this fictional account. I will def keep this in mind for the few patrons who share similar likes.

Whew Lordy! I had no idea Belle Sorenson even existed before this novel, but you bet your tushy I was googling her after this novel! I love when that happens. What a twisted woman! Her dark story and the writing had me gasping and turning pages. I love when a book has me both horrified by and sympathizing with a character whose morals are so obviously screwed up. It's very rare that we get a glimpse into a female serial killer, so this was a lot of fun for me! Which sounds so messed up when you put it like that, but it was a great book nonetheless!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of In the Garden of Spite:A Novel of the Black Widow of La Porte by Camilla Bruce from NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group in order to read and give an honest review.

... the author does an excellent job at getting inside the mind of this infamous serial killer...

This will be a challenging book for me to review I’m giving it a 3.5 but rounding it up to four stars. Part of me loved this book, but part of me, well...

For the positives, Camilla Bruce does such a fantastic job fictionalizing the story of a real-life serial killer Little Brynhild / Bella Sorenson / Gunnes aka "The Black Widow of La Porte". Well-written for the most part, the author does an excellent job at getting inside the mind of this infamous serial killer. Bruce’s characters were brilliantly brought to life, perhaps in the case of Bella, a little too well. On the negative side, although I do not shy away from dark books this was even a bit much for me. Warning for those faint of heart, this novel contains graphic violence, murder, dismemberment, sex, arson, child abuse and infanticide. I also found at times it was slow and repetitive which made it a struggle to get into.

The novel follows Little Brynhild/Bella through her young teenage years and into her middle age. We learn about a heartbreaking ordeal she experiences as a young teenager in Norway that leaves wounds that fester driving her to inflict damage onto all those who get close to her. The disconnect she feels towards her family and a rage that she cannot contain, drives Little Brynhild to leave the misery of Norway to join her sister Nellie in America. In America she takes the name Bella Sorenson and is disappointed in her first experience. Bella longs to make a happy and successful life for herself, constantly seeking acceptance from those in her adopted community. Having struggled for respect in Norway she knows what she wants and what she must do to reach the status she desires for her future. Bella is determined to be the perfect self-made, powerful woman and will go to any length and taking matters into her own hands in order to get what she feels she is due.

Being a fairly famous news story, many people who follow true crime are aware of this famous female serial killer, but the author manages to get inside this monster's head offering the reader a glimpse of what could have driven this woman to such destruction.

It is a well-written engaging fictional interpretation of the workings of this woman’s mind, but it was a little too graphic for my taste, nevertheless an intriguing read.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Belle Sorenson was America's first serial killer. She kills men for their fortunes and nobody seems to be able to prove it. The story is set in the late 1800's / early 1900s, mostly after Bella's move to the United States. Her killings are justified - she has to do what she has to do to be successful in the world.

I will start by saying this book is WAY out of my normal genre. I don't read too much historical fiction, and when I do it tends to be a romance. However something about the summary peeked my interest and I'm glad I got into it!

The characters in this book were so interesting! Little Brynhild / Bella/ Belle in particular was so complex, completely guiltless in her efforts to get what she wanted. From writing to her sister and secretly adding sentences from her "mom", to the suspicious situation with Anders at the lake, to her father, and all the men that followed, this book was quite a wild ride! She was so selfish, never content, and always wanted more. She really didn't let anyone get in her way.

I had a slow start getting into the book- as I mentioned, it was different than any other book I typically read. Once Bella arrived in the US I was more invested and it picked up. I finished it and read the author's note- I had no idea it was based on a true story! I think that Camilla Bruce created a world for us, based on facts, but embellished enough to make it a story.

Content Warning: Murder, drugging, serial killer, child abuse, and loss of an infant.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Belle Gunness is a woman who has learned the hard way that she has to rely on herself and must be crafty to get what she wants. We follow Belle through around 30 years of her life I believe. We see her go from a teenager in Norway to an adult in America living on a farm, so we get to see her change completely and kind of what caused this change to happen.
Belle is a very crafty person and she knows how to get people to do what she wants to a certain extent and when that doesn't work she takes matters into her own hands so she can better herself from the situation in the end. The family was a big part of this story and how Belle wanted it, but also didn't always seem to want it at the same time. She was very much the type of person to want to have her cake and eat it too, which we know doesn't always work. The one rather surprising thing about Belle is how much she loves and taking care of them. This was rather shocking to me considering how many men she murdered.

Overall I liked this book. It is very graphic at times because we see Belle dealing with the bodies and disposing of them. It was interesting to see the different methods she would use depending on the person and why she would do it. Belle was very driven by money and power which is understandable considering what she had grown up in and how she didn't want to feel that way again. This book was a very fast-paced read for me.

If you like true crime books, or just want to see things from a female serial killer's perspective for a change I think you'll like this book.

I do think it's important to mention that the author did have to take some liberties when it came to parts of this book as little is known about Belle and public accounts vary greatly between people. There is also no clear number of how many men she killed.

Bella is a Scandinavian woman who has been wronged in her life as a young woman & vows to get her revenge.  That first act of revenge opens up something dark inside of her that she did know was there & eats her alive for the rest of her life.

Wow this book is amazingly entertaining and dark. The author says some of it is fiction but it was based on a real female serial killer from the 1800-1900s. I could not put this one down and when I had to I kept thinking about the next time I could pick it up. It was so dark but so fascinating at the same time. To have a look inside a female seial killers head was fascinating in my opinion. I highly recommend that you check this one out.

I've always been fascinated by serial killers, especially female serial killers and so I was thrilled to get an ARC of this book!

The Black Widow of LaPorte/ Belle Gunness has always been made out to be pure evil and heartless so it was really nice to read a fictional portrayal of her where you get lots of background into her character.
The pacing is a little slow(I found myself bored with the chapters about her sister...I wanted more Belle) but the story is intriguing and kept me engaged! I kept wondering how the heck she'd get out of each disaster and being shocked when she did!

I found myself rooting for Belle almost right up to the end and I enjoyed the afterward where the author explained just what she fictionalized.

This story was everything I wanted other books about female serial killers to be. If only it was a tad bit shorter and Nellie's parts were reduced it'd be a 5 star read from me!

📚 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 / 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪 📚⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Title: #InTheGardenOfSpite
Author: #CamillaBruce
Publisher: @berkleypub
Pub Date: 1/19/21⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Type: #eBook⁣ (thanks @netgalley)
Genre: #Mystery #Thriller⁣
Must Read Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

Guys, I hate writing negative reviews. It actually pains me, considering I am not an author and have no idea what it takes to write a book, but all of my hopes and expectations for this book were shattered with this one. If you're an active follower, you know how much I love books featuring #serialkillers and strong female leads, so when I heard about this book, I WAS SO EXCITED! To be honest, this one missed the mark so much for me that I had to force myself to pick it back up to finish.

It's 489 pages and it felt every single bit as long as you would assume. There were so many parts that dragged and while the character development was excellent, I did not like ANYONE. And yes, I know we're not supposed to like serial killers, but I was hoping to side more with her! Was this gruesome and dark? Absolutely. Was it a super cool idea for a book? ABSOLUTELY. Was it fun reading a book based off of a real person? ABSOLUTELY. But something just didn't gel for me and I am totally the odd one out with my low rating. People are loving this one, and you may too. Just be prepared for a super long, detailed and slow burn plot before you start. I'd definitely read another book by this author because she did a fantastic job of providing the reader with vivid imagery.

“Man Shall Inherit the Earth…Unless She Kills Him First.” I’ve been wanting to try one of Camilla Bruce’s books for a while now and when I saw this attention-grabbing tagline on the cover of her latest novel, In the Garden of Spite, I knew I had to read it. In the Garden of Spite is a work of historical fiction that follows the life of Belle Gunness, perhaps better known as “The Black Widow of La Porte,” one of the most famous female serial killers in American History.

Let me start by saying In the Garden of Spite isn’t for the faint of heart. Belle’s preferred methods of dispatching her victims ranged from poisons to cleavers, and she quite literally butchered them, chopping them into manageable pieces to make it easier to bury them in her backyard. So yes, it’s gory and gruesome at times, but if you can get past that, this story is a fascinating, in-depth look inside the mind of a serial killer. I was equally repulsed and riveted the entire time I was reading.

The author takes us through about thirty years of Belle’s life, from when she was a child living in poverty in Norway all the way through to the height of her killing spree once she has immigrated to America. Belle’s early life was not an easy one and the author paints a vivid portrait as to how abuse, trauma, and poverty could have shaped her into the very disturbed woman we meet in this book.

Belle is a truly fascinating character and I found myself drawn to her more than I expected to be. She’s not an especially likeable character, being a serial killer and all, but wow, her resourcefulness and determination is impressive! As twisted as she could be most of the time, I frequently found myself quite impressed by her at other times. How she managed to spin her way out of trouble time and time again, and how she is constantly able to reinvent herself. Normally an unlikeable main character would derail my enjoyment of a book, but Belle is just so fascinating that I found myself glued to the story in spite of myself.

One of my favorite parts of the story though is how Belle’s life is presented. The author uses two perspectives, 1) Belle’s and 2) Belle’s older sister, Nellie, who also lives in America. With Belle’s perspective, we obviously get that intimate look into what she’s thinking and feeling as she commits each heinous murder. With Nellie’s perspective though, we get the perspective of a family member who loves her sister deeply, but who is also torn between her desire to protect her baby sister from the world and her increasing suspicion that there is something truly broken in Belle and that she may be forced to do something about it. I just loved the contrast in these two points of view.

If you’re interested in learning more about The Black Widow of La Porte, I highly recommend In the Garden of Spite. It’s a dark and grisly, yet truly riveting tale.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In the Garden of Spite is the second book I’ve read about Belle Gunness in the span of a few months, and I’m excited to see more books about her coming out. I generally found this one a bit of a mixed bag, but I liked it for the most part.

This book is a bit slow, starting off in Belle and Nellie’s youth prior to their immigration to the US. So, the story does not pick up until about ⅔ of the way through. However, it does add some necessary context to their background, and a contrast as Belle goes down the dark path of serial murder.

As a result, the pacing is a bit odd, the POV switch between the sisters sometimes feeling rather jarring. I could also understand why this was done, to create a fuller picture of the two of them, but it did result it the story feeling clunky at times.

I liked receiving insight into what Belle’s mindset might have been as she began to descend to murder. And that last third or so when she was fully invested in her scheme was absolutely thrilling, and this is where I think Nellie’s portion also paid off as she began to come to the realization of who Belle really was.

This book was an enjoyable, thrilling read, and one I would recommend to fellow historical true crime fans.

This book will grab you and although the tension builds slowly, you will be unable to put this book down.

Currently, true crime is big business. Serial killers have fascinated people before there was even a term to describe this type of heinous multiple murderer/murderess.

Based on a terrifying true story, Camilla Bruce has crafted a superb tale of one woman who set her sites on potential suitors (and others) and methodically slaughtered them.

With quotes such as the following one, readers cannot help but be hooked by the antics of the "Black Widow of LaPorte."

"Halfway through the meal, Moira had to excuse herself, as she was feeling ill. I wished her a speedy recovery as she made her way upstairs. Soon after, I cut her throat and let her bleed out in a bucket."

IN THE GARDEN OF SPITE is not for the faint of heart. This is however the perfect book for anyone who likes a bit of history alongside their true crime fix.

Belle proves that women can be just as deadly as men. The saying 'the fairer sex' does not apply to Belle Gunness. She had a heart as black as night and took what she wanted.

I am a fan of the true crime genre, yet until reading this book, I was unaware of the existence of this serial killer. Author Camilla Bruce grew up hearing the story. I am glad that she chose to bring Belle's story to the attention of readers everywhere.

I enjoyed this book and at a length of 480 pages, readers get their money's worth. This is well worth buying and would be a fabulous selection for your local book club. There is much to discuss and debate.

I rate IN THE GARDEN OF SPITE as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and highly recommend purchasing a copy or two.

"The world is not kind to those who are different,' I whispered into Rudolph's hair as we rocked gently back and forth on the step. 'But then again,' I continued, 'she may not always be so kind to it either."


Well, well, well a female serial who is not sugar and spice and everything nice. Although she would want you to think that she is! Based on real life serial killer Belle Gunness, a Norwegian-American who killed in Illinois and Indiana between 1884 and 1908 before disappearing.

Belle is known in Chicago; people whisper about her and the many fires of her properties in addition to her two husbands both dying under suspicious circumstances. She always seems to profit from insurance payouts. But is she the angel of death? She presents as a god-fearing woman, who wants nothing more than to raise her children and be an upstanding member of society. She is nice to her neighbors, teaches Sunday school, and visits with her older sister. Everyone needs a hobby. Too bad hers is a deadly one.

Many have suspicions, but she presents as a godly woman. Living alone with her children. Who can fault her for trying to find a husband? But there are always two sides to every coin. Sometimes you must take the bitter with the sweet. Is the face you present to society your true face or is your true face, hidden just slightly under the surface, ready and willing to show itself if the opportunity presents itself?

She places ads for potential husbands, men come, they spend the night, but never stay.... or do they? Determined to make a place for herself in the world after a troublesome childhood and attack, will she come out on top?

I enjoyed this one from the very beginning. I love books based on true events and people. Belle is an interesting character. AS the story progresses, we see her interact with others and commit her crimes, all without remorse and all with survival in mind.

I appreciated how the author showed her sister struggling. We never want to believe the worst in those we love. We often wear rose colored glasses and are quick to make excuses for them. Because what would it mean if you loved a serial killer? What would that say about you? How do you reconcile the sibling you love with the psychopath in front of you?

A great deal of research went into the writing of this book and I loved the details and the portrayal of this real-life serial killer. I found this book to be well written, thought provoking and captivating. I read most of this book in one day as I did not want to put it down. I had never heard of Belle Gunness before and was fascinated by her life and story. She was a scary, violent, and devious woman. I thought the author did a good job blending facts with fiction.

Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end. Also, be sure to read this one if you are a true crime or psychological thriller fan.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

"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.

They whisper about her in Chicago. Men come to her with their hopes, their dreams - their fortunes. But no one sees them leave. No one sees them at all after they come to call on the Widow of La Porte.

The good people of Indiana may have their suspicions, but if those fools knew what she'd given up, what was taken from her, how she'd suffered, surely they'd understand. Belle Gunness learned a long time ago that a woman has to make her own way in this world. That's all it is. A bloody means to an end. A glorious enterprise meant to raise her from the bleak, colorless drudgery of her childhood to the life she deserves. After all, vermin always survive."

OK, why am I just now learning about Belle Gunness!?! Thankfully this book came along to fill in this gap in my knowledge.

3.5 stars for this expansive and gut-wrenching story that factionalized real life late 19th century serial killer, Belle Gunness.

I had a hard time rating this book - the giant span of time it covers over Belle’s life and the slow climb to understand what makes a brutal female serial killer spoke of impressive research and writing. However, as a reader, I found it hard to stomach at times. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an avid suspense and thriller reader, but there was so much of Belle’s flippancy to murder and dismemberment (rightly so because of her nature) that I struggled with reading it towards the end. It’s a sad story and sad, hollow ending but bravo to this author for taking a historical mystery and curiosity and breathing fictionalized life, pain, meaning and color to it.

While I appreciate how well written this book is, the subject matter was simply too dark for me to be able to enjoy. (Which surprised me, because I'm usually a fan of dark and disturbing!)

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This book is a little outside of my normal wheel house but it sounded too interesting to pass up! Belle was a fascinating character and I loved this author's interpretation of her as a person. Her back story was heart-breaking and captivating - what happened to her when she was young defined her in ways that she didn't even understand. Even as terrible as she was, I weirdly found myself empathizing with her after the ordeal she went through. This book was a little darker than ones I usually read though, and she killed a ton of people. Once we got towards the end of the book I was pretty ready for things to wrap up but overall the book was one I really enjoyed. It was great to read about a famous female serial killer from the Midwest and learn more about that piece of history, even if some pieces of the book were fictionalized. It was an interesting read and I'd recommend it!