This was intriguing.
I knew of the crime, but didn't know much other than the basics.
2 young dudes murdered a small boy.
Getting the history on the two killers with the before and after bits of the crime was very interesting.
King delivers this is a storyteller manner, make it easy to digest while still keeping it fact based.
Lots of disturbing bits and probably has much trigger warnings, so check them before you go in.
Much love to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for my DRC.

I have heard of Leopold and Loeb from other nonfiction/true crime books I have read. They are often referenced when the crime being written about is sexually deviant in nature or the defendants are young [I just read a book last month that referenced them several times and realized I had this book coming up to read] and I was intrigued by them, but none of the books out there on the infamous pair spoke to me [so many just seemed like speculation and hyperbole, written just to bring up the sensationalism around the case and nothing else] until I saw this one on NetGalley. Having previously read these authors [I highly recommend their book "The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria". It is a fantastic and fascinating read], I knew that it would be filled with meticulous research and also tell a compelling story. I was not wrong.

After reading this, I can understand why the murder of Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb in 1924 has remained in the public mind for almost 100 years and why it continues to fascinate people, even morbidly so.

Billed as the first sensationalized murder trial ever, the brouhaha surrounding both the trial and Leopold and Loeb, it is easy to see how the "news" of today has been influenced by the circus of that time. The fact that the defendants talked to the press BEFORE the trial and boasted about all that was going on, makes it easy to see why there could have not been a jury trial and why the newspapers went crazy in the reporting of this tragic and brutal murder.

I really feel for Bobby Franks' family - they were treated abominably by both the press and the defense team and the lack of empathy by so many was just shocking. To lose your young son in such a brutal and horrific way and then have the newspaper AND the defense team drag your innocent child through the mud and make the murderers out to be victims...I CANNOT EVEN.

This was one of the better true crime books I have read - especially given that I knew almost nothing about the Leopold and Loeb, Bobby Franks and the planning and execution of the murder, as well as the trial and the aftermath. It was an enlightened read and a learning experience about just how rotten some defense lawyers can be [and don't even get me started on that judge; the fact that they didn't hang simply because they were 19 is appalling and abhorrent] and I am left with a serious distaste in my mouth [and mind] about how this all played out.

This was expertly written and researched. It is never emotional and sensationalized [the information that is here is not easy to read/listen to at times. It is taken from court records, diaries and newspaper archives. There is a lot of a lot much of the time and it CAN be graphic. The authors really work at not sensationalizing all of this. I think they accomplish it very well]. It just tells the story and lets the rest fall on the reader. All this makes it an excellent read and I would highly recommend it to any true crime or mystery fan.

This is one time where I was extremely grateful to get the ARC of the audiobook for this nonfiction read. I have not listened to this narrator before, but it will absolutely not be my last time [I will be looking for other books read by him]. He is, in my opinion, one of the best kind of nonfiction narrators. He tells the story straightforwardly and really bring the story to life. My brain works better listening sometimes [I have found it especially with nonfiction] and a really great narrator just helps with that. This was one of those times and I am forever grateful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Greg King, Penny Wilson, Armando Riesco - Narrator, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thoughts: What a fascinating and shocking case! I heard about this case before from a true crime podcast but couldn't remember much about it. But I sure did learn a whole lot more after reading this book! The in-depth research was amazing. We learned about L & L family backgroud, their childhood, education, the details of their crime, arrest and trial.

I think what baffles people the most about this case is why two intelligent and wealthy young men from prominent families would commit such horrific murder? This book did not shy away from graphic details of the murder. It was difficult reading those parts.

Overall, I personally think this book was well-written and would recommend it if you want to learn about this case. The audiobook was well done too and I enjoyed the narration.

Pub. Date: Sep 20th, 2022


***Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this gifted listening copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

Nothing but the Night chronicles the repugnant crimes of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb in painstaking, and often shocking, detail. From start to finish, it is clear that King and Wilson have done in-depth research and have pieced together a full picture of the crime and those who have committed it. Leopold and Loeb, who have inspired several works of fiction and non-fiction alike, have stuck in the public consciousness to this day, but as Wilson and Penny show readers in their book, the truth of the events and their crimes have become twisted. Throughout the book, Wilson and Penny not only plainly show who Leopold and Loeb truly were, they also drag much of Leopold's lies into the light by revealing the Leopold took control of the narrative long after the crime.

This book is well researched and well written. Any true crime buff will throughly enjoy the read and will cause them to question what they think they know about other infamous crimes.

The narrator does a solid job as well, though on occasion a word would cut out or drop. Hopefully that is just a product of the Netgalley player or will be fixed before release.

4/5

This was my first introduction to the case of Leopold and Loeb, and I was very satisfied with how detailed Nothing but the Night was. The story was brilliantly paced with an initial intro to the crime, then backtracking to personal details of the killers and their victims. Followed by the police investigation. Finally, the trial that headlined as "the trial of the century!" Each segment was so thoroughly detailed, and the story felt like it was brought to life by the writer. I know others felt the trial was a bit dry, but I enjoyed hearing how the different lawyers and judges dealt with the infamy of the details. It helped create a full picture of what happened. The author did have a definite idea of the details that were unconfirmed, which was interesting, and helped show both sides of the narrative. I give Nothing but the Night a solid 5/5.

I thought this was very thorough but I skipped through quite a few sections because they were very graphic. I don’t think it was necessary to go into such specific detail about the angry and sadistic sexual events of the boys (from age 8-12) when they were very young. A general description would have still allowed the understanding of their lives.

This was a fine non fiction and one I’m sure true crime lovers will enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by this book, both because it is such a well known case to true crime aficionados and because it is rare that an older solved case has new info to offer. I thought it was very well researched and that it provided thoughtful and detailed insights into Richard Loeb, Nathan Leopoldo and their victim, Bobby Franks. It unfortunately felt a bit too detailed at times though, I think some of the information might have been edited back a bit (such as what people were wearing or eating) to cut back on the length a bit. Because this is such a well known crime, I already knew a lot about it but someone who doesn’t have any prior knowledge will appreciate the amount of information included. I found it did drag in parts, especially during the courtroom scenes where lengthy speeches were included in their entirety. It was an interesting read and I appreciated the new look at the infamous crime. The audio was well done and I did the majority of this on audiobook.

Books on well known crimes can be tricky since many people have significant knowledge of the events. I was pleasantly surprised by this book about Leopold and Loeb. It brought to light some facts, accounts, and opinions that I've either never heard or at least forgotten about.

For the most part, the book is well paced and interesting. Perhaps a bit biased, making Loeb a bit of a victim. The book is hard on Leopold, which I think if fair and deserved.

My only complaint is part four- which is about the trial. It was way too long and boring. A lot of it is transcripts from the case. A summarization would have been effective for most of it. Also, I feel that the trial is the most well known aspect of the case, so all of the rambling was unnecessary.

I listened to the audiobook. Armando Riesco narrates. I am not familiar with him, but he was well paced, clear, and easy to listen to. There were some common words mispronounced that made me cringe.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read any other books on Leopold and Loeb, so this was my first deep dive into the case. I thought the research was really thorough and well contextualized. I also really appreciated the view into the fictionalization of the case and the subsequent movie. There's a tricky line to walk with this case because there was trauma in the killers' lives, a horrible crime was committed, and the public was antisemitic and homophobic. I appreciate that this book acknowledges what a truly complex case it is.

This is the story of the two teenage murderers Leopold and Loeb but just know if you’ve read the story already you need to still read this book. It is a re-examining of not only the two teams but other crimes they are suspected up psychological report on both boys and the directions their lawyer Clarets Darrow wanted to go even trying to hide evidence or keep it away from the prosecutor. It tells about the end of their life which isn’t as fabulous as they’re beginning. I thought the narrator had the perfect voice for such a book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received this book from NetGalleyShelf in the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Nearly a hundred years ago, two wealthy and privileged teenagers—Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb—were charged and convicted in a gruesome crime that would lead to the original “Trial of the Century”. The story of their mad folie à deux, with Loeb portrayed as the psychopathic mastermind and Leopold as his infatuated disciple, has been endlessly repeated and accepted by history as fact. And none of it is true. Using twenty-first century investigative tools, forensics, and a modern understanding of the psychology of these infamous killers, Nothing but the Night turns history on its head. Nothing but the Night pulls readers into the troubled world of Leopold and Loeb, revealing a more horrifying tale of passion, obsession, and betrayal than history ever imagined.
I have heard the names Leopold and Loeb before, but I never knew the story behind them. This was a super interesting true crime book. I listened to the audio book, and the narration was great.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really liked this book! I thought I knew the story of Leopold and Loeb pretty well but there were details in this book that I had never heard before. This will be one of the True Crime books I suggest to friends!

As a person that is obsessed with old true crime cases, this is one case that I haven’t done a lot of research on. I just knew the surface level facts of the case. So I really enjoyed reading this well researched book on the case. I especially enjoyed the trial information, I would definitely recommend to others

I've always been interested in the Leopold and Loeb murder case. I really enjoyed the level of depth and detail the author gave in discussing the murder of Bobby Franks. It is a good contemplation of the era and how wealth ruined the murderers.

This book covers the early lives of Leopold and Loeb leading up to their brutal murder of Bobby Franks as well as the court case and aftermath. There are many opinions written about these two entitled wealthy youths but I enjoyed this book that seemed to bring a lot of it together in one place. The author obviously went to great lengths in researching all of these families and details of the case. I did find the book to be a bit repetitive and long winded. The information could have been given in a book half the length. I found myself losing interest and struggling to finish the last 2 hours of the book. But still definitely a good read and I highly recommend taking the time for this one.