So plenty of food for thought. Indeed, this would make a brilliant book club read, guaranteed to spark a discussion.

Triflers Need Not Apply | Camilla Bruce – Review – BelEdit Triflers Need Not Apply | Camilla Bruce – Review – BelEdit

Well, I don’t want to give more spoils but I have to say: she reached most of her goals: she became wealthy and she married ( if you don’t count her husbands start to die suspiciously and any men she involves with vanished into thin air!) Exploring the darker elements of the female experience—in this case, the sociopathic murderous elements—makes for fascinating reading. This was a great work, but it could have been shorter.

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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.

Triflers Need Not Apply by Camilla Bruce Review - MMB Book Blog Triflers Need Not Apply by Camilla Bruce Review - MMB Book Blog

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... 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.I literally lost count of how many bodies had dropped by the time I made it to the mid-point of this novel, but that's not what kept me reading. It was the way Belle was portrayed as yes, a killer, but also a victim whose compulsion to kill was deeply embedded as a way to protect herself and her children. I hated that I kept finding myself feeling just a teensy bit sad for her. And then she'd do something completely horrid and turn my stomach and I'd have to set my Kindle down and hold my babies super tight because.. UGH! This was horrible!!! (But in a good, super creepy, can't ever close my eyes or trust people again sorta way. ) 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. I was intrigued by the book description and was looking for something a little different to the books I have being reading recently. I found the book a little slow at first and struggled to get into it but persevered and it did get a lot better. By the time I was two thirds into the book I didn't want it to finish. The problem with basing fiction on real events is that the author has to contend with stretches of the subject’s life that are really just not that interesting. Parts one and two are compelling – it’s thanks to the opening scenes in particular that I was interested in reading more about Belle, and when her true nature starts to emerge, there are fascinating and chilling details. But in part three, there isn’t much to recount except Belle murdering a lot of people, which makes it both slightly dull and unrelentingly grim. The imagination on display in You Let Me In was so breathtaking that I can’t help but be a little disappointed Bruce chose to write this instead of another original novel. With that said, she does a great job of humanising Belle without ever making excuses for her, and the darkness of her narrative is effectively balanced out by the voice of her loving older sister Nellie. The result is both twisted (the later chapters are very dark and gruelling) and thought-provoking.

Murders by Episode : r/myfavoritemurder - Reddit Murders by Episode : r/myfavoritemurder - Reddit

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. Usually I find one serendipity month read that is of the first sort if it happens to be a "woman's read" book. And mostly they core the more common stereotypes. And depending upon the writing skill I might actually enjoy most of it. But here, this is exactly why I do the one month serendipity thing. If I knew the subject matter I wouldn't have read it. And I am glad I did read most in slow pattern to nuance too. Because this is a bit of a departure- as I believe horror or true crime is morphing a bit when it crosses women's easy read fiction. There doesn't seem to be a bottom feeder level that is not fully deported to grabbing readers now. Not only within sexual mores either. Triflers Need Not Apply is the reimagining of the life of Belle Gunness, history’s original female serial killer. Born Brynhild Paulsdatter Størseth, we read about her upbringing in Norway and the events that led to her becoming a ruthless murderer. We follow her as she changes her name and joins her older sister Nellie in America. Early in life Belle Sorensen discovers the world is made only for men. They own everything: jobs, property, wives. But Belle understands what few others do: where women are concerned, men are weak.This is well written, mind blowing, extremely intense, dazzling, riveting novel. I devoured slowly but each chapter was like heavy meals which take extra time to absorb properly.

Triflers Need Not - Etsy UK Triflers Need Not - Etsy UK

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. 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. 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. Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this outstanding ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions. And yes - the story was good and I did like the ending, it worked for me. But what I didn’t enjoy about the book was, mainly, it’s length. It was far too long. There was too much unnecessary detail about the minutiae of the lives of all the characters - their clothing, what they ate, irrelevant discussions and so on. I soon lost interest in everyone. It got boring. Then little Brynhild, who now calls herself Bella, is obsessed with one thing only - money. She wants to ‘prove herself’ somehow. She thinks she deserves a better life so she marries a man of some means. Of course she doesn’t love him but she loves his money. When she has spent it all, she kills him. From the insurance she buys a farm about 100 km from Chicago. From then on it is just rinse and repeat - she lures men to her, steals their money and kills them. Over and over. It was very repetitious. I started to wonder if I should simply DNF. But I slogged through. She was also desperate to have children but unable to conceive. So, through a business associate and friend (with benefits) babies were procured for her to raise as her own.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? Because she's angry. She's bloodthirsty. She's willing to kill to get what she wants - starting with her husband. In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce is for anyone who is fascinated by the mind of a serial killer. There is always a beginning to the evil. Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset wants more than the life of a tenant farmer. She sets her eyes on a man who is the farm owner’s son. But even as she is with child, he still won’t have her and he beats her and leaves her for dead. Except she lives. Her revenge is slow but gives results. The only way to move on is to move in with her sister in America. There she marries a shop owner. He is kind and will provide for her. But is that enough? He is too kind, too weak, and not ambitious enough for her. He will be one of her victims. But is it really because he was too weak? Is it about the money? Or has she developed a taste for killing?