The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer
Skip Hollandsworth, 2016
Henry Holt & Company
336 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780805097672
Summary
A sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer—America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885
In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis.
But beginning in December 1884, Austin was terrorized by someone equally as vicious and, in some ways, far more diabolical than London's infamous Jack the Ripper.
For almost exactly one year, the Midnight Assassin crisscrossed the entire city, striking on moonlit nights, using axes, knives, and long steel rods to rip apart women from every race and class. At the time the concept of a serial killer was unthinkable, but the murders continued, the killer became more brazen, and the citizens' panic reached a fever pitch.
Before it was all over, at least a dozen men would be arrested in connection with the murders, and the crimes would expose what a newspaper described as "the most extensive and profound scandal ever known in Austin." And yes, when Jack the Ripper began his attacks in 1888, London police investigators did wonder if the killer from Austin had crossed the ocean to terrorize their own city.
With vivid historical detail and novelistic flair, Texas Monthly journalist Skip Hollandsworth brings this terrifying saga to life. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—
• Where—
• Education—
• Awards—
• Currently—
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, nascetur neque iaculis vestibulum, sed nam arcu et, eros lacus nulla aliquet condimentum, mauris ut proin maecenas, dignissim et pede ultrices ligula elementum. Sed sed donec rutrum, id et nulla orci. Convallis curabitur mauris lacus, mattis purus rutrum porttitor arcu quis. (From .)
Book Reviews
Skip Hollandsworth knows his way around a crime scene.... Fans of Erik Larson's 2003 hit, The Devil in the White City...will find similar pleasures here. Mr. Hollandsworth doesn’t have the amount of raw material Mr. Larson did, and he doesn’t have a known villain. But if you don’t mind turning the last page without knowing who done it, this is true crime of high quality.... The Midnight Assassin is chilling.
John Williams - New York Times Book Review
(Starred review.) Gripping and atmospheric...This true crime page-turner is a balanced and insightful examination of one of the most stirring serial killing sprees in American history, and certainly one of the least well-known.
Publishers Weekly
[A]series of brutal attacks...terrorized [Austin, TX] for two-and-a-half years before disappearing without a trace.... Verdict: The lively social history of a town on the brink combines with a riveting true crime story that will make this a favorite in regional history collections —Deirdre Bray Root, MidPointe Lib. Syst., OH
Library Journal
(Starred review.) This is a painstakingly researched book written by a Texas native that examines prejudices, which still keep justice at bay. Verdict: This work introduces students to a grisly piece of American history and models footnote and bibliographic research —Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY
School Library Journal
Hollandsworth's theory about the killings is intriguing, and he subtly introduces it in such a way that it seems almost obvious that the killer has been pinpointed, but ultimately, there is no real resolution.... Not entirely satisfying but an engaging true-crime tale nonetheless.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add the publisher's questions if and when they're made available. In the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for The Midnight Assassin...then take off on your own:
1. Comparisons to Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City have been made with regards to The Midnight Assassin. If you've read Larson's book, what are some of the similarities?
2. Talk about the role that racism played in the hunt for the Austin killer. And politics?
3. One of the most perplexing questions is how a murderer, who killed so blantantly, could go undetected in a small city the size of Austin. What do you think? Had these killings taken place today, given our current investigative technology, how might both the search and outcome have been different?
4. What do you make of the hypothesis that the Austin killer crossed the Atlantic and became London's Jack the Ripper? What are the similarities as well as differences between the Texas and British attacks?
5. The murders were particularly grisly. Does Skip Hollandsworth sensationalize the brutality, or do you feel he shows restraint when describing the crime scenes?
6. Mystified by the crimes, the Austin police force calls upon more experienced detectives from Houston and Chicago. Talk about the funny moment (which will go unspoiled here) that occurs when the detective from Chicago is summoned to help solve the case.
7. Did this book terrify you?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)