American Demon

Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America's Jack the Ripper

By: Daniel Stashower

Narrated by: Will Damron

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

"Will Damron performs a meticulous, exact narration of Stashower’s work. He unpacks the background and history of the places and players with the calm and collected authority of an insider, yet exudes the excitement, confusion, and fear of outsiders when delivering numerous gruesome passages about the 13 dismembered murder victims." - Library Journal

New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award-winner Daniel Stashower returns with American Demon, a historical true crime starring legendary lawman Eliot Ness.

Boston had its Strangler. California had the Zodiac Killer. And in the depths of the Great Depression, Cleveland had the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run.

On September 5th, 1934, a young beachcomber made a gruesome discovery on the shores of Cleveland’s Lake Erie: the lower half of a female torso, neatly severed at the waist. The victim, dubbed “The Lady of the Lake,” was only the first of a butcher’s dozen. Over the next four years, twelve more bodies would be scattered across the city. The bodies were dismembered with surgical precision and drained of blood. Some were beheaded while still alive.

Terror gripped the city. Amid the growing uproar, Cleveland’s besieged mayor turned to his newly-appointed director of public safety: Eliot Ness. Ness had come to Cleveland fresh from his headline-grabbing exploits in Chicago, where he and his band of “Untouchables” led the frontline assault on Al Capone’s bootlegging empire. Now he would confront a case that would redefine his storied career.

Award-winning author Daniel Stashower shines a fresh light on one of the most notorious puzzles in the annals of crime, and uncovers the gripping story of Ness’s hunt for a sadistic killer who was as brilliant as he was cool and composed, a mastermind who was able to hide in plain sight. American Demon reconstructs this ultimate battle of wits between a hero and a madman.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2022 Daniel Stashower (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Liked it

Being from Cleveland and from 4 generations, it was interesting reading familiar locations about hometown.

Different than expected

Fascinating read re Elliott Ness, but left wondering about the murder, who was he?

A very good book.

Well written piece on Ness and the case in question. Detail oriented and engagingly presented. The narrator was stupendous.

Not Bad

It was ok mixed with Nesses personal life a little more then the murders but a descent listen

A pleasantly unpleasant listen

Excellent narration of rough subject matter; the author’s book on Poe is a bit better. Still, solid writing.

a good look at a scary time in Cleveland

i was surprised to learn that Eliot Ness spent so much time in Cleveland and i have lived here my whole life. There is an interesting twist to the Torso Murders. All in all, a good true crimes worl

Murder in Cleveland

The Torso Murders captured the Cleveland landscape, and Elliott Ness was wrapped up in the investigation. Rising politically, he had not had a misstep since his star started ascending. But no one was above public outcries, and Ness was about to find that not being able to solve this case would have devastating effects.

Great read! I enjoyed the facts and the story that was wound through these pages. I had read about Elliott Ness before, but this story zeroed in on one distinct aspect. A great read!

Neither here nor there...

I'm not exactly sure what the author was trying to accomplish with this book. But judging by the cover art reminiscent of Erik Larson, I imagine he was trying to emulate that author by weaving together stories to make an interesting narrative. In this case, it just falls short. It's part Eliot Ness expose, part Cleveland true crime mystery, as advertised. The problem is there is very little to holding it all together. Ness had his moment in Chicago, and the hype of a book and TV show, and Cleveland apparently had a serial killer at the time Ness was a top bureaucrat. Other than one particular incident, there is very little weaving possible. It may have made for a more compelling story if certain aspect could have been more deeply explored, but it's clear (by the author's own admission) there really is no definitive evidence one way or the other regarding Ness' role in the criminal investigation. Not entirely a waste of time, but certainly time that could have been better spent.

Truthfinder and Elliot Ness

The research is presented in a thoughtful way that re-creates the time of this crime. Eliot Ness did some things for Cleveland that deserve a statue in the town Square. Eliot Ness had a personal life that was definitely worth the long discussion. The FBI building in Washington DC should have J Edgar Hoover’s name removed. He seems to have a lingering effect on the FBI to this day.

Thankful for the knowledge but….

Drags on a bit in storytelling. Damron is a great narrator so I found myself coming back to rest on that. Otherwise I’m thankful to have gained the knowledge. It’s just that a story like this doesn’t deserve all the fat and could have been trimmed/edited a bit.