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Helter Skelter  By  cover art

Helter Skelter

By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Publisher's summary

Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.

©1974 Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi, Afterword 1994 by Vincent Bugliosi (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“One of the best crime stories ever written.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

Featured Article: The Best True Crime Audiobooks for Your Inner Detective


The best true crime audiobooks will have you on the edge of your seat—whether the story divulges details about well-known serial killers or unidentified villains of unsolved crimes. You won’t be able to stop listening as each mystery unravels, especially when these fascinating, gripping tales are read by some of the most captivating voices in audio. Here are the best true crime audiobooks to get your heart racing.

Editor's Pick

The real story of the Manson Family
"Fifty years after the Manson murders, there are still a lot of questions to unpack. How did a man who never killed anyone himself become known as one of the 20th century’s most infamous murderers? What motivated his young followers to do his evil bidding, and why did the trial end up in the annals of legal history? Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi’s legendary book on the trial remains the definitive source on the case—and Scott Brick’s pitch-perfect narration will hold your attention the whole way through."
Kat J., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Helter Skelter

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Don't read it alone at night!

What did you love best about Helter Skelter?

The creepy performance plus all the gory details make it a very scary book. I listened to it at night and would wake up with any little noise.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The introduction. He begins by describing the entire murder scene.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to another one, but look forward to it.

Any additional comments?

Book was good, just has an immense amount of information. It reminds me of taking a college course. You have to take notes or else you'll lose track of all the different people involved. Great information, great reading, wished it was more concise.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Superb journey

I thoroughly enjoyed both the content and it's delivery. Scott Brick is a fantastic narrater and I'm glad to have discovered the works of Vincent Bugliosi. Well worth the listening time.

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Scary stuff!

What did you love best about Helter Skelter?

There are many things in this book I did not realize about the whole Manson Murder era. I found this book to be full of a lot of interesting information, told in a very easy to follow way. This held my interest throughout the entire book. I may even have to listen again to fully absorb everything. A very worthwhile telling of a dark page in history.

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

Excellent narrator. Clear voice, very well paced. I will be looking for more books with this narrator!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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There was a lot I didn't know.

This filled some of the holes in what I remember about the case. I was young when first hearing about Charles Manson. Over the years you hear things about the story from other people, mostly off in some way. This about sums up.. before , during and long after the case, into the 90's as this recording is the updated version of the book originally written in the 70s.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

No sense makes sense.

This book is so well put together. The amount of detail is astonishing. The narrator fits. Don't fall asleep to it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A storyline nothing short of Earthshaking.

Atrocious his family remained in their loyalty, the acts pervade cultural norms, of a culture few talk about, but I suspect secretly living, if only in the link to and on and over the ways we truly are capable of being. In this story we see the potential of the jam and jelly of our purest natures. A brave retention of our former selves still in our systems, the sons and daughters of Cain indeed!

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Captivating

Great story has every POV, but you REALLY have to pay attention since your not reading it yourself because it can get repetitive and go back and forth. I know I had to go back a couple times.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating story!!

Loved this book, knew little about Manson before listening to this audiobook and I found it fascinating and extremely well written.

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Bravo!

Not having been a (previous) fan of true crime, I was delightfully captivated by this book from start to finish. Arguably one of the best novels I've ever read.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Listened to this instead of "The Girls"

Glad I made the choice. Very interesting true crime account of the Manson era and the girls that followed him. The real life stories are fascinating, the writing fast paced and clear. Well worth the 26hrs

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