The Murder of the Century

The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City & Sparked the Tabloid Wars

By: Paul Collins

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

In Long Island, a farmer found a duck pond turned red with blood. On the Lower East Side, two boys playing at a pier discovered a floating human torso wrapped tightly in oilcloth. Blueberry pickers near Harlem stumbled upon neatly severed limbs in an overgrown ditch. Clues to a horrifying crime were turning up all over New York, but the police were baffled: There were no witnesses, no motives, no suspects.

The grisly finds that began on the afternoon of June 26, 1897, plunged detectives headlong into the era's most perplexing murder. Seized upon by battling media moguls Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, the case became a publicity circus. Re-creations of the murder were staged in Times Square, armed reporters lurked in the streets of Hell's Kitchen in pursuit of suspects, and an unlikely trio - an anxious cop, a cub reporter, and an eccentric professor - all raced to solve the crime. What emerged was a sensational love triangle and an even more sensational trial: an unprecedented capital case hinging on circumstantial evidence around a victim that the police couldn't identify with certainty - and that the defense claimed wasn't even dead.

The Murder of the Century is a rollicking tale - a rich evocation of America during the Gilded Age and a colorful re-creation of the tabloid wars that have dominated media to this day.

©2011 Paul Collins (P)2011 AudioGo

Critic reviews

“Wonderfully rich in period detail, salacious facts about the case and infectious wonder at the chutzpah and inventiveness displayed by Pulitzer’s and Hearst’s minions. Both a gripping true-crime narrative and an astonishing portrait of fin de siecle yellow journalism.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

"A dismembered corpse and rival newspapers squabbling for headlines fuel Collins’s intriguing look at the birth of 'yellow journalism' in late 19th-century New York. [A]n in-depth account of the exponential growth of lurid news and the public’s (continuing) insatiable appetite for it." ( Publishers Weekly)

Could have shortened and focused.

Any additional comments?

Even after listening, I'm not sure that the second thread-line of story about the tabloids was really that important. In the description, we (or at least I) are lead to believe that this story shaped the tabloids we know today. The connect, while presented to a be a true and valid one, isn't as strong as I had originally thought. The story focused more on the actual murder with the tabloids (it felt) as an aside.In addition, I really thought that the book dragged about 3/4 of the way through, and I was just grinding it out to get the the END! I think the author could've abbreviated some of the details to keep things moving. That being said, it's a very good book and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it in my car. I would recommend it; just don't expect a fast-paced murder mystery.

Historically interesting

The crime itself was interesting as was the inter-play between the press at the time. Otherwise this was overly long and would have benefitted from more research to bolster the facts presented.

So that's how it all began...

At times I was confused by the mounting characters and plot points, but the bigger picture of understanding the single crime that, at least in the author's eyes, launched modern day yellow journalism really was quite fascinating. What did journalists do before the internet? Carrier pigeons, telegraphs, and more were used to quickly pass info. And the media butting their noses in where they don't belong? Nothing new!

Interesting from start to finish

This is a very well told murder story. The clues and new information are introduced at just the right time to keep the reader's interest, and there are several possibilities so the outcome is not obvious until towards the end. The characters are gradually developed as the story progresses, and the background story of newspapers and journalists is also interesting. It is all very well done. The narrator is perfect for this book - his voice, his accent, the pace of his presentation, and his accents for the different characters, are all spot on.
Spoiler alert - I was so fascinated by the various characters that, before I finished the book, I looked on the internet for any photos I could find and accidentally discovered who was found guilty.

You can almost smell the grimy old New York

I thought this would be presented as a whodunit, but of course it's more of a documentary, this story has been told before. Even if you have already heard the story of the murder of William Guldensuppe, AKA The Scattered Dutchman, a masterful storyteller and rich details make this one worth a listen.

Just an Okay Listen for Me

What did you like best about The Murder of the Century? What did you like least?

I really just got through this listen. It wasn't particularly interesting. I didn't find myself really listening on to found out what would happen. It was a very relaxing listen.

What does William Dufris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator did a great job- if I had not enjoyed his performance so much, I probably would have given up about halfway through the book.

Was The Murder of the Century worth the listening time?

I think so. It wasn't a riveting story, but it was okay. I did feel like it really took me back to a certain time and place. I would suggest this to anyone who likes real crime stories but maybe wants to tone down the sensational details of the crime.

Entertaining, interesting and funny!

If you could sum up The Murder of the Century in three words, what would they be?

Just did in headline

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

So many...hearing about police, investors, the city and newspapers in that era were all very interesting.

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

Everything! Every character he portrays is teriffic. Love listening to him!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not one...this isn't a moving book, it's much more.

Any additional comments?

This is not your average " true crime" book at all. It's a great listen!

Surprisingly good !

I wanted to try this book but really didn't think it would hold my attention and even wondered if I would finish it. But once I started to listen it had me, it was surprisingly good. I recommend this one.

Great look at NYC crime, forensics, and journalism

This is a well narrated audiobook of murder, forensics, and the incredible power and resources of yellow journalism in NYC at the turn of the 20th century. Pulitzer and Hearst battle to scoop each other in a grisly murder of a mutilated German-American. Forensic and courtroom procedures are described in stark contrast to today's format. The story swirls around collusion between the police and reporters, the handling of evidence, the subject of abortion, the conditions of the Tombs jail, the consolidation of the five boroughs into one municipality, and the apex of yellow journalism where news is made, not reported. Great story, especially if you're from NYC.

Tabloid history

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I'd recommend this especially to someone interested in journalism or the history of journalism, as opposed to somebody interested in mysteries or crime stories.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I think the book dragged in places and could have been edited down to be more concise.

Any additional comments?

My expectation was that The Murder of the Century would be akin to a real life version of Caleb Carr's "Alienist." i.e. Unusual murder case in late 19th Century NYC. There is an element of that, but the suspect is brought to trial before the book is halfway through, and so more than half the book is devoted to the courtroom drama, with particular emphasis on how it was reported in the press, the rivalries between newspapers and their publishers, and the major personalities of the leading newspapermen (Pulitzer and Hearst especially).