Killers of the Flower Moon

The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

By: David Grann

Narrated by: Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, Danny Campbell

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history, from the author of The Wager and The Lost City of Z, “one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

“A shocking whodunit…What more could fans of true-crime thrillers ask?”—USA Today

“A masterful work of literary journalism crafted with the urgency of a mystery.” —The Boston Globe

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.

As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager!

©2017 David Grann (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, GQ, Time, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine, NPR, Vogue, Smithsonian, Cosmopolitan, Seattle Times, Bloomberg, Lit Hub, and Slate

“Disturbing and riveting.... Grann has proved himself a master of spinning delicious, many-layered mysteries that also happen to be true.... It will sear your soul.” —Dave Eggers, New York Times Book Review

“A marvel of detective-like research and narrative verve.” —Financial Times

Captivating retelling of a forgotten story

The story is divided into three parts. I enjoyed all three, but was especially entertained by the second story. The second character, the Federal Agent, is so dedicated, unflappable, and ahead of his time, he seems almost unbelievable. The narrator captures the character's qualities perfectly.

A sad non-fiction account

I found this book “Killers of the Flower Moon” most interesting particularly about the early days of the FBI and of J. Edgar Hoover. In this particular case Hoover had to hire retired Texas Rangers as FBI agents because they could blend in and knew the social customs of the area.

I was angered and disgusted by yet another horrible example of the greed of the white men assigned to be guardians of the Osage people. They would have at least been alive if left on their own. This book was a good example of the methodical work to solve a series of murders. This story is a fascinating read and it is a true story.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and 4 minutes. Will Paton does a good job narrating the book. He has an easy to listen to voice.

Sad story of Osage Indian genocide in Oklahoma

Well done account of the FBI investigation into the murderous rampage on the Osage Indians in Oklahoma over their oil rights. The sheer number of sociopaths in this story is mind numbing. The story lags at points but the overall narrative is worth finishing. Although J. Edgar Hoover pushed for solving this horrific crime, his paranoia appears early on by failing to give proper credit to the agents involved. I recommend reading about his sad chapter of American history.
“AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY”

narrator one is monotonous

the second two narrators are great. excellent book and a shocking story that everyone with an interest in American history should hear.

This book is a revelation.

This book is a revelation. . I'm 82 Love history and have never heard about this ugly part of our history. I am 😠 but so thankful for David Grann 's work. This book should be read by every high school student..

I had NO idea

This was an incredible story about the Osage... I had never read or heard about this part of history... and it seems like it should have been well known. It was well researched and well told. I am not a history buff but I found this story utterly fascinating.... and very disturbing. the female narrator wasn't my favorite but the story far outweighed that aspect of the book... I'll remember THIS part of our history....

Nice but bone chilling Documentary

Nothing inspiring, just full immersion into a depressing period of our time when we thought Indians were not human beings. Good to have listened as the victims deserve the respect of their story brought to light.

Read the book for the first part

The narrator for part 1 is AWFUL. Her voice trivializes the seriousness of what she is relating. I wish all of the book had been narrated by Will Patton, who is one of my favorite performers. I'd listen to him read his grocery list!

the narrator should stick to bed time stories

this could have been an amazing book, great murder mysteryand Inormative, but first of all the juxtaposition of the story vs. voice, inflexion, and tone of the narrator clashed with the subject material. felt like my aunt reading a bed time story narrating a murder real crime story. also the author liked to get side tracked on the plight of native americans at that time which is well documented and was just politically charged and unnecessary for the story. did I mention the narrator was completely wrong for this book, dead wrong.

Slow to start

Very slow start and first narrator had a monotonous delivery. Got much better with 2nd and the most interesting part was the last third.