The Midnight Assassin

Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer

By: Skip Hollandsworth

Narrated by: Clint Jordan

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's 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. The introduction and epilogue are read by the author.

©2016 Walter Ned Hollandsworth (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

A wonderful history of old Austin.

Though some simple but distinctly Texan words were badly Mis pronounced poorly I nearly gave up on this book. But I kept going and was well rewarded with a great read.
Seriously, who provinces Seguin as San Gwen?!?! They’ve never been to Texas for sure!

America's Jack The Ripper

Would you listen to The Midnight Assassin again? Why?

I don't think so - Once is enough

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

A good cadence that made listening to the book 'easy on the ears'

Any additional comments?

An account of a set of murders in America that I was unaware of and a group of murders which changed physically an entire municipality - A few relics are still standing

I used to think I knew Texas history...

From New Year's Eve, December 31, 1884 until Christmas Eve, 1885, the city of Austin, Texas was terrorized by a killer. Possibly the first serial killer in the country. The victims, in the beginning, were black servants of white families. The police, the newspapers and the white population of Austin assumed the killer was a "bad black," or a gang of "bad blacks." The murders were horrific, in their violence. Even children were not safe, as was seen when an 11 year old daughter of a servant woman was butchered. By modern standards, the lack of urgency shown by the white officials would have been a scandal. If it had not been for the fact that the murders were occurring in or near the servants' quarters, located on the property of the white employers, one wonders if they ever would have had the focus of the authorities. Then, on Christmas Eve, two prominent white women were butchered, in separate incidents, across town from one another. Austin was living in fear and the history books seem to have forgotten these killings ever happened. Skip Hollandsworth has written a great account of what is known of the killings and sets the scene with lots of background information of those days. You can easily get lost in time and feel you lived in Austin back in the late 19th century. Before reading this book, I'd walked the streets of Austin at night and visited some of the locations mentioned in the book. It will not feel the same, the next time I do so.
A great book!

fantastic experience,

great narrative , it was a page turner. Free up in Austin Texas never even heard anything about the murders

Good story a little slow in parts

Good but information seemed unnecessarily. A lot of the society and political information was not interesting

Amazing Literary Accomplishment...

An enthralling true crime story of America's first documented serial killer. An absolute must for the true crime lover!

Captivating

Although it is read just factually without added drama (doesn't need it), the story held my attention completely!

pleby of Austin history

was good but focused more on Austin's history than the murders. extra four words here.

Very intriguing and detailed

I found myself listening to this book every second I could. I loved the narrator's voice and pace. I worried that a book with such rich detail and facts would be boring. This was far from boring. Very much enjoyed it! Great book for Ripperologists, too.

I Love Lost History

This is a Texas story I had never heard. The author did a wonderful job of sprinkling the historical references throughout. Every Texan should read this book.