Seeking Hearts

Love, Lust and the Secrets in the Ashes

By: Ryan Green

Narrated by: Steve White

Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

When Inspector Belin set out to catch the elusive Henri Landru for embezzlement and fraud, he wasn't prepared for the complex web of secrets that would unravel.

As war raged on and husbands fought on distant battlefields, Landru preyed upon the vulnerable hearts of lonely young women, presenting himself as a grieving widower desperate to fill the void in his shattered life.

Beneath the façade of a broken man lay a disturbing truth - a predator driven by insatiable desires. Would some of Landru’s 283 targets find out in time to save themselves?

Seeking Hearts is a chilling journey through the depths of human darkness. As the riveting tale unfolds, it forces listeners to confront the unsettling realisation that, for Henri Landru, murder became the ultimate means of tying up loose ends.

©2023 Ryan Green (P)2023 Ryan Green

The Bluebeard of Gambais – a truly unique monster!

Once again, Ryan Green has summoned his unique ability to seamlessly combine fact, psychoanalysis, and well-reasoned conjecture to transport us back in time so that we may experience, almost first-hand, the life story of a truly unique monster. Serving as our tour guide for this time-traveling journey by means of his incomparable vocal talent is one of my very favorite narrators, Steve White. This story introduces us to Henri Désiré Landru who was a French serial killer of notable intellect and considerable magnetism. Henri’s humble beginnings seemed to predict a trajectory quite different from the path he eventually traveled. After obtaining a modicum of education, he became firmly convinced that a keen mind such as his, coupled with his ravenous curiosity and a bit of hard work would be generously rewarded in life. He was soon disabused of this notion after being swindled out of the hard-earned bond money he entrusted to a potential employer as a good-faith gesture to secure a respectable job. The devastating financial loss shook his belief system to the core and prompted him to take up a life of fraud at which he excelled as if born to it. Posing as a successful businessman in need of a wife (despite already having a wife and four children), he was able to win the trust of an impressive number of women, mostly widows or women who had fallen on hard times. After relieving them of their assets, he soon tired of their company and they met a violent end with their ashes being scattered in his garden. Between 1914 and 1919 this lethal Lothario killed at least ten women, the teenage son of one of his victims, and even the beloved pets of the women who had fallen prey to his charismatic charms. This riveting examination of a truly contemptible Casanova, dubbed the Bluebeard of Gambais, firmly held my attention throughout the account of his criminal exploits, his arrest, trial, and ultimately his execution by guillotine for eleven cold-hearted murders. In a macabre twist of fate, this monster who dispassionately dismembered his victims to fit them into his stove can currently be found in Hollywood, California, at the Museum of Death where his severed head is on public display. I highly recommend this well-written, perfectly narrated twisted tale to all enthusiasts of the true crime genre.

Good ending

This book started very slow and took a while to get to the point. Good book but the second half was better.

Bluebeard killer

As usual, the author, Ryan Green, has taken a relatively obscure criminal and written a book detailing the true nature of a human beast.

Henri Landru, wasn't a handsome man or in any way exceptional, but he defrauded hundreds of people in France during the time of WWI by spinning tales of get rich schemes. In time, just taking their money wasn't enough and he began to find pleasure in killing women and disposing of their bodies in horrific ways. Through it all, his long-suffering wife, Marie, continued to support him and even unknowingly aided him in some of his crimes.

I especially appreciate the amount of research that the author does in order bring life to the victims of the featured murderer. The first chapter of this book (as well as most of the others that I have read by him) goes into lengthy detail about how the victim got involved with the murderer and vividly describes their last moments alive. He adds a lot of detail about the victims, honoring them long after their deaths.

The narrator does a great job and his performance really brings this story to life. His "just the facts" type of reading is perfect for a factual book.

If you "enjoy" the true crime genre, you can't go wrong with Mr. Green's books. They give a brief but in-depth look into the psyche of some truly twisted individuals.

Narration compliments the writing perfect!

What I really liked about the book is how easy it was to follow, like all of Ryan’s Books it is through the eyes of the victims and killers, Ryan logically puts thought to the victims and gives them life even if their life is was not known. I would really recommend this book and I am not just saying that. These books are not for the faint hearted either so viewer discretion is advised. I am writing this honest review in exchange for a free copy of this book.