The Pied Piper

Bloodlands collection

By: Harold Schechter

Narrated by: Steven Weber

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

With makeup and an affected Elvis pout, Tucson’s Charlie Schmid was a crude parody of a bad-boy heartthrob. In 1964, he still had a hold on girls who’d follow him anywhere. He murdered three of them.

It was the dawn of the free-love movement - perfect for a magnetic madman who’d also foreshadow its end a few years later in the malignant charisma of Charles Manson. The inspiration for a classic story by Joyce Carol Oates, Schmid, the most bizarre serial killer of any era, was the epitome of a narcissist flattered into believing he could get away with murder.

The Pied Piper is part of Bloodlands, a chilling collection of short addictive historical narratives from bestselling true-crime master Harold Schechter. Spanning a century in our nation’s murderous past, Schechter resurrects nearly forgotten tales of madmen and thrill-killers that dominated the most sensational headlines of their day.

©2018 Harold Schechter (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

A bit sexist but informative

At first I thought this was the literal old story of the pied Piper complete with magical flute. Imagine my surprise when the narrator began talking about murder.

I found it to be a good summary of the story, however, the author seemed to be a bit judgy of women. Calling Mary Finch "dumpy" and another "promiscuous/ admired prostitutes" for getting paid for what other girls gave away for free. The book might be old though. It's very factual and that's about all.

Steven Weber could read an ingredient label,

and I'd listen to it! These American crime stories are fascinating, and most I've never even heard about. Weber does another great job narrating, he also narrates Stephen King to, which is phenomenal!

The Other Charles

Good story about a serial killer that has followers that did whatever he wanted. His first name is Charles, but his last name is not Manson. Disturbing, but interesting. Good narration.

I'd not heard about this one.

I've studied on my own, the criminal mind just like a lot of people. my Great-grandpa was a law officer. he was w/ Nebraska P.D. when Starkweather, Charles 'red' & his younger girlfriend went into history. this fellow, I'd now read on at all. Mr. Webber has been a favorite of mine. I definitely appreciate the work he puts into his career. grand voice that ! Enjoy the narrative & listen to your crime story today. thanks for reading!

Quick listen to

Good writing, good reader. This whole series is a short, but engaging listen. Nice for a quick change of pace.

The pied piper

interesting... I was not aware of this crime until I listened to this audio book.

Interesting

I haven’t heard of this story, it it was captivating. I don’t know why crime stories or psycho killer / serial killer true stories appeals to me but it does. I would definitely recommend this. It was detailed and well written. The voice of the reader was good. All around good!

Well read by one of my favorite actors

I chose this short book mainly to hear it narrated by Steven Weber. The performance didn’t disappoint. The story was interesting and entertaining without being too graphic. Would recommend.

Fascinating Details of Lesser Known Serial Killer

Harold Schechter's Pied Piper tells the sordid tale of Charles 'Smitty' Schmid, Jr., The Pied Piper of Tuscon. A strange, diminutive man, Schmid developed a carefully crafted bad boy image and a demeanor reminiscent of Elvis Presley that aided him in drawing attention and devotion from other loners and outcasts.
With the assistance of two of these friends circling in his orbit, Schmid committed his first murder in 1964. He didn't stop there, murdering two sisters only a little over a year later. Bragging about these killings whenever the occasion arose, he displayed neither shame nor remorse over what he'd done.
Schechter's portrayal of Schmid and his friends is less than flattering, though much of what he shares seems to be descriptions of these people from either Schmid himself or others in his circle or involved with the case. It's interesting to see so much detail packed into such a short narrative, and it was fascinating to learn more about one of the lesser-known serial killers from the annals of American criminal history.
Steven Weber provides terrific narration, proving again to be articulate and eloquent in his delivery of the story.

Poetry and Thrill Kill

Creepy story effectively, if unimaginatively told. Without the racist epiphets in number of other Harold Schechter books. Perhaps because victims and killers were all anglo?

A pleasant listen.

Well narrated short on an interesting and obscure character from the dark world of the serial killer.

Interesting short story

Great narration, and an interesting story ,; I could have listened for a lot longer. Smitty’s victims got justice in the end by his violent and hopefully painful murder.