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

#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

Malfeasance toward Osage Inherent in System

In the 1870s, the United States government drove the Osage nation in herds onto a small reservation in Oklahoma, situated on a relatively small tract which was chosen because its rocky terrain was particularly unsuited to agriculture and thus undesirable to sooners arriving from the East to stake land claims.

Forty years later, after the discovery of vast reserves of oil below this barren land, Osage members were among the country's richest, unaware the only compensation for their tribe losing its land--black gold--would, by 1925, turn fatal for at least eighteen tribal members and three non-members who apparently got too close to the fire.

In 1921, three of the Osage were found murdered, each under mysterious circumstances. By the time the murder toll had reached eighteen members, local law enforcement's investigation was no closer to discovering evidence or identifying any suspect. It has thus become apparent that these law officers feared what would happen if they got closer to solving the crimes or they were beholden to unknown powers interested in the crimes being left unsolved. The Osage hired their own detectives, only to have them bought off to go away or threatened with death.

Many of the murder victims were members of the family of Mollie Burkhart (her mom, sisters and their husbands were all killed). The author David Grann, who has gained a stellar reputation as an investigative writer after penning 2009's The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, centers three intriguing threads around Ms. Burkhart.

In the first segment, he describes Mollie Burkhart's family and details most of the murders. Within this introduction, he introduces significant local figures as well as local law enforcement and its stymied and/or farcical investigations. The obstacles to a serious effort at solving the crimes by state and local officials sets the stage for involvement of the feds.

Upon lobbying by an Oklahoma congressman, the nascent federal law enforcement agency, which ultimately became known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, stepped into the fray. Its director J. Edgar Hoover sent in a rugged former Texas Ranger named Tom White, then nearly forty. Grann's writing intrigues as he follows the gutsy, incorruptible White in his dogged search for the killers and in the trial that followed. Grann's sedulous efforts at research really shine, after spending years poring over FBI files, records and field reports of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, court testimony, diaries and what seems like truckloads of other documents.

In the final section, Grann describes how his own inquisitiveness led to findings of a wider circle of complicity and of further, more nefarious wrongdoing: matters that seeped through the cracks of the investigations, were intentionally neglected, or needed deeper digging and connecting of disparate "coincidences" and circumstances. What Grann found is an appalling betrayal of these Native Americans inherent in the system whereby they had already been forced to take land in exchange for losing their homes and way of life. The American government gave them the Oklahoma land but maintained legal title to the property As Trustee for the Osage on the thought that the Osage were unable to act in their own best interests. This presumption of incompetency led to a sort of cottage industry whereby a white businessman or lawyer would file a petition to be appointed as Guardian for the Indian, which would be granted as a matter of course. To say more would spoil pleasure in reading this mesmeric and infuriating book.

The book convincingly and unsparingly airs a string of crimes against the Osage that reveals a festering thorn in our nation's history: the appalling mistreatment of Native Americans and a malfeasance at the heart of the system established to "protect" them. Killers of the Flower Moon also provides an incisive, balanced report on the inception of the FBI, and the very real need for a federal law enforcement agency for certain crimes that would not be prosecuted due to local criminal influence and racketeering.

An important, high caliber read that will make you cringe at the inhumanity of humans and appalled (again) at the treatment of Native Americans.


As for the narration, I would normally give any audio narrated by Will Patton a 5 without a second thought. Here, for some reason, the publisher chose to have 3 narrators. The first narrator is a female I'd not heard before, named Ann Marie Lee. I really hate to say this, but I hope that her participation was just a favor a publisher paid an old friend. She has the personality of a day-old can of tuna, and dropped a sure 5 on "performance" to an iffy 3.

History

Very much a historical story, many fact, sometimes more like a text book. But such a tragic story and one that needs to be told.

Almost quit partway through

I didn’t read any reviews before getting this book. I had just finished the wager and wanted to give this a try. I thought the first narrator was very hard to listen to, and I almost didn’t think I could get through it. I hate to diss on a narrator, since I am quite sure that no one would want to listen to me read a book, but it was honestly not a pleasant experience. However, once the second narrator kicked in everything was good, and I really enjoyed the rest of the book. Enjoyed might not be the best choice of words since I found myself exclaiming out loud how unbelievable and disgusting the whole sad tale was. Very glad it was told though and I’m glad that I know about it.

Don't let the first narrator put you off this book

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The first narrator, Ann Marie Lee, was a disaster. If I hadn't been so intent on hearing this story AND if I hadn't known that other narrators were on tap, I would have quit and demanded a refund. Will Patton is the best. Danny Campbell did a credible job.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Killers of the Flower Moon?

I think the point when the incredibly horrible treatment of the Osage hit me was in the third part of the book when the author talks to so many surviving family members who still have suspicions about the deaths of their relatives.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Ann Marie Lee's narration would possibly have matched a story for children. Will Patton's narration of the FBI part was stellar. Danny Campbell's narration of the third part was a bit amateurish, but not distractingly so. I almost thought the author was doing the narration himself so that was a good fit.

Could you see Killers of the Flower Moon being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I would love to see it as a series on Netflix. There are lots of important characters though so it would cost a fortune in actors.

Any additional comments?

I think I understand why Audible decided to go with three narrators for this book, but someone picked a completely unsuitable narrator in Ann Marie Lee. I hope I never see her name associated with any book I won't to listen to in future.

Three narrators...

I like the first two, but the third narrator’s vocal quality is not what I expect when listening to an audio book. His voice is grainy, which diminishes the quality of the performance.

The Blood Cries Out of the Ground

This story is told in three parts. In the 1st part we are told about the murder of an Osage woman . The narrator is a a female who's voice suits this part of the book.. We learn about the Osage indigenous people, their great wealth due to to oil. Injustice and the manner that the Osage people were demeaned by white people claiming the Osage were Incompetent and shoukd not be allowed to manage their own wealth. In part 2 we switch to a male narrator and I love his voice. We hear the story of a Texas Ranger who joined the Bureau of Investigation and lead the undercover Espionage like investigation of of the Osage murders. This allowed the telling of the origins of the FBI as an outcome of a small Bureau of Investigation led by J Edgar Hoover. The FBI and covers an evil Mastermind and the FBI is born. At this point you might think the tale has been told and the story should be finished but there is a part 3 Par 3 is told by a journalist who tells the rest of the story much as Paul Harvey would do. This is a fabulous book,quite interesting and I look forward to the movie

Good Info, but HORRIBLE writing style

This book included interesting history at times, however, this was a poorly constructed book. This book had no flow, and was very disjointed. The narrators did the best they could (Will Patton was by far the best), but it wasn’t enough. I’ve listened to over 100 audiobooks and this was one of the toughest to finish.

read more like a documentary than a novel

I thought this was going to be more of a story like a novel but it read more like a documentary and a narration of facts

Great Research on the Osage Headrights Murders

Having spent time in Osage County and Oklahoma I found this story to be well done. The Native American tribes and its members were corruptly exploited over the centuries and this book is one of a number on these shameful experiences. I highly recommend it. My experience is that complete and fair justice has been often difficult to find. This book documents that.

The depravity of man!

Diabolical, evil, wicked, scheming, money loving, depraved, serial killers! Wow! Read it for history and posterity’s sake! This should be known by everyone and taught as part of true American history!!! So sad! So astonishing! So chilling!