America's Femme Fatale : the story of serial killer Belle Gunness / Jane Simon Ammeson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ammeson, Jane Simon, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gunness, Belle, 1859-1908.

Gunness, Belle.

Serial murderers.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (207 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington, Indiana : Red Lightning Books, [2021]

Summary:

"How does a Norwegian farm girl become an infamous American serial killer, responsible for upward of 40 murders? Born in rural Norway in 1859, "Belle" Storset Sorenson Gunness was constantly dealt bad hands in life-so she decided to take life into her own hands. In America's Femme Fatale: The Story of Serial Killer Belle Gunness, Jane Simon Ammeson traces Gunness's path from a poor teenager rejected by a wealthy lover; to a new wife in Chicago, desperate to escape the poverty of her childhood and impatient for a child to love; to an ambitious, widowed landowner in La Porte, Indiana. Ammeson's careful research reveals how the young immigrant slowly turned into one of America's most dangerous serial killers, allegedly murdering husbands, lovers, and children, and who, for a price, disposed of inconvenient corpses for others. Ammeson brings this shocking story to life, detailing the suspicious neighbors who were cowed into silence by Belle's intimidating personality, the culture of orphanages trafficking children and matrimonial agencies, the carnival atmosphere that exploded around the pile of bones found on Gunness's farm, and the sensational reporting that filled newspapers for months. Perfect for true crime fans fascinated by the creation of a sociopathic serial killer, America's Femme Fatale will leave you entertained and looking over your shoulder"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Belle's Beginnings

2. Life and Death in Chicago

3. A New Home and a New Husband

4. Disappearing Farmhands and Suitors

5. Boundless Opportunities for an Enterprising Woman

6. Jennie Olsen

7. The Rivals

8. The Beginning of the End

9. The Fire

10. The Discovery

11. Bringing Up Bodies

12. The Confession

13. The Theory of the Exploding Head

14. The Missing

15. Dead or Alive?

16. Endings

Bibliography.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-68435-161-8