A Death in Belmont

By: Sebastian Junger

Narrated by: Kevin Conway

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1963, with the city of Boston already terrified by a series of savage crimes known as the Boston Stranglings, a murder occurred in Belmont, just a few blocks from the house of Sebastian Junger's family, a murder that seemed to fit exactly the pattern of the Strangler. Roy Smith, a black man who had cleaned the victim's house that day, was convicted, but the terror of the Strangler continued.

Two years later, Albert DeSalvo, a handyman who had been working at the Jungers' home on the day of the Belmont murder, who had often spent time there alone with Sebastian and his mother, confessed in lurid detail to being the Boston Strangler.

By turns exciting and subtle, A Death in Belmont chronicles three lives that collide, and are ultimately destroyed, in the vortex of one of the most controversial serial murder cases in America. The power of the story and the brilliance of Junger's reporting place this book on the short shelf of classics beside In Cold Blood and Helter Skelter.

Listen to Sebastian Junger discuss his book on This Is Audible.

©2006 Sebastian Junger (P)2006 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

• Mystery Writers of America 2007 Edgar Nominee, Best Fact Crime

"He's a hell of a storyteller, and here he intertwines underlying moral quandaries....This perplexing story gains an extra degree of creepiness from Junger's personal connection to it." (Publishers Weekly)

Might be my favorite …

I love Mr. Junger’s style of writing. Maybe it’s the depth of investigation the journalistic approach that is laid out for the reader in plain simple terms. This book has so many angles, the single murder, the multiple murderers, serial killer, race, area history - could easily do a book on each this book summed it all up masterfully while taking the reader on an incredible journey through this American history.
Complements to the narrator as well, great job Mr. Conway.

Very good book on strangler.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It's written and narrated well.

What other book might you compare A Death in Belmont to and why?

Not sure.

Which scene was your favorite?

Don't know which scene, but favorite character was Ron.

If you could give A Death in Belmont a new subtitle, what would it be?

Wouldn't

Any additional comments?

I only wish there had been someone who was proven to be the strangler. This left you hanging, but don't know if they ever found out.

I need to buy the ACTUAL book

very few audible titles make me want to buy the real book but this one did! I came upon this title from a documentary I saw on the Boston Strangler. The story was gripping. It started going in one direction and then took a turn which was thought provoking. Also the personal family connection was great👍👍

Stellar

Very well written, researched and documented.
Junger does a great job.
A great exploration of race, power and police power in America

Junger is the man.... 📚

One of his best works. Recommend for those from Massachusetts and the surrounding area.

Intriguing mystery

I went into this book cold, no idea who the Boston Strangler was or of any of the murders. The book contains a good deal of background information but for the most part it is interesting and presented well. The story is extraordinary enough to sell itself, but Junger does a good job of laying it out and keeping your attention. A good audiobook lets you escape for a while and this is definitely one of those. Excellent narration work by actor Kevin Conway, too.

Completely Intriguing

This piece of writing immediately grabs the reader and doesn't let go until the end. Though provoking and well researched.

Very well written

The story is extremely disturbing, but the book is very well written and compelling.
I found it very intriguing.

Chilling nonfiction, excellent narration.

Would you listen to A Death in Belmont again? Why?

I am a novelist but will soon attempt a foray into true-crime writing. I rarely listen to books more than once. This one would be an exception because it's so loaded with details and other paths to follow.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

There's nothing more compelling than the truth. This story is true and scary. I was very impressed with the amount of research and personal exploration the author undertook.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Conway – was your favorite?

De Salvo.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Very interesting

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very interesting and well planned. I liked how it jumped back and forth between the story of the Bessie Goldberg murder and the other murders. It really set out a picture of our justice system in that time. The narrator was great.