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 • NOW A MARTIN SCORSESE 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

A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century • A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of the Last 30 Years

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!

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

“A shocking whodunit.... What more could fans of true-crime thrillers ask?”
—USA Today

“A master of the detective form.... Killers is something rather deep and not easily forgotten.”
—Wall St. Journal

“The best book of the year so far.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“David Grann's Killers of the Flower Moon is unsurprisingly extraordinary."
—Time

“A masterful work of literary journalism crafted with the urgency of a mystery.... Contained within Grann's mesmerizing storytelling lies something more than a brisk, satisfying read. Killers of the Flower Moon offers up the Osage killings as emblematic of America's relationship with its indigenous peoples and the 'culture of killing' that has forever marred that tie.”
—The Boston Globe

“[C]lose to impeccable. It's confident, fluid in its dynamics, light on its feet.... The crime story it tells is appalling, and stocked with authentic heroes and villains. It will make you cringe at man's inhumanity to man.”
—The New York Times

An outstanding story, highly recommended

Yes, the series of narrators is confusing. More on that later. The important thing is that this is a great story, an important story, an amazing story that has been hidden from you. Everyone should read or listen to it. This is a true American crime story, a story full of villains and honest to god heroes. If you loved Boys in the Boat or Unbroken, don't miss this one. It's top notch research and story telling. I couldn't put it down.

Now, about the narration. First, you have Ann Marie Lee reading it. Her enunciation is perfect, but she hasn't got a dramatic bone in her body. I'm sorry Ann Marie. It's like listening to a kindergarten teacher reading Dick and Jane. No character. No drama. What the heck? Next Will Patton comes along.He has read a number of Stephen King books and is a marvelous dramatic reader. He can do the voice of evil really well. The transition is all the more jolting for the listener. From Romper Room to Stephen King. Suddenly you're listening to a totally different book. But you'll want to continue on because the story is that good. At the end there's Danny Campbell -- another fine reader, and another adjustment for the listener. It's a double shame that this story of a conspiracy to murder the Osage tribe and cover up the crime is bungled by Random House Audio. Are they part of the conspiracy too???

I highly recommend this book in spite of Random House's unfortunate production.

1 author, 3 narrators, 3 books

This book is read by three different narrators. In this case, the narrators make or break the story. The first narrator walks us through the mysterious murders that keep happening to the Osage tribal members - but she combines singsong and monotone with a dash of schoolmarm in a way that it was all I could do to hang on for Will Patton's section.

Will Patton comes riding in on his dark horse, just the way he does in every James Lee Burke masterpiece, to bring the narrative to life with his whispering snarl and resonant emphases. Suddenly you're the lawman in the 10 gallon hat shaking up J. Edgar Hoover's bureau out where the law gets slippery, and the narrative picks up and takes off.

The third narrator is an elderly fellow who reads the first-person segment about how so many more Osage were killed than were previously thought. He's fine.

Overall, the story is a compelling tale about the lengths to which greed and institutionalized racism will go to nearly eradicate a people, and how whether energy is clean or dirty, it exploits the land and the people on it.

Grim Chapter of American History.

Amazing story. The depths of evil that we are capable of is beyond comprehension. story was told with great respect for those who were killed and for those who still suffer from the ongoing sense of loss and betrayal.

Wild and devastating story

Get past the first narrator. This story should be read by every American. Shows corruption, exploitation, and aspiration to obtain justice. History is complicated.

Mind blowing!

I loved this book and highly recommend it. I didn't have any issues with the narration/narrators. It took me a bit to get the settings right between my phone and car amplifier, but other than that it made sense to me that the parts about Molly were narrated by Ann Marie Lee, with the chapters from the view of the FBI agents and the writer being narrated by men. That aside, the material will blow your mind. I am disgusted at the way the Osage Indians were treated and disappointed that although the FBI achieved some great things they didn't truly uncover the extent of the reign of terror. It makes me so sad that so many families are without closure on what happened to their loved ones and money and that so many guilty 'guardians' went untouched when it is so glaringly obvious what they did. That our government allowed it is also shameful and if there is a way to make this right now we should.

Great book

I grew up in Oklahoma and remember all too well Oklahoma history that was taught in school. I am so saddened that the history had been whitewashed and romanticized. I know understand why my great grandfather would never speak about his Native American heritage. Thank you for your research and putting together this book. My Mother and I went for a drive to the area that the setting of this book took place. Such a beautiful place with a heartbreaking past.

Real Life Murder Mystery

First off, if you are about to listen to this book and don't know much about the Osage murders, do not do any internet searching about the subject beforehand. Since it's a true story, you'll end up immediately seeing some of the outcomes - although the author goes into much greater detail than what's available online. You will be completely baffled. I'm surprised that I had never heard of any of this before, although I don't think I'm alone in that. I'm really glad this was chosen for our book club.

The first two hours of the book moves VERY SLOWLY, the narrator reads slowly and the author slowly builds a foundation for the story. If this book wasn't part of a book club, I probably would have stopped listening. But about 2 hours in, it started to get really interesting. It's a non-fiction book and doesn't have a lot of figurative language, but it was very interesting and once we got passed the first two slow hours, I didn't want to stop listening.

You can tell that David Grann did an extensive amount of research and took a lot of time putting this book together. Highly recommend.

Heartbreaking, breathtaking, the fall of man over money

Grann does a great job of telling the sordid history of the injustice to the Osage people, moved several times for western expansion & finally taken advantage of due to the black gold beneath their lands.

This book needs to be part of Oklahoma history!

Growing up in northern Oklahoma and living in Osage county, I never knew that this happened as it is not taught in Oklahoma history in the schools.

The story is well laid out and is told from different perspectives which immerses you into the story.

infuriating

A very good book about disgusting treatment of the Osage People. It is just infuriating what people do for greed and how they treat someone of different ancestry than themselves.