The Brick Slayer

Bloodlands collection

By: Harold Schechter

Narrated by: Steven Weber

A series of brutal home invasions terrified Los Angeles in 1937. They ended in Chicago a year later with the arrest of African American teenager Robert Nixon, igniting racial tensions in an already appallingly divided city.

Tortured in custody and portrayed by the press in the most lurid and flagrantly racist terms, Nixon faced an all-white jury. It would be the fastest conviction in the history of Cook County. Used as inspiration for Richard Wright’s classic social protest novel, Native Son, the case against Nixon is a still-relevant examination of bigotry, suppressed rage, and the making of a murderer.

The Brick Slayer 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.

Native Son reference

Bloodlands collection – 6 books The Pirate, Little Slaughterhouse on the Prairie, Brick Slayer, Panic, Pied Piper, Rampage
Crime stories, whether in movies, TV or books always reflect the morality and mortality of humans – as cautionary tales to warn us…me especially. The bigger the human flaws or outsized characters; the villain(s) or defenseless victim(s), the press (broadsheet & tabloid), psychiatrists, police, and/or lawyers the more I gawk...
Note: all the ebooks were tricked out with Kindle in motion special effects. Bumped up the ante to the sensationalism...can’t tell if that’s a shot at the press or not…
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Brick Slayer – short story with racism and murder at its core. What makes it significant is the fact that author Richard Wright was greatly influenced by this killer trial & news fodder to create his epic novel, ‘Native Son’, which is on my to-read list and I’ll probably read it much sooner now.

Short and Troubling Topic, but Good

A compelling story about a disturbing historical practice and equally disturbing murders. Well written and we'll voiced by the narrator.

Fans of Richard Wright/Native Son must read!

A historically important case, as well as a juicy true crime fix, which I'd never heard of, with very good and important context provided. Admirers of Richard Wright and/or Native Son, may be as grateful as I am for the amazing links...including relevant citations. (NOTE: While very worthwhile and interesting info, it's still a very scanty read. It seems like a poor business ploy to create all these tiny Schecter pieces as separate purchases. They know many admire him and want to read all we can, but, really?)

American Darkside

The performance is phenomenal—Weber is fantastic. The story is dark and deals with race tensions within the proper American framework.

Schechter is a gifted storyteller and he understands how to craft an individual narrative within a broader framework. His handling of the Nixon murder “spree” is amazing—great listen. This is part of a series that I would definitely recommend to fans of American history, social dynamics, psychology and horror.

True crime must!

If you enjoy true crime I highly recommend Harold Schechter. At 1st I didn’t like the narrator voice on this one but got use to it & then it was fine. The story was good, he give multiple side to the same story & is great with the facts to back it.

Brick brain bludgeoning serial rapist

Wow, another captivating true account of a man who slipped into peoples windows, raped, then beat his victims to death with a brick. Horrifying yet enthralling.

Waste of time.

A poor, unfortunate lad. Killed some people but don't let that bother you. And Cook County and the State of Illinois are responsible for him not going to school.

Wow

This has to be my favorite of the set so far. I really want to spend hours researching about this case and learning everything I can possibly learn. I believe there is a book specifically about this case that I'd love to get ahold of and learn more about. I do fully recommend this book. I recommend all six books in this little bundle/series. Whatever you want to call it. My schedule is very busy, but I will gladly make time to research these cases!

loving these stories

Really good story and performance. Interesting little snapshots of history. I recommend picking up all the books in the bloobland collection.

Intriguing Case Study

The Brick Slayer provides us with an in-depth study of a series of home invasions and killings that transpired in Los Angeles and Chicago in the late 1930s. The title comes from the killer, Robert Nixon, using bricks to incapacitate the victims.
As interesting as the crime details might be, the vastly more interesting component of this particular narrative is the focus on the trial and the socioeconomic elements that contributed to the conditions of Robert Nixon's life. It's fascinating to think that Richard Wright's Native Son was largely inspired by the circumstances surrounding Robert Nixon's admittedly reprehensible acts and the reaction of those in law enforcement and the media to such horrific crimes committed by a young African American man. The barely suppressed racism of 1930s America seemed to be on full display throughout the investigation and subsequent trial, but it's the more subtle and insidious racism of American culture that may very well have set Nixon down the path he ultimately found himself traveling.
Schechter's insightful case studies are always profoundly interesting, but this one perhaps more so than many others, simply because of the tangential aspects of the society and culture at large during the years when these things took place.
Steven Weber's narration is superb and well-suited to the Style of Schechter's writing.