The Saga of the Bloody Benders : : the Infamous Homicidal Family of Labette County, Kansas

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In graphic novel format, tells the story of a family of serial killers who owned a small general store and inn in Labette County, Kansas, from 1872 to 1873.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

good book submitted by Ele Z. on August 1, 2011, 7:38pm good

Excellent Storytelling submitted by Sara W on August 24, 2015, 12:06pm Rick Geary's Treasury of Victorian Murder is an absolute treasure. Famous, infamous, well-known, and little known crimes are explored and recounted in Geary's exacting and expressive line drawings. He is a meticulous storyteller, outlining curious clues, potential leads pursued by police, the varied eyewitness accounts, the perception of the public, the quality of the lawyers, etc in each of these stories.

In the Bloody Benders, he is telling the story of a family of four who ran a general store/hotel along the trail heading Out West through Kansas. Many of the people traveling that way were mysteriously never heard from again, and although that was not an impossible outcome for solitary travelers braving the frontier, eventually enough events connected to cast suspicion on the peculiar family.

Geary is a master of conveying emotion and expression in just a few lines. He is also a wonderful storyteller, creating narrative and connecting the dots, while drawing attention to unusual details and tying up loose ends. When ends can't be tied up neatly, as in the case of the Benders, he expertly compiles the existing evidence and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. His research is extensive and he includes bibliographies, which is valuable especially because each story he writes leaves you wishing you knew more.