Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest
In this true story--a haunting saga of medical murder set in an era of steamships and gaslights--Gregg Olsen reveals one of the most unusual and disturbing criminal cases in American history. In 1911 two wealthy British heiresses, Claire and Dora Williamson, arrived at a sanitorium in the forests of the Pacific Northwest to undergo the revolutionary "fasting treatment" of Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard. It was supposed to be a holiday for the two sisters, but within a month of arriving at what the locals called Starvation Heights, the women underwent brutal treatments and were emaciated shadows of their former selves. Claire and Dora were not the first victims of Linda Hazzard, a quack doctor of extraordinary evil and greed. But as their jewelry disappeared and forged bank drafts began transferring their wealth to Hazzard's accounts, the sisters came to learn that Hazzard would stop at nothing short of murder to achieve her ambitions.
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Community Reviews
My stomach is still in knots after finishing this incredibly detailed true crime audiobook. That must say something about the quality of the research and writing - as well as the narration.
If You Tell by Gregg Olsen has been on my TBR for a long time but this is my first read of his work. It was also my first exposure to this case, which is truly horrific.
Starvation Heights spends most of its focus on the Williamson sisters but we get a huge amount of background information on pretty much everyone who was involved in the case. I'm not going to lie, there were a few times when I thought the book was too long - it's about a 15 hour listen - but most of the time, I was glad for the deep dive. Mostly I was enraged and disgusted that Hazzard got away with murder repeatedly. Even if she spent time in prison, it wasn't enough. She, and her staunchest followers, should have been put away forever.
Fans of true crime will very likely enjoy Starvation Heights. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio ARC.
If You Tell by Gregg Olsen has been on my TBR for a long time but this is my first read of his work. It was also my first exposure to this case, which is truly horrific.
Starvation Heights spends most of its focus on the Williamson sisters but we get a huge amount of background information on pretty much everyone who was involved in the case. I'm not going to lie, there were a few times when I thought the book was too long - it's about a 15 hour listen - but most of the time, I was glad for the deep dive. Mostly I was enraged and disgusted that Hazzard got away with murder repeatedly. Even if she spent time in prison, it wasn't enough. She, and her staunchest followers, should have been put away forever.
Fans of true crime will very likely enjoy Starvation Heights. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio ARC.
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