‘Killers of the Flower Moon’: From bestseller to Oscar nominee

Bookworms will be happy to hear that the Oscar-nominated film Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese, is actually based on a book of the same name. In it, award-winning author David Grann cleverly unpacks the complex investigation around the mass killing of the Osage Indians in 1920’s America.

Based on years of research and startling new evidence, this masterpiece of narrative non-fiction details an investigation full of sinister secrets and twists. Killers of the Flower Moon is an utterly compelling and emotionally devastating story of greed, betrayal and injustice that still resonates today.

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NARRATIVE MEETS NON-FICTION IN ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’

When it comes to non-fiction, especially historical non-fiction, reading can be tedious at times. Sometimes readers feel the urge to skip ahead a few pages if the author is taking too long to “set the scene”. But critically acclaimed author David Grann almost tricks the reader with his writing style and before you know it, you have read through 60 pages of witness statements, quotes, and reporting without a second thought.

His writing style keeps you engaged and will have you flying through the book in no time. He perfectly blends history with the narrative flow of a fiction novel.

A welcome surprise in Killers of the Flower Moon was an inside look into the inner workings of the early days of the FBI and their criminal investigation. Fans of older mysteries solved without computers and CCTV, will love this book as it dives into the world of cowboy justice, Texas Rangers and more.

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‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’ SYNOPSIS

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 were murdered. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And this was just the beginning. 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. Together with the Osage, White began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Grann is the author of #1 New York Times bestsellers Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z.

He is also the author of The White Darkness and the collection The Devil and Sherlock Holmes. Grann’s storytelling has garnered several honors, including a George Polk Award and an Edgar Allen Poe Award. He lives with his wife and children in New York.

Killers of the Flower Moon is published by Simon and Schuster and is available for purchase from Exclusive Books stores for R260.