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Little Slaughterhouse on the Prairie

Bloodlands collection

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Little Slaughterhouse on the Prairie

Written by: Harold Schechter
Narrated by: Steven Weber
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About this listen

At a remote little inn not far from the Kansas homestead of Laura Ingalls Wilder lived the Bender family. These pioneers welcomed unwary visitors with jackrabbit stew and a sledgehammer to the skull.

In time, their apple orchard gave up its secrets - a burial ground for their mutilated victims, each stripped of their possessions. The devilish enterprise on “Hell’s Half-Acre” would earn the Bloody Benders an undying place in the annals of American infamy. But it was the mysterious fate of eldest daughter, Kate, that would make them the stuff of mythic campfire prairie tales.

Little Slaughterhouse on the Prairie 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. Americas Essays Murder True Crime United States Crime Fiction Nonfiction Great Plains Serial Killers True Crime
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I could easily picture myself sitting in a lawnchair, cradling a cup of hot chocolate and listening to someone with a flashlight under their chin while listening to this short little narrative.
Harold Schechter is an unapologetic sensationalist. His True Crime exposés aren't exhaustively researched, puntiliously documentary, or particularly insightful. Do not download this tale looking for edification regarding the infamous Bender family in 1880s LaBête Kansas. What you will get instead is a brilliantly entertaining bare-bones description of the shocking/macabre/chilling murders that immediately brings to mind the bizarre cannibalistic family in 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

Steven Weber's outstanding narration contributes to the feeling of an Almost-Ghost-Story. His diction, timbre, cadence, and reading rate are exemplary - but Weber's serious & emotive tone fits the horrifying text *perfectly*. Well done, Brilliance Audio.

Do not hesitate to download this 9/10 star recording if you're looking for what amounts to a short True Crime anecdote. I got it for free (as part of the 'Plus' catalogue) - and it's too short to merit a Credit - but I would pay money for it.

An Enjoyable 'Campfire'-styled Chronicle

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Nice little true crime story for real true crime fans. Definitely mysterious and will have you guessing as to where this family disappeared to.

Nice

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A great alternative to a podcast. Good true crime story and well narrated. Worth a listen.

Short & Sweet

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it's a quick story that may ruin your childhood memories lol 😆 I enjoyed it though.

good quick listen!

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