This true crime novel tells the story of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s. It explores the series of murders that took place seemingly in an attempt to take away the wealth of the Osage people. Grann dives into the government’s involvement and how a young J. Edgar Hoover tried to address the issue. He also illustrates how prejudice toward American Indians allowed the death toll to climb to such a staggering number before the crimes were seriously investigated.

My husband read this book first and recommended it to me. I decided to read it before we watch the movie adaptation, so this was my first read of 2024. I really enjoy Grann’s narrative non-fiction style. However, there are a lot of people in this story so I did struggle a bit to keep track of who everyone was and how they were connected to each other. That said, I thought this was a really interesting read, and, honestly, the story is just so unbelievable and it’s a tragedy that these events actually transpired.