What’s Ashley Reading?: All the Blood We Share

All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce

First line: When we departed the train on that January morning, all I could see was a bleak sky stretching out in every direction.

Summary: Based on the true story of the serial killing family, the Bloody Benders of Kansas. The Bender family has recently moved to the prairie town of Cherryvale where they have opened a small inn for travelers. The town seems to accept the family, especially Kate who uses her skills as a medium to help believers get in touch with their loved ones beyond the veil. However, a few bodies are found along the creek and others have been reported missing. It seems that there may be a band of thieves killing travelers…or is there? How much does the town of Cherryvale know about their newest residents?

My Thoughts: I had heard the name “Bloody Benders” but I really had no idea their crime spree on the prairie. From the beginning I was hooked. This book is a wonderful example of an atmospheric novel. As a Kansan, I’ve traveled over the open expanses of the state and can easily picture what life alone on the prairie must have been like during the time of the Benders. It sets the stage for the dramatic story that unfolds.

The story is told through three different narrators; Hanson, Elvira and Kate. Hanson is the young orphan who lives and works at a neighboring farm who befriends the Bender family. Elvira is the matriarch of the Bender family. She is conflicted about the events on the farm but doesn’t shy away from the rewards of the family’s deeds. And Kate, a self-proclaimed medium who uses her brains and beauty to charm everyone around her. Even though Kate Bender is the dark villainess of the story at times I found it hard to not like her. She was smart, resourceful and charming but with a darkness in her soul.

I really disliked the men of the family. William, the father, believed in Kate’s “visions” and was easily led by the women in his life. John, Kate’s step-brother, is obsessed with her and grows angry when she spends time with any of the men who crossed her path.

As I started reading I had to do a little research about the Benders. I was shocked by the murders but also by the lack of information about the family. Nothing is known about them before arriving in Kansas, it is not even known if these were their real names, but Camilla Bruce does a great job of building a backstory that shows a string of similar activities. And then Bruce gives a possible ending to their story. But since no traces of the Benders were ever found, no one will ever know. Theories abounded at the time about their whereabouts and/or deaths but nothing was ever verified. The author took a story with the barest of details and created a novel that is just as bloody as the real events.

After finishing the novel I went on Newspapers.com and searched for articles about the Bender family in the Wichita papers. It is fascinating to see actual articles about the murders in Cherryvale. It makes the history of it even more real. I wonder if it’s something my ancestors discussed as they read the unfolding story in their local papers.

What’s Ashley Reading?: A Year in Review

This was a busy year for reading! I completed 114 books in 2022 but there were a few standouts that I would highly recommend. Below are my top 10 books I read in 2022!

  1. The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
  2. The House With the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  4. Dawnlands by Philippa Gregory
  5. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
  6. All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce
  7. The Library of the Dead by T. L. Huchu
  8. Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T. L. Huchu
  9. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
  10. Forging Silver Into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

And I know that next year will have some great books for my TBR list. Here are the ones I am most looking forward too!

  1. Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (01/10/2023)
  2. Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare (01/31/2023)
  3. The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson (03/07/2023)
  4. The House of Dudley by Joanne Paul (03/07/2023)
  5. Cleopatra’s Daughter by Jane Draycott (04/18/2023)
  6. Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I by Tracy Borman (05/18/2023)
  7. The Only One Left by Riley Sager (06/20/2023)
  8. The Mystery of Dunegan Castle by T. L. Huchu (08/29/2023)
  9. A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber (09/12/2023)
  10. The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper (11/23/2023)

What were your favorite reads of 2022? And what are you looking forward to the most in 2023? Leave us a comment!

What’s Ashley Reading?: In the Garden of Spite

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

First line: PERSONAL – comely widow who owns a large farm in one of the finest districts in LaPorte County, Indiana, desires to make the acquaintance of a gentleman equally well provided, with view of joining fortunes. No replies by letter considered unless sender is willing to follow answer with personal visit. Triflers need not apply.

Summary: Belle Gunness, a Norwegian immigrant, has learned some hard lessons early on. Upon her arrival in Chicago she married with the hopes of achieving the American dream. But the life she dreamed of did not come true. She was disappointed in her husband, home and lifestyle. She must make her own way in the world by any means necessary. Mysterious deaths, house fires and heated arguments the legend of the Black Widow of LaPorte begins to take hold.

My Thoughts: Before finding this book on Netgalley I had never heard of Belle Gunness. She was a female serial killer. She killed an estimated fourteen people but may be linked to many more. I was really intrigued by the premise, the story and the character of Belle. It was very disturbing to be inside her head. She rationalized everything she did. But even a book about a serial killer I found much of it to be drawn out. There was long periods of time passing and very little happening. I think that much of this could have been taken out and the story would have felt more thrilling.

After finishing I visited www.newpapers.com via the library’s learning databases. I wanted to see what the newspapers of the time were reporting about this woman. Many had the same headline or story. Then there was a resurgence of sightings and murders that some believed were connected to her. There is still lots of mystery around this century old murderer. It’s crazy how reality can be even stranger than fiction.

FYI: Very gruesome at parts.