Read More: Thunderstruck

I am a sucker for Eric Larson books. On the one hand, they are true crime stories. So you get the voyeuristic pleasure you get from, say, an Ann Rule book. On the other hand, they are full of history you probably didn't know, so you finish a book feeling satisfied that you have bettered yourself. Which means that you don't have to feel so guilty about reading a true crime book! Yes, Eric Larson, I love you.

Thunderstruck follows "the crime of the century." That is, it was one of the biggest crimes of the 20th century when the 20th century was only a few years old. The elements of a great story are all there: a kind-hearted, soft spoken doctor; his brazen and slatternly show-business wife; a great inventor; a Scotland Yard detective who cut his teeth on the Jack the Ripper case. Good stuff! As usual, I learned a lot about a period of history that I don't know much about. For you Downton Abbey fans, this book will be right up your alley, period-wise! And the crime Larson writes about is compelling, as always. I really think that if they taught history classes by having kids read books like this, nobody would think history was boring. Out with the textbooks, and in with the Larson books!

The hard thing about this book is that you end it feeling very sympathetic toward the villain. The poor killer was so put upon that you don't feel very bad about what happened. And the killer came so close to escaping justice and living out his or her days happily! It's always sad when you don't get to finish a book with a happy ending, especially when you know the story is true. Perhaps I should write an alternate ending.

-Kristin