Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for American Demon:
Eliot Ness should have stayed in Chicago.
Quick synopsis:
The story of Eliot Ness and the Cleveland Torso Murderer.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
Allow me to share this actual slogan for a Cleveland amusement park: “Nothing to depress or demoralize.” Sounds like fun to me!
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
Eliot Ness was so awkward as a kid he was called Elegant Mess. Kids are cruel. And sometimes hilarious.
My Take on American Demon:
It is not often I get to use this adjective for a true crime book but here we go. This book is a hell of a lot of fun.
Centering on the life of Eliot Ness (post-Chicago heroics), American Demon is a true crime book and biography. I knew nothing of Eliot Ness beyond what I saw on The Untouchables, but Stashower gave me a lot to mull over. Ness is often held up as a hero or a fraud and Stashower shows both sides of his character as he unravels the mystery of Cleveland’s Torso Murderer while Eliot Ness was the city’s director of public safety.
The book is fun because it is about Eliot Ness and the chase for the murderer. There is a fair amount of politics but not so much that the story lags. If someone is looking for a deep dive into the murders and deep forensic insight, they will not find that here. Stashower is telling a different story and the murders are a vital aspect of it, but not the main point. It also helps that Stashower’s prose is so easy to read that you never feel like any part of the book is a bore. I highly recommend it.
Verdict:
A great historic true crime book. Read it. Buy it here!
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