Cold Heart: The Great Unsolved Mystery of Turn of the Century Buffalo

I bought this book yesterday and finished reading it a few moments ago. What a page turner! Despite the title clearly stating that it is an unsolved murder, I nonetheless found my self hoping against hope that it’d be solved. The story is well researched and well crafted, and the characters richly painted. If anything, the author was perhaps too good at telling without judging. Alice Burdick and Arthur Pennell were probably sociopaths. Certainly, Pennell was in a trade that was full of ‘em. I also wish the author had incorporated more passages from the newspapers. It would have given the reader a better sense of the breathlessness of the yellow journalism coverage of the time. But then I suppose we have CNN covering the Malaysian jet to aid our imagination. Anyway, I highly recommend this book. Five out of five.

PS: It saddens me that so many people evidently abused the Amazon’s return policy that the Kindle version is now under review. Without the added inconvenience of packing and shipping, too many return the e-books they finished reading with little thought of the authors. Cmon people. It’s the cost of a sugary drink at Starbucks. Now that we’re all Covid up at home, surely you can spend $5 on something you already consumed.

This is the worst book I have read. I don't know how this even got published. The writer did not sight resources except for newspaper articles which she herself stated in her writing of this book were hyped up, distorted. She never noted any other research materials she used in writing this book. She writes dialogues between people but never adds footnotes or proves these statements(dialogues) were really stated. I have read other historical books and these good writers explain all the resources used and explain if there are exclusions regarding information due to limited research information. This author did none of this. She repeatedly had the same pictures posted of the people involved and it just appeared to be fillers do to lack of information. If you have this book, I recommend you just read the trial chapter and her opinion of the information which explains the entire book. Skip the rest. I will never recommend any of her books.

My brain loved this book. I'm originally from Buffalo so it was fun to see the 1901 newspaper headlines and familiar scenes in the photos. I loved the book because the murder was so peculiar and there were many potential suspects. I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure out the murderer and have my suspicion who it was. There was also a shocking twist I won't spoil. I enjoyed how the author laid out her theory of who committed the crime as a afterword. Such an engaging read! This will be enjoyable for the smart true crime reader. I pre-ordered this book directly from the publisher website so I got to read it a week before its official release.

Interesting book, I know a little about the area it occurred in, found it entertaining.

Could not put it down. Well written and thought out. Look forward to more books from Kimberly.

Very interesting book, but the pages keep falling out. It's a publishing issue and nothing to do with what the author wrote.

Interesting book. Quick read. No solution to the murder but still worth reading.

I loved this book. As a Buffalonian, it was super fun to see familiar streets and landmarks in the book. I actually lived for a time on the street where the main events took place. However, I think it would be just as enjoyable for someone not familiar with the city. It's a quick read - terrific beach read.

Interesting story, leaving reader to solve

This is one of the most interesting to chrome books I’ve come across the very, very long time. I was actually reading another book and I stopped when I saw this one and ordered it, and the other true crime book I have gotten into two chapters, and this book I read completely in two days it was that interesting the Authorized incredible storyteller, and the book is an incredibly read. Take my word for it you’ll be really really interesting if you’d like true crime this is a book for you