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Reviews
Murder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb Tried to Commit the Perfect Crime by Candace Fleming
trin's review against another edition
3.0
A solid telling of the story of Leopold & Loeb -- a case I realized I'd very much melded in my mind with the fictionalized version in Rope, so it was good to get the facts straightened out. In reality, the pair's attempt at a "perfect murder" is even more gross, pathetic, and juvenile than in Hitchcock's film. I have appreciated recent reexaminations of killers like Ted Bundy, for example, that have torn apart the myth of their "perverse genius" -- Bundy was an idiot who just got lucky for far too long because of police incompetence. Similarly, Leopold & Loeb's murder was about as "imperfect" (taking "perfect" to mean "clever") as it can be. They, fortunately, were swiftly caught.
None of this is really Fleming's thesis, however; I'm not sure she has one: she's basically doing a workmanlike recounting of the facts, which is fine. A few authorial tics did bug me: most significantly, her use of the epithet "the teenager(s)" to describe Leopold and/or Loeb. This occurs so often it started to make me grind my teeth. She also leans a bit heavily into the idea that both boys were warped by their evil governesses in a way that starts to feel tropey. Also she reasserts the analysis from the time that Loeb was a psychopath -- a diagnosis of questionable use, in my opinion, and especially coming from psychiatrists who also thought that Leopold's homosexuality was a mental illness or a moral perversion. This book is definitely more of a retelling than a reexamination.
But it's still solid, and I'm glad to have the true story decoupled in my mind from Hitchcock's more glamorous version. (Although P.S.: also rewatched Rope; it doesn't hold up all that well.)
None of this is really Fleming's thesis, however; I'm not sure she has one: she's basically doing a workmanlike recounting of the facts, which is fine. A few authorial tics did bug me: most significantly, her use of the epithet "the teenager(s)" to describe Leopold and/or Loeb. This occurs so often it started to make me grind my teeth. She also leans a bit heavily into the idea that both boys were warped by their evil governesses in a way that starts to feel tropey. Also she reasserts the analysis from the time that Loeb was a psychopath -- a diagnosis of questionable use, in my opinion, and especially coming from psychiatrists who also thought that Leopold's homosexuality was a mental illness or a moral perversion. This book is definitely more of a retelling than a reexamination.
But it's still solid, and I'm glad to have the true story decoupled in my mind from Hitchcock's more glamorous version. (Although P.S.: also rewatched Rope; it doesn't hold up all that well.)
breakfastgrey's review against another edition
4.0
This is not my type of book. I don’t get into True Crime stuff. It is, however, by Candace Fleming and she was able to fully immerse me in this page turner. The only thing preventing it from a full 5 stars is how put off I am by the subject matter. I hate these two guys and am not fascinated by them the way that the world has been for the past century. Still, the story was told in an engrossing manner even if I can’t stand the people it was about.
mmotleyu's review against another edition
4.0
I learned about these criminals at some point in my life, but I didn't remember too much other than Clarence Darrow had taken their case. Candace Fleming has mastered combining solid, deep research with an easy-to-follow narrative nonfiction style that is appealing for her middle grade and YA, and, yes, even adult audience. Having just finished a slog of an adult nonfiction read, The Splendid and the Vile, I appreciated the brevity without losing the facts. I had mixed feelings as I listened to this story because the callousness of Leopold and Loeb to the murder they committed even up to the point of receiving life in prison countered with Darrow's strategy of mental state and age being mitigating factors in their sentencing was hard to reconcile. But maybe that's the point of his defense-- they were too young, their brains not yet fully formed to warrant the death penalty. With today's renewed interest in true crime, I can definitely see a new audience for this story and will recommend it to my students.
debandleo's review against another edition
4.0
I “enjoyed” the book and learned so much. It would be interesting to read another account of the story. Maybe Compulsion.
blep's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
2.0
Chat can we stop glorifying murderers?
I truly find the morals this book is trying to impart on its audience to be dangerous. A reminder to everyone out there that just because someone had achildhood filled with abuse or neglect doesn't mean that they are at all sympathetic when they decide to kill someone, especially someone they know had no chance . I hate how the author tried to portray these real life murderers as intelligent, charming but twisted men. No. They got caught not even a month after the fucking murder and confessed straight away. Don't read this if nonfiction where the author is obviously trying to cash grab bothers you. Also, hire a fucking editor. I did not need to know a good portion of this. Instead of 290 pages it genuinely could've been hacked down to 160. I do not recommend
I truly find the morals this book is trying to impart on its audience to be dangerous. A reminder to everyone out there that just because someone had a
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Homophobia, Child abuse, and Mental illness
annalisenak97's review against another edition
3.0
So this is the murder that the crime in Hollow Fires (another MA Teen Choice Award read) was based on, so that's cool. This neutral, detached, journalistic account explores the heinous crimes of two teens. It's truly horrifying that they just did this as an experiment. The narrative is interesting enough (although the court scenes lost me). I do wish that the author had taken more of a hard stance-- I certainly did.
lady_kristan's review against another edition
3.0
Technically a 3.5 - a good true-crime book for teens, but not my favorite.
mattyb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Stalking
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent