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Module 4 Non-fiction: MURDER AMONG FRIENDS - Written by Candace Fleming

Module 4 – Book Review 4 

Review of Candace Fleming’s MURDER AMONG FRIENDS 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Fleming, C. (2014). MURDER AMONG FRIENDS. Anne Schwartz Books. ISBN: 9780593177426 

2. PLOT SUMMARY 

The non-fiction book "Murder Among Friends" written by Candace Fleming, tells the true crime story of two teenage boys who murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924. The book talks about their affluent backgrounds and what motivated them to attempt to commit what they considered to be the "perfect crime." Fleming divides the book into five parts as subheadings which include the following: the investigation, the famous national trial, the relationship between Leopold and Loeb, and the impact their crime had on their families and society. 
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS  

Fleming’s book is reviewed by credible review sources such as Booklist, Kirkus, and Hornbook who all support; she has a solid reputation as a true crime writer. She manages to clearly draw the line between any facts and theories associated with the case. Regarding organization, she provides a logical layout so that the readers can understand first the backgrounds of the offenders, Leopold and Loeb and then the horrific details of first the crime and then the progression of the following trial. The sequence of events is laid out clearly for the reader to understand without confusion. The organization of the book is important with its division of 5 subheadings with groups of chapter divisions. It makes it easy to follow and re-read as necessary. There are lists of primary and secondary sources as well as chapter notes and a comprehensive index. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Booklist starred (February 15, 2022 (Vol. 118, No. 12))  

Acclaimed nonfiction author Fleming (The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, 2020) brings her usual lucid writing and meticulous research to this account of the lives and notorious crimes of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, as well as the groundbreaking legal defense mounted by Clarence Darrow that saved them from execution. Thought-provoking reading sure to spark further conversations about crime and punishment.  

Horn Book Magazine (March/April, 2022)  

Leopold and Loeb had privileged childhoods but ones with elements of neglect and abuse, potential red flags for their troubled relationship, in which Loeb got a partner in crime for his psychopathic tendencies and Leopold got a sexual relationship in exchange for enabling his partner's criminal activity. The horrific crime puzzled the police, but the press, pandering to the public's insatiable appetite for scandal, helped solve the case.  This is, at once, a psychological crime thriller, a suspenseful courtroom drama, and a timely, relevant examination of social issues.  

Kirkus Reviews starred (January 1, 2022)  

A comprehensive recounting of a child murder and the resulting landmark trial. On May 21, 1924, 19-year-old Nathan Leopold and 18-year-old Richard Loeb drove through the streets of Kenwood, an affluent, partially Jewish neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, looking for a random child to kill. In the end, however, Leopold and Loeb are so chilling that readers won’t celebrate their judicial victory. Erudite, readable, and appalling.  

Publishers Weekly starred (January 31, 2022)  

In five distinct sections, this gripping, thriller-paced true crime portrait by Fleming (The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh) centers Nathan Leopold (1904-1971) and Richard Loeb (1905-1936), who in May 1924 as University of Chicago students and on-again, off-again lovers targeted and killed Loeb’s 14-year-old second cousin Bobby Franks, in an attempt to commit the "perfect crime." Black-and-white photographs and newspaper reproductions appear throughout, and an afterword and copious back matter reveal the book’s wealth of research. 

School Library Journal starred (May 1, 2022)  

A true crime story from 1924 Chicago in which two college students plan and carry out a kidnapping and murder as a way of demonstrating their superior intelligence. A chilling page-turner with compelling psychoanalytic aspects not often seen in young adult nonfiction. 

5. CONNECTIONS  

  • Related Books - Other books about the Leopold and Loeb Case and other true crime cases involving young killers 

  • Baatz, Simon. FOR THE THRILL OF IT: LEOPOLD, LOEB, AND THE MURDER THAT SHOCKED CHICAGO. ISBN 978-0060781026 

  • Perry, Douglas. THE GIRLS OF MURDER CITY: FAME, LUST, AND THE BEAUTIFUL KILLERS WHO INSPIRED CHICAGO. ISBN 978-0143119227 

  • Enrichment Activities -    

  • Discussion – There has always been the discussion of nature vs. nurture and the human condition. This is a good opportunity to have students talk about nature versus nurture in crime and discuss whether Leopold and Loeb’s crime was a result of their privileged upbringing, intelligence, or psychological issues. 

  • Mock Trial – Have students take the opportunity to reenact the court case and give each student a role (defense, prosecution, judge, and jury).

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