'The Road out of Hell'

I started hearing about a new historical true crime title by Anthony Flacco months before it was even published. Early readers told me this was an extraordinary story, nicely rendered.  

The book is The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders [Amazon; B&N], to be released Nov. 3, though the glowing reviews are already accumulating on the author's website. This is an account of the case of a California serial killer recently brought back from obscurity by the Angelina Jolie movie The Changeling.

This account focuses on the murder farm's one surviving victim. From the press release:

From 1926 to 1928, Gordon Stewart Northcott committed at least 20 murders on a chicken ranch outside of Los Angeles. His nephew, Sanford Clark, was held captive there from the age of 13 to 15, and was the sole surviving victim of the killing spree. Here, acclaimed crime writer Anthony Flacco—using never-before-heard information from Sanford’s son Jerry Clark—tells the real story behind the case that riveted the nation.

For a peek back at how the story played out at the time, I found coverage of the case on NewspaperArchive:

Comments

[Laura Cross]

Thanks for this post Laura and the newspaper archive. I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this book after being introduced to the case via the Angelina Jolie/Clint Eastwood film, "The Changeling".

[Joan]

This book is absolutely fantastic. It is raw and real, but reads like fiction. So good.

[laura]

I keep hearing that!

[Fiz]

I've just finished the book and reviewed it for amazon.co.uk since it didn't have a review for it. I thought it was superb.

[laura]

After all these notes about this book, I'm to get a review copy; you've got me looking forward to reading it!

[william rappsilber]

HAVING READ A FEW CHAPTERS OF THIS BOOK, I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUSLY FICTIONAL INTENT IN PORTRAYING A FACTUALLY DISTURBED INDIVIDUAL AND HIS FAMILY I.E. THE NORTHCUTTS. ONLY SANFORD CLARK WOULD KNOW THE HORRIBLE TRUTH, AND I FOUND THIS PORTRAYAL FATUOUS AND ALMOST SELF-SERVING. I HAD HOPED FOR A MORE FACTUAL ACCOUNT ANDD FELT THAT LITTLE WAS ACHIEVED. I COMPARE THE BOOK WITH THE RE-TOUCHED PHOTOS OF THE ERA; SENSATIONAL AND GLAMOURIZED.

[ugg outlet]

His own mornings are new surprises to God.O(∩_∩)O~