This book should be pride and place for any who enjoy crime stories based on true events. This story tells the riveting story of a woman carrying out her deadly vendetta on men, whilst her loving sister can’t help but watch on in horror.

Such a shocking tale, and worryingly so based on a true story! The original Black Widow if you will.

Highly recommend for lovers of true crime and gruesome reads.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for sending me an eARC!!

Little Brynhilde is born to poor tenant farmers in rural Norway in nineteenth century. Never an easy child she is routinely beaten by her father. When she falls for the rich farmers son and falls pregnant by him she thinks he will do the decent thing but her beats her almost to death and she has a miscarriage. She gets through this and manages to scrape together the fare to travel to America where she reinvents herself as Bella and vows to marry well and become rich. - and how. Based on the historical Belle Gunness this is a dark tale which will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Enjoyable reimagining of the black widow story.

Based on a true story which makes the story even more shocking.

The way Bella feels is relatable and understandable given the times.

Warning! This is a truly gruesome read. Based on a real life serial killer in America in the late 19th/early 20th century, Camilla Bruce brings her very real descriptive powers into play to produce a novel that is both engrossing and gross!
The novel spans the years 1860 to 1908 during which time a Norwegian woman's life spirals ever downwards and ends up with her committing acts of unimaginable viciousness. The horrors she experienced in her first 20 years of life in a small township in Norway, allied to schizophrenic tendencies, meant that, by the time she emigrated to Chicago in 1881, she was clearly a very damaged person. Determined to find wealth and security she pursued men solely for their money and the sex. Strangely she also sought to bring up children - adopted in her case - as she was unable to be a natural mother. Both these goals she succeeded in attaining but she was unable to control her demons. Murder and mayhem dominated her life - especially in the early years of the 20th century - and culminated with a dreadful family tragedy that forced her to flee into hiding. Never brought to trial, she just vanished into the vastness of America leaving behind an evil history about which it is still grimly chilling to read even a century later.
Deep research, a lively imagination and excellent writing fully justifies 4 stars.

This book is a blend of fact and fiction and is the story of serial killer Bella (Belle) Gunness who was born Brynhilder Paulsdotter Størset in Norway and was active in Illinois and Indiana. After a traumatic event and cruel treatment by landowner Anders, she exacts revenge and leaves Norway to join her sister Nellie in Chicago. From then on, she changes her name to Bella and becomes a very different person to the one who grew up in the land of her birth. The story is told in alternating perspectives by Belle and Nellie.

This is a well written novel, in places it’s vivid, the style is appropriate to the historical time period and it strikes the right tone. I like the two contrasting points of view as lovely Nellie gives us insights into Bella’s personality and Bella gives her own warped view of the world. Bella has big ambitions and shows her unpleasant side straight away by scoffing at Nellie and her lifestyle. The author shows how her rage against men builds (with some justification) and her calculating mind develops and she marries for what she can gain. This is a compelling insight and interesting exploration into the mind of a multiple murderer. Her thoughts are vicious, she always wants more and is never satisfied as is shown by the excess of food! Meeting James Lee is a turning point as two like minds feed off each other. It’s chilling how cold she is, how calculating and scheming and utterly without morality. I wonder as I read if she always had the capacity in her for evil or if she becomes this way through Anders horrific treatment of her, we will never know and can only speculate. However, her transformation to the angel of death accelerates following her move to La Porte when the killing becomes almost business like, it’s macabre and mind numbing especially as it seems to make her feel alive. She is beyond cold blooded, it is as if she has no heart at all in her callous wickedness and there are few things she will not stoop to.

My reservations lie in the length of the book as you become numbed by her actions and at times the pace is a bit slow. Perhaps less about the food would help!

Overall, this is a compelling read for the insights it gives into Hells Belle aka the Black Widow and her crime spree. The notes at the end are worth reading too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. A superbly written tale of a woman's ultimate revenge, totally gripping, would definitely recommend

If you enjoy books based on true stories and real life people then add Triflers Need Not Apply to your to read list. It's an interesting and riveting account of a female serial killer and her sister who watches on in horror as her sister continues her vendetta against men.

What a fascinating story . Id never heard of this woman and the fact she was Norwegian but killed in the USA was unusual! So many interesting facets to the story. Nothing is stranger than fiction eh? Except much of this actually happened. What a story. Honestly. Read it but not at night - and not whilst eating.

I was intrigued by the book description and was looking for something a little different to the books I have being reading recently. I found the book a little slow at first and struggled to get into it but persevered and it did get a lot better. By the time I was two thirds into the book I didn't want it to finish.
Based on a true story the novel tells of Bella Sorensen killing spree as she thrives to live a comfortable life after starting life as a Norwegian immigrant. In a determination to live life to the full she doesn't let anything or anyone stand in her way.
Fascinating read with some very interesting characters.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book! I'd never heard of Belle Gunness and so the story unfolded as a surprise. The author's fabrications around what's known produced a complex and startlingly believeable character, as well as a glimpse into what life was like at the time. It was a long book but I wish it was longer! I'll be looking for the author's previous and future work now.

I wasn't initially sure about this book until I learned it was murderous fiction built around a very real mass murderer. Then it became a truly gripping story blending historical facts with the authors imagination. Not always easy to read but true horrific crime never is.