I'm sorry - my fault for requesting a read I couldn't complete as I found it too explicit and sickening. I know! It's a true life book about a serial killer, what did I expect? That's why this is totally on me and not the author, I therefore won't be sharing this review.
Ps - it's also extremely long and drawn out which is why, despite trying, I just couldn't finish it.

For those who love a true life story and can stomach much gore, this is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview and apologise for my mistake in requesting.

I enjoyed this account of the strange life and activities of Bella Sorensen from her early experiences in Norway throught to the culmination of her gruesome murderous spree as a married woman. The quality of the writing was excellent - almost luminous at times - and the narrative voices of Bella and her sister utterly compelling. But as other readers have said the typesetting of the Kindle edition made for a difficult read.It was testimony to the book's appeal that I actually persevered. Also, and maybe this is me, but I thought the slightly jocular title and blurb was at odds with the book's tone which was moving and sombre at times.
But a great read. Thank you to the publishers adn to Netgalley for an opportunity to read and review.

At a time when internet dating comes with inherent risk for both parties, unknown to each other, it’s interesting to look back at the 19th century precursor to this phenomenon. I only learned of the real life person, Bella Gunness, in very recent years. A psychopathic serial killer of the first order and a female; a very exceptional combination.

Camilla Bruce takes the basic facts of this extraordinary story and turns it into a largely compelling work of fiction. The narrative point switches between Belle and her sister and I found the sister’s view almost more intriguing than that of Belle. This isn’t a story for the faint hearted as there are some detailed descriptions of murder. It’s an interesting fictional account which appears to be meticulously researched. I found it a little slow in part, but still a compelling and interpretative take on real events. A mix of crime thriller and historical fiction which should appeal to readers of both genres.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Belle has had a horrible experience in her home in Norway and goes to stay with her sister in America. It is there that she sets about trying to climb the social ladder by marrying a man who is rich. Unfortunately, the events which happened in Norway have changed Bella forever and she soon sets about her 'enterprise ' in murdering and butchering. Occasionally you see glimpses of what she could have if only she was content with what she had and not thinking about her next murder!!!

Many thanks to Net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Based on the life of Belle Gunness, a notorious murderess, "Triflers Need Not Apply" is a roller coaster ride looking at one woman's determination to pay men back.

After suffering traumatic events that her poor social standing could not protect her from, Belle flees her home country of Norway and heads to America, with grand ideas of finding a rich husband and climbing the social ladder. But this quickly proves to not be enough for her.

This mix of fact and fiction draws the reader into the mind of a dark, vicious and clever woman who will do anything for the life she craves. And no one is safe. Already being aware of her crimes, I really enjoyed following the story of this malicious and sinister woman. The murders soon became more gruesome and gory as the body count increased, and it was clear Belle enjoyed it. Whilst creative freedoms have been used to tell the story, it is still obviously well researched and superbly written. A great read for historical fiction and crime fans alike.

Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read an arc copy of this book.

As a big fan of historical fiction set in the Victorian era, I was immediately drawn to Triflers Need Not Apply. Based on the true story of Brynhild/Belle/Bella, it is an interesting novel for fans of The Corset by Laura Purcell or Michel Faber‘s The Crimson Petal and the White.

Triflers Need Not Apply started really well and I was captivated by Bella – was she always badly-tempered, was she the way she was because she went through many hardships and was hurt by men? Or was she simply born to become a serial killer…? I enjoyed Bella’s interactions with her sister Nellie and seeing the story from Nellie’s POV in alternating chapters. I lost interest halfway through, however, and the story, although it had a great potential and an excellent main character, felt flat. Overall I found the novel too slow-paced for my liking. Unfortunately the poor formatting of the electronic ARC provided by NetGalley kept making me more distracted and unable to fully enjoyed the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for this advanced copy.

Triflers Need not apply by Camilla Bruce five-star read that may knock your head off. I had heard of Bella and her wicked, wicked ways but I didn’t realise the detail and full history, or to be honest the gruesomeness either. But what this story shows us is that maybe she wasn’t always this way, sometimes people can only take so much before they break and take back what is theirs.

I was drawn to this book by the fact it is based on a true story, unusually about a woman serial killer. I was intrigued from the start; the characters felt real and the story compelling. I was also interested in Belle’s motives and how she set up the murders to profit from them.

As the book went on, however, I found the macabre details a bit much at times (my taste, not a fault of the writer as the book’s description clearly stated the subject matter). The story kept me reading but i found it a bit gruelling at times.

NB NetGalley, I downloaded the Kindle version which was peppered with random numbers which made it a very clunky read. Others have commented on this so I suggest you take a look to see if the problem can be resolved. It did impact on my enjoyment of the book but I have not taken this into account when writing my review.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for proving me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for this gifted e-ARC of Triflers Need Not Apply by Camilla Bruce in exchange for an honest review.

Little Brynhild experiences a trauma which taints her perception of men. Through her physical and emotional recovery she writes a letter to her sister, who lives in America, requesting money to join her. Now called Belle, she embarks on a mission free of poverty and free from patriarchal restraints, striving to fulfil independence and a maternal need which was abhorrently taken away. In the process of securing a better life in America, her scarred youth of abuse, grief, and violence leads to the creation of Belle Gunness – history’s original female serial killer.

Bruce reimagines the life of Belle Gunness, which I previously had no knowledge of. Immediately after finishing this book I had to research more details into the life of Gunness after the eery discovery of the book being based on true events. This creates a disturbed and unsettling feeling to read an intimate account. The description was graphic, dark and spared no details to achieve the horrific events in prose. Within the first two chapters Bruce captivates the reader into Little Brynhild’s life, forcing the upcoming revelations to become more shocking. The changing nature of the character is introduced to the reader after her violent encounter with Anders. Her emotions stir and Bruce develops the character at a steady pace to allow for a constant supply of twists and turns.

I found myself really enjoying the beginning of the book, losing some interest in the middle, but regained towards the end. There was a lot of description in a ‘tell me’ manner, where the author could have benefited from a more ‘show me’ approach. Admittedly, I skim read a lot of these chapters to get to a more pressing matter in the plot. The narrative changed between Belle and her sister Nellie. The majority of Nellie’s chapters could have been reworked or removed to achieve a more concise plot. As Belle’s life starts to rouse suspicion, Nellie’s kind nature refuses to believe the worse. I think I would have liked to have read some more about their parents in Norway since Belle’s departure.

The life of Belle is scheming, devious, and psychologically thrilling to read. Being based on a true story highlights the meticulous detail the author has undergone to create a fascinating fictionalised account. The writing style is simple yet matches the contextual tone through description and dialogue in various settings. It is interesting to see the increase in Belle’s killings, and how her ruthless behaviour and attitude coincides with this, damaging her relationships and marriages. The character is wicked to achieve her desires and revenge to men. There were occasions where I had to stop reading to absorb all the chilling details Bruce writes. I was in disbelief to remember that Belle Gunness was a real serial killer.

Overall, this was a shocking, unpredictable read with gruesome crimes and exploration into the disturbing life of Belle Gunness. If you are a fan of thrilling true crime then this book may be for you.

This review will be posted on 30/07/21 on my blog www.fortheliterature.wordpress.com.

Gore!! What a novel, so chilling, scary and almost unbelievable, true Nordic Noir! That’s what I thought until the end, when it was revealed, this is based upon a real person who committed such horrific crimes!!
Brynhild is unmarried and pregnant. Anders is not willing to be the father. He settles matters cruelly, and Brynhild spends months being nursed back to health. Her father is uninterested in her and is handy with his fists, her mother is cowed by him, and her brothers have left home.
Her sister lives in Chicago, with her husband John and young son, Rudolph, and Brynhild asks if she can go and live with them. Marit, now known as Nellie, agrees, she could do with an extra pair of hands around the apartment. Before Brynhild goes to Chicago, she takes a terrible revenge upon Anders and his parents, and then changes her name to Bella.
This is the bare bones( pardon the pun) of a gruesome story that deals with a psychopath, who seems intent upon dishing out retribution to men. Bella seems to enjoy having power over life and death, there is certainly a ‘ cutting edge’ to this story, but there is also a fascination about money and wealth.
Was Bella unhappy with men because her chance to be a mother was denied her? Did her earlier trauma affect her personality, or was she just mad, bad and dangerous to know? Revenge is a dish best served cold, Bella seemed very hot blooded, cunning, deceitful and greedy, and employed blackmail, extortion and Arson to great effect in this rather enjoyable romp through Chicago in the 1900’s. Her sister, Nellie, seemed too scared to put a stop to these atrocities, and she hoped by saying nothing, it would all go away.
There was a rather revealing paragraph that rang true, once you have known hunger and poverty, the desire to have food in the house, even if you don’t eat it, is real and a habit very hard to break.
No one person stood out in this novel, the men seemed rather weak willed, and unable to be firm with Bella. They were ruled by the love of money, status and the desire to rule and control a woman. Bella always insisted upon insurance for all her endeavours, her many houses, and husbands, her shop, her farm and the children she fostered. That was ultimately her downfall.
The plot was intriguing, and flowed, just like the blood did. I was absolutely gobsmacked to learn it is a fictional account of real murders, and it has taken me several days to absorb, and re-evaluate my review. I loved the blood soaked details, and butchery is an unusual hobby!
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will leave a review to Goodreads, and Amazon page upon publication. I will recommend this to my online book clubs. I will have to look this person up on line, I am intrigued .
A five star read.

A great crime story based on the life and times of one of history’s original female serial
Killers. I’m not usually one for real life crime stories, but this one intrigued me. I’m so glad I read it. The story gives you a good insight into Belle Sorenson/Gunness’s life and her killing spread during the 1900s

If you like psychological thrillers read this book.
A very poor Norwegian girl is raped and becomes pregnant. The farmers son who is the culprit kicks and beats her so hard she loses the baby.
A revenge sets into her that proves irresistible to her once she makes it to America. With the help of James, a fellow psychopath, she works her way through a number of men.
Her children being her only consultation.
I really enjoyed it.

There is a definite theme at the moment for books around female rage and revenge. I've read quite a few recently and Triflers Need Not Apply is a historical fiction / true crime blend that proves it is an age old story really, as it is an imagining of one of the first real-life noted female serial killers - Belle Sorensen/Gunness.

She was in action - so to speak - around 1900 in Chicago, although she was Norwegian originally. The story is based on what it's thought she really did, which makes it all the more intriguing for me. I love the real life elements in historical fiction as a rule so this was great.

What she did was kill for the insurance money and seemingly because she enjoyed it...

The narrative style was developed and detailed and while I didn't feel the chapters by Belle's sister Nellie added to the narrative so much, I really enjoyed the story and Belle's wicked ways.

Based on the history of a real individual, but is an imaginative novel, not a factual account

I was a little disappointed in this one, which is partly my own fault, as I assumed this was reportage, a factual research and recounting, similar to Kate Summerskill’s approach.

Instead, this takes the known facts about a female serial killer Belle Gunness, and imaginatively weaves a story and potential psychological background around her.

I should have picked up on the fact that the publisher listing has this as General Fiction/Mystery and Thrillers/True Crime. I had honed in on the last category, and overlooked the others

Research appears well done, and accurately woven within the story, and Bruce fleshes all this out with extremely interesting, theoretically plausible reasoning, why this Norwegian born woman, Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset, born in 1859, might have emigrated to America, in 1881, then marrying twice, once to Mads Sorensen, and then, after his rather suspicious death, married Peter Gunness, who also died in suspicious circumstances. Not to spoil any reader’s journey with this, but as the book is ‘based on’ anyone who cares to examine the known facts can do so via Wiki.

It's certainly quite a remarkable story, those known facts, and its easy to understand what might have attracted Bruce to the subject.

Her psychological imaginings feel credible, and so does the writing itself.

Where I dropped a star is with the completely fictional character who enters the story and, in a sense, becomes a co-conspirator. I understand why a novelist has done this, but I did not quite find the connection credible, between this rather flashy, charismatic individual, and the somewhat prosaic (given photographic evidence) Sorensen/Gunness.

As I read, I found myself snagged between invention and fact, wondering more about Belle’s own agency in this, the how and why of it. I understand, of course I do, a novelist’s invention. HAD I read this as completely General Fiction/Mystery and Thrillers, without recourse to the True Crime information, I could no doubt have found a more complete surrender. Perhaps it is my own failing, based purely on physiognomy to quite believe the connection between Belle and her hausfrau semblance with the deus ex machina Mephistopheles character of Bruce’s invented partner-in-crime for her

I found this book, by Camilla Bruce about Belle Gunnes, and published by Penguin Michael Joseph on the 5th August, in the True Crime section of Netgalley, and loving a bit of Victoriana I immediately requested it. So I was a little suprised when I finally downloaded it to my kindle to find out that really, it is fiction. Or to be more accurate a fictionalised account of real events.

When it comes to real crime and real killers I have a particular aversion to fiction narratives in the first of third person which proscribe specifc thoughts and feelings to killers, when we have no real idea what they were feeling and thinking. However the further back in time we go, the less living family or victims, the more my qualms recead. However I am still uncomfortable ascribing this as true crime, as it is neither a forensic examination of the crime of Belle Gunness, or a first person account by those involved with either the crimes, victims or witnesses.

What is essentially a technical marketing issue should not stop you enjoying what is an intreguing read. Female serial killers are so rarely put front and centre of narrative and their male counterparts almost always gain a much larger name recognition and noteriaty. Yet, when we look at the evidence over time it’s likely that women have been just, if not more prolific in their voilence. A combination of using methods which have been more difficult to detect and less showy, such as posoin, combined with cultural taboo’s that still exist around women, caring and motherhood which mean their violence can often not be contemplated, very weirdly leads me to conclude this is yet another area in which women’s contributions have been overlooked. And as pshycologist Anna Motz says, when we deny women’s violence, we deny women. It is my belief that unless we recognise women fully, including the pshycopaths, the narcissists, the abusers and the killers, not just those who kill in reataliation to domestic abuse, and treat them as we treat those aberations in maleness i.e. in no way a signifier of the gender as a whole, then we cannot be truely feminist.

Triflers Need Not Apply is another step in recognising the contribution to women in crime, both the good and the bad, which crime fiction writers have been trying to redress for years, but has continued at a slower pace in the realm of true crime. The large amount of backlash Hallie Rubenhold faced for her seminal book The Five, shows that we do have further to go. Bruce has managed an admirable balancing in a narrative which could have tipped into being too gorey, too grim, and too salacious, but her restraint as well as her deep curiosity about Gunnes reminds us that at the end of the day, a pshycopath is a pshycopath, no matter what body they were born to.

The title of this book is taken from a contemporary 19th century newspaper advert in the USA. It is a fictional telling of a series of notorious crimes uncovered relating to a woman serial killer who had travelled largely unchallenged – and certainly not stopped – for many years. Bruce builds her story from newspaper reports around her trial and execution, although recognising that these could be sensationalist in character and contain serious inaccuracies and biases. But as she admits much of the text of her novel is fictional and the main format is chapters reporting the thoughts and actions of Belle (American name of the killer) and her older married sister who has also settled in the United States and sponsored her sister’s emigration.
We are told that Belle (“young Brynhild”) was born to a poor tenant family in rural Norway and was required to work from an early age. It is suggested that she ended up pregnant by a son of the employer’s family and life became difficult. It took years for her to gather money to travel to the USA. There her most important financial option would be to marry and this is something she did, but apparently no children followed. It seems she then took up the option of fostering babies/children for money – a sub plot might also have been the use of insurance policies on the lives of these children and subsequently her husband another two who followed. Insured buildings also conveniently burnt down, but this drew the attention of the insurance companies and it seemed more sensible for her to move out of Chicago to a smaller rural farm nearby.
It seems that at this stage with possibly less oversight her husband and then a series of agricultural workers were “disposed of” and the scale of the subsequent bodies found suggest that her farm may have become a bone-yard for the deposition of bodies from elsewhere – possibly that she had then dismembered. Eventually in the face of investigations of families of missing men and claims by a drunken ex-employee her life fell apart with police investigations and a trial finally leading to conviction.
So underlying this novel is an extraordinary woman in every sense of the world, she was able to operate so easily it seems in a country of mass migration, mobility to find work or a new home and financial uncertainty for many. She seems to stand out for her ability to move from the depths of poverty to being accepted as a “lady” of means and with social status in her community. So for readers of historical true crime this would be an interesting read.
But this book is presented as fiction so it takes the imagination of Bruce to fill in the gaps and interpret the “how and why”. In reality her chapters by Belle do not really give a great deal of feeling of her character and the chapters by her sister seem even weaker. She acts as the foil of the more usual Norwegian immigrant, working class living close to poverty, involved in the Norwegian community and in the case of the first generation immigrant women with little or no English. But her musings and her worries – that she may or may not share with her husband – may in one way feed the gaps in “the story”, but equally can seem increasingly unlikely and contrived. But the almost diary format of “thoughts” seems extremely weak when it comes to regular murders, rapidly undertaken and descriptions largely to the same formula. In reality, there are not really many new things one could think or say.
Whether you like this book therefore depends on your reading choices and whether the melding of the two formats, real life (and death) and fiction will allow you to have enough of what you are looking for from this book on an extremely unusual woman and her resorting to murders.

I did not realise this was a true story but the main character is so terrifyingly flawed she is captivating. A bit of a diversion from my normal read but have found myself thinking about this book long after I finished reading it.

What happens when a woman in 1900s is harried and abused and degraded by men? She goes on a murder spree!
Bruce does not shy away from the gore of her killings - a (I suspect rather heavily) fictionalised account of Belle Guinness - or of her Bella's exultation in them... although for my tastes the gore and detail was a little too heavy handed and became perhaps a tad ... tedious if that is the right word.
I also was not taken by the second narrative voice of Nellie, the older sister which did not seem to add much and felt somewhat like filler.

Really good read. Kept my attention and easy page turner. Plot flowed and never got dull. Enjoyed all the characters and their stories.

Pros first: incredibly interesting and well-developed characters, just enough gory details and believable dialogue

Now, cons: slow pace at some points and additional characters who (I felt) didn’t add much to the narrative

All in all, a good read for those who are fans of historical fiction - especially when loosely based on fact!