Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBIKillers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Score Modern
What it's about
In the 1920s, oil was discovered under the Osage Nation's land in Oklahoma, and its people became some of the richest in the world. Then they began to be killed: shot, poisoned, blown up in their homes. Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, watched her family die one by one. As local authorities did nothing, the young Bureau of Investigation, which would become the FBI, sent a former Texas Ranger to find out who was responsible, and uncovered a conspiracy.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, was a National Book Award finalist, and became a Martin Scorsese film. It's a gripping true-crime story about one of the darkest chapters in American history.
You'll love it if you liked
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Devil in the GroveGood to know
The book doesn't reveal the full scale of the conspiracy until the last section, so avoid spoilers. It's relatively short.
By the numbers
- Readers70 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller87 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz5 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #42 of the 198 history books we rank
- #119 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #235 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Gripping, Dark
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Quick answers
Is Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, was a National Book Award finalist, and became a Martin Scorsese film. It ranks #235 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI about?
In the 1920s, oil was discovered under the Osage Nation's land in Oklahoma, and its people became some of the richest in the world. Then they began to be killed: shot, poisoned, blown up in their homes. Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, watched her family die one by one. As local authorities did nothing, the young Bureau of Investigation, which would become the FBI, sent a former Texas Ranger to find out who was responsible, and uncovered a conspiracy.
How long does it take to read Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI?
About 10 hours (416 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI?
If you liked it, try The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown or Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King.