This is the story of Joseph Paul Franklin, a serial murderer who went on a 3 year killing spree from 1977 to 1980. The book tells the story of his life, how he came to be a murderer, his crimes, and how he was caught. Amongst his crimes was the shooting of Larry Flynt, the much maligned publisher of Hustler magazine. The shooting left Flynt alive but paralyzed from the waist down and in constant pain.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the Larry Flynt angle. In the conservative community I was raised in Flynt was considered to be the height of evil. What I discovered in this book is that evil is much uglier than just publishing pornography. Joseph Paul Franklin had a hatred for Jews and black people that ran as deep as the river Styx. Every murder he committed was motivated by this hatred. He say himself as being on a mission from God to take revenge.

The story is told alternately from the perspective of Joseph Franklin and that of Detective Michael Cowart, the lead investigator of the Larry Flynt shooting. I found the author’s telling to be compelling and well-researched. I think any fan of true crime would enjoy “Blood in the Soil”.

Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

Happy Reading!

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• True Crime