Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen is the true story of Dr. Linda Hazzard and her bizarre methods of fasting to promote health (and of course murder).

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thread Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

In the early 1900's, Dr. Linda Hazzard founded the Hazzard Institute of Natural Therapeutics, a sanitarium in the forests of Olalla Washington, west of Seattle and cross the Puget Sound.  Locals called it "Starvation Heights".

She professed that all diseases, of both body and mind, could be cured through her revolutionary "fasting treatment".   While "curing" people, Linda Hazzard and her husband Sam, became rich.  Not all of their clients survived, but they often left their money to Linda, and that was okay.  After-all, she can't promise it will work for every one.

When British sisters Claire and Dora Williamson became aware of Dr. Hazzard in 1911, they were intrigued.  They often tried revolutionary treatments.  Claire in particular, was enthralled with the idea of fasting.  They willingly accepted the brutal methods employed by this woman.  Unfortunately, one of them died, and the other barely escaped.  The remaining sister took Dr. Hazzard to court.


My Opinions:
Well, the story was definitely interesting, definitely gruesome, and definitely a little scary.

Basically it was about a medical mal-practice suit.  "Dr." Hazzard fed only broth to her patients, brutally smacked their bodies, and gave them really long enemas.  Yet she felt she was doing no harm.  If her patient died, well, she took their money and moved on.

This book looked at two rather naive sisters who fall under the spell of a very greedy woman. But what was truly scary was the support this woman had, from a wide range of individuals.  She won over many people.  Without a doubt, Hazzard's internal strength and psychological methods made her a force to be reckoned with.  The prospect of being found guilty of killing someone surprised her.

The story was interesting, and although often repetitive, I had no real complaints with the writing.  However, my problem with the book was it's length.  It was much too long, and often dragged.  I ended up skimming, and couldn't wait to be done.

Bottom line, it was an interesting topic, which could have been written in a much more condensed manner.  I really enjoy Olsen's work, so I was a little disappointed in this one, but it certainly won't stop me from reading more by this talented author.

I found this one dragged in the middle; I really struggled to fight through and finish it, and not because of the difficult content. I've read other Gregg Olsen books, such as If You Tell, and that one was also tough for me. I find the language and writing to be really choppy, disjointed, and not really dignified or eloquent, which is strange because he's exceptionally popular as an author. Something about his writing really just doesn't sit well with me I suppose.

I found this book to be repetitive, and it could have been much shorter - it's like Greg Olsen just wanted to make sure it wasn't too short, so he just restated the theories and belief systems over and over without any real need to. The primary source materials were indeed fascinating, as the story at the core is really incredible, but as a whole I found the exposition of this tale to be somewhat lacking.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own.

If you've ever read anything by Gregg Olsen, you know he is nothing if not thorough. I knew a bit about the case of Linda Hazzard, but this book gave me the befores and afters that I wasn't aware of prior to reading. This is a slow read, mostly because of the sheer volume of information (I felt the same way about If You Tell) and the brutal nature of Hazzard's actions. I did stop and start, reading different things in between but I always came back to Starvation Heights and I'm glad I did.

Thank you to Gregg Olson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC! This is my 2nd true crime book by Gregg Olson and as always, did not disappoint. Although I went into it thinking it was more of a thriller, it actually reads more like a documentary, so if that is not your thing you will probably not find this as enjoyable. After reading the people and material involved in putting this book together by Mr.Olson, I was blown away at just how well it was laid out into this story. It was touching to learn of the Williamson sisters and just how much this so-called "Doctor Hazzard" got away with. A perfect example of medical gaslighting which is very common today, luckily not to the extreme of Dr. Linda Hazzard. The book is jam packed with information on the doctor herself, relationships with the Williamson sisters, other patients of Dr. Hazzard, their fate and the trial and outcome of the case. I have already read several books by Mr. Olson and have enjoyed every one of them, fiction and non. He is one of ky very most recommended authors!! I cant wait to read his 3rd true crime one!

I knew a bit about this before reading the book. I appreciated how in depth it was in dealing with both the before and after of Linda Hazzard as well as the information of how she was brought to some semblance of justice. The treatment of Dora following her rescue and reluctance of the authorities to prosecute was appalling. It was a very interesting and informative book.

Starvation Heights written by Gregg Olsen was a great slow read for me. Although I kept putting this book down to read something different I kept going back to it and I'm glad that I did. You can tell the amount of research that went into this book to tell the story of Clare and Dora and their search for a medical cure. Dr. Linda Hazzard manipulated people and convinced people to ultimately starve themselves. The journey was an amazing one to read.
There are great details throughout the whole book. Gregg Olsen doesn’t disappoint when he writes. I give this book 3.5 stars.

I find that despite the monsters we all can come up with, some of the scariest monsters are the human ones.

Doctors take an oath to do no harm. Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard also took this oath however her ambitions overrode the oath she took and swore to uphold. This true story takes place in 1911 in the forest of the Pacific Northwest. The locals called this place Starvation Heights. People travelled from all over the world to undergo the revolutionary "fasting treatment". That is what Claire and Dora Williamson from Great Britain intended to partake in when they arrive in 1911. However, after a month, both were former shells of their past selves. When their jewelry and money started disappearing, Dora Williamson knew they needed help to escape this hell.

This is a true crime, nonfiction story. This means that if you do not know the subject matter, it may be difficult to read this story. Gregg Olsen doesn't pull punches as he sheds light on this terrible crime from American History and that is something that i enjoy about his writing. As with his other works, Olsen doesn't spend a lot of time on the criminal here, Dr. Linda Hazzard. His books are about the victims not the killers. While he does an excellent job of focusing on the victims in this story, I felt that he could have done more with Hazzard and her history. Is there an event in her past that may have led to the events that transpired? I felt disconnected at times throughout the story with approach that Olsen chose to take. After reading this novel, it still surprises me the lengths that a person will go to to achieve, what they deem to be, beauty.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

An excellent book that really delved deep into the heart of one of the most tragic events where one human being took advantage of others. I had only heard about this story in passing before and it always interested me ... The true horrors, however, evaded me until I picked up this book. All in all, I loved this book!

Starvation Heights tells the story of Linda Hazzard, a quack doctor who operated a fasting sanitarium in the early 20th century in the state of Washington. Hazzard claimed that fasting could cure all manner of ailments, and convinced many wealthy patients to undergo extreme fasting regimes under her supervision. However, many of her patients suffered greatly, and some even died under her care.

The book delves into the disturbing and often gruesome details of Hazzard's practices, and explores the psychology behind her obsession with starvation and control. It also examines the social and cultural context of the time, and how the prevailing attitudes towards medicine and health allowed Hazzard to operate her dangerous and fraudulent business for years.

The harrowing account of Hazzard's patients' starvation had a profound impact on me. The book focuses on the "treatment" of Claire and Dora, two heiresses from England who voluntarily submit themselves to Hazzard's dangerous regimen. They are forced to survive on meager amounts of vegetable broth for over 40 days and endure brutal enemas and physical abuse. Claire eventually succumbed to the "treatment" and died.

It is shocking to learn that despite numerous witnesses, no one intervened to stop the cruelty. Adding to the horror, the State refused to prosecute Hazzard for Claire's death by starvation because it was deemed too costly. Instead, they sought to have Claire's estate pay the expenses. Can you imagine!?!?

All of this death and cruelty was motivated by greed.

Hazzard not only robbed her patients of their money and possessions but also manipulated them into believing that the starvation was actually working. Despite weighing no more than a young child, Hazzard's patients were convinced that they were getting better.

The book was undoubtedly meticulously researched, and despite being a work of non-fiction, the storytelling was exceptional. Even the trial segment of the book was engaging, as Hazzard's behavior in the courtroom was truly unbelievable. Through the trial, readers were able to delve into the details of the case and learn more about Hazzard's other victims, who unfortunately numbered quite a few.

I highly recommend this book to people who are interested in true crime and medical history. It may also appeal to those interested in the darker side of human nature and the psychology of manipulation. However, due to the disturbing content and descriptions of abuse, it may not be suitable for all readers who could be triggered by such topics.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the pulisher and Gregg Olsen for allowing me to read this ARC.
Honestly i am not sure where to start, this subject matter made me feel physically sick.
I cannot believe that this is a true story!
I am always a sucker for true crime.
This story happened so long ago but still makes me feel physically sick from what the patients went through.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat and i sat there in disbelief.
Gregg Olsen smashes another book, he never writes a bad one!
Thankyou so much for allowing me to read this!
5/5 stars.

A fascinating tale of historic medical malpractice, murder, and malice. Gregg Olson detailed the horrific lack of oversight in the medical community in the early 1900s through telling the story of the "starvation diet" developed by Dr. Linda Burfield. Unfortunately two British heiresses fell victim to Dr. Burfield's practices and suffered as a result.

Although this was a true story, it read way easier than I expected it too in the aspect of keeping me engaged and entertained from page one. It definitely was eye opening to read something based on the horrors that this women caused, but I do recommend this book to anyone who is interested in true crime and the like.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

I couldn’t finish this one. I found it quite boring. I wouldn’t recommend this one because I was unable to finish it

The story of Linda Burfield Hazzard and her fasting therapy to heal bodies, which happens to include multiple deaths and bigamy.

I loved this true crime story, it was fascinating and so informative about how things worked back in the early 1900’s and how Linda managed to get away with what she was doing for so long. Unfortunately, this book was a drag, there was so much information, small details included that ultimately didn’t add anything to tell of the story.

If you want to know absolutely everything about the story and the background of the people involved then this is true crime book for you, I personally felt it could have been 100 pages shorter.

This is another re-release from gregg olsen and is a crime I've never heard about before. As I huge true crime fan I find these sorts of books really interesting especially when it's a case I've never heard of. I did feel however that the writing wasn't as good as some of Greg's more recent works.

Oh my god, this book made me feel physically sick. It completely gave me chills, and I struggled closing my eyes without thinking about the horrors that took place by the hands of this woman. Really enjoyed Greggs writing style.

A great read. Lots of interesting twists towards the end. I enjoy reading about mental health in the “old days”. Attitudes about women, at that time, come across in this read. Ghosts, family, friends … lots of mystery. Definitely worth the read.

I was given a free copy for review purposes.

Thank you NetGalley the author, and the publisher, for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this ARC.

She went by the name of Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard, although she was no licensed, medical school educated doctor. She was a self proclaimed osteopath with a specialty in fasting as her primary method of treatment. She believed it was a cure for everything.

I became interested in this book because she initially began her practice in Minneapolis. However, Linda Hazzard was not an example of ‘Minnesota Nice’. As well as a dealer in medical quackery, she was a thief and con artist getting her patients money, jewelry, and land through her and her husband Sam’s nefarious ways.

The majority of the book involved a court case in which Hazzard was accused of murdering a patient by starvation. At this point the book does become bogged down in the details of the court proceedings. The story is an interesting one about the woman, posing as a Dr. who moved to the state of Washington with every intention of building a sanitarium for the purpose of carrying out her “fasting” treatments.

In this book we learned about a Doctor Who thought she had come up with the greatest thing since sliced bread and regardless of the negative consequences and brought she insisted starvation was the way to go. It would take the deck of one of her residence to finally shut down this wayward resort in Washington state. The only solace one could take from the story is that the doctor eventually died from the same disease and cure she tried to give to thousands of people. I love Greg Olsen‘s books but this one gave me the chills. I could just imagine in the early 1900s people thinking they found a cure and this doctor was going to help him only to be tortured and starved it’s not that close to it. Some of the residents even packed food from neighbors to the clinic that is so sad. This book was so interesting and if you love True Crime then you need to read starvation Heights by Greg Olsen it’s a book I highly recommend. It’s sad but just know the doctor gets her due big-time! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.