Thank you to Little A and Net Galley for this ARC.

2.5 Stars rounded up.

While I primarily read fiction, I do really love reading true crime books. I was completely unfamiliar with the Bath School Disaster so I was instantly intrigued, and knew I wanted to check it out.

I really struggled with this book for the first 60 pages, and nearly didn't continue with it. The rhythm of the book is very difficult to get into. I had to put the book aside many times.

A big part of the struggle for me, was the introduction. It's super clunky consisting of a sterile list of facts of random cases, which really hold no importance to the book you're about to read. I'd suggest, if you decide to check this book out, entirely skipping over that section.

Once it gets into the case at hand, it does pick up speed exponentially. I flew through the second half of the book. It's absolutely shocking that the name Andrew Kehoe isn't one that we are more familiar with.

The nature and execution of his crimes are monstrous, and the aftermath of the bombing is described in visceral and bloody detail. While the book does speculate on the psychological elements of why Kehoe may committed this heinous act, we just don't have enough information to get the answers we want. Which is no fault of the authors.

For me, it didn't feel like there is enough information for a full book on this crime, and it maybe would've been better in a shorter format.

Because of how uneven the pacing is, I am not inclined to recommend it.

Maniac is the best true crime I've read in a while. 38 children were murdered and I had NO idea. This is hard to read, the murderer is a monster, but I could not put this down. Highly highly recommend to true crime fans.

Well, this is just a completely different genre… I’ve honestly been meaning to read more non-fiction books. I’ve just wondered if I should also review them since it’s hard to give a rating to non-fiction books, you know? However, I realized, when browsing Netgalley, that I really wanted to dive into the True Crime section. I’ve always been the person to watch the true crime documentaries and get invested in those true crime youtubers, so this seemed like a logical next step.

Since I’m atrocious with remembering names, I imagine I could hear and read about certain crimes multiple times and still not know who actually committed them, so reading about true crime does get a bit difficult in that aspect because a lot of names and eyewitnesses get mentioned, and it’s all a blur to me.

But anyways, back to this book specifically, I had never heard of this incident before. I think I’ve heard his name before, Andrew Kehou but that’s about it. It was especially fascinating to me because it’s something the book also addresses. In modern times, partly due to a lot of recent movements, we are more aware of the influence that media plays in our perception but perhaps we don’t realize just how much. For a very long time this crime basically disappeared from history, no one was truly very aware of what happened there. The reason? Other events and crimes were the sole focus of the media at the time so the story fizzled out and disappeared.

Another reason? And the one that truly fascinates me the most, is that it’s very media-orientated and society-accepted what we deem as horrible crimes and what’s the worst crimes. This evolves over time when new methods of murder (etc) get developed, this evolves when people get “used” to certain crimes etc.

Honestly, this whole thing is fascinating and Harold Schechter does quite go into the details why this is a true crime case that got very little attention for a good 35 years.

I probably will cover more true crime books, as I did enjoy the workout it gave my brain, haha.

I don't know state history in the same way as a native Michigander, but I'd heard of the Bath Disaster since it has been revisited by the media every May 18 since 1927. Andrew Kehoe, a local farmer, blew up the school. Then when I read "Maniac", I discovered that he bought his 500 pounds of explosive Pyrotol in Jackson, Michigan where I have lived for many years. Bath Township is a mere 50 some miles away.

The world was changing and Andrew Kehoe was not pleased. Bath Township residents had been arguing about the need for a consolidated school for the area. But moving from one room school houses had a cost that some, like Andrew, thought unnecessary. Teachers would cost more. Transportation to a central school would have to be provided and taxes would be raised.

This was the issue that sparked Kehoe's long battle with School Supervisor Emory Huyck and ultimately the most horrific event of the time. Author Harold Schechter carefully and clearly establishes the events that culminated in the final murderous act.

Why has this tragedy passed into history? Several reasons are suggested including the fact that Lindbergh made his famous transatlantic flight on May 20 just two days later and overshadowed every other story.

When I picked up "Maniac", I meant to read a chapter or two but kept turning pages until I reached the end. The subject of this book is horrific, but the author does not exploit it. This is a well researched and told story; and although it happened in Michigan, it could have happened anywhere.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of was provided to me by Little A/Net Galley for an honest review.

FOOTNOTE: https://bit.ly/3rK7CZb

Irene Dunham, stayed home with a sore throat on the day of the bombing, and is now the oldest resident in Michigan at the age of 114. She was interviewed as a follow up to this story (see link above) in the Lansing paper.

She and her mother heard the blast and drove to the scene. She described just a bit of what she saw and was still greatly affected by her memories of that day.

Why does the media dwell over certain crimes for generations while forgetting others? Some crimes stay on the front page for years with reporting on the investigation, hunt for the killer, trial, appeal and execution while others are just dismissed?
Maniac brings into question why the Bath school massacre has not been called a crime of the century, the first act of domestic terrorism, the first school mass murder. We learn all the reasons why farmer Andrew Kehoe went from being on the School Board and Treasurer to a mass murderer killing 38 children and six adults. Even though you know the deaths occur, the book has you hooked from the beginning. It was great to hear witnesses tell all the little warning signs so we know what to watch out for ourselves. The book also discusses the news stories printed about other murders and even Lindbergh’s flights which took the limelight away from the bombing. Why did people buy papers which headlined a murderous love triangle rather than a mass murderer blowing up 38 children? It was really hard to read about the sweet innocent kids shredded and their poor parents trying to dig them out. It was an important read and one I’m glad I persevered through even with tears streaming down my face.

I’d never heard of this tragedy, and the author is to be congratulated on writing such a detailed and well-researched account to bring it back into the public eye. What happened one day in Bath, Michigan in 1927 was one of the first and to this date most deadly school disaster in American history. Andrew Kehoe, disaffected and full of vengeance – and in my opinion quite obviously insane – although he had been a respected member of the community, planted explosives in the local school and killed 38 children and 6 adults. One family lost 3 children. He then blew himself up in a car bomb, taking 3 other adults with him. Absolutely horrific, and surprising that the events of that awful day are not more widely known. It’s a grim tale, and this is a gripping account. Chilling to think how an apparently “ordinary” citizen can become a monster - although we have seen many more in later decades. So I thoroughly enjoyed finding out about Kehoe and his actions, but I do have a gripe about the book. The author has chosen to describe other, less horrific, murders that happened around the same time, and then spends what I found to be an inordinate amount of time describing Lindbergh and his historic flight from New York to Paris, which seemed to me to have nothing at all to do with the Bath massacre, expect that it pushed it out of the headlines prematurely. So we get to learn what food Lindbergh took on his flight, but remarkably little about the subsequent life of those affected by the loss of their loved ones. A missed opportunity, and it all felt like padding to make the book longer. The dreadful events of that day didn’t need any padding. Therefore although I recommend the book I can’t rate it more highly than 3*.

This is the story of one of the first and worst mass murders in American history, the bombing of a primary school in Bath, Michigan in 1927.

The book was very well researched and written. I had never heard about this incident before, and found the book hard to put down. Perfect for fans of true crime.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I had read a book on the Bath School Massacre about 10 years ago and had lived in the area back then. One day we drove over to the site and looked at the memorial, a cupola that somehow withstood the tragedy. It was very somber and I was trying to imagine what events transpired that day almost 100 years ago and could not. It's because for the rest of us, you can't imagine it;, you drive yourself crazy as a parent, as s a empathic human being replaying it. And so it was even more visceral reading this account by Harold Schechter. I actually started reading it a while ago thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, but had to take in the retelling in measured, controlled amounts. How twisted was the soul of Andrew Kehoe for him to carry out this vicious attack on the citizens of Bath, Michigan. The effects reverberate over and over through the generations. A black hole where a heart should have been to meticulously plan, buy the necessary supplies to do such a thing and devise an event to exact revenge on Kehoe's perceived slights.
The author did a great job putting the reader at the scene, but you will never forget what you read. A definite story to add to your TBR pile.

Maniac by Harold Schechter is a superb and engrossing read which will keep you reading until the end. Well worth the read!

3.5 stars
Andrew P. Kehoe committed an extremely heinous crime and very few people know about it. In 1927, he set explosives to blow up in the basement of his local school during the school day. The result was the murder of thirty eight children and six adults in one of the deadliest massacres in US history.

The length of this true crime work was great. It was short and succinct with just enough cultural context to really depict the time period with accuracy for the reader. I did find I would have liked a little more info about the psychology of Kehoe as well as some more research about the victims. This was a case I had never heard about before and it was a very heavy read due to the number of children that were murdered. My heart goes out to any community that has to suffer through such a traumatic event. Thank you to @amazonpublishing and @netgalley for my review copies!

A well researched about a moment in history that is long since forgotten.
That is until a school shooting occurs.

The Bath School Massacre which occurred in 1927 was the result of one person Andrew Kehoe. Graduate of Michigan State Agriculture college with a degree in electrical engineering. Andrew meets his future wife and settled down in the community of Bath Michigan at the farm where he grew up. A person who can make a penny squeal, he tosses a minister whom came round to ask money for the church. Andrew stopped going to church but Nellie continued to attend.
When the Bath Consolidated School board hired Huyck as the superintendent. Huyck set to work buying up things for the school. His spendthrift ways got him on the wrong side of Andrew Kehoe. As Andrew's farm was about to be foreclosed while his wife was in the hospital. Bills begin to pile up and added to the pile was a larger bill for the school to pay for superintendent Huyck loose ways with money. Andrew elected to be treasurer and sets about trying to reign in this loose cash.
Not working as the board sees the superintendent ways not Andrew.
This begins the only means as Andrew begins buying explosive thanks to the excess explosive left over from WWI that wasn't used.
The explosion at the Bath Consolidate School, the explosion at Andrew Kehoe's farm, and Andrew Kehoe acting as the first suicide bomber made national headlines for a week as the author makes it all to clear. A sensational crime received more attention than a school bombing.

Nowadays when there is a school shooting the news media would talk for months and the debate would be about gun control. The Bath School Disaster would get a notice but not much as the author makes it clear.

This book goes into depth about the Bath, Michigan mass murder in 1927 that set the tone for a lot of the tragedy we see today in the form of mass shootings and warfare.

I was surprised that I had never heard about this since I’m very interested in true crime, but Schechter went into a lot of detail to describe why this is something that has been lost in history to a lot of people, even though it is one of the worst mass murders in history. This really helped me reflect on what is deemed important to us when we reference history and what the public considers as front page news.

My one issue with this was that I wish the book focused more on Bath school situation. I feel like some chapters went off on tangents that I understood proved his overall point, but I wish it was still focused more on the killer and victims.

I think anyone interested in true crime or in lost histories should definitely read this one! Thank you @netgalley and @littleA for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Harold Schechter is able to take non-fiction and write it like a horror novel. The story of Andrew P. Kehoe is told in an engaging manner - from his birth and leading to the absolute horror of The Bath School massacre. Kehoe is the most unknown dangerous man in US history and Schechter has finally told the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow.

Chances are, you, ,like me, have never heard of this event. Even when he lists current events that cause people to look back upon this and write about it, I could not remember reading about this horrific event. I had to think that it was because what was right in front of me was also so horrific, I was not reading every single thing that was out there about what was happening in the now and what has happened in the past. Because I will tell you this; once you read this story and the horrors that Andrew Kehoe inflicted on the community of Bath, you will never, ever forget it. And in my opinion, that is a good thing. We need to honor those lost that day, remember them in our hearts and minds, like we do those who have been lost in other horrific events that have occurred in the time since in our country. This was one of the most horrific acts I have ever read about, perpetrated by one disgruntled man, and all I can say is [similarly to those events at Columbine], if it had all gone to plan, the death and destruction would have been as such that even Charles Lindbergh could not have knocked the event out of the news [this was an odd part of the story - I thought initially that a part of another book had accidentally gotten put in this one as I had NO idea how CL could be a part of this story].

Told in short spurts [which was good in a way because there were absolute moments where you needed to recover from what you were reading; there are moments of graphic descriptions that will never, ever leave you], this is a well-researched, well-written book. I cannot imagine writing a book like this - to research and write about the deliberate destruction of children is just horrific to think about, and yet I am grateful because now I can remember these people and the horrors they suffered and for some, somehow survived, and honor them in a way that should have been happening all along. I can only hope that this book brings this horrific attack to the nations attention and that the honoring of this town and all it suffered at the hands of a narcissistic psychopathic sadist, begins.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harold Schechter, and Little A for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this account of the Bath School Disaster. This book is very well researched and the author utilizes historical facts and details to really paint a picture of what life would be like at this time in Michigan.

The narrative is very fact based with little embellishment, which I appreciated but may not be for those who enjoy a more descriptive plot.


Thank you to Netgalley and Little A for allowing to review this arc.

Thank you to the author, Little A Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read about horrifying events that were forgotten all too quickly. The author obviously put in a lot of work to be able to accurately tell this story - it shows in the recounting of the history of the area, the life stories of the people who settled there, the inclusion of other national and world events to give a sense of time and place. This brought the story to life in a unique way and at the same time helped me understand why this event is so unknown - and I grew up in Michigan. While it will never be clear what exactly drove the perpetrator to do what he did, the author draws a clear and damning picture of his character. The author sees this event as a harbringer of future mass killings such as Columbine, Sandy Hook, Orlando, Las Vegas... and sadly, innumerable others.

The only quibble I might have is that IMO Charles Lindbergh was given too much space in this story.

This book was truly a surprise. It’s a true crime story focusing on one man in the town of Bath Township in Clinton County Michigan, the home of a mass murderer that most people have never heard anything about. Andrew Kehoe was a member of the Bath community along with his wife. They never had children but yet Mr. Kehoe was involved politically with the school in town. During his lifetime, the rural community turned away from the one room schoolhouse idea and built a consolidated school for all grades. The author takes us through his life events that seemed to shape his decision making, good and bad. In addition to this historical perspective, we also see a broader view of other important and newsworthy events that occurred around the same time. For instance, Charles Lindbergh flew is crossing of the Atlantic as a solo pilot shortly after the horrible events of the community. This perspective was fascinating to understand why most people are unaware that crimes such as this occurred prior to the more recent mass shootings, such as Columbine, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas.
I found this to be a very readable and intriguing dissection of the events and people involved. It was clear that a great deal of research went into the writing of this book. I definitely learned something from reading this book.
Recommended for true crime readers.
#Maniac #Netgalley #LittleA

May 18, 1927

Bath Michigan's School disaster/mass murder remains the deadliest of its kind in the history of the United States.

The heartbreak, the tears, the pain, the tragedy. One man, Andrew P. Kehoe detonated a series of explosives and killed thirty-eight children, and six adults. Kehoe had studied engineering at Michigan State University. But he was mainly a farmer and treasurer of the township school board who seethed with rage, was paranoid, and narcissistic. He made serval trips to obtain dynamite but at the time dynamite was often used on farms, so his actions were not deemed unusual and did not raise any red flags.

On the day of the explosion, he murdered his wife, set fire to his property, killing animals, and left a stenciled message on his fence which read "Criminals are made, not born" and loaded his truck with explosives, and drove to the school. Where he was not finished inflicting carnage.

Can you even imagine what everyone on the scene experienced and witnessed?

The "Mad Butcher of Bath" is not the only killer discussed in this book. Other cases and murderers are mentioned. History of the area is discussed as well.

Extensively researched, well written, and heartbreaking, this is a gripping read for True Crime fans. It is educational and has statements and quotes from those who were there that day.

Thank you to Little A and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a vivid account of a school bombing in 1927 that took the lives of 38 children and 6 adults. Some of it was hard to read due to the detailed descriptions of the injuries and destruction. Andrew P. Kehoe blamed the whole town, and his wife, for his financial issues and the tax put on the town to help build the school was his biggest complaint. It’s sad that he felt like punishing the townspeople in this way was the answer. If all the explosives that he had planted had detonated the whole town of Bath, Michigan would have been gone. The story is told in great detail and gives the reader the background behind the town and Andrew Kehoe.
The book also contains the story of Charles Lindbergh and his 1927 nonstop flight from New York City to Paris. His adventure takes places during the same time as the Bath bombing. The author also mentions many other crimes that took place during that time period. One that is told is the story of the murder of Albert Snyder by his wife, Ruth Snyder, and her boyfriend, Henry Judd Gray. There are also many cases mentioned in the book that involve child culprits. Thankfully none of these are told on detail.
All in all, the book was interesting and well written. I have enjoyed many books by Harold Schechter and I look forward to reading more.

I tried to get through this but it reads like a textbook. I prefer for my murder books/shows to have a bit more storytelling.

NOTE: I was provided an ARC in exchange for a honest review. Thanks Netgalley!