A Talent to Deceive: The Search for the Real Killer of the Lindbergh Baby, written by William Norris and narrated by Tom Beyer, is an interesting book that delves into the infamous Lindbergh Baby kidnapping case. While the book provides a lot of information about the case and the subsequent investigation, it falls short in some areas and warrants a three-and-a-half-star rating.

On the positive side, the book is well-researched and offers a detailed account of the kidnapping, the trial, and the investigation that followed. Norris provides readers with a lot of information about the key players involved in the case and their various theories about what happened. Beyer's narration is also clear and engaging, making it easy to follow the story.

However, the book can be dry at times and may not be as engaging for readers who are not already interested in the case. Additionally, some of the information presented feels repetitive or unnecessary, which can make the book feel longer than it needs to be.

Overall, A Talent to Deceive is a decent read for true crime enthusiasts or those interested in the Lindbergh Baby case specifically. While it has some flaws, it provides a comprehensive look at the case and the various theories surrounding it.

Quite a long book, but totally worth the read! The title really reflects how deep the author gets into deception, corruption, etc. A very culturally relevant book, and a neccessary read for those in law and allies.

I was not able to listen to this audiobook in the NetGalley app as it would not download properly. #ATalenttoDeceive #NetGalley

I found this story very absorbing if a little long. It brought up many points that had been kept hidden. Police corruption, Lindbergh’s twisting of the truth. How they could send a man to his death on such little proof will always remain a mystery and I hope that all the corrupt people involved in this have nightmares about what they did. I know that William Morris tried very hard to get at the truth, what a shame he was never able to find the killer. I suppose all involved will go to their death with many secrets and the real killer will never be found.

I knew a little of the story before I started this book, but the narration made it really hard to stick with it. I did not finish this book because of the narration, but I will look for a hard copy of the book so I can finish it

SYNOPSIS

A Talent to Deceive, by William Norris, focuses on the kidnapping of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Junior on the evening of March 1st, 1932. He was the son of the renowned aviator Charles Augustus Lindbergh Senior; the first person to fly across the Atlantic non-stop. Norris’ work is an in-depth and skillful investigation using a diverse range of contemporary sources. He seeks to enlighten us to the facts, opinions, and contemporaneous evidence he discovered through his extensive research. What he discovers has convinced him there was a miscarriage of justice.

If you are familiar with the case then buckle up because your preconceptions are about to be shaken in an avalanche of newly discovered information. Forget about what you thought you knew, try to put aside your biases and open yourself up to Norris’ detailed version of the events.

On a Spring evening 98 years ago, 20 month old Charles Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped and murdered. Eventually, the perpetrator was tracked, tried and executed; at least that is what we thought. Norris reopens the case with a comprehensive breakdown of the people and events that led to the disappearance and subsequent death of the Lindbergh baby. He leaves no stone unturned, and his research indicates a miscarriage of justice took place and the wrong man was tried and executed. He delves into the characters surrounding the investigation and how they influenced the outcome; including how Charles Lindbergh Sr. took over the case. Norris makes a compelling case that the “Crime of the Century” still remains unsolved.

I didn't really know much about this case before hand so getting it told from a different from usual perspective was super interesting. I wasn't keen on the narrator though and thought it was quite longwinded to try and create added suspense which wasn't necessary.

A long and winding story about a moment in true crime I knew little to noghting about. The book did expand my knowledge of the story, and I was happy Lindberghs nazi ties were somewhat left alone, as that's the main angle of the story we've heard before.
The end did feel a bit convoluted, and the build up and fall of the main suspect was well done.

While I found the first 20% interesting, the case seems resolved and I'm not intrigued enough to continue. I liked the narrator and I'm usually fascinated by true crime books, but I'm just not feeling this one!

A Talent to Deceive is a very thoroughly researched true crime book. I was surprised about how much work the author must have put into this book. I don't usually read the true crime genre, and also, I didn't hear about this Lindberg baby kidnapping before. But I found this to be a very interesting case. Unfortunately, in this case, a baby was harmed, and this is a very heart-breaking fact. But all the same, I was interested in hearing the whole story, even though it is quite a long one.

Narration is very good and it suits the genre.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to listen to in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

*** AUDIO BOOK VERSION ***
A Talent to Deceive is a non fiction speculative book about who the real kidnapper and murderer of the young Lindbergh baby was.
I've not read much about this tragic story before and I must say, William Norris is very convincing with his factual information laid out in this book as to who the real kidnapper and murderer is likely to be.
Norris has certainly dug into this case quite thoroughly which is evident throughout this book.
This story is haunting and heartbreaking and I pray that one day the truth is revealed for this poor baby.
The narrator, Tom Beyer did a fabulous job of narrating this book as it can't have been an easy one to narrate. The voices were fantastic and disguingishable.

I don't feel qualified to really review this because I had to DNF. I was trying out an audiobook for the first time. I think it might be the way my brain works, but I honestly could not keep up with the characters and the timeline. I am OBSESSED with true crime and biographies, so I think I would really like this one if I had a physical copy and could take my own notes while reading. I just couldn't keep up and got really lost.

Thank you for giving me the chance to listen though!

The Lindbergh baby case is not one I had heard of before so I was really excited to listen to this one. I'm a big true crime junkie!

I found this book to be detailed and well researched. However, I feel the authors own personal views came through a little too strongly at times which took away from the facts of the case.

I really enjoyed the audio narration for this one.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The case of Charles Lindenbergh's baby isn't something I had heard of before and I loved learning more about the case and following the author as the book moves through what happened, the evidence, the investigation, the court trial and the aftermath. Hearing how the police force conducted the investigation and dealt with their suspect is horrifying and the court case and sentence is heart breaking. It really is tragic the case will never be properly solved now. Hearing WIlliam Norris' thoughts on who did it is fascinating and I think he is probably right in his accusation.

The audiobook is clearly very well researched, very detailed and covers everything you could want to know about the case and people involved.

The narrator has a captivating voice that holds your attention throughout and was a brilliant choice for the job.

A thoroughly enjoyable, intriguing audiobook to listen to.

The author covers the lives of all the people involved in the Lindbergh kidnapping case. It is insightful and thorough. I learned a lot about many historical figures. I am convinced that Hauptman was innocent, but am not sure that the author has pegged the correct kidnapper.

The were a few points where I was bored listening. Mainly the letters from J. William Morrow.

I was saddened and angered when the author compared creation and the virgin birth of Jesus to the world being flat and non-lying politicians. The latter are certainly disproved, much like Hauptman's supposed guilt, but the former have never been proved or disproved (unless someone has a time machine that I'm not aware of).

The malice, incompetence, and outright targeting of an innocent man in this case, leading to his execution, is shocking and disgusting.

The way the details are laid out is excellent, it's really easy to follow the lines that William Norris is drawing and quickly come to the conclusion with him that Richard Hauptmann was a victim of a rich man's bullshit (as many are).

The narrator for the audiobook was Tom Beyer; his work was fine but his accents are terrible and he pronounced Glasgow not as the correct "Glaz-goe" but as "Glass-g-ow" and it was incredibly distracting. When he wasn't doing accents, his voice was pleasant.

Overall this is a great book about an interesting case and I really wish that justice had been actually served.

I received a copy of this audiobook for free from NetGalley and CamCat Perspectives in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* a new look into this case for sure, very interesting and new theories i haven't heard.

The narrator does a good job in relaying the store of the kidnapping and the trial that follows. The story itself is very interesting. The fact that the wrong man was convicted and sentenced to death is appalling. The evidence that was over looking during the trial is unbelievable. It shines a light on how the justice system and police work has evolved over the years. Very captivating story and the authors conclusion of what probably happened and who the real culprit was is very interesting. Definitely worth the read or listen.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook version.
#atalenttodeceive #netgalley

This review is for the audiobook version.

I will admit that I only knew of the kidnapping of the Lindburgh baby by way of pop culture references, and that I had done no prior research into the actual case either. Now, however, that feels like it has changed and I want to learn more about the kidnapping and the case that followed thanks to A Talent to Deceive by William Norris.

It was interesting to see how our judicial system has grown and evolved over the years, and how some things have stayed the same. I really don't know if Hauptmann was guilty of the kidnapping and murder of the Lindburgh baby, or if he was just a man that was dragged into it by a series of unfortunate circumstances. I will say that regardless I feel as if the system failed him, and that the policemen of the time should've had their eyes on the bigger picture rather than zeroing in on one specific person.

That being said the book was well put together, although it is evident (as other reviewers have said) that Norris is adamant about his belief in Hauptmann's innocence. The narrator was on point, and I felt that their performance added to the overall experience of the book. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone that's a lover of true crime, I personally love it and devoured the book pretty quickly. All-in-all I give it 4 stars, and hope to read more of this author's work in the future.


**Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.**

Prior to reading this book, I had heard about the kidnapping of the Lindberg baby but didn’t really know the details. This book was incredibly well researched and raises an interesting theory regarding whether the man convicted of the crime was actually responsible. The audiobook kept my attention, and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.