Nothing but the Night by Greg King and Penny Wilson is true crime at its finest. Inspired by the historical facts of 1920s Chicago this retelling is robust with historical facts, and fast-paced storytelling.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This book was a wild ride for sure!

First off I will say that the narration was great. I enjoyed the narrator and I think, especially for a true historical book, it was emotive enough without being over the top theatrical which I appreciate. I am glad I listened to this one rather than read it.

Now for the book itself. The writing over all was very good. I was gripped and interested the entire time and wanted to keep picking it up. Rather than being a list of dry facts, it was developed into a story that was super compelling. The book is more or less two parts. The first part is describing the perpetrators backgrounds, families, upbringing, decent into crime, and the murder itself. The second part described the trial and the aftermath.

The first part of the book was very thorough and well written but I think it was far more graphic than necessary. While some description was needed for context, there was a lot of very graphic detail that didn't really have to do with the overall story and a lot of it was repeated multiple times. I read a lot of true crime and can definitely say that summarizing the graphic details would still make it a good and informative read. It was almost to the point I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading at some points.

I am glad I pushed through, however, because the second half trial description was really, really good. Hearing about the insanity of the trial and the manipulation of the system was so interesting. I was gripped the entire time and the descriptions of the prosecution and defense arguments were fascinating. Definitely a book that makes you think about what justice is and how a trial can be more of a theater performance than anything.

Overall I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone that is interested in true crime and court cases but if you are sensitive to graphic details I would skip this one.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

I am a classic true crime fan AND a theatre fan, so this book about the crime that inspired "Chicago" was a must listen for me. Full of fascinating facts and a great retelling of an historical event that I realized I didn't know much about, this is a fast paced yet easy to follow audiobook. Recommended for history lovers, true crime buffs, and fans of the Jazz Age and all that it entailed.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a very good read, not sure i would have wanted to read it but i enjoyed the audiobook a lot. looking forward to find more info on this case!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review Nothing but the Night.

Authors: Greg King; Penny Wilson
Narrator: Armando Riesco
Published: 09/20/22
Genre: True Crime

Disappointing. I knew in the first chapter I was going to struggle with the narration and the writing style. By the third chapter I was disgusted. This crime happened more than 100 years ago, and has a following. Leopold and Loeb were new to me, the only reason to use the profanity was for shock value by the authors. The language was not necessary.

The authors claimed to examine the case with resources available today. A psychological profile would have been sufficient. This was too long and drawn out.

There is an audio interview following the book with the authors. After listening to that, I wondered where that book was, the interview didn't match what I read. I'm still confused by the authors point.

So while I am a true crime junkie, this was a new story to me, and boy, was this a wild ride! Leopold and Loeb were wealthy teenagers who abducted and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Frank in 1924. While Leopold and Loeb had an intimate relationship, this added fuel to the scandal! So while there is so much more to this story, the authors laid everything out for the story. This is one of those nonfiction books that read like fiction. The section about the behaviors is bananas and is very eye-opening, and then the trial section is insane! This is a very interesting read for anyone interested in a famous historical true crime story. Thank you to Macmillian Audio for the extraordinary opportunity to listen and review this one!

3.5 stars

A well researched examination of the gruesome and chilling 1924 murder of 14 year old Bobby Franks. For almost a century, the two infamous friends, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, have been known as the two wealthy university students who painstakingly planned and carried out the cold blooded murder of Franks. When asked why upon their arrest, they said because they wanted to know what it would be like to take a human life. Doesn't get more cold-blooded than that. Although the two eventually confessed, neither admitted to wielding the vicious blows that ultimately killed Franks. Each friend said it was the other. This true crime story focuses on this aspect of the crime and leads the reader to the likelihood of who actually killed Franks. It also delves into the events leading up to the crime, the psychology of the murder and what happened to Loeb and Leopold afterwards. A fascinating account for true crime lovers. My only reason for not giving this book five stars was that the actual story seemed a bit drawn out with many details that felt unnecessary. The audio narration was in line with other nonfiction books I've listened to and was performed with credibility.

Thank you to #macmillanaudio and #netgalley for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review. #truecrime

Keep moving. Nothing to see here. Really. Leopold and Loeb is a well-known case. The book really does not add much of anything to the story beyond the opinions of the authors. If you do not know anything at all about the case, it may be interesting. If you even know their names, then you likely will not learn anything from this book. Just keep perusing the bookshelves for something engaging. This is not it.

I love true crime books.. But for some reason this book was not one that I could get into. It was a very slow build up. I give this book 2 stars

I wasn't super familiar with the details of the Leopold & Loeb case before picking up this title, but I now feel I'm extremely well informed. It's clear that this book was highly researched. It also does a good job pointing out what information was new about the case, or at least is new to the public about it. This is a fascinating true crime tale, that showcases how things have changed over time in regards to the way psychoanalysis can be used in court proceedings, as well as, how we can look at this specific crime. The conclusion that what many have believed to be the hierarchical breakdown of Leopold and Loeb, and what the authors feel is a more accurate order is mind blowing. This is definitely a book any true crime lover should pick up. The narrator also does a good job of presenting the ghastly details in a way that keeps you engaged in the story, but yet fully aware of the enormity of the events.

I thought this was a great listen! The story is told linearly, which is really important when listening to a true crime book. The authors did a wonderful job of condensing their research into the salient information without being salacious or torrid. The narrator was great and didn't detract from the story. I highly recommend this to those who are interesting in psychology and sociology of crimes as this book addresses both.

I love true crime and I have never gotten very much information on Leopold and Lobe. I basically knew the basics. I can’t say that anymore. I know what I feel must be all of the details. The authors weaves together every account they can find and provide a timeline of events and a history of the characters involved. Very informative. The narrator added something to my previous reading that made it seem less removed from the reader’s experience.

I love true crime and Chicago history, so this was a treat. This book was the most in depth look I've seen of Leopold and Loeb. The authors managed to humanize the struggles the boys went through while still showing how truly awful they were. I appreciate when true crime doesn't glorify killers.

The narrator did a great job and had a good pace I didn't need to speed up.

This was an interesting book because I like to learn about the backgrounds and psyche's of those that commit terrible acts. However, I felt that the book was somewhat slow and hard to follow. Perhaps if I print read it I would have had an easier time following and keeping track of who was who.

I always enjoy a new take on an old established story and the story of Leopold and Loeb has been covered for most true crime aficionados and this book by Greg King and Penny Wilson challenges the original idea of Loeb as the main instigator in their crimes and Leopold a follower.
It was a breath of fresh air to hear he authors break apart the old , Freudian diagnosis that had been done in the past for the two and to stop taking Leopold's later writings as gospel. The authors also give a thorough bio of the families of both Leopold, Loeb and their victim Bobby Franks and the backdrop of the privilege they all grew up in.

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

Where are my other true crime fans at? 🕵️‍♀️ I requested this one on @netgalley because it looked so interesting. Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the approval and happy publication day!

Before this audiobook I had never heard of Leopoldo and Loeb. These two young men committed a heinous murder in the 1920s and it rocked America. The two young men were Jewish and gay, so antisemitism and and anti-gay sentiment summed up a lot of public opinion about the pair.

At this time, being gay was still considered an indicator for mental illness and a propensity towards criminal acts. It’s amazing to think about how far we’ve come medically and in mental health within the last 100 years.

I would recommend this book to regular fans of true crime. It’s pretty gruesome and graphic in parts, which wasn’t my favorite. And I got a little bored by the end, I think because it was a tad long-winded. But, overall a solid true crime book.

Like most Americans who are interested in true crime, I've heard the names Leopold and Loeb many times over the years. But I had no idea what they actually had done. So when I saw a new audiobook on the subject over on NetGalley, I grabbed it. And I'm so glad I did!

Nothing but the Night goes into great detail about the two men, the murder, the investigation and trial, and the aftermath but never reads like a text book. I was completely engaged the entire time I listened. And the narrator was damn near perfect as far as I'm concerned.

If you're a fan of true crime - whether you're familiar with the case or not - I definitely recommend Nothing but the Night.

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio ARC!

This book digs deep into the almost 100-year-old murderous partnership of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb and the subsequent death of Bobby Franks.

I didn't know a lot about this case before reading the book; this story is very detailed about the murder and trial of Leopold and Loeb, and also the history and friendship (I use "friendship" very loosely)between the two. The authors spend quite a bit of the book studying possible motivations and striving to find the truth behind the murder.

If you enjoy true crime, this is a book for you. Be warned that it is very detailed and at times graphic. This was just a three star for me, I think because it did feel repetitive at times as the authors took a deep dive into the case.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

Nothing but the Night chronicles the infamous Leopold and Loeb case, which I previously knew very little about. I now know much more about this case, thanks to the thorough and exhaustive work of the authors. The book was very insightful without being dull, and top-notch narration made it even better.

Thank you to NetGallery and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copy of this audio book. If you’re a fan of true crime drama, you will enjoy this updated story of Leopold and Loeb, the murderous duo from the early 20th century. The story of the murder they committed in 1924 has been around for almost 100 years, but this book brings a fresh look at the whys, their personal relationship, and the strategy of their defense team, lead by Clarence Darrow, to keep the duo from the gas chamber. Highly recommended to lovers of the true crime genre.