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Mystery Reading Group

Event Type: Book Discussion
Age Group(s): Adults
Date: 2/11/2019
Start Time: 6:30 PM
End Time: 8:00 PM
Description:
 Do you enjoy reading "who-done-its" whether they are courtroom thrillers or cozies? Want to discuss these books with other mystery lovers & discover new authors? Join the Mystery Reading Group. The group will be discussing "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann. Funded by the Fountain Hills Friends of the Library.
Library: Fountain Hills Branch    Library location
Location: Conference Room
Other Information:
 In the 1920s, the richest people per capita were members of the Osage Nation. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured cars, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. It was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances. Many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.

As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

Discussion Questions:
1. What do the contemporary media reports on the wealth & lifestyle of the Osage reflect about white perceptions of Native Americans (p6–7; p76–77)? In what way do they lay a foundation for the way the murders & mysterious deaths were treated by law enforcement?
2. What was your first impression of William Hale(p17)? How does Grann bring to life his strengths & appeal, as well as the darker side of his nature? What qualities does he share with people who achieve power & influence today?
3. How did you respond to the description of law enforcement in America during the 1920s (p19)? What elements shocked or surprised you? What made the situation in Osage County chaotic? What effect did this have on the investigations into the deaths of Anna Brown & Charles Whitehorn?
4. What does Grann’s account of the relationship between the US government & Native Americans contribute to your understanding of the country’s history(p37–44)? How did government policies affect individuals like Mollie & her family? What does Grann capture in his description of Lizzie’s death: “Lizzie’s spirit had been claimed by Jesus Christ, the Lord & Savior, & by Wah’Kon-Tah, the Great Mystery” (p36)?
5. Discuss the circumstances that distinguished the Osage from other Native American tribes, including the actions taken by tribal leaders early in the century; the influx of white settlers & oil prospectors; the granting of headrights; & the guardianship system(p78–80).
6. What is the significance of the murder of Barney McBride, the oilman who went to Washington to seek help for the Osage(p68) & of W.W. Vaughan, the attorney who worked with private detectives investigating the murders(p93–4)?
7. What does Grann’s portrait convey about J. Edgar Hoover? What traits stand out & what do they foretell about Hoover’s future as director of the FBI?
8. In what ways does Tom White combine the qualities of the Old West & of the modern bureaucratic system Hoover is trying to create? How does this influence the steps he takes in investigating the murders? How do the various views of White, including the stories of his childhood & his work as a Texas Ranger(p137–153), shape your impressions of him? Would you define him as the hero of the book?
9. How were manufactured evidence, suborned testimony, & false confessions used to divert the FBI investigation? What role did independently hired private eyes & informants play in the search for truth?
10. The crimes in Osage County involved many levels of deception & betrayal. In addition to the actual conspirators, who else either directly profited from the crimes or was silently complicit in them? In what ways did accepted mores encourage the corruption that plagued the investigation?
11. What role did new methods of criminal investigation play in uncovering the guilty parties? In addition to introducing up-to-date forensic science, how did Hoover use the case to transform the Bureau of Investigation & simultaneously enhance his own image?
12. During Hale’s trial, a member of the Osage tribe said, “It is a question in my mind whether this jury is considering a murder case or not. The question for them to decide is whether a white man killing an Osage is murder—or merely cruelty to animals”(p215). Why does this observation resonate beyond the immediate circumstances?
13. Perhaps the most chilling aspect of Killers of the Flower Moon is the marital & familial connections between murderers & their victims. What explains Ernest Burkhart’s actions even as he remained married to & had children with Mollie? How does Grann bring to life the particular horror of crimes committed within a family & a close-knit community?
14. What does the evidence Grann uncovered when he visited Osage County in 2012 reveal about the lasting legacy of the “Reign of Terror”?

Are there recent examples of racial prejudice & injustice that parallel those described in the book? What has changed about the approach taken by law enforcement? How have things remained the same?
Status: Closed