Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest (Paperback)

by Gregg Olsen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The setting is a forested wilderness in the Northwest, circa 1911. The villain is a tall, egotistical woman doctor with an imposing jawline and a fierce will to dominate others. The victims are two wealthy English sisters, gullible health faddists after the fashion of those who flocked to Dr. Kellogg's sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. But unlike Dr. Kellogg's comparatively gentle method of diet plus enemas, Dr. Hazzard's method was to literally starve her patients to death--and then defraud them of their valuables. Acclaimed true-crime writer Jack Olsen calls this book, "a literary and journalistic achievement of the highest order," and says, "Gregg Olsen reinforces his standing as one of America's greatest crime reporters, evoking the early twentieth century with a master's touch. No reader will ever forget Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard and her sadistic technique of mass murder by starvation." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
“A fascinating turn-of-the-century story of medical malpractice and murder. If you liked The Alienist, you'll find Starvation Heights all the more gripping because this story is true.” —Michael Connelly

“An engrossing and compelling look at a shocking crime in another era. Olsen’s deft touch takes us back to the early 1900s so cleverly that reading Starvation Heights is akin to stepping into a time machine.” —Ann Rule

“An account of real-life villainry that outdoes anything a novelist might concoct.” —Les Standiford, author of Meet You in Hell



From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (May 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400097460
• ISBN-13: 978-1400097463
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,967 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing, August 12, 2005

By	Margaretta P. Tavers "prissy" (Cape Cod, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This true crime is not your usual blood and gore but the detailed lives of two sisters caught in a web of lies, deceit and murder. The author makes all of the principal characters interesting and compelling and I felt that I was there rooting for the good guys to win. Absolutely wonderful, terrific read, can't put it down. Totally compelling. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be quiet for a few days.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy story!, June 15, 2005

By	J. P. Timlin (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sorry Vicki,

I didn't mean it.

Real life is more horrifying then fiction, and this story is proof of it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STARVED TO DEATH..., July 17, 2006

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This well-crafted book is a fine example of investigative reporting at its best. Taking events from nearly a hundred years ago, the author makes the story come alive for readers of today. Those who like the true crime genre will especially enjoy this book about a bizarre murder.

In Olalla, Washington, in 1911, Claire and Dora Williamson, two wealthy British sisters on holiday in the United States, were bamboozled by a Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard, who sold them on the idea of fasting as a cure for their minor ailments. The two sisters enthusiastically adopted the doctor's solution, and therein the groundwork was laid for the tragic events that were to unfold. Although Claire was more gung-ho than Dora on the idea of fasting as a way to better health, where one sister led, the other was sure to follow, as they were so close.

The sisters underwent the doctor's restrictive dietary regimen, becoming wraiths of their former selves in the process, and the treatments that they received at the hands of the doctor were brutal. Trapped and isolated in the doctor's sanitarium, which was located in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, the sisters were at the mercy of the doctor. Although a secret cry for help was sent to a faithful family retainer, for one of the sisters help would arrive too late.

The author describes the efforts that were made to bring this so-called doctor to justice. It was interesting to discover that the doctor had no medical training but was licensed by the state of Washington to practice as an osteopath. Moreover, so skeletal would her patients become that the local yokels would refer to the doctor's sanitarium as "Starvation Heights". It is little wonder that a number of the patients died, usually the wealthy ones. So, the sisters were not the only victims of this "doctor's" hubris, chutzpah, and greed. It would be the surviving sister, however, who would ensure that this did not happen to anyone else, ever again.

The book is certainly well-researched, and the author paints a compelling picture of a bygone era and the pure quackery that passed as medical know-how. He also paints vivid portraits of those who were to play a part in the rise and fall of Linda Burfield Hazzard. Those readers who are interested in the true crime genre will find themselves compulsively turning the pages of this well-written book.