--- product_id: 51695238 title: "The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer" price: "110.29 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/51695238-the-midnight-assassin-the-hunt-for-americas-first-serial-killer store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer **Price:** 110.29 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer - **How much does it cost?** 110.29 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/51695238-the-midnight-assassin-the-hunt-for-americas-first-serial-killer) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer [Hollandsworth, Skip] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer Review: Compelling - When I was a teenager, I devoured the first of several books I’ve read about the infamous Lizzie Borden (“Lizzie Borden took an ax, gave her mother forty whacks; when she saw what she had done, gave her father forty-one.”) I became fascinated with true-murder stories, and over the years I’ve read several. Perhaps as I matured, my thirst for murder, thank goodness, lessened, so it has been quite a while since I delved into true crime. But when I heard about Skip Hollandsworth’s The Midnight Assassin, I knew I had to read it. It has one of the things I like in a book: a compelling story set in Texas, my home state. Hollandsworth’s book is compelling, indeed. He spent hours and hours perusing old news stories, interviewing descendants, and peering over vintage photographs to piece together the story of the first serial killings in the US. We find, in the epilogue, that the author became so engrossed in his research that he had an overwhelming desire to solve these murders from well over a century ago. I won’t tell you if he did or not, for that would spoil the hunt. Hollandsworth, a journalist, does not just relate the murders, however. He also “sets the scene,” giving us copious details about Austin, Texas, at the time of the murders. And his writing style is far from cold journalism. While leading up to yet another murder, the author regales the good times, the calm, the everyday living going on in the town, and then he whops us with a two sentence chapter ending that sets us smack in the middle of yet another killing. And what makes this technique even more compelling is that not every chapter that utitilizes the “fun times” narrative ends with a gruesome murder, so we, the readers, are constantly wondering if he is leading up to another horrific crime or not. And along the way, we are treated to tales of the politicians, the lawmen, the doctors, the servants, the prominent citizens, and the blunders that made Austin the town it was in the late eighteen hundreds. This is fascinating journalism and fascinating story-telling. Review: Excellent narrative take you back in time - Skip Hollandsworth does an excellent job of taking you back in time to the late 1800s in Austin, Texas as a serial killer terrorizes the city. Layered with details about what was happening in Austin at the time the story comes to life as the citizens and lawmen hunt the murderer. The story ultimately covers years as the search and theories evolve. Most interesting was the timing of the murders, which happened around the time of the Ripper in London and HH Holmes in Chicago (Devil in the White City). Not that there was a connection with those, but the speculation is there and an interesting historical side note. Well done and would be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys reading true crime stories. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #373,584 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #47 in Serial Killers True Accounts #129 in U.S. State & Local History | | Customer Reviews | 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (1,398) | | Dimensions | 5.55 x 0.85 x 8.3 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 1250118492 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1250118493 | | Item Weight | 9.6 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 336 pages | | Publication date | April 11, 2017 | | Publisher | Picador | ## Images ![The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81FAsZEH9-L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Compelling *by R***S on April 10, 2018* When I was a teenager, I devoured the first of several books I’ve read about the infamous Lizzie Borden (“Lizzie Borden took an ax, gave her mother forty whacks; when she saw what she had done, gave her father forty-one.”) I became fascinated with true-murder stories, and over the years I’ve read several. Perhaps as I matured, my thirst for murder, thank goodness, lessened, so it has been quite a while since I delved into true crime. But when I heard about Skip Hollandsworth’s The Midnight Assassin, I knew I had to read it. It has one of the things I like in a book: a compelling story set in Texas, my home state. Hollandsworth’s book is compelling, indeed. He spent hours and hours perusing old news stories, interviewing descendants, and peering over vintage photographs to piece together the story of the first serial killings in the US. We find, in the epilogue, that the author became so engrossed in his research that he had an overwhelming desire to solve these murders from well over a century ago. I won’t tell you if he did or not, for that would spoil the hunt. Hollandsworth, a journalist, does not just relate the murders, however. He also “sets the scene,” giving us copious details about Austin, Texas, at the time of the murders. And his writing style is far from cold journalism. While leading up to yet another murder, the author regales the good times, the calm, the everyday living going on in the town, and then he whops us with a two sentence chapter ending that sets us smack in the middle of yet another killing. And what makes this technique even more compelling is that not every chapter that utitilizes the “fun times” narrative ends with a gruesome murder, so we, the readers, are constantly wondering if he is leading up to another horrific crime or not. And along the way, we are treated to tales of the politicians, the lawmen, the doctors, the servants, the prominent citizens, and the blunders that made Austin the town it was in the late eighteen hundreds. This is fascinating journalism and fascinating story-telling. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent narrative take you back in time *by A***S on July 31, 2017* Skip Hollandsworth does an excellent job of taking you back in time to the late 1800s in Austin, Texas as a serial killer terrorizes the city. Layered with details about what was happening in Austin at the time the story comes to life as the citizens and lawmen hunt the murderer. The story ultimately covers years as the search and theories evolve. Most interesting was the timing of the murders, which happened around the time of the Ripper in London and HH Holmes in Chicago (Devil in the White City). Not that there was a connection with those, but the speculation is there and an interesting historical side note. Well done and would be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys reading true crime stories. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Meh to the murder info, thumbs up to the historical information *by S***R on February 22, 2025* Lot's of colorful Austin history and political drama, but not so much on the actual murders. I did not like that there was only speculation and no resolution. The one thing they said at the beginning somewhere was that once so and so was locked up there were no more killings. Not sure why they said that if it was not going to be elaborated upon. Also, the tie to Jack the Ripper was nonsense. Why would a killer all of a sudden change his tool of choice. Didn't they have axes in England at that time? I learned some things about Austin and it's history and I verified many of the facts stated in the book. So as a learning experience about a town in its infancy, it was good. But it was 90% history of the city vs around 10% facts about the murders. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer - The Servant Girl Murders: Austin, Texas 1885 --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/51695238-the-midnight-assassin-the-hunt-for-americas-first-serial-killer](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/51695238-the-midnight-assassin-the-hunt-for-americas-first-serial-killer) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-06-17*