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Helter Skelter

The True Story of the Manson Murders

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About this listen

Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.

©1974 Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi, Afterword 1994 by Vincent Bugliosi (P)2011 Audible, Inc. Murder Social Sciences True Crime World Crime Exciting Scary Thought-Provoking Fiction

Critic reviews

“One of the best crime stories ever written.” (Chicago Sun-Times)
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Most relevant

Would you consider the audio edition of Helter Skelter to be better than the print version?

In both print and on audio the book becomes more and more engrossing as it develops. It's length makes the audio version preferable for a second reading. There is so much detail only an unabridged version is acceptable.

What did you like best about this story?

The detail of the story, what might be described as the boring work of detection that a fiction thriller would leave out is the most compelling aspect of the story. Detectives, as they say, 'work the case' and in Helter Skelter it's clear what this really means. There's also a sense of people reacting to a murder in different ways,creating their own version of events when they don't know the truth, being unable to see the truth, because they have created their own narrative of the crime. What comes through step by step is the sense of evil: of people being able to decide and plan and want to murder, and to believe they have the right to murder. The facts of the case are famous, but the detail is what makes an engrosssing and morally insightful story.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I recognize the name Scott Brick, but don't track my audio books by performance. Brick's reading is slow and steady and clear. Some might say that this is not dramatic enough, but it would be a betrayal of the book to give it an over-dramatic reading. Brick also avoids any sort of accents or performance for the dialogue, which is also the right approach.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I read the book in print many years ago and decided to revisit it in audio. At 26 hours its not a book for a single sitting. Its a book I will listen to for an hour and then leave for some time, treating it more like a serial than single story. 26 parts is a long tale. Also there are a lot of people and events. Its more involving to mull over events, rather than consume them at one gulp. The book is structured to move slowly towards the killers, chronologically, this does work as a dramatic device. The public history means that you know who will be convicted, but the book recreates this process, giving you a sense that how things turned out were not always inevitable and clear.

Any additional comments?

A book like Donna Tartt's The Secret History, a fictional crime story, is lauded as a literary work, and this is justified. There's always some sense that a true crime story is more sensationalist and morally tawdry compared to true literature. There is badly written true crime, but Helter Skelter is written with the detail and diligence that makes it a great book. It's a social novel, about people who lived and worked in Hollywood in the sixties and a study of a 'cult'. Both these topics are often treated superficially, but in working from the facts, using the development as the investigation as an insight into the people, their motives and personality become understood.

Evil: Step by Step

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I loved this audio book. Being a novice crime buff, I'd heard of Charles Manson, but never really knew what had happened. This book opened up to me what he was accused of and how it was purported that he committed the murders.

Well read and we'll written, I was never bored whilst listening.

Very interesting

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If you could sum up Helter Skelter in three words, what would they be?

If was fiction it would be way too far fetched

What did you like best about this story?

Absolutely everything, I have listened to it several times, totally riveting

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

Very good, perhaps the best narrator I have heard on Audible

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

For me this was the only option, you just can't stop

Any additional comments?

Just get it

The best story I've ever listened to

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Absolutely loved this book packed full of information. Once I started it i couldnt stop.

Interesting

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Great book! The large red title, on the cover, set against a black background, with its promised association with the macabre use of it in the content, would, I feel, have been a strong selling point for the book, print or audible. Yet the same title, if one had been unaware of its association here and if it was presented with a more cheerful colour scheme, would be well suited to a zany fast paced musical: More uplifting, anyway. Titles certainly can sell.

Title + Content match

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