All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas
The Benders are the very definition of a dysfunctional family – a condition fatal to those who cross their path. In 1871, matriarch Elvira travels to Kansas with her daughter, Kate. There’s no love lost between the two: though Elvira’s temper is formidable, Kate’s attractive exterior belies pervasive rot beneath. The family is forced to migrate because Kate has already killed…and is itching to do so again. Elvira wants to offload her daughter but is loath to lose a meal ticket. They arrive in Kansas to find Elvira’s husband, William, and stepson, John, have not prospered. The men were meant to homestead, but to make ends meet the ramshackle cabin must also serve as waystation for those heading West on the Great Osage Trail. These unlucky travelers prove irresistible as victims for a number of reasons – Kate enjoys killing for the thrill of it; John lusts after his stepsister, resulting in murderous jealousy towards those the shameless Kate entices; and both William and Elvira are willing to get their hands bloody for money. The nearby town of Cherryvale is home to a number of spiritualists, which Kate exploits in her goal of becoming a celebrated (rich) medium. But when so many travelers go missing, the truth must eventually out.
Bruce is no newcomer to reimagining true crime (e.g., In the Garden of Spite), and in the Bloody Benders, she’s got fascinating source material from which to work. Characterization is strong, enhanced by multiple narrative perspectives – Kate, her “Ma,” and Hanson, a young neighbor whose unease grows the more contact with the Benders he has. This is a taut tale whose enjoyment lies in the desire to see exactly how quickly, how bad, and how far this murderous family will go off the rails. (Spoiler alert: immediately, very bad, and very far.)
