The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright

The True Story of Mass Murder in Paradise

By: Casey Sherman

Narrator: Justin Price

Sourcebooks

ISBN: 9781464241895

Publisher: Sourcebooks non-fiction

Publication Date: 06/09/2026

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)

JUN 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

The scandal. The genius. The murder that shocked America.

Frank Lloyd Wright was more than the mind behind America's most iconic buildings—he was a man whose turbulent private life captivated a nation. The famous architect's stormy marriage to Kitty Wright and his infamous affair with another woman, Mamah Borthwick, ignited one of the country's first celebrity scandals, splashed across headlines from coast to coast.

Then, in August 1914, scandal turned to horror. A tragedy at Taliesin, the Wisconsin home Wright built as a monument to love, shook the very foundation of Wright's life—and catapulted him back to the front pages of newspapers across the country as readers clamored for glimpses of his very darkest moments.

In The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright, New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman delves beyond the myth of Wright's genius to reveal a man of relentless ambition, consuming passion, and devastating loss. With haunting intimacy and propulsive storytelling, Sherman delivers a portrait of an artist who could not escape the shadows of his own making—and who rose, again and again, from the ashes.

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My Review

A gripping, cinematic 1910s historical true-crime masterclass.

"A meticulous, deeply atmospheric narrative that pairs a legendary architect's personal scandal with the chilling urgency of an investigative podcast."

In THE KILLER AND FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, bestselling author Casey Sherman departs from standard biographical texts to deliver a deeply haunting, Edwardian-era true-crime thriller mystery. The story hinges on a towering creative genius whose scandalous romantic choices indirectly put a mass murderer inside his own home. Genius vs. homegrown monster.

Elevator Pitch

The tragic true story of the notorious 1914 massacre at Frank Lloyd Wright’s secluded Wisconsin estate, chronicling how America’s most brilliant architect overcame devastating personal tragedy and societal exile to achieve architectural immortality.

Setting

The early 1900s, moving from bustling Chicago streets to the rolling hills of Spring Green, Wisconsin. The centerpiece is Taliesin, a secluded estate designed as a monument to love and sanctuary, which ultimately turned into a gruesome crime scene.

Vibe

Cinematic, suspenseful, and haunting. It blends the rigid social expectations of the Edwardian era with the slow-burning dread of a high-end investigative podcast.

Genre

Nonfiction / Historical True Crime / Biographical Drama.

Themes

~The High Cost of Genius

~Societal Hypocrisy

~Female Agency

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT: THE ARCHITECT OF OBSESSION

Turning personal tragedy into a crucible for creative survival.

Standout Characters

~Frank Lloyd Wright:

The protagonist, brilliant, unapologetically ambitious, and deeply flawed, whose massive ego is shown alongside his architectural brilliance.

~Mamah Borthwick:

Wright’s partner, an independent, intellectual, and trailblazing feminist given true agency away from the shadow of being a "mistress."

Author Writing Standout

Sherman’s background in high-end investigative journalism shines through in his meticulous, highly cinematic pacing. He avoids dry historical text, writing the everyday logistics of early 20th-century life and the harrowing timeline of the Taliesin massacre with striking, tactile realism.

Takeaway

Great art often requires the crucible of profound loss; while tragedy can shatter a paradise from the outside, a true creator will use the ghosts of the past to build their greatest triumphs.

Title Significance

The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright act as a stark acknowledgment of a dark chapter in American history. It represents the intersection of Wright's lifestyle choices and the media's obsession with his scandals, hinting that his desire to escape society inadvertently drew a deadly threat into his inner sanctuary.

Metaphor

Wright’s estate, Taliesin, serves as the central metaphor of the book. It represents a physical manifestation of his paradise and creative ego that was violently shattered, only to become the foundation from which he repeatedly rose from the ashes.

Why You Should Read

Read this if you are a fan of cinematic, investigative historical non-fiction like The Devil in the White City, or if you want an atmospheric true-crime story that exposes the raw, human cost behind one of America's greatest architectural legends.

My Thoughts

The narrative succeeds beautifully in building historical tension. The 1900s timeline is perfectly captured—not just in its aesthetics, but in the sharp contrast between rigid Chicago society and the isolated freedom of Wisconsin. Wright is an unforgettable, unvarnished lead, while the focus on Mamah’s intellectual independence is deeply refreshing. A masterfully executed, high-stakes timeline.

Verdict: 5 / 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"An engrossing, beautifully researched historical true-crime hybrid that seamlessly balances human drama with a horrific American tragedy."

Recs

~The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson (for the rich historical atmosphere and true-crime depth)

~ Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders Author: William R. Drennan December, 2008 by William R. Drennan

~Loving Frank by Nancy Horan is a bestselling biographical fiction book that approaches the same tragedy from a personal angle.

Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 5 Stars

Pub Date: June 9, 2026

June 2026 Must-Read Books

June Newsletter

Praise

"Casey Sherman maps the human trail between genius and catastrophe. The reporting is exacting, the storytelling propulsive. Along the way we get Wright unvarnished: charm, ego, scandal, and the choices that put a killer in his house. This is true history with the snap of a thriller. As an armchair architecture enthusiast, even one who has visited Taliesin, I thought I knew a lot about this story, but I turned the last page seeing Wright, and the tragedies that shadowed him, anew. Haunting."

― Laurie Gwen Shapiro, author of The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage That Made an American Icon

"The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright is the wildest of wild rides! In Sherman's capable hands we see all aspects of this tragic story beautifully told: the love, the anguish, the blood, the fire, and the brilliance of one of America's most iconic and gifted architects. Fans of history and true crime will rejoice!"

― Kristin Dilley, co-host, Mind Over Murder Podcast

"Only Casey Sherman could have captured the scope, the intimacy, the passion and the tragedy of Frank Lloyd Wright. This book is of literary and historical importance―full of suspense and fascinating details, it also reads like a riveting, cinematic novel. It will blow you away!"

― Laurent Bouzereau, director, HBO's Faye and JAWS @ 50

"Sherman exhibits both a novelist’s sense of pace and a reporter’s eye for detail in this arresting true crime narrative of great passion and great tragedy. It’s a heartbreaker."

― Publisher’s Weekly

"Highlighting a nearly forgotten event in Wright’s life, this account of the Taliesin murders will appeal to general and true crime readers."

― Library Journal

"Spellbinding and gratifyingly substantive history."

― Kirkus

About the Author

Casey Sherman is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today & Boston Globe Bestselling Author of 17 books including “The Finest Hours” (now a major Walt Disney Studio motion picture starring Chris Pine & Casey Affleck), and “Patriots Day” (now an acclaimed motion picture from CBS Films starring Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Bacon). Sherman’s 2023 true crime bestseller “Helltown,” is now in development as a limited television series for Amazon Studio. Sherman will serve as Executive Producer on the project, which is slated to star Oscar Isaac (“Dune”), with director Edward Berger (Netflix – “All is Quiet on the Western Front”), and produced by Team Downey (Robert Downey, Jr. & Susan Downey - HBO’s “Perry Mason”). Sherman’s other books include James Patterson’s “The Last Days of John Lennon,” which spent more than 23 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, “12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption,” and “Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of The Capture & Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss. Sherman has appeared on more than 100 television and radio programs and is a contributing writer for TIME Magazine, Esquire, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Boston Magazine and the Boston Herald. INSTAGRAM