REVIEW: The Brick Slayer

The Brick Slayer
Author: Harold Schechter

In 1937, Los Angeles was terrorized by a killer wielding a brick. Five women were killed. Their heads smashed in. In 1938, similar attacks started in Chicago. Robert Nixon was arrested following a double murder because he had blood on his clothes and scratches on his hands. The young black man was vilified in the press, called the "Brick Moron'' and described in blatantly racist terms. Nixon was also abused, beaten and threatened while in custody. He was held for a full two weeks without counsel facing constant threats and interrogation by police, until he confessed to multiple crimes. Was he a thief and criminal? Yes. Did he the brutal murders he was charged with? Probably. But he should never have been brutalized, depicted in the press as being like a "jungle animal'' and held without charge or representation. This case was used as the basis for Robert Wright's novel, Native Son.

The Brick Slayer is about the killings in Los Angeles and Chicago that Nixon was executed for. Schechter presents the facts about the killings and the treatment of Nixon while in custody. The story was well presented, but difficult to listen to just because of the nature of the murders and the horrible treatment of Nixon.

I listened to the audio book version of this story. The audio lasts just under an hour and is narrated by Steven Weber. Weber reads at a nice even pace and is easily understandable. I have partial hearing loss but was easily able to hear and understand the entire novella. The Brick Slayer is 4th story in the Bloodlands Collection from Audible/Amazon Originals. The collection presents six true crime stories from the past, all written by Schechter.

The Brick Slayer was by far the most brutal story in the collection so far. Not just because of the murders, but also because of the aftermath. Nixon was abused horribly while in custody and then faced an all-white jury. In no way did he have a fair trial. Even if he was guilty of all the murders he confessed to, he still deserved to be treated according to the law and as a human being. Made me sick to my stomach. This is the first time I had heard of this case....I'm glad I listened to this story, even though it was rough to hear.

Schechter is the author of several true crime novels. After listening to the Bloodlands Collection, I will definitely be checking out his other novels.