What do you think?
Rate this book
Fetch the Devil: The Sierra Diablo Murders and Nazi Espionage in America
In 1938, Hazel Frome, the wife of a powerful executive at Atlas Powder Company, a San Francisco explosives manufacturer, set out on a cross-country motor trip with her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Nancy. When their car broke down in El Paso, Texas, they made the most of being stranded by staying at a posh hotel and crossing the border to Juarez for shopping, dining, and drinking. A week later, their near-nude bodies were found in the Chihuahuan Desert. Though they had been seen on occasion with two mystery men, there were no clues as to why they had apparently been abducted, tortured for days, and shot execution style. El Paso sheriff Chris Fox, a lawman right out of central casting, engaged in a turf war with the Texas Rangers and local officials that hampered the investigation. But the victims’ detours had placed them in the path of a Nazi spy ring operating from the West Coast to Latin America through a deep-cover portal at El Paso. The sleeper cell was run by spymasters at the German consulate in San Francisco. In 1938, only the inner circle of the Roosevelt White House and a few FBI agents were aware of the extent to which German agents had infiltrated American industry. Fetch the Devil is the first narrative account of this still officially unsolved case. Based on long forgotten archives and recently declassified FBI files, Richmond paints a convincing portrait of a sheriff’s dogged investigation into a baffling murder, the international spy ring that orchestrated it, and America on the brink of another world war.
378 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
26 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Clint Richmond
11 books12 followersCLINT RICHMOND, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, has more than thirty years' professional experience as a nonfiction book author, newspaper reporter, and freelance magazine journalist. He has published on a wide range of topics, from domestic terrorism and true crime, to pop psychology and celebrity biography.
FETCH THE DEVIL: The Sierra Diablo Murders and Nazi Espionage in America is his 10th published nonfiction book (2014 by the University Press of New England's ForeEdge imprint).
His current books in print include a contemporary true crime, THE GOOD WIFE, and a Cold War espionage history, RED STAR ROGUE, coauthored with veteran submariner Ken Sewell.
His book SELENA (1995, Pocket Books) about the murder of the beloved Tejana singer, opened at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Prior to becoming a book author, Richmond (writing under the name Jerry Richmond) was an award-winning reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, one of Texas's leading metropolitan dailies of that time. He was on the team assigned to the visit of President Kennedy to Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Consequently, he was one of the key reporters to cover the assassination of the president, the capture of Lee Harvey Oswald, and the killing of Oswald. He was that paper's lead criminal courts reporter during the Jack Ruby murder trial.
Later, as a freelance journalist, he was a Rocky Mountain regional correspondent for People Weekly, and has contributed to numerous other magazines and major daily newspapers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 4, 2017
I found this to be a very interesting book about a double murder back in 1938 that happened during a road trip that 2 women were taking from the West coast to the East coast of the US. Hazel and Nancy Frome, a well to do mother and daughter, were headed from California to visit the other daughter who had recently married. But despite both women being experienced, well traveled women who were not afraid of going that far unescorted, they disappeared during the trip. They had both been to several countries during their travels and were very good drivers. Twenty-three year old Nancy, a recent college graduate, had been sick during the first part of the trip, but seemed to be on the mend at last.
The women's bodies were eventually found, they'd been brutally murdered and it appeared that they had also been tortured for some reason before being killed. Their luggage and trunks had also been searched thoroughly. The story of the search for answers to their deaths revolves around the local sheriff in El Paso, Texas, Chris P. Fox and his relentless hunt for the killers. His investigation becomes challenging early on over territorial jealousy issues, with several law enforcement agencies refusing to share information. They each wanted to solve it first and get the credit (or possibly blame). But Sheriff Fox doggedly stayed on it, eventually finding leads that took him to some very surprising information involving Nazi spies, a criminal running around different states posing as a medical doctor, and all sorts of unusual people doing nefarious things. The case remains unsolved to this day.
The women's bodies were eventually found, they'd been brutally murdered and it appeared that they had also been tortured for some reason before being killed. Their luggage and trunks had also been searched thoroughly. The story of the search for answers to their deaths revolves around the local sheriff in El Paso, Texas, Chris P. Fox and his relentless hunt for the killers. His investigation becomes challenging early on over territorial jealousy issues, with several law enforcement agencies refusing to share information. They each wanted to solve it first and get the credit (or possibly blame). But Sheriff Fox doggedly stayed on it, eventually finding leads that took him to some very surprising information involving Nazi spies, a criminal running around different states posing as a medical doctor, and all sorts of unusual people doing nefarious things. The case remains unsolved to this day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2022
Excellent book on the home front, a true crime story with German spies and the hunt for them from California to Texas. Rich in detail that brings the time period to life.
August 14, 2014
FETCH THE DEVIL deserves points for its studious research, a lot of it never before made public. This book reveals some of the extensive Nazi spy networks in America before World War II.
That must be the reason so many other reviews of this book rant and rave about how good it is. I, however, look for more than that. I want to enjoy what I read, not just find it interesting.
A page turner this is not. It reads like a report, even the descriptions of the mother and daughter and their mysterious murders.
Also, this reports more on the network of Nazis and their discovery and apprehension or escape than it does on the unsolved murder case and its investigation. That may disappoint you if you, like I did, expect a true crime story.
This book is a finished hardcopy that I won from Librarything.com.
That must be the reason so many other reviews of this book rant and rave about how good it is. I, however, look for more than that. I want to enjoy what I read, not just find it interesting.
A page turner this is not. It reads like a report, even the descriptions of the mother and daughter and their mysterious murders.
Also, this reports more on the network of Nazis and their discovery and apprehension or escape than it does on the unsolved murder case and its investigation. That may disappoint you if you, like I did, expect a true crime story.
This book is a finished hardcopy that I won from Librarything.com.
May 15, 2017
Unstinting research into one of West Texas' most baffling crimes
Like Devil in the White City, or a James Lee Burke novel come to life, this book is a can't-put-it-down masterpiece. The author re-examines the Frome murders in minute detail, finally giving his own, quite plausible, theory of the crime. Fetch the Devil joins a very short list of the best Texas true crime stories.
Like Devil in the White City, or a James Lee Burke novel come to life, this book is a can't-put-it-down masterpiece. The author re-examines the Frome murders in minute detail, finally giving his own, quite plausible, theory of the crime. Fetch the Devil joins a very short list of the best Texas true crime stories.
April 15, 2018
Lots of details, but a fascinating story. In a side note, I learned a lot of historical facts about events leading up to WW II. Again, the lack of cooperation between departments and government entities prolonged the solution, delayed justice, and frankly failed the victims of this horrible tragedy.
May 20, 2017
Very interesting work. The Frome family was one of which I knew very little, but the author does an excellent job of giving the full and complete picture of how the mysterious deaths were seemingly intertwined with the geo-political happenings of the time.
In four parts, the book has a logical flow. However, be prepared to give full attention to the details that begin to emerge with names, dates and places related to German spies and saboteurs.
For those with an interest in World War II history, or those who enjoy a mystery that has not been solved in nearly 80 years, you will hit the mark. Fortunately, those two genres are among my favorites to be read, so I progressed through the pages with a fair level of fascination.
In four parts, the book has a logical flow. However, be prepared to give full attention to the details that begin to emerge with names, dates and places related to German spies and saboteurs.
For those with an interest in World War II history, or those who enjoy a mystery that has not been solved in nearly 80 years, you will hit the mark. Fortunately, those two genres are among my favorites to be read, so I progressed through the pages with a fair level of fascination.
April 8, 2018
Great read
Interesting history about El Paso and unsolved case. The book is easy to read and keeps you entertained the whole way through.
Interesting history about El Paso and unsolved case. The book is easy to read and keeps you entertained the whole way through.
June 14, 2021
This is a remarkably good book. The author has done an amazing job piecing together this story.
And what a story.... an unsolved murder, Nazi spies, and America on the brink of World War II.
And what a story.... an unsolved murder, Nazi spies, and America on the brink of World War II.
March 7, 2023
The events surrounding these murders is the desert southwest in and around El Paso. Because I spent my life there, it grabbed my attention. Once the story drifted from the women and the investigation, I struggled. I felt that it contains minutiae about communist cells and operatives. It’s tragic that no one was ever held accountable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2014
This book was given to me as part of Goodreads' First Reads program.
In most true crime books, the perpetrator is caught and punished, and it wraps up very neatly. Not this one, although the author does advance a theory as to exactly what happened at the very end.
Two women (one of them a beautiful young woman) get murdered in 1930s Texas, and predictably the law enforcement community goes into overdrive to solve the murders. But the many agencies working on the case were unable to work together; it was almost like each agency felt that if they couldn't get the credit for solving the case, they didn't want anybody else to. Not only that, there was some incredibly blind police work.
What did the police miss? Well, the women were family to an executive of an explosives company. Considering the torture they endured, wouldn't it seem most likely there was some connection to that, rather than a simple robbery? But most of the police agencies involved pursued the case as a simple robbery-cum-murder, a crime of opportunity. Throughout the book, I couldn't believe that the police missed that absolutely huge factor.
The author's theory of the case takes that into account. In fact, while I won't reveal exactly what the author's theory of the case is, he's probably pretty accurate. I might disagree with him on a couple of points (fairly important regarding culpability, but not all that important in the grander scheme), but he's pretty close. He does have the advantage, however, of access to FBI counter-espionage files, which police agencies at the time would not have had.
In most true crime books, the perpetrator is caught and punished, and it wraps up very neatly. Not this one, although the author does advance a theory as to exactly what happened at the very end.
Two women (one of them a beautiful young woman) get murdered in 1930s Texas, and predictably the law enforcement community goes into overdrive to solve the murders. But the many agencies working on the case were unable to work together; it was almost like each agency felt that if they couldn't get the credit for solving the case, they didn't want anybody else to. Not only that, there was some incredibly blind police work.
What did the police miss? Well, the women were family to an executive of an explosives company. Considering the torture they endured, wouldn't it seem most likely there was some connection to that, rather than a simple robbery? But most of the police agencies involved pursued the case as a simple robbery-cum-murder, a crime of opportunity. Throughout the book, I couldn't believe that the police missed that absolutely huge factor.
The author's theory of the case takes that into account. In fact, while I won't reveal exactly what the author's theory of the case is, he's probably pretty accurate. I might disagree with him on a couple of points (fairly important regarding culpability, but not all that important in the grander scheme), but he's pretty close. He does have the advantage, however, of access to FBI counter-espionage files, which police agencies at the time would not have had.
January 21, 2016
Reading this made me wonder HOW DID ANYTHING EVER GET SOLVED in the old days? Seriously. Not just the constant internecine backbiting and case sabotage among law enforcement groups, but the insistence, the blind reliance upon the idea Only Bad People Do Bad Things so "rounding up the usual suspects" would solve every crime.
One Sheriff in this saga tried to do things differently, tried to share all information, tried to encourage cooperation, and did not receive the same courtesy, crippling his investigation. He was the only one to sense the larger shadows lurking behind this crime, but due to circumstance, politics, and other factors beyond his control he could never quite grasp them.
The author gives you his theory of the crime at the end but, as he's also provided all the evidence, you can arrive at your own conclusions. My own theory diverges from his and is considerably darker.
I also found the information on Nazi spying in the US -- I had no idea how frighteningly successful they were, especially at stealing US technological secrets -- both fascinating (WHOA HITCHCOCK'S SABOTEUR IS REAL) and frustrating (HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING). At points you want to wade into the story and slap people upside the head.
Can be a bit repetitive, sometimes a bit dry, but a solid story that engaged my emotions and enlightened me on multiple topics.
One Sheriff in this saga tried to do things differently, tried to share all information, tried to encourage cooperation, and did not receive the same courtesy, crippling his investigation. He was the only one to sense the larger shadows lurking behind this crime, but due to circumstance, politics, and other factors beyond his control he could never quite grasp them.
The author gives you his theory of the crime at the end but, as he's also provided all the evidence, you can arrive at your own conclusions. My own theory diverges from his and is considerably darker.
I also found the information on Nazi spying in the US -- I had no idea how frighteningly successful they were, especially at stealing US technological secrets -- both fascinating (WHOA HITCHCOCK'S SABOTEUR IS REAL) and frustrating (HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING). At points you want to wade into the story and slap people upside the head.
Can be a bit repetitive, sometimes a bit dry, but a solid story that engaged my emotions and enlightened me on multiple topics.
April 28, 2016
Hm... so I'm very mixed on this, and not sure how to describe it without giving anything away.
It's well researched, though I admit I had a moment of confusion on that when it was mentioned that the official files were destroyed without the author seeing them - but there is considerable footnotes and references so considerable material was archived in various places.
I admittedly never thought much about the presence of German or Russian spies the US or Mexico before (or during) World War II - so the specifics on the who, what, when and where on that is quite interesting.
Mr. Frome definitely knew more than he was saying... too bad he was never convinced to share that.
And there's an added element of interest in that there's are Bay Area links, as well as places in Texas that I know. And yet, I'd never heard of this story - though it is a bit before my time, so that's not surprising.
Like too many crimes - turf wars between agencies factor in here as well. And don't expect a neat bow on this one, though the author does put forward a well thought out theory.
It's well researched, though I admit I had a moment of confusion on that when it was mentioned that the official files were destroyed without the author seeing them - but there is considerable footnotes and references so considerable material was archived in various places.
I admittedly never thought much about the presence of German or Russian spies the US or Mexico before (or during) World War II - so the specifics on the who, what, when and where on that is quite interesting.
Mr. Frome definitely knew more than he was saying... too bad he was never convinced to share that.
And there's an added element of interest in that there's are Bay Area links, as well as places in Texas that I know. And yet, I'd never heard of this story - though it is a bit before my time, so that's not surprising.
Like too many crimes - turf wars between agencies factor in here as well. And don't expect a neat bow on this one, though the author does put forward a well thought out theory.
August 19, 2014
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This book presents the author's theory that the Frome murders were committed by members of a Nazi spy ring operating in the US. I hadn't head anything about the murders before reading this. The first part of the book reads like your average true crime book. This part I found quite boring, but that's probably because I'm not a true crime fan. The author does a very good job of constructing his theory connecting the spies to the murders. It seems like a very logical solution based on the evidence. I would have enjoyed this more if the author had focused more on the spies and their activities. I would recommend this to anyone who liked true crime or perhaps to WWII enthusiasts.
This book presents the author's theory that the Frome murders were committed by members of a Nazi spy ring operating in the US. I hadn't head anything about the murders before reading this. The first part of the book reads like your average true crime book. This part I found quite boring, but that's probably because I'm not a true crime fan. The author does a very good job of constructing his theory connecting the spies to the murders. It seems like a very logical solution based on the evidence. I would have enjoyed this more if the author had focused more on the spies and their activities. I would recommend this to anyone who liked true crime or perhaps to WWII enthusiasts.
July 29, 2016
I could not make it through this book. I tried, but I had to give up. The author did a lot of research and clearly worked very hard, but it is just not a great story for a full-length book. In order to make it sufficiently long, the author goes into excruciating detail about matters that are just not that interesting. In a summarized format, the story is actually pretty fascinating; it is about the unsolved murders of a mother and daughter in Texas in the 30s and their connection to a Nazi spy ring in America. It just did not hold my interest for the duration of the book, and I had to give up.
August 5, 2014
What most impressed me about this book is how well the author made the time period come alive. This book explores the still unsolved murders of two American women traveling alone through Southwest America, and how it is highly possible that their murders were not connected to drug cartels or highway robbery, as many originally believed, but instead to Nazi espionage right in America. The author really weaves in little known (at least to me) history of espionage in America leading up to World War II, and proposes a highly believable solution to the murders.
October 21, 2014
*** Won as part of a goodreads giveaway ***
This book could have been half the length. There were some interesting bursts but in between were tedious details and ramblings that did not add to the story. It is an interesting story and could have been very engaging if the authors best was shown throughout the book. I gave up about a third the way in.
This book could have been half the length. There were some interesting bursts but in between were tedious details and ramblings that did not add to the story. It is an interesting story and could have been very engaging if the authors best was shown throughout the book. I gave up about a third the way in.
Read
June 29, 2014This is as intriguing as any fictional mystery. Be sure to put aside a day or two to do nothing but read this book. If you are a local (El Paso) history buff, you're in for a treat. Most of you do not know about this chapter of local history, and will thank your lucky stars that someone saved some very important crime files.
October 10, 2014
I tried vainly to stay awake several nights in a row because I wanted to keep reading this book. The mystery remains unsolved, but I think the author's idea of what may have happened seems pretty realistic with the info he discovered in his research. It's a good true crime story with some unknown to me history of spies in the US prior to WWII.
June 3, 2015
For true-crime aficionados, a gem. A fascinating look at the depth and breadth of Axis spies in the Western US just before WWII, and how it might have resulted in the brutal torture and murder of two California socialites. Richmond stops short of sensationalism, and responsibly separates his own theory from the facts.
May 2, 2015
True crime is not my favorite genre, but I was inspired to read this by a library patron who said there was Nazi espionage in El Paso, Texas during World War II. No spoilers here, but the case was drawn out over time because of squabbles over turf by various law enforcement agencies, and that was a little boring.
June 20, 2014
Very interesting story of a long forgotten double murder and an unlikely connection with Nazi agents in the prelude to World War Two. Well written and detailed account that would be of interest to true crime enthusiasts.
November 9, 2014
I was really excited as I started this book. But, it finally got to a point that I just wanted it over. The case was never solved and a lot of it was conjecture. It was interesting about a major Nazi spy ring in the US. It is not a book I would read a second time.
January 29, 2016
An edge-of-your-seat thriller
Truth is stranger than fiction. This bit of history was unknown to me, and I will never forget it. It is a haunting tale, like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You wish you could reach out and stop it from happening. Well written.
Truth is stranger than fiction. This bit of history was unknown to me, and I will never forget it. It is a haunting tale, like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You wish you could reach out and stop it from happening. Well written.
February 5, 2016
Perfect Who-/Why-/How-dunit
Excellent piece of history that is a real page turner. The author's ideas of what happened make sense. I would recommend this book to anyone:
·Looking for a good read
·Likes mysteries
·Likes true crime
·Is a World War II buff
Excellent piece of history that is a real page turner. The author's ideas of what happened make sense. I would recommend this book to anyone:
·Looking for a good read
·Likes mysteries
·Likes true crime
·Is a World War II buff
March 16, 2016
Nonfiction is different for me, as it is slower going and the ending may not be what you like, or there may not be a conclusion. An interesting subject that I knew little about before I read this book.
July 15, 2014
Extremely interesting, and the author poses an extremely plausible explanation of the events of what will always remain an unsolved crime.
July 22, 2014
In short: It reminds me of my favorite non-fiction author, Erik Larson and that is mighty high praise coming from me.
February 8, 2016
Good read
If you like true crime,this book is a good read. Well researched and written and very educational .I would recommend this book
If you like true crime,this book is a good read. Well researched and written and very educational .I would recommend this book
April 9, 2017
A second rate fantasy based on a Freedom of Information Act request and with the help of death of most witnesses by the time the investigation started.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews