The Devil's Tickets: A Vengeful Wife, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age by Gary M. Pomerantz opens in 1929, Kansas City, with a seemingly ordinary evening that turns deadly. Myrtle and Jack Bennett invite another couple over to play Bridge, a popular card game of the time. During the competitive match, Myrtle complains about Jack’s poor gameplay, prompting him to slap her and announce he’s leaving. Moments later, in a shocking act of violence, Myrtle shoots and kills her husband. What follows is a sensational murder trial in which Myrtle Bennett is represented by none other than James A. Reed, a former U.S. Senator and one-time Democratic presidential candidate.
I won a copy of The Devil's Tickets through Goodreads.com’s First Reads Giveaway. Entering the giveaway, I was drawn to the book because the premise sounded intriguing ... a story of murder, high-stakes card games, and a courtroom drama with a political twist. I was ecstatic when I found out I had actually won a copy.
However, reading the book was a different experience than I expected. While I enjoy non-fiction, particularly well-written accounts of historical events, The Devil's Tickets struggled to hold my interest. Rather than feeling like a gripping true-crime story, it read more like a textbook. Painfully slow and dense, the narrative often got lost in tangential details rather than focusing on the murder, the trial, and the societal context surrounding the events.
One of the book’s main weaknesses is its disproportionate focus on the card game Bridge. Knowing that the murder occurred during a game, I expected some background on the game itself, but Pomerantz goes much further. The book delves deeply into Ely Culbertson, a Russian bridge master who transformed Bridge into what he called an “ultimate battle of wits between men and women.” While interesting, this diversion often overshadowed the central story, leaving the reader with less understanding of Myrtle Bennett, Jack Bennett, and the murder trial.
What I did find intriguing was James A. Reed’s involvement. As a senator, attorney, and one-time Democratic presidential candidate, Reed had close ties to prominent figures like William Randolph Hearst and Henry Ford. It seems unusual that someone so connected to wealth and power would take on a murder case like Myrtle Bennett’s. This aspect of the story made me curious to learn more about Reed himself, and I’m considering looking for biographies or historical accounts that cover his life in more depth.
Despite these interesting elements, I cannot recommend The Devil's Tickets: A Vengeful Wife, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age. For me, the pacing, heavy emphasis on Bridge, and textbook-like style made the book a challenging and ultimately unenjoyable read. On Goodreads, I rated it 1 out of 5 stars, reflecting my disappointment with how the story was presented.
If you’re looking for a gripping true-crime book with a strong focus on the murder and trial, this may not be the right pick. However, if you’re fascinated by early 20th-century Bridge culture or historical figures like James A. Reed, you may find some value in Pomerantz’s detailed research.
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