The Donnellys

A story made all the more shocking because it's true.

In 1880, an organized mob of the Donnellys' enemies murder four family members and burn their house to the ground. Another sibling is shot to death in a house a short distance away. William Donnelly and a teenage boy are the only witnesses to the murders.

The surviving family members seek justice through the local courts but quickly learn that their enemies control the jury and the press. Two sensational trials follow that make national and international headlines as the Donnellys continue to pursue justice for their murdered parents, siblings and cousin.

Behind the scenes, political factors are at play, as Oliver Mowat, the Premier/Attorney General of the province of Ontario, fearing the backlash a conviction would render, gradually withdraws support from the prosecution of the killers. After the trials, the Donnelly's enemies continue their crusade against the family, paying off potential witnesses to the murders and fabricating one last set of charges that they hope will put the remaining Donnellys away forever.

Sales and Market Bullets

• The Donnelly story has been likened to Peaky Blinders meets Sons of Anarchy, as it deals with a violent family living in violent times. Like Peaky Blinders, the story follows the rise and murderous fall of a family of tough, hardened people - from the matriarch of the family, down through her seven sons and one daughter. Like Sons of Anarchy, the family is fiercely loyal to one another - against all rival groups, including the local constabulary and religious institutions.
• NBC produced a drama television series titled The Black Donnellys in 2007 based on the life story of the Donnelly family in Lucan, Ontario. The series is still available to view on Amazon Prime and NBC.com.
• For readers of Charlotte Gray's Murdered Midas and The Massey Murder.
• John Little visited the actual locations of where the drama played out: the plot of land upon which the Donnelly family was murdered, the cemetery where the family is buried, and the schoolhouse that played such an integral part of the plot.
• Many accounts of the Donnellys massacre have been written. What sets John Little's apart is the comprehensive look at the time both before and after the massacre, making it the most complete history of the Donnelly family on the market.

Audience

• Readers of Billionaire Murders
• Canadian true crime buffs
• People interested in regional history