Evil Obsession: The Annie Cook Story

I have heard many rumors about Annie Cook and her muderouse ways. No one understood the extent of Annie's power that I have heard said about her. I am a victem of domestic violence. I understand how a person can be raped of their will and their soul. This story was so well written it made me embark on a year long investigation of my own. I uesd the directions in the book for the yard sale after Annie died. I found the Cook Farm. Thanks for adding that. The farm has changed. But the barn in the picture of Annie you added in the book is still there. And it looks the same.So is the chicken coops with the bungalo. I found Lizzy, Mary and her husband in the North Platte Cemetery. I was so moved to see that these are real people. I work on genelogy,it is my passion. So I looked the Cook family up in the 1920's census. And Mary is listed as a hired hand! Is this the way Annie got back at her family? Or was Mary a Tax wright off? Lord ,Annie can discust me from her grave. I take my hat off to you Nellie.I could not have listened to the story. I had a hard time reading it. That should let you know It is a very good book1

This book is a real page turner. I live about 80 miles south of where her farm was and I had never heard of her. Its hard to think that someone like this could do the things she did and buy everyones silence. This book makes you glad you were not left homeless in that time. I have talked to some people that lived in and around Hershey and North Platte and they remember the rumors of the goings on on the farm. A great read and hard to put down. Add Annie cook to your list of nightmares.

This book kept me on my toes! Having grown up in North Platte, Nebraska and having seen pictures of Annie Cooks Farm made this book hit home. An advocate for women of rape and domestic abuse I have a big heart for victims! I found myself crying as I turned the pages, and intrigued at how such torture occured.Its hard to believe that such abuse and horrific acts went unnoticed or unannounced in this area. This book is wonderfully researched and written! The empathy you'll feel for Lizzie and the others is endless!

i read this book years ago, i was still a teenager, I couldn't fully comprehend all that was written, I was just excited to see my great-grandfather's name mentioned in the book, thinking back this reality that was still scares me. Even with everything that has happend since the book was relesed and everything that will happen in the future. I still can't believe that woman was from my hometown.

This is the true story of a woman's obsession with money and power. The abuse suffered by anyone unlucky enough to get in Annie's clutches is absolutely chilling. Though the accounts of abuse and brutality are hard to stomach, even worse is the fact that though neighbors and town folk knew of the cruelty, or at least suspected, -- nothing was done to stop it.

I thought this book was an excellent portrayal of an evil woman obsessed with power. I live in Nebraska, even in North Platte, the main part of where all the action took place. I deeply respect every one that was in the book and that knew what happened. They are some of the most extrodinary people. What happened to them was terrible, and though people kind of saw what was going on, no one chose to stop it. They were real cowards. What could Annie done to them? But, besides that the book was really good. It also stops any rumors that were curculating about this tragedy. Thank you.

Reading such a haunting account of this twisted woman and her seemingly endless ways of torturing and abusing all she came in contact with kept me turning pages for hours on end. This evil woman was able to manipulate her entire surroundings through fear and money. Annie Cook is the boogieman that children fear. The fence you stay away from as a child, and the woman you would sooner go blind than make eye contact with even as an adult. One wonders how many skeletons are still burried in this story (and on that farm)! Still today, this book is scarier than anything imagined by hollywood. Your heart will ache for Frank, Lizzie, Sarah and little Joe, all of the deedholders (mostly poor neighbors), and even at times, Clara (Annies only daughter and would-be "part 2" to the nightmare). You'll be planning your vacation to North Platte and Hershey.

"It was the best of times... it was the worst of times." Those words were certainly true about Lincoln County in the 1930's and 1940's. The thirties brought us Annie Cook and an incredible story of greed, corruption, bootlegging, organized crime, cruelty and murder. The 1940's brought us the North Platte World War II Canteen where 6 million service men and women were greeted with love and generosity. Nellie Snyder Yost's "Evil Obsession" is a page turner. It's one of those books that you read all night through because you can't put it down. And yes, it is a true story. Locally lists circulate of the "real" names of the characters in the book. When it first came out more than twenty years ago, we sought to have it as a "One Book" community reading project. There was so much opposition from families who knew they or their relatives had been mentioned in the book that the library decided to scrap the idea. It was a very sad time in North Platte's history, yet for us to learn any lessons from the evil of that time, the story needs to be told. In order for North Platte to celebrate the wonderful story of the North Platte Canteen and the family community we've become, we must embrace the fact that during the 1930's, we were known as Little Chicago and blackmail and bribery were how business was done. I highly recommend this book.

I was fortunate to meet Nellie Snyder Yost, the author of EVIL OBSESSION, in North Platte at the AtoZ Bookstore in 2006. She was 98 at the time. I asked her why she had waited so long to tell this story and she told me that there were just too many people still living that wouldn't want to see all the details revealed. Of course this made me want to read her book even more-and I am not a fan of self-published, which this was at the time. Once I got started I couldn't stop. Yost writes in a likeable story-telling way. The story is 3rd person, but dwells on all the facts. Even half way through the story you say "how could this all be happening". But it really all did. There is no happy-ending like traditional stories, but some good comes to the survivors. Your heart bleeds for all that came under the spell of Anne Cook. What a horrendous human being she was for her entire life. Buy it and read this book - it's better than a "true-crime" book. Unbelievably is how many people were involved with Anne Cook. Thank you Nellie Snyder Yost - and may you rest in peace knowing your book is out there telling a horrific tale - one that needed to be told. Nellie Snyder Yost passed away the year after I met her - I was disappointed I didn't tell her how great a storyteller she was. Now I honor her memory by purchasing her book and passing it on to my friends.

The Annie Cook story is a chilling one, and author Nellie Snyder Yost made the story all the more chilling by crafting it with subtlety. Annie Cook may never have been your girl next door, but she may have been a woman that you occasionally saw at the drug store. You may have heard stories about her, and you may have deemed her to be an intimidating presence, but when the truth came out you were shocked by the extent of it all. The research Ms. Yost put into this piece was admirable, as no one was able to comprehensively document Ms. Cook's activities in such a manner before, but if Ms. Yost had spent a couple bucks on an independent editor, some of the errors would've been corrected pre-publication, or in subsequent editions. Most of the errors are incidental, but some of them are so glaring that they distract from the narrative. There is also some language that the author uses, for character clarification, that this reader found distracting. This language was not incorrect, in a grammatical sense, but a professional, independent editor probably should've been brought in to provide a more seamless flow the narrative. Should anyone read this review with the belief that I was searching for errors, as some form of professional jealousy, I can only say that I thought the material Ms. Yost uncovered in her research was compelling, but the manner in which she presented it to us, the readers, was not ... entirely. My complaint exists in the "Oh the book this could've been" realm, as opposed to the this "book sucks" arena based on locating errors. A professional editor may have also advised that Ms. Yost select a different title, for while "Evil Obsession" is an eye-catching title, it doesn't quite capture the nature of the story perfectly. Overall, I thought this book was very interesting, but it should be passed around by young authors --seeking the self-publishing avenues available today-- as an example of the fact that no matter how compelling your material is, if it's not presented professionally it will never reach the highest levels possible. It's also an example of the fact that once you finally release said product to the public, it will find someone, somewhere that finds something wrong with it. Your job, as an author, is to limit those errors to the extent of your ability to do so. I'm sure that Ms. Yost did the best she could to limit those errors, but a separate set of objective eyes would've done wonders for this book.

Possessed by greed and evil to the core, Anna Cook was the stuff of nightmares. I got so mad reading this book that I wanted to go back in time and push the old witch down the stairs, myself. I wanted to band Mary and Frank and Liz and Sarah and Little Joe, and all the rest of those poor, downtrodden, straved, creatures she treated so horribly and tear into the woman and beat her senseless and when she came to, stand over her with a baseball bat and if she reached for more than the crumbs I'd feed her, I'd whack her with it. I guess she would have driven me to be like her. Horrid thought. I was also mad at the people who knew, or at least suspected, and did nothing. I hated the greed that caused others to aid and abet the wicked old hag. I also marveled at the goodness that survived in those she treated so cruelly. I marvel that most of them did not become corrupted themselves. The story is well-written and certainly held my attention, but it was also a relief to finish it. I wonder what kind of a reception Annie Cook received when her last breath faded and she stepped into eternity. If anyone deserved to land in Hell, it was her. Eunice Boeve, author of Ride a Shadowed Trail

I was taken by this book so much that after borrowing it from a friend, I decided I had to order my own copy. I lived about 60 miles West of North Platte so I was especially interested in the historical part of the story. I can't believe someone like Annie Cook could be so evil. I was constantly amazed at her actions throughout the book. The book is very well written and I can't wait to read it again.

Sad but true story of greed, abuse and one womans fight for power. Annie Cook was born in July 1875. Her parents immigrated from Russia and moved to Denver, Colorado. Upon arriving in Denver, they opened a livery stable. The Cook's had a large family and everyone worked hard, even Annie and her sister Lizzie. Annie didn't mind the hard work. What DID bother her was the fact that since she was female she didn't get paid for all the hard work. In 1893 an opportunity came along that was just what Annie needed to get away from her family and start making some money of her own. A man named Frank Cook from Hershey,Nebraska had came to Denver for supplies for his new 80 acre farm. After striking up a friendship with him, Annie found out that the farm was in fairly good shape. Annie knew a good thing when she saw it and immediately accepted Frank's offer of marriage. They arrived in Hershey in the late winter of 1893. Her childhood frustrations of being denied money (because she was female) fueled her desire to own land and make money. She demanded power and respect from everyone around her. After arriving at the farm, she quickly became dissatisfied with the land. So she devised a plot to make more money, so she could buy the land from her neighbors, thereby doubling the size of her farm and acreage. Once that was accomplished, she still wanted more-more land, more money, and more property. Annie was smart and realized that in order for her to be successful as successful as a man, she needed to grease the palms of corrupt government officials. Annie knew just how to exploit those around her for the own selfish gain. In 1896, Annie gave birth to a daughter, Clara. Annie's daughter was just another employee, as far as Annie was concerned. As soon as Clara was old enough, Annie put her to work in a prostitution house that Annie had acquired in many business dealings. Annie's husband Frank became fed up with the overbearing nature of his wife. Frank was not a confrontational man and when Annie accused Frank of sexually assaulting Clara, he was finally fed up with Annie. Frank moved to the barn and lived there until he died in 1936. Annie's life was driven by the almighty dollar and she didn't waste and time settling into a life of what became many, many years of selfish, greedy, domination and abuse of anyone who crossed her path. Many North Platte residents knew and feared Annie. Annie, Frank and Clara are all buried at the North Platte Cemetery.

wow. If someone created a character like this in a book we would have a hard time believing them. But this woman was real and horrible. Hard to imagine people putting up with her treatment of them. The love of Money is the root of all evil... thus says the Good Book. This woman lives up to the personification of that lustful greed. Well written, you are swept up in the current of these events, hold on, you will be taken for a ride through the darkness of human character. Recommended.

This is a woman for whom my mom and dad worked for during the depression. They never got paid for their labor and though they aren't mentioned in the book, I can remember my mother's look of absolute horror when she told me her story. The characters who are mentioned were not treated much better. It is a true life story of a very corrupt and evil woman. It will send chills down your spine.

Sometime ago I had read the book. It was barrowed and I wanted my own copy. Several years have went by and kept hoping I could get the book at a cheaper price. I finally bit the bullet and now am a proud owner of a second hand expensive book. My friends can't wait to read it and are standing in line waiting for their turn.

If you are from or have connections to North Platte you will find this book fascinating!

Just finished reading the book. It was amazing just strange how this one woman had so much power

What a great book about the history of North Platte. If you want true history about the corruption that took place this is a good read.

This was a gift so am unable to review.

This book was recommended to me by the funeral home director in North Platte at my grandmother's funeral. This women really was evil!

Born and raised in North Platte, we grow up hearing the story of Annie Cook and the poot farm. Most of us have family connected to this tale. Very true even though it's sad.

I am a BIG fan of true crime books. Evil Obsession is one of the very best books I have ever read. Bar none..You'll feel as if you've been carried back to that time and are an actual party in this story. Extremely well written. I would recommend this book be read by all true crime buffs. I was planning on reading it over a few days but it was so good I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. :) .

Having grown up in the area, I was shocked when I read this story because I had been unaware of what had happened.

Stayed up all night to read this book.

I love this book and it was exactly what I ordered!! I am very please with the book and find it so interesting that I have read it over and over again.

I was taken by this book so much that after borrowing it from a friend, I decided I had to order my own copy. I lived about 60 miles West of North Platte so I was especially interested in the historical part of the story. I can't believe someone like Annie Cook could be so evil. I was constantly amazed at her actions throughout the book. The book is very well written and I can't wait to read it again.

Sad but true story of greed, abuse and one womans fight for power. Annie Cook was born in July 1875. Her parents immigrated from Russia and moved to Denver, Colorado. Upon arriving in Denver, they opened a livery stable. The Cook's had a large family and everyone worked hard, even Annie and her sister Lizzie. Annie didn't mind the hard work. What DID bother her was the fact that since she was female she didn't get paid for all the hard work. In 1893 an opportunity came along that was just what Annie needed to get away from her family and start making some money of her own. A man named Frank Cook from Hershey,Nebraska had came to Denver for supplies for his new 80 acre farm. After striking up a friendship with him, Annie found out that the farm was in fairly good shape. Annie knew a good thing when she saw it and immediately accepted Frank's offer of marriage. They arrived in Hershey in the late winter of 1893. Her childhood frustrations of being denied money (because she was female) fueled her desire to own land and make money. She demanded power and respect from everyone around her. After arriving at the farm, she quickly became dissatisfied with the land. So she devised a plot to make more money, so she could buy the land from her neighbors, thereby doubling the size of her farm and acreage. Once that was accomplished, she still wanted more-more land, more money, and more property. Annie was smart and realized that in order for her to be successful as successful as a man, she needed to grease the palms of corrupt government officials. Annie knew just how to exploit those around her for the own selfish gain. In 1896, Annie gave birth to a daughter, Clara. Annie's daughter was just another employee, as far as Annie was concerned. As soon as Clara was old enough, Annie put her to work in a prostitution house that Annie had acquired in many business dealings. Annie's husband Frank became fed up with the overbearing nature of his wife. Frank was not a confrontational man and when Annie accused Frank of sexually assaulting Clara, he was finally fed up with Annie. Frank moved to the barn and lived there until he died in 1936. Annie's life was driven by the almighty dollar and she didn't waste and time settling into a life of what became many, many years of selfish, greedy, domination and abuse of anyone who crossed her path. Many North Platte residents knew and feared Annie. Annie, Frank and Clara are all buried at the North Platte Cemetery.

wow. If someone created a character like this in a book we would have a hard time believing them. But this woman was real and horrible. Hard to imagine people putting up with her treatment of them. The love of Money is the root of all evil... thus says the Good Book. This woman lives up to the personification of that lustful greed. Well written, you are swept up in the current of these events, hold on, you will be taken for a ride through the darkness of human character. Recommended.

This is a woman for whom my mom and dad worked for during the depression. They never got paid for their labor and though they aren't mentioned in the book, I can remember my mother's look of absolute horror when she told me her story. The characters who are mentioned were not treated much better. It is a true life story of a very corrupt and evil woman. It will send chills down your spine.

I am a BIG fan of true crime books. Evil Obsession is one of the very best books I have ever read. Bar none..You'll feel as if you've been carried back to that time and are an actual party in this story. Extremely well written. I would recommend this book be read by all true crime buffs. I was planning on reading it over a few days but it was so good I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. :) .

Annie Cook was one evil woman, hard to believe this happened just 70 miles north of where I live.

Great book. I'm not an avid reader, but I couldn't put this book down. Would definitely read more work from this author!!

My motherinlaw and other inlaws new this evil witch. Grate read!!!!

Having grown up in the area, I was shocked when I read this story because I had been unaware of what had happened.

Sometime ago I had read the book. It was barrowed and I wanted my own copy. Several years have went by and kept hoping I could get the book at a cheaper price. I finally bit the bullet and now am a proud owner of a second hand expensive book. My friends can't wait to read it and are standing in line waiting for their turn.

Just received the book today, Evil Obsession: The Annie Cook Story. A list of the real names of people featured in the book was supposed to be sent along with the book. However, I received no list of names. Having family members who lived in and around North Platte, Nebraska, that list of names was highly important to me.

I purchased this more expensive copy because I wanted the list of real names for the characters. I live in North Platte, Ne and am very interested in the actual history behind the story. Very disappointed it was not included in my purchase!

This book gives a good look at the way people lived in rural early 1900's. The book title describes Anne Cook. The story gives insight into what it would be like to controlled by a powerful and domineering woman and the process of her incessant wealth and power gain. The author attempted to be as accurate as possible with research and key interviews which gives the story validity and insight not achieved by fiction. History buffs and drama readers will like this book.

I have had this book for awhile and have not written a review. I figured it is time. Annie Cook was one evil woman. She was very greedy. When you can be so mean to family members and all of the other people. The devil was inside of her for sure. He fueled the greed. Very good book. Well written. I recommend this book. It is a hard one to wrap your head around. I just can't believe that this really happened. It is something straight out of the movies.