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Book Synopsis'Exceptional . . . This thoughtful and engrossing book is as much about law as it is about minds' THE TIMESWhat drives someone to commit murder? What makes some people lash out on those that they love? Can we predict whether a child will grow into a violent adult, and what can we do to prevent it?These are just some of the questions that forensic psychiatrist Dr Taj Nathan interrogates every day in his work with violent offenders. Stories about violent or deviant behaviour are the subject of sensational headlines or inflated dramatic portrayals, but infinitely more complex and intriguing are the real people behind labels like 'psychopath', 'sex offender' or 'serial killer'. Taking us from secure hospital wards to high-security prisons to courtrooms, Dangerous Minds offers compelling and deeply compassionate accounts of ten people whose lives have been shaped by violence. From the impact of traumatic events in childhood to the evolutionary and cultural influences on the emergence of the social mind, this book is an insider's account of the origins of violence that asks its readers to re-evaluate all that they think they know about the people society deems most dangerous.Trade Review'Exceptional' * The Times *'An eye-opening journey into dangerous minds [that] explores what drives people to commit reprehensible acts . . . Thoughtful and engrossing' * The Times *'A unique text in explaining to a lay readership what a forensic psychiatrist does - clinical and medicolegal, and within the clinical hospital and prison work . . . A great service to the profession and to the public' -- Professor Keith Rix, Honorary Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Visiting Professor of Medical Jurisprudence, Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Lead, Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians'Not only a fascinating read but it was one of the most compassionate, thoughtful and thought-provoking books I have read in a long time' -- Kristina Reed, Barrister

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Book Synopsis'Jim Fraser has been at the forefront of forensic science in the UK for decades... A superb story of real-life CSI.' Dr Richard Shepherd, bestselling author of Unnatural Causes'Powerful... Fascinating' Independent Most murders are not difficult to solve. People are usually killed by someone they know, there is usually abundant evidence and the police methods used to investigate this type of crime are highly effective. But what about the more difficult cases, where the investigation involves an unusual death, an unusual killer, or is complex or politically charged? In these cases, bringing the accused before the courts can take many years, even then, the outcome may be contentious or unresolved. In this compelling and chilling memoir, Jim Fraser draws on his personal experience as a forensic scientist and cold case reviewer to give a unique insight into some of the most notable cases that he has investigated during his forty-year career, including the deaths of Rachel Nickell, Damilola Taylor and Gareth Williams, the GCHQ code breaker.Inviting the reader into the forensic scientist's micro-world, Murder Under the Microscope reveals not only how each of these cases unfolded as a human, investigative and scientific puzzle, but also why some were solved and why others remain unsolved or controversial even to this day.Trade ReviewPowerful... Fascinating * Independent, 'Books of the Month' *Jim Fraser has been at the forefront of forensic science in the UK for decades... A fascinating insight into complexities of real-life criminal investigations from their start, often at a blood-stained scene, through the complex laboratory processes to their conclusion in the court room... Totally enthralling. -- Dr Richard Shepherd, bestselling author of Unnatural CausesIn this fascinating account of what really went on behind the scenes of Britain's most famous murder cases, Fraser slides not just the evidence, but the whole criminal legal system, squarely under his forensic microscope. Everyone interested in justice - how it works, and how it fails - should read this compelling book. -- Sarah Langford, bestselling author of In Your DefenceIn this engrossing and accessible professional memoir, Jim Fraser opens his forensic files and offers the reader a fascinating insight into some of the most notorious cases that he has worked on during his lifetime. -- David Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Criminology Birmingham City UniversityThis is a page-turning read but also an educational resource: the public, police, lawyers, judges, scientists should all read it. It is a raw account of the fragility of justice: a concept many talk about but few understand. And it is about truth: the limitations of our own judgments, science and the law. It is probably one of the most important criminal justice texts of our time... For those working in the criminal justice system, it should be mandatory reading. -- Simon McKay, BarristerThis "personal history of homicide" is the latest in a recent spate of excellent books from the forensic profession... Fraser microscopes in on the information contained in tiny details, explains the correct way to handle it, and shows how it can affect an investigation's outcome. * Strong Words *Absolutely fascinating... Murder Under the Microscope should be on every crime writer's shelf. -- Sam Blake, bestselling author of The Dark RoomTable of Contents0: Introduction 1: Robert Black, the Killer of Childhood 2: The Many Roads to Justice 3: The Chillenden Murders 4: The Trials of Michael Stone 5: The Murder of Wendy Sewell 6: The Murder of Damilola Taylor 7: Silent Testimony - 'Every Contact Leaves a Trace' 8: The Mystery Sweatshirt 9: On Wimbledon Common - the Murder of Rachel Nickell 10: Operations Edzell and Ecclestone 11: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics 12: The Cryptic Death of Gareth Williams 13: If In Doubt, Think Murder 14: The Killer of Little Shepherds

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Book SynopsisThis Sunday Times bestseller is a shocking and at times darkly funny account of life as a prison officer in one of the country's most notorious jails.'Authentic, tough, horrifying in some places and hilarious in others . . . the author’s honesty and decency shine through' – Jonathan Aitken______________Neil ‘Sam’ Samworth spent eleven years working as a prison officer in HMP Manchester, aka Strangeways. A tough Yorkshireman with a soft heart, Sam had to deal with it all – gangsters and gangbangers, terrorists and psychopaths, addicts and the mentally ill. Men who should not be locked up and men who should never be let out. He tackles cell fires and self-harmers, and goes head to head with some of the most dangerous men in the country. He describes being attacked by prisoners, and reveals the problems caused by radicalization and the drugs flooding our prisons.As staffing cuts saw Britain’s prison system descend into crisis, the stress of the job – the suicides, the inhumanity of the system, and one assault too many – left Sam suffering from PTSD. Strangeways by Neil Samworth is a raw, searingly honest memoir that is a testament to the men and women of the prison service and the incredibly difficult job we ask them to do.______________'A frequently shocking read' – Daily ExpressTrade ReviewNeil Samworth’s story is authentic, tough, horrifying in some places and hilarious in others. It captivates the reader because the author’s honesty and decency shine through as he tells it like it is on the daily roller coaster ride of prison life in Strangeways. An enthralling, exciting but disturbing book. -- Jonathan AitkenA fascinating insight into the workings of a prison and the effects that staffing cuts have had on those trying to maintain order . . . a frequently shocking read. * Daily Express *

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Book Synopsis'People didn't talk about the team, they talked about the mob that came with them'Terrifyingly vicious, brilliantly organised, tremendously feared and highly fashionable, the InterCity Firm were the most notorious football hooligan gang the country had ever seen. Bestselling author Cass Pennant was one of the I.C.F.'s best-known figures and has used his unique position as a West Ham insider to bring together these first-hand accounts of the men who were at the eye of storm, both on and off the terraces. In this classic account of football hooliganism at its terrifying height, all the faces of the West Ham firm reveal their memories and thoughts about the violence, the battles, the campaigns, the run-ins with the authorities, and all that came with it. Congratulations, you are just about to meet the I.C.F...

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Book SynopsisBritain has its fair share of unsolved murders. Crimes that have both fascinated and horrified in equal measure, with many as baffling today as they were when the stories first hit the headlines in the national press. Spanning 100 years between 1857-1957, this book re-examines thirteen of these murder cases and retells the stories that have endured and confounded both police and law courts alike. Each chapter provides an account of the circumstances surrounding the killing, of the people caught up in the subsequent investigation and the impact it had on some of their lives. It also explores the question of guilt and to whom it should, or should not, be attached. Each of these murders poses an undeniable truth; no-one was ever proven to have committed the killing despite, in some cases, accusing fingers being pointed, arrests being made and show trials taking place. Consequently, notoriety, deserved or otherwise, was often attached to both victim and accused. But was it ever merited? From the questionable court case surrounding Scotland's now famous Madeleine Smith, and the failed police investigation into Bradford's Jack the Ripper case of 1888, to the mysterious deaths of Caroline Luard and Florence Nightingale Shore at the start of the twentieth century, this book disturbs the dust, sifts the facts and poses the questions that mattered at the time of each murder. Did Harold Greenwood poison his wife in Kidwelly? Who was responsible for the Ripper-like killing of Emily Dimmock and Rose Harsent? Why did Evelyn Foster die on the moor near Otterburn in what became known as the Blazing car murder and who strangled Ann Noblett to death in 1957? These are just some of the cases examined and the stories behind them. Each and every one, no matter how appalling the crime, still deserving of justice.

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Book SynopsisThis is the untold story of the American federal agent who captured the world's most-wanted drug-lord.Every generation has its larger-than-life criminal legend living beyond the reach of the law: Billy the Kid, Al Capone, Ronnie Biggs, Pablo Escobar. But for every one of these criminals, there's a Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett or Slipper of the Yard. For Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán-Loera a.k.a. El Chapo' the 21st century's most notorious criminal that man is D.E.A. Special Agent Andrew Hogan.This is the incredible story of Hogan's seven-year-long chase to capture El Chapo, a multibillionaire drug-lord and escape-artist posing as a Mexican Robin Hood, who in reality was a brutal sociopath responsible for the murders of thousands. His greedy campaign to take over his rivals' territories resulted in an unprecedented war with a body count of over 100,000.We follow Hogan on his quest to achieve the seemingly impossible: to cross the border into Mexico and arrest El Chapo, the leader of the Sinalo

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Book SynopsisAn Extraordinary story of innocence and persecution, determination and grit it had me rattling through the pages' SOPHIE DRAPERA gripping true crime investigation into the longest miscarriage of justice in British legal history.In September 1973, Stephen Downing was convicted and indefinitely sentenced for the murder of Wendy Sewell, a young legal secretary in the town of Bakewell in the Peak District. Wendy was attacked in broad daylight in Bakewell Cemetery. Stephen Downing, the 17-year-old groundskeeper with learning difficulties and a reading age of 11, was the primary suspect. He was immediately arrested, questioned for nine hours, without a solicitor present, and pressured into signing a confession full of words he did not understand.21 years later, local newspaper editor Don Hale was thrust into the case. Determined to take it to appeal, as he investigated the details, he found himself inextricably linked to the narrative. He faced obstacles at every turn, and suffered several Trade Review‘It's an extraordinary story of innocence and persecution, determination and grit, the heroic pursuit of the truth that even now frustratingly evades the beautiful Derbyshire town of Bakewell. It reads like a thriller from the word go, from the opening moments when journalist Don Hale fears for his life through to the twists and turns of his investigation. Written with crisp clarity and journalistic authority, it had me rattling through the pages despite what was a drawn out and complicated case, so that by the end I was breathless, both with outrage at how Stephen Downing had been treated and the circumstances and outcome of the police investigations.’ SOPHIE DRAPER

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Book SynopsisA Times History Book of the Year 2022A TLS Book of the Year 2022Exhilarating and whip-smart' THE SUNDAY TIMESFrom award-winning writer Edward Wilson-Lee, this is a thrilling true historical detective story set in sixteenth-century Portugal.A History of Water follows the interconnected lives of two men across the Renaissance globe. One of them an aficionado of mermen and Ethiopian culture, an art collector, historian and expert on water-music returns home from witnessing the birth of the modern age to die in a mysterious incident, apparently the victim of a grisly and curious murder. The other a ruffian, vagabond and braggart, chased across the globe from Mozambique to Japan ends up as the national poet of Portugal.The stories of Damião de Góis and Luís de Camões capture the extraordinary wonders that awaited Europeans on their arrival in India and China, the challenges these marvels presented to longstanding beliefs, and the vast conspiracy to silence the questions these posed abouTrade Review PRAISE FOR A HISTORY OF WATER ‘[An] exhilarating book… passionate… employing prose as luscious as it is meticulous… delightful’The Guardian ‘Erudite and engrossing…the book combines literary flair with deep historical insight… One of its many strengths is its vivid characterisation of people and places, not least those of Lisbon life high and low’The Times ‘This exhilarating and whip-smart book…presents two competing visions of global history through the lives of two Portuguese travellers…This book is itself something of a wonder: beautifully written and utterly mesmerising. I loved every page’The Sunday Times ‘Enthralling throughout’ The Economist ‘A wonderful – and wonder-full – recreation of a crucial episode in European history…the book has a rare beauty: written with elegant restraint, its every page is rich in a numinous sense of vanishings and misunderstandings’Daily Telegraph ‘Fascinating, elegantly written’The Spectator ‘A fascinating, ingenious and wonderfully readable book, brilliantly conceived… The book is a triumph.’ David Abulafia, Literary Review ‘A very few times in the course of a reader's life a book appears that shatters one's assumptions about how and why things came to pass. A History of Water is one such book. A mind-blowing achievement’Alberto Manguel, author of The Library at Night ‘A truly engrossing read. Wilson-Lee has the rare knack of re-visiting even the most familiar places as if they were being discovered for the first time. His prose is rich, fluent, absorbing, and free from any affectation’Fernando Cervantes, author of Conquistadores ‘This is a terrific book’Gabriel Josipovici, author of What Ever Happened to Modernism? ‘I adored this… This is a dazzling, encyclopaedic history’Dennis Duncan, author of Index, A History of The

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

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Book SynopsisPretty sure I''m a sociopath. I''m not ashamed of it. In fact, it''s something I quite like.Yellowface meets You - a gripping and addictive psychological thriller about toxic friendship and dark academia.A dark triumph with jaw-dropping twists' Heather Darwent, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Things We Do To Our FriendsJane is unhappy. She's a struggling writer trapped in an underwhelming marriage with husband Ted, scraping by to pay for a mortgage for a house and a life that she's never really wanted.There's only ever been one person she cared about, one person who truly understood her: Thalia. Jane's best and only friend nearly a decade ago during their time together at Oxford. But then the night of the formal which should have bound them together for good, drove them apart. Until now.Because after years of searching, Thalia is everywhere as she tops the New York Times bestseller list. And now Jane has found Thalia after all these years, she won't let her goReaders were grippeTrade Review Praise for Jesse Sutanto and Dial A For Aunties: ‘Charming, hilarious and heartfelt’ Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read ‘Doused in black humour, comical references, mixed with romance – fans of Crazy Rich Asians will love it’ My Weekly ‘Brilliant, wicked and dead, dead funny’ Andi Osho, Asking For A Friend ‘A gloriously screwball crime caper (with a dusting of romance) which will have you snort-laughing’ Red ‘One of the funniest, smartest, most compelling books I’ve read in a long time and I couldn’t put it down’ Lucy Vine, Hot Mess ‘Rejoice over Dial A For Aunties’ Elle ‘This smart, funny charming novel has all the right ingredients to make you laugh out loud… ’ Platinum ‘Dial A For Aunties keeps you guessing till the very last twist’ Lauren Ho, Last Tang Standing ‘Has redefined what “page-turner” means with laugh-out-loud humour and delightful twists and turns at every corner’ Buzzfeed ‘A rip-roaring treat! Dark comedy at its finest and a set of catastrophes that had me roaring’ Abigail Mann, The Lonely Fajita ‘This laugh-out-loud read is a real breath of fresh air’ Fabulous ‘Dark humour at its best. We had such a laugh reading through’ Magic Radio Bookclub ‘The comedy jackpot! Fresh, funny and fabulous’ Kirsty Eyre, Cow Girl ‘A laugh-out-loud read’ Bella ‘Genuine laugh-out-loud funny’ Frost ’A comedy of errors, by turns macabre and romantic, hilarious and affectionate’ Saga

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The Cecil has a macabre reputation… Price’s colorful disclosures as well as her descriptions of the vagaries of life in the hospitality industry’s seedier corners will likely intrigue readers… Many readers will be entertained.” — Booklist "True-crime and tabloid fans will devour this spicy tell-all." — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisThe astounding true story behind the major new motion picture starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance, with a new epilogue from the author''A compelling and tragic story'' Mail on Sunday ''Breathtaking'' Independent ''Extraordinary'' Oliver Sacks, New York Times Review of BooksWhen identical twins, June and Jennifer Gibbons were three they began to reject communication with anyone but each other, and so began a childhood bound together in a strange and secret world. As they grew up, love and hate united to push them to the extreme margins of society and, following a five week spree of vandalism and arson, the silent twins were sentenced to a gruelling twelve-year detention in Broadmoor.Award-winning investigative journalist Marjorie Wallace delves into the twins'' silent world, revealing their genius, alienation and the mystic bond by which the extremes of good and evil ended in possession and deathTrade ReviewStrange, riveting... Thanks to Marjorie Wallace, thanks to the twins' incorrigible brilliance, we now have some idea of what it is like to stand in front of a dark mirror * London Review of Books *A remarkable (and finally tragic) story which, in its depth, penetration and detail, no less than its extraordinary subject matter, must be seen as outstanding, a testimony to something extraordinary in the author herself * New York Times Review of Books *A compelling and tragic story * Mail on Sunday *Breathtaking * Independent *

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Book SynopsisJust before 3am on January 24th, 1941, when Britain was preoccupied with surviving the Blitz, the body of Josslyn Hay, Earl of Erroll, was discovered lying on the floor of his Buick, at a road intersection some miles outside Nairobi, with a bullet in his head. A leading figure in Kenya''s colonial community, the Earl had recently been appointed Military Secretary, but he was primarily a seducer of other men''s wives. Sir Henry Delves Broughton, whose wife was Erroll''s current conquest, had an obvious motive for the murder, but no one was ever convicted and the question of who killed him became a classic mystery, a scandal and cause celebre. Among those who became fascinated with the Erroll case was Cyril Connolly who joined up with James Fox for a major investigation of the case in 1969 for the Sunday Times magazine. After his death James Fox inherited the obsession and a commitment to continue in pursuit of the story both in England and Kenya in the lTrade ReviewIntruiging -- Christie Hickman * Sunday Express *A story which is as compelling and violent as a thriller, but which also happens to be one of the most dazzling feats of reportage in recent years * Time Out *It is a measure of James Fox's remarkable achievement that in White Mischief he not only produces an impeccably researched and lucidly written "last word" on this notorious case but also brings these astonishing people and their perplexed lives so vividly and compellingly to life -- William BoydA fascinating piece of investigative reporting that possesses all the resonance of a social history and the drama of a good mystery...[and] a narrative strategy that allows the reader the excitement of watching a tenacious reporter piece together the truth * New York Times *Leave P.D. James on the shelf, tuck Dick Francis away in the saddlebag, James Fox's investigation has everything you look for in a thriller * The Economist *

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Book SynopsisMurder Inc. is the latest blockbuster by Ireland''s most respected crime writer and journalist, Paul Williams. Murder Inc. is the definitive account of how organized crime exploded in Limerick from the 1990s and in the noughties. It describes the depravity and decadence of the gangs, their deadly rivaliries, and their reigns of terror over the community in which they lived. Finally, Williams traces the faultlines that eventually led to the implosion of the gangs and their defeat.Drawing on his vast inside knowledge of the criminal underworld, an unparalleled range of contacts and eye witness interviews, Paul Williams provides a chilling insight into the mobsters and events that corroded entire neighbourhoods and devastated countless lives.

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Book Synopsis*The definitive and bestselling account of Charles Manson*''A sprawling, fast-paced account of Manson''s life'' The Times''Fascinating'' Daily Mail __________Los Angeles, California. 1969. Seven people are found shot, stabbed and beaten to death in Beverley Hills. Among them is actress Sharon Tate, the beautiful young wife of Roman Polanski.It soon became apparent that a happyish cult known as ''The Family'' was responsible. Their charismatic and manipulative leader, Charles Manson, took the public''s imagination. As the world watched in morbid fascination, the sensational and horrifying details of the case slowly emerged.Coming Down Fast is the definitive and most revealing account of one of the most notorious criminals in history, charting Manson''s terrifying rise from petty-criminal to one of the most recognisable icons in criminal history. Including never-before-publishedTrade Review'Simon Wells does a good job of wrapping all the facts together, debunking some of the myths and in a non-hysterical style, telling the gruesome story that enthralls 40 years on. The book conjures the feeling of the innocence of the 60s being blown away.' * Manchester Evening News *'Coming Down Fast is a sprawling, fast-paced account of Manson's life. . . (and) describes Manson's disrupted life in telling detail.' * The Times *'The real reason for reading this unexpectedly fascinating book is for the overview on the whole Manson saga, reverberating from President Nixon downwards.' * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisA compulsive true crime thriller about modern-day international drugs trafficking, terrorism and the mafia following an investigation driven by one DEA agent, Jack Kelly. LONGLISTED FOR THE CRIME WRITERS'' ASSOCIATION 2024 ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTIONHIGHLY COMMENDED FOR BEST NEW AUTHOR AT THE 2024 TRUE CRIME AWARDSJUDGES'' CITATION: ''A cleverly constructed account of three different characters representing different aspects of the ruthless and fierce drugs trade. Never a dull moment. A real page turner... This book is gripping and immerses you in the very real world of the characters.''''Read this powerful book by Miles Johnson right now.'' - Roberto Saviano, author of Gomorrah''McMafia for the new age'' Catherine Belton, author of Putin''s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then took on the West''Compelling, visceral and highly readable'' Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of Money

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive examination into the frightening history of serial homicide, including information on America's most prolific serial killers.

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Book SynopsisMajor investigative nonfiction on one of the most important stories of our time -- the spread of nuclear weapons -- written by two award-winning journalists who for years have followed the trail of the world''s most notorious arms dealer. The world has entered a second nuclear age. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear annihilation is on the rise. Should such an assault occur, there is a strong likelihood that the trail of devastation will lead back to Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Pakistani father of the Islamic bomb and the mastermind behind a vast clandestine enterprise that has sold nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. Khan''s loose-knit organization was and still may be a nuclear Wal-Mart, selling weapons blueprints, parts, and the expertise to assemble the works into a do-it-yourself bomb kit. Amazingly, American authorities could have halted his operation, but they chose instead to watch and wait. Khan prov

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Book SynopsisWhen Souad was seventeen she fell in love. In her village, as in so many others, sex before marriage was considered a grave dishonour to one''s family and was punishable by death. This was her crime. Her brother-in-law was given the task of arranging her punishment. One morning while Souad was washing the family''s clothes, he crept up on her, poured petrol over her and set her alight. In the eyes of their community he was a hero. An execution for a ''crime of honour'' was a respectable duty unlikely to bring about condemnation from others. It certainly would not have provoked calls for his prosecution. More than five thousand cases of such honour killings are reported around the world each year and many more take place that we hear nothing about.Miraculously, Souad survived rescued by the women of her village, who put out the flames and took her to a local hospital. Horrifically burned, and abandoned by her family and community, it was only the intervention of a EurTrade Review'The terrifying memoir of a young Palestinian woman...Her ordeal reveals the scandalous treatment of women that is the real human rights abuse in the West Bank' -- Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisOne of the most original, moving and beautifully written non-fiction works of recent years, The Missing marked the acclaimed debut of one of Britain''s most astute and important writers.In a brilliant merging of reportage, social history and memoir, Andrew O''Hagan clears a devastating path from the bygone Glasgow of the 1970s to the grim secrets of Gloucester in the mid 1990s.''A triumph in words.'' Independent on Sunday''The Missing, part autobiography, part old-fashioned pavement-pounding, marks the most auspicious debut by a British writer for some time.'' Gordon Burn, Independent''A timely corrective to the idea that nothing profound can be said about now.'' Will Self, Observer Books of the Year''His vision of modern Britain has the quality of a poetic myth, with himself as Bunyan''s questing Christian and the missing as Dantesque souls in limbo.'' Blake Morrison, Guardian

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Book SynopsisA tragic death, a murder trial and a 170-year-old mystery but what really happened?Shortly after Maria Kirwan died in a lonely inlet on Ireland's Eye, it was decided that she had drowned accidentally during a day spent with her husband on the picturesque island. This inquest verdict appeared to conclude the melancholy events that consumed the fishing village of Howth, Co Dublin, in September 1852.But not long afterwards, suspicion fell upon Maria's husband, William Burke Kirwan, as whispers of unspeakable cruelty, an evil character and a secret life rattled through the streets of Dublin.Investigations led to William's arrest and trial for murder. The story swelled into one of the most bitterly divisive chapters in the dark annals of Irish criminal history. Yet questions remain: does the evidence stand up? What role did the heavy hand of Victorian moral outrage play? Was William really guilty of murder, or did the ever present moral facts' fill in gaps where hard proof was absent?Now, this compelling modern analysis revisits the key evidence, asking sober questions about the facts, half-facts and fantasies buried within the yellowed pages of the Ireland's Eye case files.

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Book SynopsisA story of passion and betrayal, about the man who brought Cosa Nostra back from the brink of disasterTrade Review'Perceptive ... Longrigg traces Provenzano's rise from stealing barrels of pecorino cheese in Corleone in the 1950s to the top of Cosa Nostra' * New Statesman *'Fascinating ... Longrigg avoids the usual pitfalls Mafia chroniclers are susceptible to' * London Lite *'In this thrilling history ... (Longrigg) meticulously traces the career of the man known as "the Accountant"' * Sunday Times *'Authoritative and absorbing' * Guardian *Longrigg treats her subject seriously, a relief from the melodrama that dangerously trivialises so much Mafia literature * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisFor decades the high walls of Manchester''s Strangeways Prison have contained some of England''s most infamous criminals. Until hanging was abolished in the 1960s it was also the main centre of execution for convicted murderers from all parts of the north west. The history of execution at Manchester began with the hanging of a young Salford man, convicted of murdering a barman on Boxing Day 1868: he was the first of 100 murderers to pay the ultimate penalty here.Over the next ninety-five years many infamous criminals took the short walk to the gallows. They included Dr Buck Ruxton, who butchered his wife and maid; John Jackson, who escaped from Strangeways after murdering a prison warder; Walter Rowland, hanged for the murder of a prostitute and the only man to occupy the condemned cell at Strangeways twice; Chung Yi Miao, who strangled his wife on their honeymoon; and Oldham teenager Ernie Kelly, whose execution almost caused a riot outside the prison. Also included are the stories behind scores of lesser-known criminals: poisoners, spurned lovers, cut-throat killers, and many more.Steve Fielding has fully researched all these cases, and they are collected together here in one volume for the first time. Infamous executioners also played their part in the gaol''s history: Calcraft, Marwood, Binns and Berry all officiated here, as did many local men: Bolton hangman James Billington and his sons, Rochdale barber John Ellis, and Manchester publicans Albert Pierrepoint and Harry Allen. Fully illustrated with rare photographs, documents and news-cuttings, Hanged at Manchester is bound to appeal to anyone interested in the darker side of the north west of England''s history.

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Book SynopsisA unique collaboration between a retired Great Train Robber and Britain’s former most senior Railway DetectiveTrade ReviewIn all respects this is more definitive a work on the subject than anyone else is likely to be able to write. -- David HatcherAn engaging policeman's view with new insights. -- Nick Russell-Pavier

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Book SynopsisThe first edition of William A. Guy''s Principles of Forensic Medicine was published at the start of Victoria''s reign; the final edition, from which these selections derive, was published towards the end, just a few years after the Whitechapel horrors had pushed the emerging science to the forefront of the public''s consciousness. With this guide in hand, a detective could tell whether the victim had suffocated, drowned, been shot, stabbed, or struck by lightning, spontaneously combusted, frozen to death or expired due to starvation - or, as the guide warns, was not dead at all, but simply in a state of ''suspended animation''. Suggestions include examining the face of the deceased for an ''expression of angry resistance'', a clear indication of murder, and studying the demeanour of the nearest and dearest in cases of suspected ''secret poisoning''. With original woodcuts, case studies and notes on identifying the corpse and walking the crime scene, Victorian CSI will fascinate lovers

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Book Synopsis''Carefully compiled'' in 1867 ''from prison documents, ancient papers, and other authentic sources,'' this extremely rare book contains the full details of the crimes, trials and executions of every murderer, highwayman, rogue and rebel ever to swing from the York Tyburn. From nobles such as Lord Hussey, Sir Robert Aske and the Earl of Northumberland (who mounted the scaffold ''with a firm step''), to notorious villains such as William Nevinson, Dick Turpin (whose right leg started to shake as he awaited the drop) and Knaresborough schoolteacher-turned-murderer Eugene Aram, it is an enthralling tour through the executions of the North. Including the last words and prison letters of many of the condemned, and laced with a grim humour (as seen in the case of the murderer who begged the hangman to check the rope carefully lest it break and leave him ''a cripple for life''), it will fascinate anyone with an interest in criminal history.

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Book SynopsisHow did the Mob evolve from a disorganised gang of uncouth killers into the deadly ''international corporation'' it is today?Tracing its beginnings as an underground society which sprang up in Sicily, to the Mob which went on to run organised crime throughout Italy and America, William Balsamo great-nephew of the original godfather and George Carpozi Jr draw on two decades of research to tell the true story of the most mythical and misunderstood criminal organisation in history.

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Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERHotel K - Bali''s most notorious jail - is Hell in Paradise.Welcome to Hotel Kerobokan, or Hotel K, Bali''s most notorious jail. Its walls touch paradise; sparkling oceans, surf beaches and palm trees on one side, while on the other it''s a dark, bizarre and truly frightening underworld of sex, drugs, violence and squalor. Hotel K''s filthy and disease ridden cells have been home to the infamous and the tragic: a Balinese King, Gordon Ramsay''s brother, Muslim terror bombers, beautiful women tourists and surfers from across the globe. Petty thieves share cells with killers, rapists, and gangsters. Hardened drug traffickers sleep alongside unlucky tourists, who''ve seen their holiday turn from paradise to hell over one ecstasy pill. Hotel K is the shocking inside story of the jail and its inmates, revealing the wild ''sex nights'' organised by corrupt guards for the prisoners who have cash to pay, the jail''s ecstasy Table of ContentsAuthor's note. Foreword: For One Night Only. Welcome to Hotel Kerobokan. Thomas. The Headless Corpse. The Great Escape. Let's Play. No Star to Five Star. Touching Paradise. The Women's Block. The Blue Room. Plasticine Guards. Terrorists and the King Check In. The Dealers. Rolling the Dice. Animal Farm. With Friends Like These. An Eye for an Eye. Sex on the Beach. Raids. Kerobokan Crew. Room 13. No More Tomorrows. Operation Transfer. Where Are They Now? Acknowledgements.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Constructing The Ballad of Jacob Peck as though she's a prosecutor — dividing chapters with terms such as Res Gestae, scienter, et cetera — Komar builds a case against Jacob Peck for his role in the murder to highlight how current law continues to struggle with prosecuting such accomplices. ... The Ballad of Jacob Peck branches out to not only document the murder, but contextualize the players and era, offering a history of early crime in New Brunswick, and legal proceedings and court in early Canada. ... Her due diligence also does what it can to shape the murdered Mercy Babcock, and other women of the time, into a person, not only providing a sense of justice, but also documenting their lives like no one cared to do at the time or really ever since. ... Komar's voice, skill and insight defibrillate regional history, providing a professional perspective to the underserved genre." -- Mike Landry * Telegraph Journal *"Komar's voice, skill and insight defibrillate regional history, providing a professional perspective to the underserved genre. Digging up the bones of history, Komar has no use for ghost stories and legend, and neither will you after The Ballad of Jacob Peck." -- Mike Landry * Telegraph Journal *"[R]ich, feisty prose . . . Komar has produced a grippingly good account of this notorious chapter in maritime history, one chockablock with intriguing side characters who — with names such as Dorcas Babcock, Hezekiah King and Mercy Hall — wouldn't be out of place in a Dickens novel (had he been around to write one). ... The compelling character portraits with which Komar fleshes out this gruesome central event build a vivid sense of the social and political realities of the day. ... Tempting as it is to view The Ballad of Jacob Peck as CSI for the archivist set, the questions it raises, and which Komar explores with such energy and aplomb, are ultimately philosophic and legal ones; ones necessarily resolved in a class or courtroom, not a laboratory." -- Emily Donaldson * National Post *"The Ballad of Jacob Peck is wonderfully written with historically correct information. It is a very fascinating and informative read. Debra Komar did a wonderful job with this book. This is a must read and I highly recommend it." * e-thriller.com *"The Ballad of Jacob Peck, by Debra Komar, is a nonfictional account of family, religion, murder, a charlatan, and early-nineteenth-century Canadian law that is as riveting as a good novel. ... This book will appeal to a wide audience, including those with interests in true crime, history, law, and human behavior. ... By simultaneously corroborating and refuting old media accounts of the murder, Komar allows the reader to act as a juror, and provides all available information to decide the verdict." -- Amy Z. Mundorff * Journal of Anthropological Research, vol. 69 *

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Book SynopsisGraham Bartlett was a Sussex police officer for thirty years. In 1989 he was posted to Brighton and Hove, becoming a detective the following year. Quite uniquely he served the city through every rank, rising to become a homicide senior investigating officer and Detective Superintendent for Public Protection as well as a strategic firearms and public order commander. He then achieved his life's ambition, as Chief Superintendent, to become the city's Police Commander or, as Peter James jokingly called him the 'Sheriff of Brighton', a job he held and loved for four years. He pioneered Operation Reduction, the enduring approach to slashing drugs deaths and reducing crime as well as cutting disorder at protests by adopting methods developed by one of the world's foremost crowd psychologists. He lives in Sussex.Synonymous with plot-twisting pageturners, Peter James has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over forty awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer. Many of Peter's novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.Trade ReviewThis book is an extremely well-written and detailed account of the thirty-year journey from the tragedy of the murder of two loved young girls, through a failed prosecution and a family’s tireless pursuit to see justice done, culminating in the complex and challenging Sussex Police investigation that led to the rightful conviction of Russell Bishop. It is a testament to what a family’s determination and police investigative skills can achieve in bringing justice -- Detective Superintendent Adam Hibbert, former head of Surrey and Sussex Major Crime TeamBabes in the Wood tells this harrowing and tragic story with great accuracy and sensitivity, revealing for the first time the inside story of how the police eventually brought justice for the two little girls. It is a story that needs to be told -- David Gaylor, retired detective chief superintendent for Sussex Police and ‘the real-life Roy Grace’Make no mistake, a criminal trial is not about finding the truth, it is only ever about the question of proof. Babes in the Wood highlights the painstaking and frustrating, slow and, on occasion, ponderous route to achieving the goals of both proof and truth. It is an excellent observation of professionalism and downright persistence . . . A triumph, this book is not just a testament to the police officers, but also to the parents and families of the victims. The authenticity of this book, the honesty, professionalism and persistent investigation displayed, the array of characters, frustrations and procedures – all these are a shining example of both the truth and accuracy of an investigation, leading to one of the most dramatic re-trials seen within the United Kingdom to date. Babes in the Wood should be required reading for all budding detectives -- Former DI Malcolm Bacon, investigating officer who saw Bishop jailed for life in 1990

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisNew paperback edition - How Jack the Ripper escaped (to France) thanks to police errors and an Establishment cover-up. This is the real story of Druitt, the Ripper.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Cheshire in the 19th and early 20th centuries.Trade Review'The authors are to be congratulated on bringing key aspects of social behaviour linked to the historical impact of crime and punishment within a rural area in an outstanding coherent style which "brings the past to life". Well worth reading.' -- Love Cheshire

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Book SynopsisA look at the dark side of life in Bath in centuries past. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime as well as those who want to know more about the history of Bath and the South West of England.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of true life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Manchester in the past.

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Book SynopsisShe''s accused of four murders. She''s only guilty of three...When Ruby was a child growing up in Miami, she saw a boy from her school struggling against the ocean waves while his parents were preoccupied. Instead of helping him, Ruby dove under the water and held his ankle down until he drowned. She waited to feel guilty for it, but she never did. And, as Ruby will argue in her senior thesis while studying psychology at Yale, guilt is sort of like eating ice cream while on a diet - if you''re already feeling bad, why not eat the whole carton? And so, the bodies start to stack up. Twenty-five years later, Ruby''s in an interrogation room under suspicion of murder, being shown four photographs. Each is a person she once knew, now deceased. The line-up includes her husband Jason. She is responsible for three of the four deaths... but it might be the crime that she didn''t commit that will finally ensnare her.From the Emmy Award-winning Trade ReviewOne of the best debuts I've read in a while, with a fascinating story, wicked sharp writing, and an unforgettable narrator. Blood Sugar needs to be on your 2022 reading list. * Samantha Downing, bestselling author of For Your Own Good *Unsettling from its outset and engrossing to its very end, Blood Sugar pulls the reader deep into the mind of its highly intelligent, obsessively organized protagonist - an accomplished woman who just so happens to leave a trail of dead bodies in her wake. Never before have I cared so much for such an untrustworthy character. * Kathleen Barber, author of Truth Be Told *Inventive, engrossing, and wicked, BLOOD SUGAR is the tale of a woman who just can't seem to stop killing people. But she would never hurt her own husband-right? Ruby Simon is perhaps the most relatable murderer since Dexter. I found her story disturbingly fun. * Stephanie Wrobel, author of Darling Rose Gold *The story of Ruby - a Dexter-like figure who commits her first murder aged five. I totally loved this book which had some incredibly inventive methods of death! Entirely original and utterly brilliant - a must-read. * Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet *A chilling, twisty and exceptionally smart thriller that will convince you that not every cold-blooded killer is a villain. I adored this book from page one and didn't want it to end. * Michele Campbell, bestselling author of It’s Always the Husband *When a multiple murderer is your new fantasy best friend, you know you've just read something very special indeed. BLOOD SUGAR had me glued from the very first page with its masterful storytelling and whip-smart characterisation. Darkly comic, surprisingly tender, and most of all, hugely entertaining. A 2022 must-read! * Caz Frear *

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Book SynopsisThis enthralling hardback guide tells the story of the rise and spread of The Mafia, from the island of Sicily to the United States and beyond, brought to life with striking full-colour photographs and illustrations. The Mafia is full of blood-chilling characters, from Al Capone, who ran Chicago during Prohibition, and hitmen Louis Lepke and Alberto Anastasia who founded Murder, Inc, to Totò Riina, ''boss of bosses'', John Gotti, ''the Teflon don'', and Bernardo ''The Tractor'' Provenzano, who hid out under cover for 43 years... They were extraordinary men who lived through extraordinary times. The Mafia tells the story of their lives, their families, their codes, their crimes and their cold-blooded murders. It''s a long and enthralling tale, drenched in blood and scored with betrayal.Filled with full-colour photographs, illustrations, and special features, this book provides an essential starting point to underst

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Book SynopsisThe first account of the Crippen saga to make full use of the new DNA evidence that has transformed the case.

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Book SynopsisFeatures a foreword from former Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, the lead detective on the case and subject of ITV drama, A Confession, as well as author of Catching a Serial Killer.

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Book SynopsisInnocent, guilty, coerced, framed. These are the stories of dozens of women who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Whether innocent or not, these women were all indicted for murder of some sort; most of them ended up facing execution. From Britain's late medieval period through the following 600 years, this book explores the world of murderous female crime and pulls you in to the lives of these women. It situates their stories on the timeline of British crime and relates their terrible deeds to the criminal world and proceedings of the times they lived in.Enjoy this glimpse into the history of Britain's criminal underbelly and the women within it, who showed what desperation, lack of mental health support, and cruelty, could lead to.

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Book SynopsisWritten in an entertaining style, the book contains a huge amount of fascinating detail, not only of the murder but about the lives of so many of the characters in the story. It's a huge slice of London life, 1875 style. This story deserves to be much better known and will be fascinating to anyone interested in Whitechapel or Victorian Crime.

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Book SynopsisAssassination has been a political and military tool for thousands of years. In the view of many generals and emperors, it was cheaper and more effective than assembling an army and pitching soldiers into combat with the enemy - when the result was never clear cut or easy to achieve. The twentieth century was, perhaps more than any other period, an era of military, political and social assassinations. Their effect was invariably huge, world-changing in some instances. From the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914 to the murder of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, from the death of John Lennon to the assassination of men like President Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the assassin's bombs, bullets, and knives cut a swathe across modern society. 'Assassinations that Shaped the Twentieth Century' logs and describes many of the more notable killings. It places the assassinations in context, charting their effect and significance. The book also looks at 'failed' assassination attempts and at killings that were planned but never carried out. Written in Phil Carradice's easy and elegant style, the book is thoroughly researched and presented in a logical manner. It is an essential addition to the bookshelves of anyone with an interest in twentieth-century history.

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