True crime Books

Book SynopsisIn May 1902, a great storm hit the small village of Peasenhall, Suffolk. The following morning, the body of Rose Harsent was found in the house where she worked. Whilst originally believed by the doctor to have been suicide, her brutal injuries, alongside evidence of an attempted fire, told a different story. When looking for a murderer, there were very few suspects, but as more details unfolded, the evidence started to point towards one William Gardiner. William was a respected figure in the community, with a loving family, a job as a foreman carpenter at the local Seed Drill Works, and several positions within the local church. However, the previous year, William had been involved in a scandal that suggested an affair between him and Rose; one that had brought an inquest into the matter and could not be forgotten in such a small village. This made him a person of interest for the police, and when a medicine bottle filled with paraffin was found near her body with the Gardiner famil

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Book SynopsisVivid reconstruction of the criminal career of the most famous highwayman Dick Turpin.

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Book SynopsisGripping personal accounts by front line police officers in late 20th century.

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Book SynopsisDelves into each of the women's lives, the circumstances that led to their crimes, their committal and trial and the various reasons why they resorted to murder.

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Book Synopsis''A compelling mixture of mystery, community secrets revealed and ghosts from the past disturbing the present'' Sunday Times''A mesmerising historical mystery . . . based on a fascinating real case. Delectable'' Anna Mazzola, author of The Book of SecretsOctober 1933With a population of five hundred souls, isolated Sark has a reputation for being ''the island where nothing ever happens''. Until, one day, the neatly folded clothes of an unknown man and woman are discovered abandoned at a coastal beauty spot. As the search for the missing couple catches the attention of first the local and then national newspapers, Sark finds itself front-page news.When young islander Phyllis Carey returns to Sark from England she throws herself into solving the mystery. As Phyll digs through swirls of gossip, ghost stories and dark rumours in search of the truth, she crosses paths with Everard Hyde, a surprise visitor from her past. As press covera

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Book Synopsis**Longlisted for the ALCS Gold Non-Fiction Dagger****Longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize 2022**Haunting lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned' Sunday TimesA compelling whodunnit ... Devastating' Financial TimesTransfixing' New York TimesA powerful, unflinching account of misogyny, female shame and the notion of honour' Observer___________________A masterly and agenda-setting inquest into how the deaths of two teenage girls shone a light into the darkest corners of a nation Katra Sadatganj. A tiny village in western Uttar Pradesh. A community bounded by tradition and custom; where young women are watched closely, and know what is expected of them. It was an ordinary night when two girls, Padma and Lalli, went missing. The next day, their bodies were found hanging in the orchard, their clothes muddied. In the ensuing months, the investigation into theirTrade ReviewSonia Faleiro ’s meticulously researched investigation results in a powerful, unflinching account of misogyny, female shame and the notion of honour * Observer *Faleiro’s pithy, cliffhanging chapters fuse true crime with big-picture analysis, blending data with interviews and detail ... A powerful indictment of a society failing its most vulnerable members * Economist *At once shocking and mundane, quiet and loud, understated and savage * Times Literary Supplement *Transfixing; it has the pacing and mood of a whodunit, but no clear reveal * New York Times *A puzzle with a surprise at the end ... A riveting, terrible tale, one all too common, but Faleiro’s gorgeous prose makes it bearable * New York Times Book Review *A desperate reflection on the status of women ... Faleiro has taken exceptional pains to recreate the events as they unfolded * Spectator *Traces the tragic mystery surrounding the deaths of two teenagers found hanging in an Indian mango orchard * New York Times, Recommended Reads *A compelling whodunnit ... Faleiro writes sensitively about her subjects’ actions and motivations, while the investigation reaches its final devastating revelation * Financial Times *An insightful work of reportage that highlights how gender intersects with class and caste in Indian society. It's a page-turner, a feminist text, and an essential read that is deeply empathetic towards its two main subjects who no longer have a voice -- Deepa Anappara, author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple LineA compassionate, timely and necessary book that explores the issues of sex, violence, shame, honour and what it is to be a girl growing up in modern India * Literary Review *Searing ... A riveting - sometimes astonishing - work of forensic journalism that chronicles the girls’ lives as well as the circumstances of their death * Wall Street Journal *A major piece of reportage ... Makes for tough but necessary reading * Cosmopolitan Online, 69 books by Black and POC authors out in 2021 *A stunning look at an investigation that was more about caste culture, poverty and the oppression of women than justice * People *Narrative reportage at its best. Just extraordinary -- Fatima BhuttoIn this true story of the mysterious death of two girls, Sonia Faleiro confronts us with what it means to be young, poor, powerless and most importantly, female, in much of today's India ... The Good Girls left me shattered -- Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel Prize winnerPraise for Sonia Faleiro: ‘A tour de force of reportage, whose depth, insight and resonance make it the equal of the best fiction * SUNDAY TIMES *A small masterpiece of observation … Opens up a hidden world with startling insight and intimacy -- WILLIAM DALRYMPLEFaleiro brings a novelist’s eye for detail and a depth of empathy to her work. A magnificent book of reportage that is also endowed with all the terror and beauty of art -- KIRAN DESAIDoes what every good piece of reportage ought to: took me to a place I couldn't have gone by myself -- HARI KUNZRUA tour de force of heartrending reportage ... which blends rigorous journalistic research with the narrative skills of a novelist * INDEPENDENT *[An] intimate and valuable book of literary reportage that will break your heart several times over -- DWIGHT GARNER * NEW YORK TIMES *It is useless to describe the pathos and singular power of this book * SPECTATOR *So compelling that it invites from us the question of exactly what might constitute genius in non-fiction * THE NATIONAL *Brilliant ... It's most outstanding quality to my eye is the window it offers on the widespread sexual repression that exists in India today, and the murky middle-class morality that rules it * GUARDIAN *She manages to evoke shock, rage, and laughter … A moving testament * LITERARY REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times Bestseller''Simply, utterly brilliant. Bursting with humility and humanity'' The Secret Barrister''An elegant, philosophical and, at times, moving memoir of what it is like to serve as America''s most high-profile legal official'' Financial TimesMulti-million-dollar fraud. Terrorism. Mafia criminality. Russian espionage. As United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara prosecuted some of the most high-profile cases in America. In Doing Justice he takes us inside America''s criminal justice system to deliver a powerful meditation on justice what it is, who dispenses it, how it works and what the law can teach us about thinking and acting justly in our own lives.Trade ReviewDoing Justice is about ordinary fallibility, and how those responsible for the dispensation of justice are regular humans, prone to act as humans do . . . Filled with sobering stories about error and – in the more beautiful, memorable cases – ingenuity, determination, redemption * New York Times *At its most powerful, Doing Justice works as a metaphorical survival guide for the Trump era. As with everything Bharara does, he writes in a tone that is calm and considered, a warm bath after the outrage of Trump’s daily tweets. That’s what has made him such an unlikely superstar following his dismissal at Trump’s hands * Guardian *Bharara positions Doing Justice as a treatise on “the rule of law and faith in the rule of law” at a time when both are under threat . . . His reflection on the role of the justice system in America is an effort both to make the inner workings of that system accessible to people unfamiliar with what criminal justice looks like from the perspective of law enforcement, and to suggest how people might apply ideals and habits honed in the courtroom to the patterns of everyday life * Washington Post *A vivid memoir of a critical job, a primer on the toughest questions of prosecutorial ethics, and a reminder of the drama inherent in life in the courtroom arena -- Jeffrey ToobinBharara expertly weaves real-life stories of law and disorder into a compelling examination of our collective understanding of justice . . . Vital and urgent -- The Secret BarristerAn elegant, philosophical and, at times, moving memoir of what it is like to serve as America’s most high-profile legal official. Deserves to be widely read beyond the legal world * Financial Times *The man who terrifies Wall Street * New Yorker *[Preet] has somehow managed to be incredibly smart, principled, independent and hilarious all at the same time -- James Comey

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Book SynopsisJeremy Johns provides a pictorial history of smuggling in Cornwall.

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Book SynopsisExplores life in the Victorian police force from the time of Jack the Ripper, from training to discovering a murder.Trade Review‘A must-have... The only thing wrong with this book is that you come to the end of it.’ * PAUL BEGG, Ripperologist *‘An in-depth overview of the Ripper murders investigation… This is a must-have book for all Ripperologists, as well as the interested reader of the genre.’ * STEWART P. EVANS, author of The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook *

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Book SynopsisThe world of communications was forever changed by his invention of the telephone, but that's not all Alexander Graham Bell put his mind to

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Book SynopsisThe dark story behind the bright lights of TinseltownFrom the outside, Hollywood starlet Lana Turner seemed to have it alla thriving film career, a beautiful daughter, and the kind of fame and fortune that most people could only dream of. But when the famous femme fatale began dating mobster Johnny Stompanato, thug for the infamous west coast mob boss Mickey Cohen, her personal life became violent and unpredictable. Lana's teenage daughter, Cheryl, watched her beloved mother's life deteriorate as Stompanato's intense jealousy took over. Eventually, the physical and emotional abuse became too much to bear, and Lana attempted to break it off with Johnnywith disastrous consequences. The details of what happened that fateful night remain foggy, but it ended in a series of frantic phone calls and Stompanato dead on Lana's bedroom floor, with Cheryl claiming to have plunged a knife into his abdomen in an attempt to protect her mother. The subsequent murder trial made for

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Book Synopsis'The book that everyone will be talking about this year: a staggering work of honesty, empathy and humanity, wholly unlike anything else you will have read' Terri White On the evening of Halloween in 2015, Morgan Hehir was walking with friends close to Nuneaton town centre when they were viciously attacked by a group of strangers. Morgan was stabbed, and died hours later in hospital. He was twenty years old and loved making music with his band, going to the football with his mates, having a laugh; a talented graffiti artist who dreamed of moving away and building a life for himself by the sea. From the moment he heard the news, Morgan's father Colin Hehir began to keep an extraordinary diary. It became a record not only of the immediate aftermath of his son's murder, but also a chronicle of his family's evolving grief, the trial of Morgan's killers, and his personal fight to unravel the lies, mistakes and cover-ups that led to a young manTrade ReviewI feel very lucky to have read this book. Extraordinary and important . . . a triumph * Adam Kay, bestselling author of This Is Going To Hurt *Gripping, moving and beautifully executed . . . This is the first book I've read in a long time that acknowledges the grief, rage and misery of a crime's aftermath, and it does so with such truthfulness, humanity and respect. Hugely affecting * David Nicholls *I was utterly floored by the emotional depth of About A Son - a book that reaches so deeply into the human experience that to read it is to be forever changed. It is an unflinching examination of grief, a painstaking deconstruction of injustice and a dispatch from the frontiers of the human heart. David Whitehouse has written something of great power and truth. In doing so, he has ensured that Colin Hehir's beloved son, Morgan, and the family's fight for justice will never be forgotten. * Elizabeth Day, author of How To Fail *The book that everyone will be talking about this year: a staggering work of honesty, empathy and humanity, wholly unlike anything else you will have read. Whitehouse is a masterful storyteller who builds an intimate, immersive and unflinching portrait of a boy lost to preventable violence and the family who loved him. I found it absolutely compelling from the first word to the last and know I will never forget it * Terri White, author of Coming Undone *An incredibly compassionate and moving story of loss, grief and enduring love. The portrait of a father's determination and resilience left me filled with both heartache and hope. David Whitehouse is a singularly gifted and deeply compelling writer and this beautiful book opened my eyes to what creative non-fiction can be and do. * Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love *I was lucky enough to bag a preview copy of this startling piece of non-fiction a few months ahead of its official release in April. Weird thing to say, but the author might have invented a new genre of literature here, so unique are the events leading up to the book's publication. Part evidence-led true-crime investigation and part psycho-spiritual communion with the essence of grief itself, About A Son is unlike anything you've ever read, I guarantee. This deserves to be massive in 2022 * Time Out *Shocking, harrowing and sensitive . . . brings their love for Morgan to vivid life. Whitehouse writes in a spare style reminiscent of Gordon Burn * Observer, Book of the Week *An astonishing tale of profound love and grief . . . The facts tell nothing of the staggering emotional heft held within its 272 pages, as this singular blend of memoir, reportage and true crime investigation enmesh the reader in a tale of profound love, towering grief and intense indignation at a justice system that let down the Hehirs . . . . Exceptional . . . as much as it is about his death, it is also a tribute to who Morgan Hehir was, and the memory of his life will live long inside anyone who reads it * The i *A feat of creative non-fiction. A mix of true crime and memoir, it's a book that pays tribute to Morgan as a young man whose life was suddenly cut short, while also being a book about Nuneaton itself, capturing the grit and tragedy beneath the surface of the town, as well as a sense of community and openness. Whitehouse's writing is brilliant and devastating * The Skinny *A book of love and grief, and about what justice can and cannot deliver. I shall always remember Morgan and his family * Sunjeev Sahota, author of The Year of The Runaways *A work of such staggering beauty, such sheer, abject dread. My heart ached, and still does, but I'm so glad I read ABOUT A SON. I'm so glad David Whitehouse wrote this book. It's profoundly intimate and despairingly universal. It's a story of life and loss, and grief and love. It's remarkable. * Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End *About A Son is a story of grief and the urgent all consuming need for closure when truth and justice are denied. Told with such skill, almost like a letter to the grieving father, a gift that honours the details of the crime and its aftermath, while transforming them into art. Both forensic and compassionate, it asks how do we come to terms with the tragic loss of a beloved son, failed by the system and taken far too early. This is an enthralling and beautiful book that stands as a lasting testament to the power and pain of familial love * Lily Dunn, author of Sins of My Father *This book! It's about being a father and losing a son. It's about trying to make sense of a senseless thing. It is tender and beautiful, and it is an angry book, a book whose anger is balanced and honed, anger as a tool, slicing through systemic indifference and obfuscation to what is true and right. Yes it's about a murder, about the loss of a life and future. But there is so much love here, and pride and even hope; Whitehouse takes you right to the heart of what it is to be human * Marianne Levy, author of Don't Forget to Scream *You absolutely must not miss this extraordinarily compelling work of creative non-fiction that is both deeply respectful and superbly crafted. It's one of those works that excels by defying categorisation, and yet if ever a book brought home the stark human reality that lies behind the words 'True' and 'Crime' it is this one * Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller *David Whitehouse's account of the senseless, preventable murder of a much-loved son, brother and friend, and the unfathomable grief that fuelled his father's quest for the truth, is an astonishing achievement. About A Son is a book that will stay with you for a long, long time. A memorial to Morgan Hehir, the love he gave and the love that surrounded him in his all too short life, it is as beautiful and brilliant as it is heart-breaking * Dan Davies, author of In Plain Sight, winner of the Gordon Burn Prize *David Whitehouse has taken a father's 'unique record of grief' and turned it into a poetic indictment of policing in austerity Britain. About A Son is an original true crime masterpiece and a tribute to human resilience over official intransigence * Michael Gillard, author of Untouchables and Legacy *About A Son is a remarkable work of narrative nonfiction that invites us into a private universe of extraordinarily deep love and loss. It is a beautiful book that should be read by all * Francisco Garcia, author of If You Were There *A devastating book. With great empathy, perceptiveness, and skill, Whitehouse reframes the scenes of a senseless tragedy, giving voice to the untold sorrow of a bereft father, and somehow-don't ask me how-manages to return you to the edge of hope. It's insightful, profoundly moving, and big-hearted. Read it * Benjamin Wood, author of The Bellwether Revivals *A vivid portrait of grief from the frontline of loss. But this is no ordinary grief memoir . . . this is a confronting book. It brings the victim to the fore in a way that the courts struggle to do, and it shows what can go wrong when the victim is forgotten or sidelined. About a Son is an extraordinary work. Whitehouse's writing is beautiful, his storytelling deft . . . the book and its search for truth are propelled by Hehir's anger. While that anger is unfiltered, uncompromising and, for the reader, hard to look at straight in the eye, there is also a huge amount of love in this book . . . It is Hehir's love in the face of unimaginable trauma that elevates About a Son into something courageous, something inexplicably hopeful' * Olivia Potts, TLS *

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Book SynopsisThe Sahara Desert, February 1962: the wreckage of a plane emerges from the sands revealing, too, the body of the plane’s long-dead pilot. But who was he? And what had happened to him?Baker Street, London, June 1927: twenty-five-year-old Jessie Miller had fled a loveless marriage in Australia, longing for adventure in the London of the Bright Young Things. At a gin-soaked party, she met Bill Lancaster, fresh from the Royal Air force, his head full of a scheme that would make him as famous as Charles Lindbergh, who has just crossed the Atlantic. Lancaster wanted to fly three times as far – from London to Melbourne – and in Jessie Miller he knew he had found the perfect co-pilot. By the time they landed in Melbourne, the daring aviators were a global sensation – and, despite still being married to other people, deeply in love. Keeping their affair a secret, they toured the world until the Wall Street Crash changed everything; Bill and Jessie – like so many others – were broke. And it was then, holed up in a run-down mansion on the outskirts of Miami and desperate for cash, that Jessie agreed to write a memoir. When a dashing ghostwriter Haden Clark was despatched from New York, the toxic combination of the handsome interloper, bootleg booze and jealousy led to a shocking crime. The trial that followed put Jessie and Bill back on the front pages and drove him to a reckless act of abandon to win it all back. The Lost Pilots is their extraordinary story, brought to vivid life by Corey Mead. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, and full of adventure, forbidden passion, crime, scandal and tragedy, it is a masterwork of narrative nonfiction that firmly restores one of aviation’s leading female pioneers to her rightful place in history.Trade Review[A] rollicking true story of open-air flying, sexual passion and unnatural death in the early age of aviation — a tale that brings a fresh meaning to the term “airport thriller”. * The Times *In The Lost Pilots, Corey Mead spins an electric tale about two ambitious lovers who risked everything for fame, only to be brought low by a toxic mix of jealousy and despair. Meticulously researched and told with wondrous flair, this story will work its magic on you as it conjures the era when only the most audacious souls could rule the skies. -- Brendan I. Koerner, author of The Skies Belong to Us and Now the Hell Will StartThe Lost Pilots is a rich, vivid recreation of a lost era—when flying was new and the frontiers were fresh, but humans were the passionate, irrational creatures we’ve always been. It is Mead’s great achievement that he tells a story in which the tapestry of the time and the doings in the courtroom are equal parts of his narrative whole. The Lost Pilots is irresistible. -- Jeffrey Kluger, New York Times bestselling author of Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon

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Book SynopsisThe incredible true story of a British physicist who was an undercover spy for the Soviets. The world first heard of Klaus Fuchs, the head of theoretical physics at the British Research Establishment at Harwell in February 1950 when he appeared at the Old Bailey, accused of passing secrets to the Soviet Union. For over sixty years disinformation and lies surrounded the story of Klaus Fuchs as the Governments of Britain, the United States and Russia all tried to cover up the truth about his treachery. Piecing together the story from archives in Britain, the United States, Russia and Germany, The Spy Who Changed the World unravels the truth about Fuchs and reveals for the first time his long career of espionage. It proves that he played a pivotal role in Britain''s bomb program in the race to keep up with the United States in the atomic age, and that he revealed vital secrets about the atom bomb, as well as the immensely destructive hydrogen bomb to the Soviet Government. It is a dramatic tale of clandestine meetings, deadly secrets, family entanglements and illicit love affairs, all set against the tumultuous years from the rise of Hitler to the start of the Cold War.

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Book SynopsisFrom Amanda Knox to O.J., Casey Anthony to Kyle Rittenhouse, our justice system faces scrutiny and pressure from the media and public like never before. Can the bedrock of “innocent until proven guilty” survive in what acclaimed Seattle attorney and legal analyst Anne Bremner calls the age of judgement? When unscrupulous Italian prosecutors waged an all-out war in the media and courtroom to wrongly convict American exchange student Amanda Knox for a murder she didn’t commit, family and friends turned to renowned Seattle attorney and media legal analyst Anne Bremner to help win her freedom. The case was dubbed the “trial of the decade” and would coincide with the explosion of social media and a new era of trying cases in public as much as the courtroom. While Italian prosecutors, the press, and online lynch mobs convicted Knox in the court of public opinion, Bremner would draw upon her decades in the courtroom and in front of the camera to turn the tide with a new kind of defense in pursuit of justice. In Justice in the Age of Judgement, Anne Bremner and Doug Bremner take us inside some of the biggest cases of recent times and offer their expert, thought-provoking insights and analysis as our legal system faces unprecedented forces fighting to tip the scales of justice their way. Why couldn’t prosecutors convict O.J. Simpson despite all of the evidence seemingly proving he killed his wife Nicole? Could a jury remain unbiased in the face of overwhelming public pressure in the trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd? Why was Kyle Rittenhouse exonerated after shooting three people (killing two) with an assault rifle at a violent rally despite widespread media reports seemingly proving his guilt, and national calls for his conviction?Justice in the Age of Judgement is an unparalleled and unflinching look at the captivating cases tried on Twitter and TV, where the burden of proof and fundamental legal tenet of “innocent until proven guilty” is under assault from the court of public opinion.

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Book SynopsisJack the Ripper is the ultimate cold case. The Whitechapel Murders of 1888 have remained unsolved for over 130 years and hundreds of theories have been suggested as to the killer's identity. Despite numerous books claiming to unmask the infamous Victorian villian. None have come close . until now. The authors of this book are all members of H Division Crime Club, the world's largest body of experts on the Jack the Ripper murders. They have all come together for the first time in history to deliver their own personal research into each suspect and to finally nail down the identity of the man know as Jack the Ripper. Taking the original police reports, eye witness accounts and research by the worlds leading authorities, we ask two crucial questions. Who did the police suspect at the time ? Who was in the area to commit the murders ? Using 21st century profiling techniques, it's time to reveal the truth behind the men most likely to have been Jack the Ripper. With each chapter discussing a separate suspect in detail, this book is the ultimate guide to solving the world's greatest murder mystery.

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Book SynopsisSerial killer Patrick Mackay was dubbed the most dangerous man in Britain when he appeared in court in 1975 charged with three killings, including the axe murder of a priest. The Nazi-obsessed alcoholic had stalked the upmarket streets of West London hunting for victims and was suspected of at least eight further murders. Now, after more than 40 years behind bars, where he has shunned publicity, Mackay has been allowed to change his name and win the right to live in an open prison - bringing him one step closer to freedom. For the first time, _Britain's Forgotten Serial Killer_ reveals the full, untold story of Patrick Mackay and the many still-unsolved murders linked to his case.

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Book SynopsisThere is an ancient and quite baseless myth that the use of torture has never been legal in Britain. This old wives' tale arose because torture had been neither endorsed nor forbidden by either statute or common law. In other words; the law has, until the late twentieth century, never had anything to say on the subject. In fact, torture, inflicted both as punishment and as an aid to interrogation, has been a constant and recurring feature of British life; from the beginning of the country's recorded history, until well into the twentieth century. Even as late as 1976, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the British Army was guilty of the systematic torture of suspected terrorists. In 'A History of Torture in Britain' Simon Webb traces the terrible story of the deliberate use of pain on prisoners in Britain and its overseas possessions. Beginning with the medieval trial by ordeal, which entailed carrying a red-hot iron bar in your bare hand for a certain distance, through to the stretching on the rack of political prisoners and the mutilation of those found guilty of sedition; the evidence clearly shows that Britain has relied heavily upon torture, both at home and abroad, for almost the whole of its history. This sweeping and authoritative account of a grisly and distasteful subject is likely to become the definitive history of the judicial infliction of pain in Britain and its Empire.

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Book SynopsisBetween the two World Wars, there was a dramatic upsurge of violence as rival criminal gangs vied for rich pickings from bookmakers at racetracks throughout England. With ready access to cash, 'bookies' were a magnet for mobsters' blackmailing demands. Refusal to pay resulted in severe punishment. Their justified fears spawned a ready 'protection' market . Conflict between rival gangs were frequent and increasingly violent. Charles 'Darby' Sabini with his brothers ran 'The Italian Mob' who clashed with Billy Kimber and his Brummagen Hammers. Uneasy partnerships were formed but seldom lasted. The Sabinis were friendly with the Cortesi family until a rift resulted in one of the Cortesis shooting Harryboy Sabini. Other gangs such as The Titanics and The Nile Mob were ready to fill voids. As well as broken alliances, internal friction and members changing sides resulted in bloodshed on the streets, in pubs and clubs and on the courses. Public order was so threatened that the Flying Squad was tasked with the eradication of the problem and, in 1936, the celebrated Battle of Lewes Racecourse brought matters to a bloody conclusion. This well researched and gripping account describes the vicious dramas played out in the 1920s and 1930s.

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Book SynopsisRobert Louis Stevenson's classic, swashbuckling novel about a young boy who is forced to go to sea and who is then caught up in high drama, daring adventure and political intrigue. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is introduced by Louise Welsh and features black and white illustrations.Headstrong David Balfour, orphaned at seventeen, sets out from the Scottish Lowlands to seek his fortune in Edinburgh. Betrayed by his wealthy Uncle Ebenezer, he is carried away to sea to be sold into slavery in the Carolinas. On board, he secures a timely alliance with Jacobite adventurer Alan Breck, and together they make an epic escape across the western Highlands. Inspired by real events, Kidnapped is a swashbuckling adventure of bizarre encounters, political assassination and wild carousings with Robert Louis Stevenson’s unique counterpoint of low morals and high comedy threaded throughout.Trade ReviewStevenson’s ability to create other worlds is at the heart of his writing * Scottish Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisJAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. Among his creations are some of the world's most popular series including Alex Cross, the Women's Murder Club, Michael Bennett and the Private novels. He has written many other number one bestsellers including collaborations with President Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, stand-alone thrillers and non-fiction. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed adult author in UK libraries for the past fourteen years in a row. He lives in Florida with his family.

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Book Synopsis'A cracking read ... Ghislaine Maxwell's story has had endless column inches, but John gives such a great overview, and has mined so many sources that it still feels fresh and compelling.' Mail on Sunday Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who suffered a tragedy, the death of her father, a war hero, a philanthropist, a good man, in suspicious circumstances. She fled to New York where she made a new life with a brilliant mathematician. Her name is Ghislaine Maxwell and her lover was Jeffrey Epstein. Through Jeffrey, and her family name, Ghislaine became friends with some of the most powerful people on earth, ex-President Bill Clinton and President-to-be Donald Trump and the second son of the Queen of England, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. But this is no fairy tale. HUNTING GHISLAINE sets out the other side of the story, and it's one of the darkest you will ever read. Ghislaine's father, Robert Maxwell, was a sadist, a war criminal, a monster. His cruelty deformed Ghislaine Maxwell long before she met Jeffrey Epstein. Her one-time lover was convicted for being a paedophile. So Ghislaine's life has been spent serving not one monster but two.In HUNTING GHISLAINE, legendary investigative journalist John Sweeney uncovers the truth behind this fairy tale story in reverse.Trade Review'A cracking read ... Ghislaine Maxwell's story has had endless column inches, but John gives such a great overview, and has mined so many sources that it still feels fresh and compelling.' * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisThe true story behind the BBC documentary Confessions of a Teenage Fraudster''The crime of fraud, when conducted well, is a fascinating pursuit. It's a test of intellect, determination and stamina. It is a floating mess of fact and fiction that you have to carry in your mind for twenty-four hours a day. It can be used to realize dreams, to slip on any mask required.'Elliot Castro was just a teenager when he began to use his formidable intelligence and charm to swindle millions from the credit card system. No outside individual has ever pulled off this scale of fraudulent activity. But the money wasn't funding an addiction or other criminal enterprises; Elliot was simply a working-class kid with no qualifications who wanted to see the world. From London to New York, Ibiza to Beverly Hills, Castro lived a fantasy life. He stayed in famous hotels, travelled first class and blew a small fortune on designer clothes and champagne.Time after time, Elli

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Book SynopsisIn the tradition of Argo, The Wizard of Lies, and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, a book that expands upon the HBO docuseries, McMillion$, with new, exclusive interviews and stories that couldn''t make it into the series.In March of 2001, Federal prosecutor Mark Devereaux cold-called Rob Holm, the head of security for McDonald''s Corporation. Without explanation, Devereaux asked that Holm and several other McDonald''s senior executives plan a visit to the Jacksonville, Florida, FBI, and tell no one about their intended destination. It wasn''t up for discussion. Upon their arrival, Devereaux watched them closely, looking at body language, checking for tells. To him, they were all potential suspects.Once they were seated in an unremarkable conference room, sealed away in the hyper-secure FBI building, Devereaux began to lay out a shocking conspiracy, one that ran deep into McDonald''s most beloved promotions: the Monopoly game. This is

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Book SynopsisAn investigation of the New Age movement in America aims to understand its appeal to women and the self-proclaimed prophetesses, like Love Has Won's Amy Carlson, who've created kingdoms for themselves within it.

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Book SynopsisThe #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Gregg Olsen solves a murder among the Amish and reveals the conspiracy to keep it a secret in a heartbreaking and horrifying true-crime story. In 1977, in an Ohio Amish community, pregnant wife and mother Ida Stutzman perished during a barn fire. The coroner’s report: natural causes. Ida’s husband, Eli, was never considered a suspect. But when he eventually rejected the faith and took his son, Danny, with him, murder followed. What really happened to Ida? The dubious circumstances of the tragic blaze were willfully ignored and Eli’s shifting narratives disregarded. Could Eli’s subsequent cross-country journey of death—including that of his own son—have been prevented if just one person came forward with what they knew about the real Eli Stutzman? The questions haunted Gregg Olsen and Ida’s brother Daniel Gingerich for decades. At Daniel’s urging, Olsen now returns to Amish Country and to Eli’s crimes first exposed in Olsen’s Abandoned Prayers, one of which has remained a mystery until now. With the help of aging witnesses and shocking long-buried letters, Olsen finally uncovers the disturbing truth—about Ida’s murder and the conspiracy of silence and secrets that kept it hidden for forty-five years.Trade Review“Olsen has a gift for taking mountains of paperwork and interview material and weaving them into a cohesive narrative that is often difficult to put down, especially for die-hard true-crime fans. Because he frames the book as a step-by-step process of discovery, readers will feel like they’re right there with him as he’s knocking on doors and spinning out on the Midwestern ice. An engaging, well-researched historical excavation…” —Kirkus Reviews “The details of the case are gripping enough, but Olsen elevates them with sturdy prose, meticulous research, and admirable journalistic tenacity. This addendum to a once-settled story lands as much more than a footnote.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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Book SynopsisThe true story of a brazen burglary, and the search that engulfed the international art world.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIn 2004, a California computer whiz named Barrett Lyon uncovered the identity of a hacker running major assaults on business websites. Without fully grasping the repercussions, he set on an investigation that led him into the heart of the Russian mob. Cybercrime was evolving. No longer the domain of small-time thieves, it had been discovered by sophisticated gangs. They began by attacking corporate websites but increasingly stole financial data from consumers and defence secrets from governments. While Barrett investigated the cutting edge of technology crime, the U.S. government struggled to catch up. Britain, however, was a different story. In the late 1990s, the Queen herself had declared safe e-commerce a national security priority. Agents from the London-based National Hi-Tech Crime Unit sought out Barrett and enlisted his help. They also sent detective Andrew Crocker, a Welsh former boxer, to Russia to track down and prosecute the hackers- and to find out who they worked for. Fatal System Error penetrates both the Russian cyber-mob and the American mafia as the two fight over the Internet's massive spoils. It takes readers into the murky hacker underground, traveling the globe from San Francisco to Costa Rica, London, and Russia. Using unprecedented access to mob businesses and Russian officials, it shows how top criminals earned protection from the Russian government- and how Barrett Lyon and Andrew Crocker got closer to the titans of the underground economy than any previous outsider. Together, their stories explain why cybercrime is much worse than you thought- and why the Internet might not survive.Trade Review"Fatal System Error is an enjoyable read on par [with] books such as The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage and Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick." Processor "Menn's deconstruction of an especially sophisticated set of attacks, the victim's countermeasures, and eventual criminal investigation of the web of attackers is a valuable wake-up call for IT pros that should serve to catalyze redoubled efforts to improve cybersecurity." Slashdot Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who are Bringing Down the Internet is the wake-up call that those in Washington, and those charged with IT need to wake up to. Unfortunately, it is likely those that truly need to read this book, will press the information security snooze button yet again. Los Angeles Times, April 27, 2010 "[E]ven an unbiased observer would say that Fatal System Error is a compelling read, despite the fact that it's nonfiction (or maybe because it's nonfiction). It's also a very frightening book." Richard A. Clarke, Counter-terror chief under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and author of Against All Enemies: Inside America 's War on Terror "Fatal System Error accurately reveals the secretive global cyber cartels and their hidden multi-billion dollar business, proving cybercrime does pay and pays well." Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Co-Founder, Berkman Center for Internet & Society and author of The Future of the Internet-And How to Stop It"Joseph Menn immerses us in the personalities and politics behind today's cybersecurity threats and countermeasures. This balanced, compelling account shows why the future of the Internet depends more on people of good will than on some technological magic bullet." Vicky Raab, The New Yorker "[Fatal System Error] kept me riveted to the couch all weekend" Quentin Hardy, Forbes "[A] well-reported book on some of the biggest (known) cybercrimes in the past decade... Menn's book could hardly be more timely." Network World "As eye-popping as the book's portrayal of bookies and wise-guy swagger is... the second half of the book is even more mind-blowing." BBC Focus Magazine "The issues raised are hugely important, and failure to deal with criminals behind so much online crime will be an embarrassment to governments worldwide." Business Week "In profiling two eclectic cyber-crime fighters, Menn has crafted a fascinating high-tech whodunit that educates even as it entertains." The Guardian "Menn spins racy tales of true-life cybercrime...The villains glory in handles such as 'Bra1n', and the heroes are portrayed respectively as Matthew Broderick from Wargames and Daniel Craig's Bond, but the narrative glitter is sprinkled on top of serious and thorough reporting. Menn concludes: 'A number of enormously powerful national governments, especially those of Russia and China, have picked the blossoming of the internet age as the time to ally with organised crime.'" Richard Stiennon, founder of T-Harvest and former VP of Threat Research at Webroot Software "Not since Cliff Stoll's The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage has there been a book that delves as deeply into the workings of criminal hackers. This book will be widely read by law enforcement, policy makers, and IT security professionals. Like Stoll's book I predict it will inspire a generation of technologists to join the battle against cyber criminals." Register"An informative and entertaining look at the roots of the burgeoning cybercrime economy and its links to government, featuring a rogue's gallery of international wrong 'uns... It's one of the best descriptions of the formation of the underground economy I've read. It deserves to be read by those in the IT security industry, policy formation and with any interest in a hype-free expose of the true face of cybercrime." The Guardian"Menn's book is riveting, as much for the terrifying detail it includes - both about gambling sites and the extent of botnet infection and the feckless lack of high-level international cooperation - especially by George Bush's administration - that allowed their architects to enrich themselves." Slashdot

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Book Synopsis“Investigative reporting at its best. Mark Shaw’s original work into the questionable deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Kilgallen is now focused on the many unanswered questions left by the Warren Commission’s inquiry into the JFK assassination. Fighting for Justice has to be read.” —Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguy and Casino Packed with shocking new evidence, Fighting for Justice exposes the cover-ups of the JFK assassination and the murders of Dorothy Kilgallen and Marilyn Monroe, while revealing for the first time the corrupt inner workings of the Warren Commission based on the firsthand “whistleblower” account of an actual Commission member never identified before.How does an explosive “whistleblower” account from a Warren Commission (WC) member never identified before destroy once and for all the biggest lie in American history, the “Oswald Alone” theory? On what basis did the member admit, “It’s more than Oswald. There is internal corruption on the Commission. I do not agree with the Report”? Is the “whistleblower” the same one who surreptitiously passed Jack Ruby’s WC testimony to journalist Dorothy Kilgallen prior to its release date? And how did President Lyndon Johnson and J. Edgar Hoover strong arm the commission to prevent any investigation of the truth about who killed JFK and why? Based on fifteen years of research, answers to these questions and more are uncovered in Fighting for Justice, bestselling author and noted historian Mark Shaw’s improbable journey to exposing cover-ups of the JFK assassination while proving Marilyn Monroe and Kilgallen were murdered.

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Book SynopsisThe thrilling story of a brazen, uncatchable jewel thief who roamed the homes of Dallas high society—and a window into the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of the Swinging Sixties.As a string of high profile jewel thefts went unsolved during the Swinging Sixties, the press dubbed the elusive thief the King of Diamonds because he eluded police and the FBI for more than a decade. Like Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, the King was so bold that he tip-toed into the homes of millionaires while they were watching television, or hosting parties. He hid in their closets. And dared to smoke a cigarette while they were sleeping not far away. Rena Pederson, then a young reporter withUPI, started following the elusive thief while she managed the night desk. With gymnastic skill, this thief climbed trees or crawled across rooftops to get into sprawling mansions. He took jewels from heiresses, oil kings, corporate CEOs. These were not just some

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Book SynopsisA man desperate to know his true identity struggles to solve the infamous kidnapping that nearly destroyed his family—and find his twin sister, who has been missing for more than fifty years.When he was ten years old, Paul Fronczak was snooping around for Christmas presents in a crawl space in his family’s Chicago home. There, he found hundreds of old newspaper clippings about the kidnapping of a one-day-old infant in a hospital in 1964. He also learned that, two years later, the boy was found and returned to his family—and that the boy was him. Nearly fifty years later, Paul, acting on long-held suspicions, took a DNA test that proved he was not the kidnapped boy. In an instant, he found himself at the center of two half-century-old mysteries—who was he, and where was the real Paul? True Identity is about three separate major investigations—the hunt for the real Paul Fronczak; the search for the author’s missing twin sister Jill; and finally, the investigation into his true identity, his heart and soul and the demons inside him—inherited and created—that still need to be confronted.

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Book SynopsisUSA TODAY BESTSELLERA wild ride beneath the glitz and glamour of 1950s Hollywood, proving once again that Casey Sherman is a master of the genre.Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of Dumb Money, Bringing Down the House, and The Accidental BillionairesThe dark story behind the bright lights of TinseltownFrom the outside, Hollywood starlet Lana Turner seemed to have it alla thriving film career, a beautiful daughter, and the kind of fame and fortune that most people could only dream of. But when the famous femme fatale began dating mobster Johnny Stompanato, thug for the infamous west coast mob boss Mickey Cohen, her personal life became violent and unpredictable. Lana's teenage daughter, Cheryl, watched her beloved mother's life deteriorate as Stompanato's intense jealousy took over. Eventually, the physical and emotional abuse became too much to bear, and Lana attempted to break it off with Johnnywit

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Book SynopsisWhen her adoptive mother died in 2009 Donna Freed set out to track down her birth mother. What she discovered was truly shocking - she was the daughter of a pair of infamous con artists, at the heart of one of the biggest true crime stories to grip the USA in the 1960s. Previously redacted records from the infamous *Louise Wise Services in New York revealed that Donna s mother (27, Jewish and single), her father (40, Catholic, married with 4 children), had hatched a plan to defraud an insurance company and run off to Spain to raise Donna. Further investigation revealed that in 1967, Donna s mother, Mira Lindenmaier, faked her own death in a drowning accident off City Island in the Bronx for the double indemnity insurance money. Donna loved her tricky, unconventional adoptive mother, but was now keen to meet her birth mother and find out how and why her parents abandoned her. How would she feel towards Mira, her real Mum. How has becoming a mother herself impacted on her feelings towards her two mothers? Gripping and fast-paced, this extraordinary memoir is also incredibly moving tackling fundamental questions about motherhood and identity, nature vs nurture.Trade ReviewA jaw-dropping tale riveting. - Decca Aitkenhead, Sunday Times. A family scandal straight out of a Hollywood film noir, what a story it is. I look forward to seeing it on Netflix. - Genevieve Gaunt, The Spectator. 'Best Books of the Year.' - Evening Standard. The most amazing and remarkable story.' - Today Show NBC.

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Book SynopsisA powerful, poignant and pacey adoption memoir which reads like a thriller. When her adoptive mother died in 2009 Donna Freed set out to track down her birth mother. What she discovered was truly shocking - she was the daughter of a pair of infamous con artists, at the heart of one of the biggest true crime stories to grip the USA in the 1960s. Previously redacted records from the infamous *Louise Wise Services in New York revealed that Donna’s mother (27, Jewish and single), her father (40, Catholic, married with 4 children), had hatched a plan to defraud an insurance company and run off to Spain to raise Donna. Further investigation revealed that in 1967, Donna’s mother, Mira Lindenmaier, faked her own death in a drowning accident off City Island in the Bronx for the double indemnity insurance money. Donna loved her tricky, unconventional adoptive mother, but was now keen to meet her birth mother and find out how and why her parents abandoned her. How would she feel towards Mira, her ‘real’ Mum. How has becoming a mother herself impacted on her feelings towards her two mothers? Gripping and fast-paced, this extraordinary memoir is also incredibly moving tackling fundamental questions about motherhood and identity, nature vs nurture.Trade Review'A powerful, poignant and pacey adoption memoir which reads like a thriller' New York Times. 'The most amazing and remarkable story'. Today Show NBC

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Book SynopsisThe much anticipated follow-up to the bestseller that exposed the escalation of organised crime in New Zealand. Gangster's Paradise is about drugs, guns, gangs and money. Lots of money.A gang which took over a small rural town. A police officer shot and killed in a routine traffic stop. A port-worker who helped a gang whisk a shipping container off a wharf in the middle of the night. A crew of corrupt baggage handlers smuggling meth into the country during Covid lockdowns. A shooting inside a 5-star hotel in broad daylight. Turf wars, retaliation, and retribution: new gangs like the Mongols and Comancheros have brought with them better connections with international syndicates, challenging the established gangs like the Head Hunters - so dominant for many years - who have had to up their game in response. Jared Savage's bestselling book Gangland was about the evolution of gangs in New Zealand. Gangster's Paradise is about the deadly escalation.

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Book SynopsisDetailed accounts of over 30 contemporary cases, or older cases reopened as a result of advances in forensic science. Crime scene investigations draw on a wide range of cutting-edge technology including genetic fingerprinting, blood splatter analysis, laser ablation, toxicology and ballistics analysis. Cases covered here include: the abduction of Madeleine McCann; the vindication of Colin Stagg, convicted of having murdered Rachel Nickell; Hadden Clark who killed and ate a six-year-old child in Maryland; Robert Pickton, the Vancouver farmer who fed his female victims to his pigs; the murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia (was Amanda Knox guilty?); Lindsay Hawker's gruesome death in Japan; Josef Fritzl and the cellar in which he imprisoned and raped his daughter.

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Book SynopsisIn her bestselling book Slave Girl, Sarah Forsyth told of her terrible ordeal as a young woman sex-trafficked from England to the Red Light District of Amsterdam - and of her dramatic escape from forced prostitution. But Sarah's journey from the dark back into light was far from over. Still addicted to drugs and drink, she struggled to cope with life, with love and with the marriage she desperately hoped would bring her happiness. It would take three more long and painful years to be rid of the terrible after-effects of sex slavery. But as she fought her draining battle to survive, Sarah came to realise that there was something she needed to do. It was a decision that would take her back into the modern scandal of sex trafficking - and back into the hell of Amsterdam's Red Light District. Now Sarah tells the incredible story of her very personal mental journey to find goodness within herself - and the shocking and painful physical journey to find the sex slaves she left behind. Both are journeys which will take all the strength, courage and love that she has. But if she is to survive, they are journeys she must make.

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Book SynopsisTHEY STEAL IDENTITIES.THEY BREAK THE LAW.THEY SLEEP WITH THE ENEMY.THEY ARE THE UNDERCOVER POLICE.This is the breathtaking story of forty years of state espionage revealed by award-winning journalists Rob Evans and Paul Lewis.

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