True crime Books

Book Synopsis'Another dark parable of society's vilification of women. Intelligent... A tantalizing investigation' Kate Colquhoun. On the night of 3 October 1922, in the quiet suburb of Ilford, Edith Thompson and her husband Percy were walking home after an evening spent at a London theatre, when a man sprang out of the darkness and stabbed Percy to death. The assailant was Frederick Bywaters, a twenty-year-old merchant seaman who had been Edith's lover. When the police learned of his relationship with Edith, she was arrested as his accomplice, despite protesting her innocence. The remarkably intense love letters Edith wrote to Freddy – some of them couched in ambiguous language – were read out at their trial for murder at the Old Bailey. They would seal her fate: Edith and Freddy were hanged for the murder of Percy Thompson in January 1923. Freddy was demonstrably guilty; but was Edith truly so? In shattering detail and with masterful emotional insight, Laura Thompson charts the course of a liaison with thrice-fatal consequences, and investigates what the trial and execution of Edith Thompson tell us about perceptions of women in early twentieth-century Britain.Trade ReviewIn this compelling book you enter [Edith's] world, root for her, and come out filled with rage and dismay at a society that showed her no mercy * Evening Standard *Laura Thompson has written a stunning, passionate and unforgettable book which will hopefully bring some balance to the story of Edith Thompson and Freddy Bywaters * Shiny New Books *Extraordinarily gripping: by turns titillating, moving, shocking, and in its final pages, producing feelings of sickened revulsion in this reader * TLS *The Thompson-Bywaters case was one of the most lurid murder trials of the Twenties. Edith Thompson and her young love Freddy Bywaters were hanged for the murder of Edith's husband, but Laura Thompson argues passionately that he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice * Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year *The author brilliantly evokes a world significantly different from our own in many ways – while remaining very much the same in others – and the organisation of her material is really impressive * Crime Review *The precursor to the Villa Madeira murder. The prewar justice system exacts terrible retribution on a woman who had the temerity to take a young lover * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA compelling true story of the reality of undercover police workFor over 20 years, Joe Carter has worked for the police as an undercover cop. Travelling the globe on different passports, fraternising with thieves and international drugs and arms dealers, working alongside dangerous criminals, Carter always knew his life would come crashing down around him at any point. His story is a gripping account of the secret, solitary work of an undercover officer and the many ‘sticky’ situations he found himself in, as well as the moving confession of the difficulty in reconciling his two identities with his family life.This book explores the resilience needed to lead a double life, the thrilling challenge of working with the biggest criminals in Britain, and maintaining a sense of justice through the many adventures he encounters.Trade ReviewThis is the best expose of life as a British Undercover ever written. Joe Carter is a ‘friend of ours’. * Joe Pistone AKA Donnie Brasco, FBI’s most famous UC. *Undercover plays out like the best type of British crime novel and it’s easy to believe that these are made up characters in a make believe plot – not because it doesn’t seem plausible, but because it moves with the speed and excitement of a piece of fiction... I breezed through Undercover in a single day, it was that gripping. * Culture Fly *a fascinating look at the darker side of British policing * Crime Review *He writes candidly * Eastern Daily Press *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The Dirty Game, investigative reporter and BBC Panorama presenter Andrew Jennings, who has been heralded around the world for his decade-long pursuit of this story, uncovers the eye-watering level of fraud and criminal activity at the heart of FIFA, which has been described as the biggest sporting scandal of the century. From Blatter to Blazer, from bribery to embezzlement, Jennings reveals the key protagonists, crimes and evidence he handed to the FBI which led to the arrests of FIFA executive and the resignation of Sepp Blatter. Written in a gripping narrative, and based on years of research and never-before-seen documents, this is the definitive portrait of the downfall of FIFA, and the men who stole football.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘Policing is like this everywhere but not everywhere is Scilly’Meet Sergeant Colin Taylor, he has been a valuable member of the police force for over 20 years, 5 of which have been spent policing the ‘quiet’ Isles of Scilly, a group of islands off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula. Colin has made it his purpose to keep the streets of Scilly free from drunk anchor thieves, Balance Board riders and other culprits, mostly drunken, intent on breaking the law. This book is the first hand account of how he did it.Coupled with his increasingly popular ‘Isle of Scilly Police Force’ Facebook page, this book charts the day to day trials and tribulations of a small-island police officer, told in a perfectly humorous and affectionate way. This book is a fantastic read and Colin's antics are soon to be the feautre of a major ITV TV series.Trade ReviewThe best tourist guide to the Isles of Scilly one could wish for. Anyone reading this book is sure to want to go there and experience this delightfully eccentric corner of the British Isles. * Daily Express *Enchantingly dotty. * Daily Mail *Set to be [a] big hit. * Guardian *If you love the Isles of Scilly you will love this book. * A Dartmoor and Devon Blog *Told with humour and tenderness. A great read – No.1 in Books Top Ten * Western Morning News *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the 60s, Ronnie and Reggie Kray were Britain’s most notorious gangsters. With violence and intimidation they were the kings of London. They sipped champagne with celebrities and rubbed shoulders with politicians. They were untouchable. Until they weren’t. After an undercover operation, the Kray twins were found guilty of murder and were sentenced to life in prison. They were just 35 years old. But once inside, the twins were determined to make their stay truly historic. The Twins began earning more money inside than they ever did on the streets. They sold branded t-shirts and memorabilia and they allowed books and films to be published about their lives. They didn't stop. Whilst locked up, their mother died as did their brother Charlie, and their associates and friends all fell away. But while Britain changed as a nation, the brothers continued to operate as the gangsters they once were. Their violence ingrained so deep that they couldn’t leave it behind. The Krays: The Prison Years explores the fascinating and largely untold story of the Kray twins following their imprisonment.Trade ReviewThis explosive book has lifted the lid on the Kray twins’ time in prison * The Sun *The remarkable world of these East End gangsters behind bars * Daily Express *Celebrities were drawn to Ronnie and Reggie Kray like moths to a flame * Daily Record *Ronnie and Reggie Kray might have been serving life in prison for murder, but that didn’t stop them living the high life with their celebrity friends * Daily Mirror *Meikle and Blyth have a rich subject and it is an absorbing read * Budapest Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe true story behind the ITV series, A Confession 'The gripping allure of long-form podcasts, such as Serial' Observer On the evening of Saturday, 19 March 2011, D.S. Stephen Fulcher receives a life-changing call that thrusts him into a race against the clock to save missing 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan, who was last seen at a nightclub in Swindon. Steve knows from experience that he has a small window of time to find Sian alive, but his hopes are quickly dashed when his investigation leads him to Christopher Halliwell, a cabbie with sick obsessions. Following the investigation as it develops hour-by-hour, Steve’s gripping inside story of the cat-and-mouse situation that ensues shows how he hunted down Halliwell – his number-one suspect – which led him to the discovery of Sian’s body and another victim, Becky Godden-Edwards, who had been missing since 2002. The murders shocked the nation and Halliwell become one of the most hated men in Britain. Since then, he has been linked to several murders and disappearances, and has been called 'sick in the head' by an ex-cellmate for his unrelenting hatred of women.Catching a Serial Killer is a thrilling, devastating and absorbing look at a real-life murder case and potentially one of the UK’s most prolific serial killers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Highlands and Islands of Scotland are full of iconic places, beautiful landscapes and flourishing wildlife, but its past has seen horrifying and brutal crime of all sorts. Life in the Highlands of the 19th century was not easy. The glens and moors were home to poachers and whisky smugglers, while the towns were often ready to explode into riot and disorder. Even the Hebridean seas had their dangers, while the Islands seethed with discontent. Whisky Wars looks behind the façade of romantic tartan and vast estates. As well as petty thefts and assaults, the Highlands had a coastal town where riots were endemic, an island rocked by a triple murder, a mob besieging Dornoch jail and religious troubles on the Black Isle. Add the thief who targeted tourist hotels and an Exciseman hanged for forgery, and a hidden history is unearthed in all its unique detail. A fascinating insight into life in the Highlands and Islands as the forces of law and order battled to bring peace to a troubled land.Trade ReviewHistory buffs and crime fans will be equally intrigued by this atmospheric account of the lawmakers and lawbreakers of past times. * Daily Record *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A thriller-like tale ... [Mazur] is a good story-teller, with a flair for details that brings the criminal and their world to life' Daily Mail'Bob Mazur delivers again ... he artfully takes the reader through the harrowing account of life as an undercover cop embedded in the drug cartels' BRYAN CRANSTON'A book you can't put down, nor will you' JOSEPH PISTONE, aka Donnie BrascoFrom the bestselling author who inspired Bryan Cranston's The Infiltrator.Three years after undercover agent Robert Mazur infiltrated Pablo Escobar's Medellín drug cartel, he re-emerged, a half-million-dollar bounty still on his head, with a new identity for a risky new sting.Deployed to Panama, he worked, travelled, partied and washed millions with Central America's criminal elite. Partnered with a DEA task force agent, Mazur slipped effortlessly into Colombia's notorious Cali drug cartel. But as his underworld reputation skyrocketed, the operation started going dangerously off the rails.Robert Mazur's riveting true story exposes the corruption at the heart of one of the most explosive undercover missions of his career.Refusing to acknowledge the danger, Mazur was obsessed with seeing the mission through to its treacherous end: expose the Cali cartel, find out who betrayed him, and escape with his life. This is his true story.Trade ReviewA thriller-like tale ... [Mazur] is a good story-teller, with a flair for details that brings the criminal and their world to life. * Daily Mail *Bob Mazur delivers again with The Betrayal! As with its predecessor, The Infiltrator, Mazur artfully takes the reader through the harrowing account of life as an undercover cop embedded in the drug cartels. In my career I take on characters in life-or-death situations - but I just can't imagine how Mazur does it for real! Read it and find out. I highly recommend it. -- Bryan Cranston – Star of Breaking Bad. Winner of Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe awards for best actor.The Betrayal details the malicious world of drugs, money laundering and the danger of being a DEA undercover agent infiltrating these organizations. A book you can't put down, nor will you. -- Joseph Pistone aka Donnie Brasco, author of Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the MafiaThe Betrayal is a page-turning thriller about a courageous agent's simultaneous journey through a deadly vise of internal corruption and the ruthless threat of cartel killers. This is the unfortunate reality of the underworld. -- Michael S. Vigil, Former DEA Chief of International Operations and author of DealNo one in law enforcement is more lethally vulnerable to the betrayal of those he/she depends on for support and protection then the deep cover agent; the operative who, unarmed, like a human bait, places himself into isolated situations where the only thing protecting him from an instant death is his acting ability... This book is a must read. -- Michael Levine Author of New York Times bestseller Deep Cover and The Big White LieFATF was created to help governments follow the money and reduce the harm caused by drug traffickers and terrorists. Bob Mazur repeatedly put his life on the line to do just that. This isn't fiction. It's the real deal and scary as hell. -- David Lewis – Executive Secretary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog against money launderingIt is a cliché to say that such books have the pace and tension of a thriller - but in this case the cliché has force ... Mazur shows extraordinary courage, and, along the way, reveals much about the labyrinthine world of high-stakes money-laundering. * Tortoise Media *The Betrayal is a page turner for sure and you won't want to put it down until it is finished ... a "must read" for all. * The Laundry *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Ghost towns, corporate cruelty, the centuries-old relationship between humans and a species almost magical in its abilities ... fabulous.' The New York Times'Eye-opening' Geographical 'A beautifully written book on diamond smuggling, the universe, life and much of what lies in between.' Toby Muse, author of Kilo: Life and Death Inside the Secret World of the Cocaine CartelsFor nearly 80 years, a huge portion of coastal South Africa was closed off to the public. With many of its pits now deemed "overmined" and abandoned, journalist and author Matthew Gavin Frank set out across the infamous Diamond Coast to investigate an illicit trade - the smuggling of diamonds by carrier pigeon - that supplies a global market.Uncovering a long overlooked truecrime story dating back to the founding of the De Beers corporation, and blending elements of reportage, memoir and legend, he weaves interviews with local diamond divers, who extract mineral wealth from the seabed by day and raise pigeons in secret by night, with harrowing anecdotes from former heads of security, environmental managers, and vigilante pigeon hunters.A rare and remarkable portrait of exploitation and greed, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town.Trade ReviewGhost towns, corporate cruelty, the centuries-old relationship between humans and a species almost magical in its abilities ... fabulous. * The New York Times *An eye-opening account and one that's likely to make you reassess the role of diamonds in society today. * Geographical Magazine *Unforgettable. ... An outstanding adventure in its lyrical, utterly compelling, and heartbreaking investigations of the world of diamond smuggling. -- Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of Oceanic and World of WondersA fascinating read...a perfect combination of memoir and investigative reporting...a page-turning tale of suspense.... Frank's reporting on mineworkers, their pigeons, the towns, communities, and the people that have struggled in the wake of mine closures makes for compelling reading. * The South African *A beautifully written book on diamond smuggling, the universe, life and much of what lies in between. -- Toby Muse, author of Kilo: Life and Death Inside the Secret World of the Cocaine CartelsA lyrical portrait of a resilient species caught in the grinding gears of a cruel industry of extraction and exploitation. -- Kirk Wallace Johnson, author of The Feather Thief

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs featured in the BBC 4 documentary: Murder In Soho, Who Killed Freddie Mills?Seven young women, all murdered in the most disgusting manner imaginable. Unimaginable, in fact: a first of its kind, and never before explicitly revealed. All the victims were prostitutes. All were dumped naked after having been stored by their killer as sex toys. Some of them were mothers. Each was someone's daughter. And for more than fifty years the author has lived with the haunting secret that he was once suspected by Scotland Yard of being a serial killer more depraved and dangerous than Jack the Ripper. In the killing-spree that lasted more than a year, the author had a mole deep inside Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, similar to "Deep Throat" of Watergate scandal, who was drip-feeding him the step-by-step ploys to snare the monster who brought terror to the streets of West London. Hundreds of police women, posing as prostitutes, flooded the red-light districts, hoping to be selected by the killer - more hopeful, though, that the back-up would swoop to the rescue in time. At one point, Scotland Yard feared that a prostitute, missing for more than a fortnight, had become the eighth victim and appealed to the public for help. It took the author just eleven hours to track her down and hand her alive and well to the Murder Squad. When the killings stopped, the most senior member of the Murder Squad claimed that the serial killer had committed suicide and an innocent man was named in a deceitful cover-up. The author fingers the real serial killer, a celebrity and national treasure who died in circumstances arguably even more bizarre than the manner in which he murdered his victims.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Terrifying Story of the Most Monstrous Serial Killers through History.Serial Killers are the most notorious and disturbing of all criminals, representing the very darkest side of humanity. Yet they endlessy fascinate and continue to capture the public's attention with their strange charisma and deadly deeds. From Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy and the Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, these killers transfix us with their ability to commit utterly savage acts of cruelty and depravity. Only with modern police detection methods and psychological profiling, have these figures that have existed throughout human history finally been identified in the deadliest category: serial killers. These methods, the killers' characters and their crimes are described here in fascinating and terrifyingly gripping detail. The whole history of serial killers is brought to life in 50 chapters, including:Herman Webster Mudget, Devil in the White CityJohn Christie, 10 Rillington Place murdersZodiac KillerIan Brady and Myra Hindley, The Moors MurderersTed BundyFred and Rosemary WestJeffrey DahmerAileen WuornosHarold Shipman, Dr Death

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs seen on Discovery ID, these two true-crime thrillers follow a neighbours' quarrel that turns violent and cyber-bullying that explodes in a double murder.MURDER THY NEIGHBOUR(with Andrew Bourelle)Ann Hoover is a nice woman, but she's come to hate her neighbour. Roy Kirk moved in next door with plans to renovate. But as the weeks go by, his DIY construction turns to shambles and Roy himself becomes sullen and hostile. When Ann takes him to court, Roy's retaliation will be shockingly gruesome. MURDER IRL(with Max DiLallo)Jenelle Potter has always been better at connecting through social media than in person. With overprotective parents, she hasn't had many options to meet people until she links up Billy. But her feelings for Billy are unreciprocated, causing Jenelle to start a virtual war - a war that enters the real world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisUncover the chilling true stories behind some of history's most monstrous murderers.Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, Ted Bundy, Harold Shipman - these notorious names represent the worst of humanity, men and women who are driven by an urge to kill, and kill again. They are monsters lurking among us, often living outwardly respectable lives while indulging their horrific desires under cover of darkness, or anonymity.Serial killers continue to hold a gruesome fascination, their crimes and compulsions seemingly incomprehensible to civilized society. Some have become household names, the subject of hit Netflix documentaries and BBC dramas ... others remain a hidden horror in the shadows.Organised thematically according to each killer's twisted passion, Faces of Evil chronicles the crimes of twenty of the most infamous - and less well-known - serial killers of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, unpicking their means, motives and

Read more less

Book SynopsisGianni Russo was a handsome twenty-five-year-old mobster with no acting experience when he walked onto the set of The Godfather and entered Hollywood history. He played Carlo Rizzi, the husband of Connie Corleone, who set up her brother Sonny, played by James Caan, for a hit. Russo didn't have to act - he knew the Mob inside and out, from his childhood in Little Italy, to Mafia legend Frank Costello who took him under his wing, to acting as a messenger to New Orleans Mob boss Carlos Marcello during the Kennedy assassination, to having to go on the lam after shooting and killing a member of the Colombian drug cartel in his Vegas club (he was acquitted of murder when the court ruled this as justifiable homicide). Along the way, Russo befriended Frank Sinatra, who became his son's godfather, and Marlon Brando, who mentored his career as an actor after trying to get Francis Ford Coppola to fire him from The Godfather. Russo had passionate affairs with Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minelli and scores of other celebrities. He went on to star in The Godfather: Parts I and II, Seabiscuit, Any Given Sunday and Rush Hour 2, among many other films in which he also acted as producer. Hollywood Godfather is his no-holds-barred account of a life lived on the edge. It is a story filled with violence, glamour, sex - and fun.Trade ReviewGianni Russo walks the walk and talks the talk. What a life. Fascinating. A worthy read * Robert De Niro *Gianni Russo has seen a lot, done a lot, and tells it all. Amazing. * Nicholas Pileggi, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Goodfellas and author of Wiseguys *Gianni Russo is a true character who has led a most colorful life * Gay Talese, journalist and New York Times bestselling author *Recounting a life that reads like a narrative for a mob-movie script, a mobster, actor, and Las Vegas presence delivers numerous eye-opening revelations about national and world events...Russo is an engaging raconteur * Kirkus Reviews *In this robust, fast-paced memoir, Russo describes his life going from being a real-life mobster to landing a role playing one in The Godfather...[his] exhilarating memoir packs a punch * Publishers Weekly *Russo's writing style reads like narration from Goodfellas...Fans of mob movies and unlikely success stories will find Russo's account compelling * Library Journal *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I was a drug trafficker in the true sense of the word: a pure narco.'For 25 years Luis Antonio Navia the Cuban-American smuggled hundreds of tons of white powder for the biggest cartels in Colombia and Mexico, including Pablo Escobar's Medellín Cartel.What made him good at his dangerous job was amassing trusted contacts, losing very few shipments of coke, and maintaining a low profile. He refused to carry a weapon. But he was never far removed from the most brutal violence imaginable. One friend got his head cut off. Another was hit over the head, stuffed in a 55-gallon drum full of cement and dumped in a canal. Navia himself was kidnapped three times and went close to being fed alive to crocodiles. Somehow through it all he managed to survive and spent two decades fooling law-enforcement agencies until he came under the radar of Robert Harley, a tenacious US Customs special agent in Key West, Florida, who was determined to bring him to justice.What followed was an international game of cat-and-mouse that culminated in Navia's 2000 capture in Venezuela in one of the biggest antinarcotics takedowns of all time, the 12-nation Operation Journey.Spanning decades, continents and featuring a who's who of the drug trade, Pure Narco is a fast-paced adventure ride into the dark underworld of cocaine trafficking, written with the cooperation of a dozen law-enforcement agents from the world's top antinarcotics forces in the United States and Great Britain. Navia served his time in jail and is now free to tell his tale. His is the rare perspective of someone who has worked on both sides of that war: as a cocaine trafficker and US Government consultant. This book is a redemption story. Luis Navia, the pure narco, has gone full circle.Trade ReviewIf Howard Marks was the king of the cannabis smuggle, Luis Navia is the Howard Marks of the cocaine trade * Graham Honey, HMCE Senior Investigation Officer (Ret.) *With a cast of wild, grotesque and often deadly characters, strapped into a rollercoaster they cannot or will not get off, Pure Narco is a deliriously pleasurable ride. Luis Navia was a key trafficker for the biggest Colombian and Mexican cartels, and his insight into how they flooded the USA and Europe with drugs is unparalleled. This is the best insider account ever written of the global cocaine trade and the outrageous but precarious lives of those at the top * Peter Walsh, author, Drug War: The Secret History *Pure Narco is a true story of redemption ... it offers a rare glimpse into the life of a drug smuggler from the Miami Vice era to the end of the millennium, when it all came crashing down for Luis Navia * Nigel Brooks, USCS Senior Special Agent (Ret.) *A rare insight into the drug traffickers' world and law enforcement's efforts to arrest them and seize the drugs. * Graham Titmuss, HMCE Investigation Officer (Ret.) *I first met Luis Navia in Miami in 2002. He was cooperating with authorities and had some significant information to share with the United Kingdom. I remember leaving the prison after two days of visits and thinking what an amazing character he was. The discussions with Luis changed my perspective on top-level drug trafficking and traffickers; it was a moment of enlightenment.'Much is written and appears on screen about the drugs business but so often it misses the mark. That's not the case with this insightful book: Pure Narco hits the spot and tells it as it was. Law-enforcement officers have a saying that all top traffickers end up dead or in prison. Very few survive to tell the tale. Typical of the man, Luis is a survivor and tells his own tale in great depth and clarity. This is how it was. But Luis also needed a sympathetic ear to get the best out of his unique story and Jesse Fink has done that by writing the very best account of a remarkable life in cocaine trafficking.'Contrary to what we read in news reports and see on TV, trafficking is a highly complex business. It's not just based on violence, corruption, greed and all the other stereotypes. Every big cocaine shipment happens because of the fixer, the broker, the emissary. Luis Navia was all of these. The reality is the biggest deals or shipments happen because of key individuals with the people and business skills to make things happen. Luis is one of those people. He brought people together, he solved problems, he found a way to get things done.'What makes Luis's story so unique was his ability to transcend the politics between rival groups (cartels). His strength of personality, charm and business brain made him a valued business associate on so many major shipments. Typically, Luis made and lost a fortune: which is so often the case at the top level of international cocaine trafficking. Pure Narco explains how that's possible and why the business is both richly rewarding while being a precarious and perilous existence. It also explains how the big deals were conceived, planned and delivered. The mechanics of the deals are set out here, as Luis explains the key stages required for a successful shipment and deal. No other book on drug trafficking provides this level of detail.'I knew back in the 1990s that the work we were doing was groundbreaking, and that it was an era that would be looked back upon by historians. Pure Narco is a great book and an important part of social history. I loved every page. Having this account from Luis Navia will be part of his legacy. If you have an interest in and want to understand how international drug trafficking really works, you must read Pure Narco * Barry Clarke, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Investigation Officer (Retired) *Luis Navia was one of the biggest drug traffickers ever known - but never heard of. Jesse Fink's in-depth, entertaining and informative account of Luis's life during the height of the cocaine trade in the United States in the 1980s and '90s is like a speck in the eyes of a race-car driver moving at 200 miles an hour, albeit a large speck.Pure Narco reveals how a seemingly regular "businessman" can in reality be a successful drug trafficker * Vicente M. Garcia, HSI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (Ret.) *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBestselling authors Jonathan Levi and Emma French use their unrivalled access to the secret world of police protection officers as they tell the dramatic and astonishing stories of bravery, and the decisions that can change lives in a heartbeat.With the constant threats now posed by gangs, drugs turf wars and terrorism, the world of police protection has changed almost beyond recognition. But the story of these incredible officers is also the story of Britain's most dramatic and traumatic news events. In Bodyguard: The Real Story we meet individuals with first-hand recollection of these indelible events with powerful stories to tell.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe incredible crimes of Britain's most notorious schoolboy serial killer, Graham Young, as told by the bestselling and much-respected true crime author of The Murders at White House Farm. There are few criminal cases more astonishing yet less well known than that of Graham Young. A quintessentially British crime story set in the post-war London suburbs, it involves two sensational trials, murders both certain and probable, a clutch of forgiving relatives, and scores of surviving victims.Fourteen in the summer of 1962, Graham stood in the Old Bailey dock charged with poisoning a schoolfriend and family members by adding antimony to their packed lunches, Sunday roast and morning cups of tea. Diagnosed with multiple personality disorders, Graham's trial resulted in his detainment at Broadmoor, where he was the youngest patient.But it was on his release from Broadmoor that Graham caused the greatest harm. Finding employment in Hadlands, a photographic supplies firm, his role as junior storeman meant he was expected to make tea and coffee for his colleagues. And very soon, numerous members of staff began experiencing crippling stomach pains...A psychologically astute insight into the mind of a complex and intriguing individual, A Passion for Poison is true crime at its best. Praise for Carol Ann LeeSomebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter: Victims and Survivors of the Yorkshire Ripper'My book of the year... the first time the stories of the women who came into the sights of notorious serial killer Peter Sutcliffe have been told, and it gives voice to their families... deeply poignant' - Lynda La PlanteOne of Your Own: The Life & Death of Myra Hindley'Scrupulously unsensational and as good a biography of Hindley as we'll get' - Sunday Times

Read more less

Book Synopsis'The whole story is so terrible. You will be disgusted and amazed.'Graham Young, confessing his crimes to detectivesThere are few criminal cases more astonishing yet less well known than that of Graham Young. A quintessentially British crime story set in the post-war London suburbs, it involves two sensational trials, murders both certain and probable, a clutch of forgiving relatives, and scores of surviving victims.Fourteen in the summer of 1962, Graham stood in the Old Bailey dock charged with poisoning a schoolfriend and family members by adding antimony to their packed lunches, Sunday roast and morning cups of tea. Diagnosed with multiple personality disorders, Graham's trial resulted in his detainment at Broadmoor, where he was the youngest patient.But it was on his release from Broadmoor that Graham caused the greatest harm. Finding employment in Hadlands, a photographic supplies firm, his role as junior storeman meant he was expected to make tea and coffee for his colleagues. And very soon, numerous members of staff began experiencing crippling stomach pains...A psychologically astute insight into the mind of a complex and intriguing individual, A Passion for Poison is true crime at its best.Praise for Carol Ann LeeSomebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter: Victims and Survivors of the Yorkshire Ripper'My book of the year... the first time the stories of the women who came into the sights of notorious serial killer Peter Sutcliffe have been told, and it gives voice to their families... deeply poignant' - Lynda La PlanteOne of Your Own: The Life & Death of Myra Hindley'Scrupulously unsensational and as good a biography of Hindley as we'll get' - Sunday Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisBestselling writer and criminologist Christopher Berry-Dee turns his attention to a new kind of victim: the wives or partners of serial murderers who remained unaware of exactly who they had fallen for until after their other half's arrest or, in some cases, conviction, for multiple murders.Sonia Sutcliffe first discovered that her husband, Peter, was leading a secret existence as 'the Yorkshire Ripper' only when he was arrested.The wife of the 'Hillside Strangler' only learned of her husband's crimes when state police smashed down her door in search of him.On finding out the truth, these innocents often experience a strange kind of guilt for not having recognised the killer in their home, as well as having to face the grim reality of betrayal and deceit.Christopher Berry-Dee speaks directly to killers and their oblivious loved ones to get inside the minds of the men and women who fall for murderers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe day is 8 August 1963. It is the early hours of the morning, and a group of men are waiting at a railway bridge in Buckinghamshire. They are about to rob a mail train, on its way to London from Glasgow, and they have no idea that on board they will find approximately £2.5 million (over £50 million in today's money) in cash - the largest of its time. Among their number is Ronnie Biggs. He will be remembered long after most of the other names are forgotten, and the money spent or lost. What is it about Ronnie Biggs that fascinates people sixty years on from the crime that made his name? Is it the man or the myth that makes Ron a latter-day Robin Hood - the odd man in the confederation of criminals who held up a train on that fateful day? This is Ronnie Biggs' official autobiography. It tells of one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century. From Ron's daring escape from HMP Wandsworth, to how he managed to outwit and outrun a posse of law enforcement officers as one of the world's most wanted men; from plastic surgery in Paris, and his years on the run in Brazil - complete with two kidnappings and an attempted suicide - to his return to the UK after 13,087 extraordinary days on the run. Published for the sixtieth anniversary of Britain's most famous crime, this is a daring, exciting and often misunderstood life of a man who has seen and done it all, told in his own words.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the Spring of 1993, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. A 51-day standoff ensued. Known as the Waco Siege, it has become a founding myth of the extreme wing of American conservatism, invoked by militiamen, gun rights advocates, and the alt-right.The leader of the evangelical sect, an extreme form of Seventh-Day Adventism, was David Koresh. Born Vernon Howell, he was a preacher, interpreter of the Bible, and obsessed with the coming of the Apocalypse. A charismatic but highly volatile man, he was a former victim of sexual abuse who himself became a sexual predator on a large scale, exploiting many of the women in his compound.Koresh is Stephan Talty's extraordinary, meticulous narration of the events that led up to the Waco Siege. Drawing on new sources, FBI negotiation tapes, and interviews with family and friends, this definitive biography explores how Koresh grew from a young man to a cult leader, and investigates why the si

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere is something strangely compelling about the waterways. Isolated places on the edge of society, they have always had their own distinctive way of life and a certain shady reputation. Ever since the earliest days, canals have attracted crime, with sinister figures lurking in the shadows and bodies found floating in the water. When a brutal murder in 1839 created a national outcry, it seemed to confirm all the worst fears about boatmen – a tough breed of men surviving in harsh conditions, who were swiftly branded as outlaws by the press.Drawing on a rich collection of original sources, Dark Side of the Cut brings to life dramatic stories that are gruesome, shocking and tragic. These evocative snapshots of rough justice uncover the secret world of the waterways, revealing the real human cost of the Industrial Revolution.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Tell comes the chilling, unputdownable story of Sharon Nelson, the minister's wife whose two husbands mysteriously ended up dead.Colorado, 1976. When Reverend Mike Fuller and his beautiful wife Sharon arrive in the sleepy town of Rocky Ford, local residents think something's off about the new couple. The God-fearing minister is gruff and cold, while charismatic Sharon has her husband wrapped around her finger.It isn't long before Sharon is charming her husband's congregation, and finds herself in a tryst with local, married optometrist Perry Nelson. After the affair ends both their marriages, Sharon and Perry tie the knot. But shortly afterwards, Perry disappears. When his body is shockingly discovered the bottom of a canyon, his death is ruled an accident, allowing grieving widow Sharon to claim his substantial life insurance.Trying to move on from the tragedy, Sharon soon remarries fireman Glenn Harrelson. But when the charred remains of Glenn's body are discovered with two bullet holes in his skull, the police can't help but question if both men dying in such mysterious circumstances is one coincidence too many...Shocking, sensational and gripping, this is the true story of the black widow Sharon Nelson, a must-read tale of greed, sex and murder in a sleepy Colorado town that will have true crime fans of The Staircase, American Mother and Making a Murderer hooked from start to finish.This book was originally published as Confessions of an American Black Widow and Bitch on Wheels.Read what everyone is saying about American Black Widow:"Another winner from Gregg Olsen!!! If you really love a great, nail-biting true crime novel, THIS is it!! Once you start, it's darned hard to put down. Seriously. Mr Olsen again takes you on a twisty, narrow road... you just cannot put this book down." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Gripping... keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end... peppered with shocking revelations, twists, and turns... captivating and spine-chilling." Goodreads reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Oh my goodness... I could not put this book down... fabulous." Goodreads reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"You pick up this book and start to read. Suddenly you realize you cannot stop reading, you need to know what happened next... a page turner... this book deeply affected me and I eat true crime books for breakfast... amazing... one of Gregg Olsen's finest." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"I read this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"I couldn't put it down. Brilliantly written. I just found my favorite author." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Olsen is an incredible author. I couldn't put it down. Excellent read!... Bravo!!" Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Amazing... WOW! Another winner for Gregg Olsen!" Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Amazing... I literally could not put the book down." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Kept me riveted from the very beginning to the very last page! I strongly recommend this book for any true crime fan." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"I couldn't put the book down. The author made all the characters come alive." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Once you start you don't want to stop until you are done." Goodreads reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Amazing... a must read." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Loved the book!... I could not ask for a better read!" Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Incredible." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Excellent... kept me on the edge of my seat... You had better hang onto your hat for this read." Goodreads reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Amazing... A great page turner." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"A true story that you just can't put down!" Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Gregg Olsen always writes in a style that makes you want to read all night... keeps your attention until the end." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆"Outstanding true-crime." Amazon reviewer, ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisCunning, sadistic and deadly - the world''s most notorious lady killers are brought together in this shocking true crime compendiumWhat drives women to kill? Is it love, power, revenge? There is something both disturbing and fascinating about female murderers - how those perceived as the gentler sex can commit such atrocities. In truth, women have been the perpetrators of many violent crimes throughout history, and this book uncovers the lethal instincts of lady killers.Filled with shocking true stories of female murderers across the globe, this anthology details their motives, crimes and victims and delves into the psychology of the killers'' minds. Cases span from poisonings to strangulations and shootings to stabbings, each crime a display of the cruelty of infamous femme fatales.Whatever their motive - be it a crime of passion or an act of vengeance - this true crime compendium covers the heinous acts of the most monstrous women in the world. Whether you''re a true crime follower or simply curious, let the stories of these lady killers satiate your appetite for the macabre.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCrime investigation is not always a matter of gathering hard evidence. Just as police officers sometimes follow a "hunch", people with psychic abilities have often supplied invaluable leads to help crack the most baffling cases. Through dreams, visions, telepathy, and a host of other means, psychics have also predicted and tried to prevent many serious crimes. Psychic Detectives allows you to enter their world, revealing their astounding experiences and the often heavy price they pay for sharing what they know. Police agencies are generally reluctant to admit to the use of psychics during or even after the completion of an investigation for fear of ridicule from the public and other members of the law enforcement community. Despite this, psychics have often become involved in a large number of highly publicised investigations into serial murders conducted over the last 20 years or more. Featured cases include: the Kennedy assassinations • Jack the Ripper • Charles Manson murders • Uri Geller's diamond find • David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") • Los Angeles Olympic Games bombing • Moors murders • Peter Sutcliffe ("The Yorkshire Ripper") • IRA bombing, Manchester • disappearance of Lord Lucan • Patty Hearst kidnapping • and many more ...Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: The First Psychic Detectives A look at how Roman and Greek oracles used altered states of consciousness and 'communed with spirits' in order to influence affairs of politics, war and crime. Medieval psychics who had visions of other people and future events were branded as witches and warlocks as a consequence. Investigates real cases from Victorian times of strange crimes with a supernatural bent that brought out the first psychic assistance and inspired fictional detectives such as Sherlock Holmes. 2: Tools of the Trade The techniques used by psychic detectives: Dreams can provide evidence that can assist the police in their enquiries, as well as the problems of analysis and interpretation. Psychometry is the practice of seeing visions by holding an object - such as an item of clothing belonging to a missing or murdered person - and using these visions to direct a search. Psychics may call on map dowsing, using tools such as pendulums and a map in order to define the location to hunt for clues. Clairvoyance, in which the spirits of the dead contact psychics to aid in their quest to solve a case - including victims assisting in bringing their own killers to justice. 3: Supernatural Crime-Busting How psychics aid police in the tracking of killers. Case studies include the use of psychics to try to locate the still missing bodies left by the Moors Murderers, and the psychics who attempted to prevent the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy. 4: Profile of a Psychic Sleuth This chapter tells the story of Renie Wiley, a psychic detective, from how she discovered her abilities, through the way she works and onto some of her major cases. 5: The Police View The various motives that police have for using psychics during their investigations and the techniques selected to best utilise the evidence provided. A case history sets out how one police detective in Oregon has honed his own ESP after working with psychics but presents his evidence as 'hunches'. 6: In the Courtroom A series of case histories will punctuate this section, reporting on the problems of getting a conviction in a case where psychic methods lead to an arrest. 7: The Danger of Being Right The risks to psychics when they assist the police in their investigations are addressed through a series of case histories and box features including interviews with police and psychics. Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this, the first book of its kind, Kate Kray, who married gangster Ronnie Kray, peers into the minds of the top twenty worst killers in criminal history and, sparing no detail, reveals the awful truth of their abominable acts. The extreme nature of their violence and their shocking lack of remorse makes for uncomfortable, yet fascinating reading. From obsessive sexual predators and extreme sadists, to cannibals and head hunters, each type of psychopath is examined, their crimes against life told with grim, yet necessary, frankness. Kate offers true insight into the deeply worrying motivations of what come to seem closer to monsters than humans, begging the question of whether such individuals can themselves be viewed as victims of a troubled past, or merely as exponents of pure evil. But be warned, these stories are not for the faint-hearted...

Read more less

Book SynopsisYou couldn't make it up: incredible real-life criminal casesA fascinating A-Z of murderous crimes which spans the globe and the centuries in uncovering the extremes of human criminality in all its strangeness.This collection of unusual, if not sensational, murder cases recalls strange crimes of the past and offers insights into particularly macabre and shocking modern murders. Many of the cases also shed light on advances in crime detection, law enforcement and forensic science. Cases include: Krystian Bala, the Polish writer who killed a rival, and then used the murder as the plot for a novel; Alexander Pichuskin, who was stopped one short of killing the 64 victims he needed to 'fill a chess board'; John Lee, 'the man they could not hang' who survived three attempts to execute him; and Adelaide Bartlett, who was accused of killing her husband with chloroform, but was acquitted because no one could work out how she had done it - and she wouldn't say.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA riveting true-life tale of newspaper noir and Japanese organised crime from an American investigative journalist. Now a Max Original Series on HBO Max----------EITHER ERASE THE STORY, OR WE'LL ERASE YOU. AND MAYBE YOUR FAMILY. BUT WE'LL DO THEM FIRST, SO YOU LEARN YOUR LESSON BEFORE YOU DIE.From the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club: a unique, first-hand, revelatory look at Japanese culture from the underbelly up.At nineteen, Jake Adelstein went to Japan in search of peace and tranquility. What he got was a life of crime . . . crime reporting, that is, at the prestigious Yomiuri Shinbun. Working eighty-hour weeks for twelve years, he covered the seedy side of Japan, where extortion, murder, human trafficking and corruption are as familiar as ramen noodles and sake. But when his final scoop brought him face-to-face with Japan's most infamous yakuza boss - and the threat of death for him and his family - Adelstein decided to step down . . . momentarily. Then, he fought back.With its visceral descriptions and detailed exploration of the modern-day yakuza, Tokyo Vice is a deeply thought-provoking book: equal parts cultural exposé, true crime and hard-boiled noir.'Expertly told and highly entertaining' GEORGE PELECANOS, writer and producer of The Wire'Sacred, ferocious, and businesslike, Adelstein describes the Japanese mafia like nobody else' ROBERTO SAVIANO, author of Gomorrah'Gripping and absorbing . . . A terrifying, deeply moral story that you cannot put down' MISHA GLENNY, author of McMafiaTrade ReviewTerrific. With gallows humour and a hard-boiled voice, Adelstein takes readers on a shadow journey throught the Japanese underworld and examines the twisted relationships of journalists, cops, gangsters. Expertly told and highly entertaining.Sacred, ferocious, and businesslike, Adelstein describes the Japanese mafia like nobody else.Gripping and absorbing ... A terrifying, deeply moral story that you cannot put down.Hugely fascinating... utterly authentic. * Literary Review *Fascinating * Books Quarterly *thrilling * Financial Times *Hardcore * Jewish Chronicle *Gripping. * Catholic Herald *Fascinating. * James Cracknell, Daily Express *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe inside storty of the guns, drugs and organised crime that has brought terror to the streets of Nottingham.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the autobiography of Carlton Leach, a man to be reckoned with. He has earned himself respect throughout the deadly underworld he occupies. Make a friend of Carlton and you have an ally for life; cross him at your peril. For 20 years he has ranked among the toughest of Britain's brawn brigade. He was a key member of the dreaded Essex Boys gang which ran riot in the eighties and the nineties, sparking a savage drugs war which saw three of his pals wiped out in the 1995 Range Rover massacre. Even now, he knows that a bullet still has his name on it as a result of that simmering feud. Carlton was minder to boxer Nigel Benn throughout his glory years in the ring and tells of the blood, sweat and tears of their special relationship. He also tells how he saved four of his firm from being tortured to death and their wives and daughters raped in front of them after a #10 million heroin consignment went missing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the 18th century shotgun weddings were not unusual, but in most cases it wasn't the bride that was holding the gun. So began the stormy marriage between Lord and Lady Grange, a marriage which was to end with Lady Grange's death on the Isle of Skye after 13 years in exile. The daughter of a convicted murderer, Lady Grange's behaviour, such as her fondness for drink, was so outrageous that her sudden disappearance from public life was not considered surprising. But few knew the true story of her disappearance. This book reveals, for the first time, how the unfortunate lady was violently kidnapped and transported to the remote islands off the west coast of Scotland, spending seven years on the island of St. Kilda's. Condemned to a very different lifestyle than she had enjoyed in Edinburgh, and baffled by the strange tongue of the Gaelic West, she still obstinately survived, finally dying in Skye in 1745.Trade Review... a tale of such scandal and drama that it reads almost like a work of fiction. - CATHERINE SALMOND, Edinburgh Evening News... this fascinating account of one of the most beguiling characters in Scotland's history... Despite the unhappy ending, it's a stunning story and Margaret Macaulay has done it full justice. - TREVOR ROYLE, The HeraldYet there's another story of human hardship in [St Kilda]'s history that's been much less analysed - not one of evacuation but of abduction. Not of escape, but of exile. A story of political intrigue, betrayal and personal tragedy. - SUNDAY POST

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn 6th September 1949, twenty-eight-year-old Howard Barton Unruh shot thirteen people in less than twelve minutes on his block in East Camden, New Jersey. The shocking true story of the first recorded mass shooting in America has never been told, until now. The sky was cloudless that morning when twelve-year-old Raymond Havens left his home on River Road. His grandmother had sent him to get a haircut at the barbershop across the street - where he was about to witness his neighbour and friend Howard open fire on the customers inside.Told through the eyes of young Raymond, who had visited Howard regularly to listen to his war stories, and the mother trying to piece together the disturbing inner workings of her son's mind, Murder in the Neighbourhood uncovers the chilling true story of Howard Unruh, the quiet loner who meticulously plotted his revenge on the neighbours who shunned him and became one of America's first mass killers.With Ellen's access to Howard's diaries, newly released police reports and psychiatric records alongside interviews with surviving family members, Murder in the Neighbourhood is a compulsive page-turner that will have you asking - how well do we ever really know those around us? Are we ever really safe?A gripping untold true story that will leave your heart pounding. Perfect for fans of In Cold Blood, If You Tell and American Predator.Read what everyone is saying about Murder in the Neighbourhood:'An engrossing and utterly fascinating insight into a chilling and untold part of American history... impossible to put down.' Gregg Olsen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Tell'A phenomenal read... incredible insight to human behavior and the brain. Green did a remarkable job bringing this tragedy to life through a haunting and encapsulating narration. I will recommend this piece of work over and over.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'God! I can't get enough of it! I wish I could read the book for the first time again!... fantastic.' Chubby girl with a page-a-vu, 5 stars'An absolute cracker of an account... Brilliant.' Nigel Adams Bookworm, 5 stars'I really enjoyed... very cleverly written... a fascinating and detailed account... I would recommend it to true crime aficionados.' NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars'An arresting, exciting, compelling tale of true crime. Meticulously researched and pieced together into a narrative that is difficult to tear away from.' Goodreads reviewer'Remarkable... A must for true crime fans.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'If you like true crime then I 100% recommend you read this book.' Goodreads reviewer'An excellent read.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'Well-crafted true crime that's been wonderfully researched.' Book Zone

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisHatton Garden... straight from the horse's mouth, as told to the factual producer on ITV's new HATTON GARDEN drama series.For this team of old-school career criminals, The Hatton Garden Heist was supposed to be one last job, the fortune that would sort their retirement for good. The plan was to smash in and grab tens of millions of pounds from beneath the world-famous gold-and-jewellery district, and get away to live in luxury.But somewhere it all went wrong. Now, for the first time ever, we hear what happened from the gang behind bars.Based on exclusive interviews and featuring shocking revelations from their associates, this explosive and gripping read includes fresh information and evidence from unheard sources. This is the full story of one of the most audacious crimes in British history.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE SENSATIONAL NEW BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE DARK SIDE OF THE MIND.LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION AWARD. 'What Lies Buried is a towering achievement. Kerry takes us deep into the minds of the disturbed and dangerous and challenges our very humanity. As gripping as any thriller. Her dry wit and humour keeps it real.'BARBARA MACHIN, screen writer and creator of Waking the Dead'Pacy and gripping. Daynes uses her trademark mix of humour and humanity to shine a light on those we rarely get to hear from. A brilliant, important and sensitive book.' SARAH LANGFORD, barrister and bestselling author of In Your Defence'What Lies Buried is an exceptional book . . . I could not put it down.' FEMALE FIRST, 5 STAR REVIEW'Kerry's dedication (and impressive ability) to read between the lines and cast aside prejudice, going beyond the question she is so often asked in her profession: "Are they mad or bad?"' DAILY MAILKerry Daynes, leading forensic psychologist, opens up the case files of some of her most perplexing clients to uncover what lies buried behind some of the most extreme and disturbing behaviour.For twenty-five years, Kerry has worked on the frontline of violent crime, from working with the police on complex cases and acting as an expert witness in court, to advising the government on how to handle high-risk individuals. Whether she is dealing with a young murderer who says he has heard voices telling him to kill, a teacher who daubs children in red paint, or an aspiring serial killer who faints at the sight of blood, Kerry's quest is to delve beyond the classic question asked of her profession: 'Are they mad or are they bad?'In her new book, Kerry provides an unflinching, enlightening and provocative insight into the minds of her clients, shedding light on the root causes of their behaviour and challenging our notions about who, and what, is dangerous. If you enjoyed The Dark Side of the Mind, Unnatural Causes and The Prison Doctor, you will be captivated by What Lies Buried.'Kerry is an absolutely brilliant storyteller. I found this book challenging my preconceptions about the criminal mind with the turn of each page.' DAVID ROBSON, author of The Intelligence Trap

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor years, a small unit of France’s national police known as ''The Office in Charge of the Fight Against Crimes Against Humanity’ has been discreetly chasing down war criminals.As the head of the thirty-person team, Colonel Eric Emeraux has investigated mass killings, summary executions, torture, and other abuses against civilian populations in Bosnia, Rwanda, Liberia, Syria, and other troubled lands.Now, for the first time, he reveals how his team gathered evidence of unspeakable crimes, identified and located the perpetrators, and through careful surveillance and brilliant police work brought them to justice.Hunting Monsters is a riveting true crime saga and a tribute to all those who fight for law in the face of force, and humanity in the face of terror. Translated from the French, La Traque est Mon Métier, Plon, 2020.

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Fearless and fierce ... transcends a crime story to be a story that threatens social order'' - Michael Connelly''Bewitching . . . a tale of horror that is also humane and self-aware'' - Jennifer Egan''[Lauren] writes in film-noir ... American prose, so you feel you''re in the seamy backstreets in the Rust Belt'' - Daily Mail, Book of the Week''Wildly original... true crime fans will find this a unique and disturbing thrill ride'' - Publishers Weekly''Blending gruesome forensic details with tender domestic moments . . . a panoramic tale of America''s worst serial killer'' - Daily Telegraph''Chilling'' - the SunJillian Lauren set out to research a serial killer for a novel. Instead, she put one at the centre of her life.Months of exchanging letters with Samuel Little in prison landed her a face-to-face meeting - and the trust of a monster. In the houTrade ReviewSam Little is the monster in this story and Jillian Lauren is the slayer. She is the one who stuck her nose into it, saw something was not right, was dreadfully wrong, in fact, and did something about it. -- Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling authorJillian Lauren employs a bewitching blend of empathy and brio, deep imagination and cold curiosity, to unleash a tale of horror that is also humane and self aware. This is a hard book to read, and even harder to put down. -- Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Candy HouseJillian confronts the man with the dubious honor of being America's most prolific serial killer. His revelations were gleaned due to Jillian's work with Little, law enforcement, the Texas Rangers, and the FBI...she got this murderer to confess. -- Joe Berlinger, award-winning true crime documentary filmmaker and producerYou can go to hell, but you can't come back clean. Jillian Lauren made the trip for us and the result is a gripping personal thriller, a true crime confessional. Lauren steps up to the monster and tells it straight, in dancing prose by turns lyrical , hard boiled, confessional, and encyclopedic. This story introduces us to scores of victims, previously unknown and unnamed. Women who society forgot... but their killer never did. Lauren brings them into the light. -- Charlie Graeber, New York Times bestselling author of The Good NurseIt's always been on my mind. How my sister died, who killed her and why. But now we know, thank the Lord. After all these years, the Lord has answered our prayers. -- Deborah Duvall, sister of Alice DuvallThe serial killer speaks?and so do his victims. Behold the Monster is a rare gem of a true crime narrative. Author Jillian Lauren pushes away spiders and cobwebs to take you deep inside the torturous mind of an apex predator while also adding a heart-wrenching dimension to the many lives he destroyed. The writing is crisp, disturbing and ultimately terrifying! -- Casey Sherman, New York Times bestselling author of HelltownEqual parts harrowing and imaginative, Behold the Monster looks straight into the face of pure evil and doesn't blink. Jillian Lauren's devastating portrait of Sam Little and his innumerable victims is a journey into a darkness that is almost unfathomable; as well as an indictment of a failed justice system and the social decay that created a serial killer in the first place. Utterly gripping, this book will tear you apart. -- Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling authorLauren is an engaging stylist, capable of blending gruesome forensic details with tender domestic moments . . . Behold the Monster offers a successfully panoramic tale of America's worst serial killer and his unrepented crimes. * Daily Telegraph *Wildly original . . . True crime fans will find this a unique and disturbing thrill ride. -- Publishers WeeklyA bewitching blend of empathy and brio, deep imagination and cold curiosity ... a tale of horror that is also humane and self aware. A hard book to read, and even harder to put down -- Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon SquadJillian confronts America's most prolific serial killer. His revelations were gleaned due to Jillian's work with Little, law enforcements, the Texas Rangers and the FBI ... she got this murderer to confess' -- Joe Berlinger, Peabody and Emmy-winning true crime filmmakerFearless and fierce ... a story that transcends a crime story to be a story that threatens social order -- Michael Connelly

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis nostalgic and absorbing memoir tells the story of a real-life female police detective in post-war Britain, as she navigates a man's world.It's 1956, and the Berkshire Constabulary has never had a woman detective before. That is, until bright and ambitious WPC Gwen Crockford passes out of Hendon Detective Training School with flying colours...After five years serving as one of Britain's first policewomen, Gwen Crockford becomes one of its first female detectives. Swapping crime prevention for detection, she must soon become comfortable with attending murder scenes and post-mortems, investigating sex crimes and going undercover. Her police work is diverse and challenging: dealing with Teddy boy violence, arson, a paedophile 'war hero', and solving an unexplained death are all part of her remit.Gwen is sharp and quick to learn, considered 'one of the boys' by her colleagues, DS Kinch and DS Le Mercier. Until, that is, the traumatizing death of a child, the arrival of a new sexist DS, and near-zero opportunity for promotion force Gwen to reevaluate her career.Written and researched by Gwen's daughter Ruth from family papers, remembered stories from her mother and contemporary newspapers, this is a fascinating insight into late-1950s society and the challenges faced by female police officers.This is the second book in the Crockford series, following Calling WPC Crockford – Gwen's time as a pioneering uniform policewoman in the early 1950s.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIntertwined with the true crime narrative, The Delta in the Rearview Mirror: The Life and Death of Mississippi's First Winery details author Di Rushing's life in and out of Mississippi, including growing up in 1960s Greenville, attending university, traveling overseas, and the relationships she cultivated along the way.

Read more less