True crime Books

Book SynopsisAS NIGHT FALLS, A KILLER COMES TO LIGHT...''An authentic, topical and terrifying thriller: one of Michael Connelly''s very best.'' THE TIMES''The Dark Hours is yet another superb thriller from a writer at the top of his game'' SUNDAY EXPRESS ''Consistently excellent ... The plotting is as skilful as ever, and the pacing as relentless''MAIL ON SUNDAYOn New Year''s Eve at the end of one of the hardest years in history, hundreds of revellers shoot their guns into the air in time-honoured LA tradition. But as the rain of lead comes down, a man is shot dead in the middle of a crowded street party.Detective Renée Ballard soon connects the bullet to an unsolved cold case last worked by legendary ex-LAPD detective Harry Bosch. As they investigate where the old and new cases connect, a new crime shatters the night s

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Book SynopsisA rollicking true story of Bibles and bank robberies in Southern California, from a talented and highly praised gonzo journalist.NAMED A BEST TRUE CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Chas Smith grew up deeply enmeshed in the evangelical Christian world that grew out of Southern California in the late 1960s. His family included famous missionaries and megachurch pastors, but his cousin Daniel Courson was Grandma’s favorite. Smith looked up to Cousin Danny. He was handsome, adventurous, and smart, earned a degree from Bible college, and settled into a family and a stable career. Needless to say, it was a big surprise when Cousin Danny started robbing banks. Known as the “Floppy Hat Bandit,” Courson robbed 19 of them in a torrid six-week spree before being caught and sentenced to seven years. When he tried to escape, they tacked on another year. And when he finally got out, despite seeming to bTrade Review“Journalist Smith delivers a rollicking portrait of his cousin Daniel David Courson, the scion of a prominent evangelical Christian family who is also a notorious bank robber...an intriguing tale of rock bottoms, daredevil escapes, and life on the wrong side of the law. Readers will enjoy the ride.” * Publishers Weekly *“A fascinating exploration that will appeal to those who appreciate the intersection of true crime and memoir.” * Library Journal *“If Danny Courson weren't a real person, Elmore Leonard would have needed to invent him. Blessed Are the Bank Robbers is a wild ride, for sure, but it's also a tale of family and faith, of the American dream turned upside down, and of one of the greatest unknown legends to ever walk the West.” * Tod Goldberg, author of Gangsterland and The Low Desert *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating history of open smuggling along the south coast of Britain

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Book SynopsisThe romanticised American gangster of the Prohibition era has proved an enduringly popular figure. Even today, names like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano still resonate. Robb explores the histories of key figures, from gangs in the Old West, through Prohibition and the Great Depression, to the likes of John Gotti and Frank Lucas in the 1970s and 1980s. He also looks at the gangster in popular culture, in hit TV series such as Boardwalk Empire. Although the focus is strongly on the archetypal American gangster, Robb also examines gangsters around the world, including the infamous Kray twins in London, French crime kingpin Jacques Mesrine, the Mafia Dons of Sicily, and the rise of notorious Serbian and Albanian gangs. Infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly makes an appearance, as does Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, while other sections provide details of the Chinese Triads and the Yakuza in Japan. Robb also explores the gangster in popular culture, especially in film a

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Book Synopsis''God, I love these women! Their breeziness, compassion, humour and resilience are a tonic''Libby Purves, Times Literary SupplementIn February 1919, London''s first women police officers took to the streets of the city. They battled entrenched gender stereotypes, institutional inequality, sexual harassment and assaults disturbingly familiar to those affecting today''s #MeToo generation of modern women. Female officers, facing resentment from male colleagues, were expected to do little more than ''Make the tea, luv . . .'' and were charged with the sole task of looking after women and children who fell into police hands.Yet, in the course of a century, policewomen have won the equality they demanded, overcome sexism and prejudice, rejected harassment and sexual assaults and smashed through the glass ceiling to lead, rather than follow, their male colleagues. One hundred years on from those first Women Police Constables, aTrade ReviewThe work described, the advances made and responsibilities now taken on by many women make this a fascinating and encouraging book. * The Police History Society Newsletter 98 *God, I love these women! Their breeziness, compassion, humour and resilience are a tonic. -- Libby Purves * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis'Gripping, sharp and sultry' PANDORA SYKES 'Superbly unsettling' GUARDIAN A gothic Olive Kitteridge mixed with Gillian Flynn VOGUE On a cold day in 1997, student Sara Morgan was killed in the woods surrounding her liberal arts college in upstate New York. When suspicion falls on the person closest to her her boyfriend, Blake the case comes to haunt the friends, family and acquaintances of the couple in strange and unexpected ways. Some look for answers, while others are set on retribution; from the young woman who discovers the body to Sara s half-sister who, years later, seeks out her own form of justice. A propulsive, taut tale of obsession and voyeurism, Nothing Can Hurt You pieces together a chorus of unforgettable voices to explore the far-reaching consequences of one single act of violence.

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Book Synopsis''If Henriques were a fictional character, he would be a celebrity, the kind of dashing, hawkish QC who turns up in Agatha Christie novels and is recognised by everybody... There is an undeniable, lawyerly authenticity about Henriques''s book. He takes us meticulously through his cases... It is fascinating to read.'' - Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday TimesSir Richard Henriques has been centre stage in some of the most high-profile and notorious cases of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. After taking silk in 1986, over the course of the next 14 years he appeared in no fewer than 106 murder trials, including prosecuting Harold Shipman, Britain''s most prolific serial killer, and the killers of James Bulger. In 2000 he was appointed to the High Court Bench and tried the transatlantic airline plot, the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers, the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, and many other cases. He sat in the Court of Appeal on the appeals of Barry George, then convicted of murdering Jill Dando, and Jeremy Bamber, the White House Farm killer. In From Crime to Crime he not only recreates some of his most famous cases but also includes his trenchant views on the state of the British judicial system; how it works - or doesn''t - and the current threats to the rule of law that affect us all.

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Book SynopsisHolly Marie was forty-two years old the day she found out she was missing.At ten months old, Holly Marie was brought to the door of a church by three barefoot women in white robes and head coverings. Adopted by the pastor and raised in a loving Christian home, Holly nevertheless struggled with the ache of not knowing what had happened to her biological parents. She still felt their absence even as she married and started a family of her own. When two detectives showed up at the restaurant where she worked and informed her that she had a large family in Florida who had been searching for her for over 40 years, Holly's past became the reality of her present, and she began the sometimes painful journey of discovering the truth about her origins: Her parents had been brutally murdered, their case still unsolved.With the help of law enforcement across four states, forensic genealogists, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and her newly discovered family members, the missing pieces began to come together. Except these-why had her parents been murdered? And who had murdered them? She soon found out that the truth leads not always to answers but sometimes to more questions, that it also brings healing and restoration, and that we must surrender our unknowns to God until, in His perfect timing, all truths are revealed.Finding Baby Holly is the true, inspiring story of a wife and mother who was "missing" for over forty years after her parents' murders, the persistent detectives who never stopped investigating, and the birth family who never lost hope in finding her.

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Book SynopsisFor many of us, a good, heart-pounding mystery is the perfect escape from real-world confusion and chaos. But what about the writers who create those stories of suspense and intrigue? How do our favorite novelists cope with our perplexing world, and what mysteries keep them up at night? In Private Investigations, twenty fan-favorite mystery writers share their first-person stories of grappling with mysteries they've personally encountered, at home and in the world. Caroline Leavitt regales us with a medical mystery, a time when she lost her voice and doctors couldn't find a cure; Martin Limon travels back to his military stint in Korea to grapple with the chaos of war; Anne Perry ponders the magical powers of stories conjured from writers' imaginations, and more.Exploring all the tropes of the genre--from haunted houses to elusive perpetrators, from respecting the legacy of victims of violence to regrouping after missed signals have derailed their lives--these writers' true tales show just how much art imitates life, and how, ultimately, we are all private investigators in the our own real-life dramas.

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Book SynopsisFrom the Trojan horse to fake news, scams have run rampant throughout history and across the globe. Some con artists do it for fun, others for profit. . . and every once in a while, a faker saves the world.In this era of daily online hoaxes, it''s easy to be caught off-guard. Fakers arms kids with information, introducing them to the funniest, weirdest, and most influential cons and scams in human history. Profiles of con artists will get readers thinking about motivation and consequence, and practical tips will help protect them from falsehoods. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is--except in the case of this book!

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Book SynopsisWe like to think of women as nurturers, not murderers, but women do kill. ''Californias Deadliest Women'' is the definitive guide to the murderesses of the Golden State, a horrifying compendium of women driven to kill by jealousy, greed, desperation, or their own inner demons. From Brynn Hartman, who killed her husband, comedian Phil Hartman, to chemist Larissa Shuster, who dissolved her husband in acid, to dominatrix Omaima Aree Nelson, who cooked and ate her husband, the 28 women profiled in ''Californias Deadliest Women'' show that the fairer sex can be as eviland as deadlyas any man.

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Book SynopsisA veteran police officer gives his thoughtful, balanced views on police shootings, racial profiling, community relations, and every other aspect of policing in Police Craft: What Cops Know About Crime, Community and Violence. Written by Adam Plantinga, the author of the acclaimed 400 Things Cops Know, Police Craft is a thought-provoking and revelatory examination of policing in America, as seen by a working police officer. Plantinga, a police officer for 17 years and a serving sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department, gives an inside view of the police officers job, from handling evidence and conducting interrogations to coping with danger, violence, and death. This book explores a wide range of topics related to police work, from the techniques of policing to the culture of the profession, the sociology of crime and criminals, and the psychological toll on police officers. Not hesitating to confront controversial issues, Plantinga presents a police officers views on police shootings, racial profiling, and relationships between police and the community -- and offers reasoned proposals on what the police and the public can do better. Hard-boiled, humorous, and compassionate, Plantinga wrestles with the complexities and contradictions of a job he loves in which he witnesses so much suffering. Transcending todays strident pro-cop/anti-cop rhetoric, Police Craft will give every reader a greater respect for the police and greater understanding of the job they do.

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Book SynopsisA former police officer tells his personal story of the long climb from depression to faith in the intense new personal memoir The Backpack. An amazing journey from despair to hope, The Backpack tells the truth about the burdens of stress and trauma on police officers and presents an inspirational story of how one cop overcame physical and emotional wounds suffered in the line of duty. I can still remember the taste of metal in my mouth from the barrel of the gun... After the shoot-out that put him in a wheelchair, police officer Brandon S. Hultink was ready to put an end to it all. In his frank and compelling memoir The Backpack, Hultink tells how he came to the worst moment of his life, and how faith in God and the humility to accept help brought him out of depression, addiction and the wheelchair and back into successful life. But Hultinks story isnt his alone -- it is also the story of the thousands of police officers who struggle with depression and post-traumatic stress. Cops dont do touchy-feely; they stuff every trauma into a metaphorical backpack until the burden overwhelms them. Hultink writes unflinchingly of the mental health crisis affecting police officers and offers proposals for improving mental health services for police. An intensely personal story of anguish and survival, The Backpack offers hope to everyone -- police and civilian alike -- who struggle with depression and pain.

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating and gripping portrayal is the only book-length account ever written about criminal mastermind Clarence Ray Allen,the last man to be executed in the state of CaliforniaEven hardened detectives were shaken by the scene at Fran''s Market in rural Fresno County that night in 1980: four young people lay on the market''s concrete floor, bloodily murdered by a killer without mercy or remorse. Then a grim investigation became even grimmer when the evidence led to the prime suspect--a convicted murderer already behind the stone walls of Folsom. A true crime story that reads like an intricately woven mystery, the book depicts the chilling scenes of murder, a dogged investigation, and the true story behind the Fran''s Market murders and their psychopathic mastermind. Written by former prosecutor James Ardaiz, who was one of the first investigators on the scene at Fran''s Market, Hands Through Stone provides an insider''s view of the tortuous, multiyear investigation that brought a killer to justice.

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Book SynopsisFLY BY NIGHT is about the helicopter crash on the set of "Twilight Zone: The Movie" – the Warner Bros. film co-produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis – that killed actor Vic Morrow, and two children who had been hired illegally.Confidential sources in the studios and in the private worlds of Spielberg and Landis – and in the DA's office, the sheriff's office, Interpol and the FBI – and newly uncovered internal Warner Bros. documents – let the author show the cover-up that ensued, a $5-million-dollar scheme to keep Landis out of jail and Spielberg out of the headlines, resulting in an unbelievable acquittal by a jury that had fallen under the spell of Hollywood. From John Huston, Jackie Cooper, Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche to Chevy Chase, George Lucas, Dan Aykroyd and Carrie Fisher, both old and new Hollywood found themselves party to this unprecedented event.

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Book SynopsisMass shootings are arguably one of the worst manifestations of gun violence. As discussed in this book, media outlets, gun control and rights advocates, statute, law enforcement agencies, and researchers often adopt different definitions of "mass killing," "mass murder," and "mass shooting," contributing to a welter of claims about the prevalence and deadliness of mass shootings. For the purposes of this book, "mass shooting" is defined as a multiple homicide incident in which four or more victims are murdered with firearms, within one event, and in one or more locations in close proximity. Chapter One of this book analyses mass shootings for a 15-year period (1999-2013). Chapter Two examines the United States use of two national data collection systems to track detailed information on homicides: the Federal Bureau of Investigation''s Supplementary Homicide Reports and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention''s Fatal Injury Reports. Chapter Three presents data on homicide trends from 1992 to 2011. It describes homicide patterns and trends by age, sex, and race of the victim. It explores weapon use, with a focus on trends in firearm use and homicide trends by city size. It also includes special discussions of missing offender data and firearm use in nonfatal violent victimisations. Chapter Four provides comparative data from as far back as 1986 for context and analyses of firearms manufacturing trends over the years, and a broad picture of the state of firearms commerce in the United States today. It includes a state-by-state breakdown of the federal firearms licensees and a state-by-state breakdown of the National Firearm Act tax revenue information available through 2014.

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Book SynopsisRead the story behind the award-winning film Judas and the Black Messiah On December 4, 1969, attorney Jeff Haas was in a police lockup in Chicago, interviewing Fred Hampton’s fiancÉe. Deborah Johnson described how the police pulled her from the room as Fred lay unconscious on their bed. She heard one officer say, “He’s still alive.” She then heard two shots. A second officer said, “He’s good and dead now.” She looked at Jeff and asked, “What can you do?” The Assassination of Fred Hampton remains Haas’s personal account of how he and People’s Law Office partner Flint Taylor pursued Hampton’s assassins, ultimately prevailing over unlimited government resources and FBI conspiracy. Fifty years later, Haas writes that there is still an urgent need for the revolutionary systemic changes Hampton was organizing to accomplish. Not only a story of justice delivered, this book spotlights Hampton as a dynamic community leader and an inspiration for those in the ongoing fight against injustice and police brutality.Trade Review"[A] political cliff-hanger . . . The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police murdered a Black Panther is an exposé [that] should be read in schools across the country." -- Huffington Post"An extraordinary retelling of a shameful chapter in our history. . . . [The book] reveals just how easily justice can be thwarted and malicious aims diguised when powerful people conspire to violate the law (commit murder) and manipulate procedural to avoid responsibility for their crimes. . . . [A] cautionary tale, as well as a story of heroism." --Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness"Required political reading, especially for conservatives who are genuinely concerned about the damage secret government can do." -- Chicago Daily Observer"An extremely important bookand a tale well toldfor America to read if it wants to become what it says it has always beenthe land of the free and the home of the brave." Ramsey Clark , former United States Attorney General"At once journalist, lawyer and storyteller, Jeff Haas manages to sear into every page of this book a compassion seemingly forgotten, providing a riveting eyewitness account of the government assassination of Fred Hampton. This is mandatory reading for those who love and believe in freedom." Elaine Brown , author and former chairman of the Black Panther Party"A must-read." -- Len Weinglass, lawyer and civil rights activist"A true crime story and legal thriller, this powerful account puts together all the pieces, step by step, giving us the anatomy of a despicable episode in recent American history. The writing is clear and straightforward; the overall impact devastating." - Phillip Lopate, author of Getting Personal"Part history, part courtroom drama, part literary memoir, Haas evokes with chilling precision a bloody and desperate repressive state apparatus locked in conflict with its greatest fear, a charismatic young black man with revolution on his mind." William Ayers, professor of education, University of Illinois at Chicago

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Book SynopsisIn One Punch, author Barry Dickins reflects on the many types of violence that can now affect everyday life. In his heartfelt exploration of the subject, Barry talks to many of the people whom this violence impacts, including the parents of children who have been killed, professionals in the justice system, and children who live in communities where violence is rife. He looks at how the world has changed in his lifetime and discusses where we are going as a society.

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Book SynopsisA national bestseller, now updated, expanded, and revised to tell an even bigger story.On July 6, 2011, Richard Oland, scion of the Moosehead brewing family, was bludgeoned to death in his Saint John office. In a shocking turn, the multimillionaire’s only son, Dennis, was arrested for second-degree murder. Found guilty by a jury in 2015, Dennis Oland successfully appealed his conviction and was retried three years later.In this new revised and expanded edition, MacKinnon takes readers inside every stage of one of Canada’s most gripping murder trials. She addresses the issues with the original police investigation, Oland’s appeal and his subsequent appearance at the Supreme Court of Canada, new evidence and witnesses brought forward at the retrial, and the sensational final verdict.A reporter for the CBC, Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon covered the Oland case from the very beginning to the judge ’s final verdict. In this definitive account of a series of trials for a horrific crime, she lays bare the tribulations of a prominent family and the inner workings of the justice system that led to Dennis Oland’s contentious conviction, retrial, and acquittal.Trade Review"[MacKinnon] keeps to the present moment ... blending crime thriller pace with a barrage of details — half Agatha Christie and half dutiful crime reporter." * Telegraph-Journal *"[MacKinnon’s] coverage of the trial was best-in-class. ... The book’s relentless accretion of detail is impressive. It shows a laser-like focus." * Globe and Mail *"MacKinnon offers up the Oland family history, guiding readers through the many twists and turns of the story, from the murder to the trial itself. A thorough journalistic investigation." * Sun Times *"Very impressive to read. ... Fascinating, extensive coverage from Day One of the investigation nicely rounded out with details that only a dedicated insider like MacKinnon could glean." * Miramichi Reader *“With a multimillionaire victim, an ungrateful son, an anger-filled affair and alleged police misconduct, it doesn’t get much juicer than that.” -- Kathleen Murdock * Geist *

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Book SynopsisOn a dreary morning in April, 1893, John Marshall, a Portuguese immigrant and successful farmer on Sumas Prairie in British Columbia, was found lying sprawled across the veranda of his farmhouse, his body cold and lifeless. The farmers face was a mess, his nose smashed in and cracked blood covering his forehead around a jagged black hole. The shocked and unfortunate neighbour who discovered the body rushed to Huntingdon railway station to summon the authorities. An autopsy, coroners inquest and murder investigation followed. Only two days later, a local handyman named Albert Stroebel was arrested for Marshalls murder. Stroebel was an unlikely killer: short and physically disabled, locals considered him a harmless boy who seemed much younger than his 20 years. The young man the community knew was not capable of murder, and they were shocked to imagine that he could have killed the man who had treated him like family. But something had gone tragically wrong on the night Marshall died. Unravelling the mystery would take nine months and two lengthy trials that seized the attention of local communities on both sides of the Canadian-American border, splitting them into pro- and anti-Stroebel factions. Newspapers devoted page after page of coverage and throngs of spectators squeezed into the courtroom galleries. The first trial in New Westminster ended with the jury hopelessly deadlocked, the second in Victoria found him guilty and set an impending date for his execution. The heaviest hitters of BCs political and legal establishment took part including former and current premiers, an Attorney General, and a future Supreme Court justice. When the second trial ended with a guilty verdict and death sentence many in the public howled in protest, convinced that a young man had been condemned to die for a crime he did not commit. And the dramatic events would not stop there. With the condemned man sitting on death row, the case would take more twists and turns that would lead Albert Stroebel to the shadow of the gallows.

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Book SynopsisOn a cold night in February, 1884, just metres north of the border on Sumas Prairie, BC, an Indigenous boy named Louie Sam was lynched by a mob of mounted vigilantes. The vigilantes had ridden up from Nooksack Valley in Washington Territory, hell-bent on avenging the murder of one of their neighbours, which they had pinned on Sam. The American origin of the mob, and the fact Sam''s murder was one of only two recorded lynchings in Canadian history, have led historians and writers to represent it as an isolated and foreign incident -- disconnected from people and events north of the border and an aberration from the norm of Canadian history. When placed within the historical context of that time and place, the vigilante murder of Sam no longer appears to be an isolated and foreign incident. Rather, it emerges as the result of a series of events and causes on both sides of the border, with the active participation of locals in both BC and Washington Territory. DEADLY NEIGHBOURS takes a closer look at the lynching, and in so doing reveals a more complex and disturbing chronicle of the deadly grip the leading White settlers in Nooksack and Sumas held over the area -- and most notably, over their Indigenous neighbours.

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Book SynopsisLies and double-crosses, secret police and explosions, a carriage chase, a mattress stuffed with cash and a one-eyed master of disguise…In 1907, the revolutionary Joseph Djugashvili – who would later take the name Joseph Stalin – met with an old friend, a clerk at the Tiflis branch of the State Bank of the Russian Empire, for a glass of milk. Over talk of national pride, the spirit of the new century and Djugashvili’s poetry, they agreed the beginnings of a plan. With the aid of the Outfit, Djugashvili’s hardened crew of “expropriators,” they would pull off the biggest, bloodiest and most daring robbery in Georgia’s history, and ruthlessly change the direction of the Bolshevik revolution forever...Trade Review"A well-written and cleverly imagined crime thriller with a knife-sharp edge." -- Crime Review on The Bad Neighbour * Crime Review *"Exciting, gritty, and dramatic, this book has it all." -- Telegraph & Argus * Telegraph & Argus *"A deceptively-written thriller that captures the mood of modern society." -- SFBook on The Bad Neighbour * SFBook *"A compelling, dark, and gritty book." -- Audio Killed the Bookmark on The Bad Neighbour * Audio Killed the Bookmark *"An absolutely ripping novel; rollicking, thrilling, twisty; in short, one of the best heist novels I’ve read this decade, without qualification." -- Kit Power'David Tallerman brings one of the Twentieth Century's lesser-known incidents - masterminded by one of its greatest monsters - vividly to life.' -- Dave Hutchinson

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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

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION'METICULOUSLY RESEARCHED ... A GLORIOUSLY ENGAGING ROMP' JANICE HALLETT, THE SUNDAY TIMES'IMMERSIVE AND COMPELLING' DAVID KYNASTON'A PAGE-TURNER' ROBERT LACEY'CAREFUL AND COMPELLING' KATE MORGAN'YOU WILL READ IT IN ONE SITTING' MARC MULHOLLAND'A REAL-LIFE GOLDEN-AGE CRIME NOVEL' SEAN O'CONNORA brilliant narrative investigation into the 1920s case that inspired Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham.On a bleak Tuesday morning in February 1921, 48-year-old Katharine Armstrong died in her bedroom on the first floor of an imposing Edwardian villa overlooking the rolling hills of the isolated borderlands between Wales and England.Within fifteen months of such a sad domestic tragedy, her husband, Herbert Rowse Armstrong, would be arrested, tried and hanged for poisoning her with arsenic, the only solicitor ever to be executed in England.Armstrong's story was retold again and again, decade after decade, in a thousand newspaper articles across the world, and may have also inspired the new breed of popular detective writers seeking to create a cunning criminal at the centre of their thrillers.With all the ingredients of a classic murder mystery, the case is a near-perfect whodunnit. But who, in fact, did it? Was Armstrong really a murderer?One hundred years after the execution, Agatha-Award shortlisted Stephen Bates examines and retells the story of the case, evoking the period and atmosphere of the early 1920s, and questioning the fatal judgement.Trade ReviewMeticulously researched ... a gloriously engaging romp revolving around a knotty case that boasts all the ingredients a crime fiction fan could hope for. -- Janice Hallett * The Sunday Times *Compelling ... There will surely be more books on this fascinating case, but it'll be hard to beat this one * The Literary Review *This intriguing true crime investigation looks back at the now-forgotten case and aims to answer the key question about it, whether Armstrong was in fact really guilty of the murder. * The Sunday Times, 100 Best Books for the Summer *Clear, engaging prose that lays out the circumstances with plenty of storytelling flair. * Times Literary Supplement *Immersive and compelling, The Poisonous Solicitor works at every level: as human drama, as an evocative slice of social and legal history, above all as a lucid and dispassionate presenting of the evidence about a century-old puzzle. -- David KynastonStephen Bates puts us in the middle of an extraordinary trial for murder, when one life and many reputations were at stake. It was gripping then and fascinating now, with a shocking sting in the tale. You will read it in one sitting. -- Marc Mulholland, author of The Murderer of Warren StreetMarital disharmony, spare arsenic in the house, a premature death, the suspicions of nosey neighbours - all leading to the judge putting on the 'Black Cap'. Have you ever imagined you might find yourself sitting in judgement over a murder trial? Stephen Bates' gripping narrative takes you right inside one of the classic court cases of the 20th century. His page-turner lays out all the evidence for you to examine, so you feel you are actually up there on the bench - presiding over the dramatic trial of the only solicitor ever to be hanged in England. Guilty or innocent? You decide . . . -- Robert Lacey, bestselling historian and biographerPart Agatha Christie, part social history, Stephen Bates has stripped one of the classic 20th-century murders of a hundred years of conjecture and supposition, revealing a dark and troubling parable of inter-war rural Britain, a suffocating world of professional rivalries, rigid social codes and deadly small-town gossip - where poisoned chocolates are delivered by first class post. Finding nuance and ambiguity in what has often been viewed as a black-and-white case,The Poisonous Solicitor is a real-life golden age crime novel with a tragic heart and an unexpectedly poignant denouement. -- Sean O'Connor, author of Handsome Brute and The Fatal Passion of Alma RattenburyA careful and compelling reconstruction of one of the most infamous murder trials of the twentieth century. Stephen Bates excels at contrasting the claustrophobia of small-town life with the grisly details which make the story still so notorious, a century on. -- Kate Morgan, author of Murder: The BiographyA meticulously researched, gripping true crime book. * The Western Mail *Fascinating ... and beautifully written. -- Zack White, History HackA perceptive measured look ... if you read just one account of the saga, this will do nicely. Be warned, you will have a job to put it down. * Worcester News *

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

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Book SynopsisCharles Manson was an unlikely messiah. Freshly paroled, he stumbled into San Francisco in 1967 just as thousands of impressionable young people were streaming into town for the Summer of Love. Posing as a musician-come-guru-come-Christ-figure, Manson built a commune cult of hippies, consisting mainly of troubled young women. But what made this group set out on the four-week killing spree that claimed seven lives? Former Journalism Professor, David J Krajicek, seeks to discover just that. This book includes: • Introduction into the counterculture of the sixties • In-depth profiles of Manson''s followers • Breakdowns of each murder, including diary accounts, interviews and legal testimonies from the killers themselves • An account of the events in Manson''s own words • Insight into Manson''s manipulations and psychology Set against events of the time - the sexual revolution, the civil rights movement, race riots, space exploration, rock music -this is the story of Flower Power gone to seed.

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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 siege has become an enduring symbol for radical opponents of the democratic state.Trade Review'A searing account...This well-researched and enlightening book is un-put-downable. * Publishers Weekly *Koresh reads like a fever dream, with the quality of a timeless tragedy... if you think you know what really happened at Waco and why, think again. * Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road *Someday, when this book gets made into a blockbuster movie, you will say that the book was better. * A.J. Baime, author of The Accidental President *Burns with timely relevance and urgency... will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. * Gilbert King, author of Devil in the Grove *Clear-eyed and compelling. * Dick Lehr, author of Black Mass *Exposes not only the tragedy’s causes but embers that still burn today. * Mara Leveritt, author of Devil's Knot *PRAISE FOR STEPHAN TALTY: 'Gripping... A valuable recounting of a lurid and little-known episode in American history' Washington Post. 'Part Holocaust history, part detective case, part spy operation, The Good Assassin is an enthralling book... Stephan Talty paints vivid, often chilling, portraits of its vengeful hero, Mossad agent Jacob Medad' Neal Bascomb. 'Compelling... Talty remains true to his technique, delivering thoroughly researched, engrossing non-fiction in a thriller-like narrative style' Kirkus. 'Talty captures the chilling realities of bloody battlefields, tense war rooms and besieged London... Elegantly crafted' Wall Street Journal. 'Thrilling... An extraordinary crime story with a genuine American hero too long forgotten' * Dallas Morning News *

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Book SynopsisSandtown is one of the deadliest neighbourhoods in the world; it earned Baltimore its nickname Bodymore, Murderland, and was made notorious by 'The Wire.' Drug deals dominate street corners and ruthless, casual violence abounds.Montana Barronette grew up in the centre of it all. The leader of the gang 'Trained to Go,' or TTG, when he was finally arrested, he had been nicknamed 'Baltimore's Number One Trigger Puller.' Under Tana's reign, TTG dominated Sandtown. When a string of murders were linked to TTG, each with dozens of witnesses too intimidated to testify, three detectives set out to put Tana in prison for life. For them, this was never about drugs: It was about serial murder.Acclaimed journalist Mark Bowden, who spent his youth in the white suburbs of Baltimore, returns to the city with exclusive access to the FBI files and unprecedented insight into one of the city's deadliest gangs and its notorious leader. As he traces the rise and fall of TTG, Bowden uses wiretaps, police interviews, trial transcripts and his own ongoing conversations with Tana's family and community to create the most in-depth account of an inner-city gang ever written.With his signature precision and propulsive narrative, Mark Bowden positions Tana - as a boy, a gang leader, a killer, and now a prisoner - in the context of Baltimore and America, illuminating his path for what it really was: a life sentence.Trade ReviewGripping and revealing...A powerful, nuanced depiction of gang violence in America that makes a strong case for meaningful reform * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *A scorching true-crime narrative. . . Bowden pulls no punches in his indictment of the ways in which the richest country in the world has allowed Black children for decades to be born into blighted urban neighborhoods, and saddled them with burdens that they must struggle to surmount to lead meaningful lives. This account of 'young men growing up in a place where murderous violence has become a way of life' will haunt readers long after they finish it * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *A masterpiece, right up there with Black Hawk Down and Guests of the Ayatollah. It's gripping, it's fast, it's deeply insightful and empathetic, and it's brilliantly and exhaustively reported. People should read it. -- Matt Bai, author of ALL THE TRUTH IS OUT[Bowden is] a Woodward that outdoes even Woodward. -- Malcolm Gladwell * New Yorker *Bowden turns his masterful storytelling talent to chronicling the gang's reign of terror and law enforcement's Herculean efforts to end it * Booklist *Table of Contents1: The Game (or, The Greased Path) 2: Shabangbang Shaboing 3: The Fulton Avenue Wall 4: Either You Got to Be That, or You Ain't 5: Shit Be Catching Up with Them 6: Here Come Landsman 7: The Ballad of Ronnie Jackass 8: We Hunting 9: Number One Trigger Puller 10: Gotta Take It on the Chin 11: Drinking from a Fire Hose 12: What Are We Supposed to Do Now, Clap? 13: Crabs in a Bucket

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Book Synopsis'Powerful' Financial Times'More twists and turns than a Hollywood spy thriller' Spectator'A story we all need to hear' New Statesman'Gripping... Araujo's accretion of detail has a powerful effect' New York Times'Excellent' Kirkus ReviewsDeep in the heart of the Amazon, an entire region has lived under the control of one notorious land baron: Josélio de Barros. Josélio cut a grisly path to success: having arrived in the jungle with a shady past, he quickly made a name for himself as an invincible thug who grabbed massive tracts of public land, burned down the jungle and executed or enslaved anyone trying to stop him.Enter Dezinho, the leader of a small but robust farm workers' union fighting against land grabs, ecological destruction, and blatant human rights abuses. When Dezinho was killed in a shocking assassination, the local community held its breath. Would Josélio, whom everyone knew had ordered the hit, finally be brought to account? Or would authorities look the other way, as they had hundreds of times before?Dezinho's widow, Dona Joelma, was not about to let that happen. After his murder, she stepped into the spotlight, orchestrating a huge push to bring national media attention to the injustices in the Amazon.Set against the backdrop of Bolsonaro's devastating cuts to environmental protections, Brazil's rapidly changing place in the geopolitical spectrum, and the Amazon's crucial role in climate change, Masters of the Lost Land is both a gripping epic into one of the last wild places on Earth and an urgent illustration of how people are fighting for - and winning - justice for their futures and the environment.Trade ReviewGripping... Araujo's accretion of detail has a powerful effect * New York Times *Heriberto Araújo tells a story you likely haven't heard before... this book is uniquely informative about one of the most important social conflicts of our time * Prospect *A compelling and forensically researched piece of investigative reporting... [with] more twists and turns than a Hollywood spy thriller. * Spectator *Such narrative diligence feels like a necessary corrective to a reality mired in crime and cover-up... this book tells a story we all need to hear. * New Statesman *A meticulously researched, vivid and complex picture of the violence and corruption at the heart of the Amazon * Geographical *[A] deeply researched report from the front lines of the battle for the Amazon. * Publishers Weekly *An arresting examination of the history of extreme deforestation and violence in the Brazilian Amazon... Excellent * Kirkus Reviews *A gripping true crime mystery that transports readers into the heart of the Amazon to witness the human toll of its destruction and the incredible will of its people to fight for the future of this unique place - and the planet. Masterfully reported and engagingly written, this is a must-read. * Greg Grandin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The End of the Myth *This is journalism at its absolute best, made even more impressive when one considers the obstacles, obfuscation and threats so often encountered there when trying to ferret out the truth... an essential book. * Joe Jackson, author of The Thief at the End of the World: Rubber, Power, and the Seeds of Empire *With a journalist's insight and a scholar's scrutiny, Heriberto Araujo tells the timeless story of dominance, displacement, murder and social injustice that drive large-scale environmental destruction * Roman Dial, author of The Adventurer’s Son *A tour de force... Araújo's masterful reporting from the frontlines in the war for the world's most important tropical biome should be required reading for policy makers, and for anyone who cares about the fight for social and environmental justice for Amazonia's forest peoples. * Jeremy M. Campbell, author of Conjuring Property: Speculation and Environmental Futures in the Brazilian Amazon *Heriberto Araújo, drawing on his years of research, has written an essential journalistic account of the murder, mayhem and mind-boggling corruption surrounding the assault on the Amazon. * Dr. Gary Sick, Columbia University, Board Member of Human Rights Watch *Heriberto Araujo does a significant service to Amazonia by providing a look into the social hell that accompanies the destruction of the Amazon rainforest... No one can read this account without coming to the conclusion that we must prevent such events from continuing. * Philip M. Fearnside, National Institute for Research in the Amazon *Highly readable * The Economist on China's Silent Army *Fascinating and vivid * Spectator on China's Silent Army *Truly impressive * Financial Times on China's Silent Army *Table of Contents1: The Escape 2: The Criminal Syndicate 3: Terror on the Nut Road 4: The Chainsaw Murder 5: The Boomtown 6: Early Challenges 7: Crickets and Cattle 8: No Longer Meek 9: Hunting Souza 10: Nowhere to Hide 11: Nothing Shining in Eldorado 12: Death and Salvation 13: An Unusual Case 14: The Evidence Man 15: A Cause Larger Than Death 16: The Law of the Gun 17: Land or We Burn the Jungle 18: Amazonian Justice 19: Sink or Swim 20: The Widow Must Fall 21: "Load the Trucks" 22: She Is Out 23: The Trial 24: A Certain Sense of Justice 25: Epilogue

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Book SynopsisDr Geoffrey Garrett was for over 30 years a Home Office pathologist. This is his personal memoir, in conjunction with crime journalist Andrew Nott, of many infamous, unusual and heartbreaking cases and a fascinating history of his professional life, giving a unique insight into a pathologist's work. Beginning with a no-holds-barred account of the basic methodology of a post-mortem examination, the book chronicles many memorable cases, including:The discovery of a preserved body on the Yorkshire moors later identified as the first victim of the Moors MurderersThe murders of three policemen plus the apprehension of a murderer who turned out to be a policeman's sonAn examination of sex crimesThe Moss: a seminal piece on Manchester's 'Bronx' - Dr Garrett reveals life in the ghetto, the drug gangs and how they operate How a man's face, burned beyond recognition, was reconstructed to help solve a murderPlus examples of many other baffling crimes which were resolved on the pathologist's table.

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Book SynopsisStories of violent death will always hold us in a grim but thrilling grip. The dreadful crimes related in Foul Deeds in Kensington & Chelsea are shocking examples of murder cases that readers will never forget. Crimes of passion, opportunistic killings, political assassinations - the full spectrum of extreme criminality is recounted here. John Eddleston has selected a series of notorious episodes that give a fascinating insight into criminal acts and the criminal mind. The human dramas he depicts are often played out in the most commonplace of circumstances, but others are so odd as to be stranger than fiction. Cases of involving the killing of wives, lovers and children are among those he describes, but he also reconstructs in forensic detail several more unusual crimes - two men shot dead at a lecture, the field marshal who was assassinated on his doorstep, the acid bath killings, and the murders of two ill-fated countesses. These lethal episodes give a fascinating insight into the dark side of the history of Kensington & Chelsea. John J. Eddleston is an authority on British criminal history and a prolific writer on the subject. His many books include Murderous Sussex, Murderous Manchester, Blind Justice, Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Executions, A Century of Welsh Murders and Executions, Manx Killers, Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Southampton and Miscarriages of Justice: Famous London Cases.

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated collection of stories from "Devon's Past".

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis book is the dramatic psychological study of a brutal killer, whose crimes of rape and murder were gruesome secrets he kept even from himself. Written with exclusive information gleaned from countless conversations with killer Ken Bianchi, his girlfriend, his psychiatrists, as well as policemen and journalists involved with the case.

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Book SynopsisPunctuated by gunshots and posse hoofbeats, these true tales, many told for the first time, illustrate, in both words and rare photographs, perilous trails and dangerous men from a time gone forever. The Sotello brothers, John Keener, Bill Miner, Louis J Dreibelbis, Ramon Ruiz, and all the others were fascinating characters -- a desperate breed who added their stories to the legends of the Old West.

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Book SynopsisMurder has a long and distinguished history in San Francisco. The city and its Bay Area can stand proudly with Paris, London, and New York in the splendour of its misdeeds -- murders that have suspense, horror, audacity, and flair. The homicides chronicled in Murder by the Bay have been selected because a convergence of personality, circumstance, character, and geography makes them peculiarly San Franciscan. Each of these crimes illustrates an historic importance, each has impacted its times -- either in the course or application of the law or in the manner in which the affair revealed a shortcoming in society. They range from the Montgomery Street killing of James King of William, editor of the Daily Evening Bulletin, in 1856 to the sensational trial of early movie comedian Fatty Arbuckle who was accused of killing a showgirl at a party in the St. Francis Hotel to the shocking "City Hall Murders" in which former city supervisor Dan White killed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Most were solved, some were not. They are murders that fascinated the city and frequently the country, sometimes for weeks, often for years and even decades.

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