True crime Books

Book SynopsisAfter becoming detached from Serial 502 Keith Blakelock was kicked and hacked to death by a mob using clubs, iron bars and machete-like weapons. His killers have never been brought to justice.'A rounded, mature assessment of the murder of Keith Blakelock, the events that led to the deployment of his serial during the disorder and the messy, and in many respects still unresolved aftermath'Professor Clive Emsley (from the Foreword). Published to mark the 30th anniversary of one of the most disturbing events in British policing, this masterly account by ex-Metropolitan Police commander Tony Moore is based on unrivalled research and sources. It describes rioting on the Broadwater Farm Estate, Tottenham in 1985 against a backdrop of unrest in major UK cities and a nadir in relations between police and black communities. Based on new materials, private communications and matchless sources. A closely observed account by someone working at senior level in the Met at the time. Deals with the biggest breakdown in community relations and law and order in modern English social and policing history.Looks at both sides of the story of unrest at this symbolic location, its history, background, influences, causes, legacy and who was most to blame.Trade Review'This is a remarkable book, not easy-reading yet easy to read, it is not for the faint-hearted and anyone who has policed in such dire circumstances may well be moved to tears. He writes not just about a police murder but about the root causes and he is not afraid to apportion blame to ensure lessons may be learned for the future. It should be compulsory reading not only for public order trainers and commanders but all senior officers. It is highly recommended': Police History Society newsletter; 'A well-researched and intelligent assessment... will remain as excellent source material for the applied criminologist for years to come... will help both professionals and the general public understand how far we still have to travel to achieve a social contract consensus between the state and its local diverse communities as the UK's population continues to expand'- Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers.Table of ContentsAbout the Author. Acknowledgements. Dedication. Foreword. About the author of the Foreword. Map.1. Introduction. 2. The Broadwater Farm Estate. 3. Relationship between Haringey Council and the Metropolitan Police. 4. Policing the Estate from 1973 to mid-1984. 5. Policing the Estate from mid-1984 to October 1985. 6. The Death of Cynthia Jarrett and Build Up to the Riot. 7. The Riot. 8. The Killing of Constable Keith Blakelock. 9. Analysis of the Response to the Riot. 10. The First Murder Investigation. 11. Appeals, Acquittals and Further Investigations. 12. Morale and Psychological Stress. 13. Where Does the Blame Lie?. Index.

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Book SynopsisFifty years after the Moors Murders and 15 years since Myra Hindley died in prison, after one of the longest sentences served by a woman, The Monstering of Myra Hindley raises some delicate and searching questions.They include: "Why was Hindley treated differently?", "Why do we need to create demons?" and "What impact does this have on our whole notion of crime, punishment and justice?" Set against the political backlash of one of the most noto-rious cases in English criminal history, this is a perceptive, first-hand portrayal of the most talked-about and maligned of women. The Monstering of Myra Hindley is written by one of the closest people to her, Nina Wilde. Wilde not only sets the record straight on certain matters, she also provides new insights about one of the most infamous women in Britain. It contains until now private information, 'home-truths' and describes a journey charting a special relationship. Everyone, the author included, recognises the plight of the victims but this should not be allowed to mask other wrongs that, with hindsight, become increasingly apparent in Hindley's case.Trade Review'I think she became a national scapegoat for that part of the social mind that is cruel and has contempt for vulnerability'-- Dr Gwen Adshead; 'The book has two main arguments. Hindley was treated as she was first because she was a woman and consequently what she did was worse because she was a woman. Second the unfairness she experienced was because the press would not leave her alone and continually brought up the story and the evil nature of her character... I think Wilde is right on both counts... the book is written well and makes the above arguments well. It thus serves as a reminder that tariff decisions on life imprisonment should be decided upon by the judiciary and that they should be carried out without political bias or influence.'-- Prison Service Journal.Table of ContentsForeword; Introduction; Timeline; 1.Cookham Wood; 2.The Outsider; 3.The Nature of Myra's Injustice; 4.Public and Political Involvement; 5.Reputation, Retreat and Remorse; 6.The Media and the Press; 7.Myra As Public Property; 8.Constant Threat and Observation; 9.Hypnosis and Other Distractions; 10.I'd Like to Help You, But...; The Prisoner; Select Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD FOR FICTION A schoolgirl catches the eye of the future leader of Nazi Germany. An aspiring playwright writes to a convicted serial killer, seeking inspiration. A pair of childhood sweethearts reunite to commit rape and murder. A devoted Mormon wife follows her husband into the wilderness after he declares himself a prophet. The twelve stories in The Love of a Bad Man imagine the lives of real women, all of whom were the lovers, wives, or mistresses of various ‘bad’ men in history. Beautifully observed, fascinating, and at times horrifying, the stories interrogate power, the nature of obsession, and the lengths some women will go to for the men they love. PRAISE FOR LAURA ELIZABETH WOOLLETT ‘Like Helen Garner, Laura Woollett is impelled to explore the darkest corners of the human heart, the savage cognitive distortions of love; to understand and empathise with the monstrous, rather than to instinctively recoil or judge … Woollett's pitch-perfect command of narrative voice, period, and psychology creates 12 tales to fascinate and unnerve.’ The Age ‘The Love of a Bad Man imagines the inner lives of historical figures who committed crimes all in the name of love … The stories treat death with a gothic inevitability and explore human darkness with a light touch.’ The GuardianTrade Review‘The Love of a Bad Man imagines the inner lives of historical figures who committed crimes all in the name of love … The stories treat death with a gothic inevitability and explore human darkness with a light touch.’ -- Lou Heinrich * The Guardian *‘[Woollett’s] stories are beautifully written – poised and elegant.’ -- Eithne Farry * Daily Mail *‘Woollett explores power, obsession and warped love in this absorbing collection.’ -- Sharmaine Lovegrove * Elle *‘[T]he varied voices are what makes this collection outstanding … truly unsettling reading.’ * Emerald Street *‘[Woollett] raises unnerving questions about the nature of desire: about why any of us are drawn to people who are bad, or bad for us, and why we stay with them. That she refuses to answer them is not to the detriment of The Love of a Bad Man, and in fact ensures that the collection never feels gimmicky … The stories are entirely concerned with conveying the distinctive interiority of the women, with the exploration of their impulses and insecurities. It is by the accretion of these case studies, rather than by armchair psychologising her girls, that Woollett builds her case.’ -- Veronica Sullivan * The Lifted Brow *‘A genuinely fresh reading experience … we’re sure to hear a lot more from this talented writer in coming years.’ * Books+Publishing, starred review *‘An unusual and affecting reading experience, coupling true crime with literary fiction … Laura Elizabeth Woollett is refreshing, challenging, and utterly unique and I’m already looking forward to her next achievement.’ * Readings Monthly *‘With each finely tuned voice, Woollett draws empathy from abject horror. A confident and mesmerising performance.’ -- Melanie Joosten, author of Berlin Syndrome‘The idea is intriguing and the execution goes well beyond expectation … The Love of a Bad Man gives sophisticated insight, and is full of empathy and nuance for the people portrayed.’ * Lip Magazine *‘The Love of a Bad Man is a rare combination of immense writing talent and wondrous imagination. You've never read a book quite like this one.’ -- Jeff Guinn, author of Go Down Together and Manson‘Chilling … [Woollett] has rendered these women so real, so believable, sympathetic, and even likeable in some cases, despite the dreadful things they condone or participate in.’ * AustCrime *‘Compelling and powerful … Woollett has inhabited the spirit of these various women in a manner both thought-provoking and touching.’ -- Ruth Wykes, co-author of Women Who Kill and Invisible Women‘Woollett’s work in her female narrators’ interior lives, her in-depth research and deployment of detail and vernacular, combines to lend a frightening and compelling understanding to these women’s choices, and in some but not all cases, their coercion.’ * Homer *‘Seductive and enthralling … Woollett is a master of her craft. You won’t be able to put it down.’ -- Stephanie Dickinson, author of Love Highway‘Like Helen Garner, Laura Woollett is impelled to explore the darkest corners of the human heart, the savage cognitive distortions of love; to understand and empathise with the monstrous, rather than to instinctively recoil or judge … Woollett's pitch-perfect command of narrative voice, period, and psychology creates 12 tales to fascinate and unnerve.’ -- Cameron Woodhead * The Age *‘Woollett is skilled at giving each woman a different voice, from the dramatic correspondence of Veronica Compton, to the semi-educated whining of Blanche Burrow. What each woman has in common is their transformation.’ * New York Journal of Books *‘[W]hat sets Woollett apart is the ease with which she floats through the lives of her protagonists … an experiment in the limits of empathy.’ * Crimereads *

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Book SynopsisFrom award-winning author Ariel Sabar comes the gripping, true story of a sensational religious forgery and the scandal that engulfed Harvard University. In 2012, Dr Karen King, a star professor at Harvard Divinity School, announced a blockbuster discovery. She had found an ancient fragment of papyrus — ‘The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’, as she titled it — in which Jesus called Mary Magdalene ‘my wife’. Her announcement made international headlines. If early Christians believed that Jesus was married, it would upend the 2,000-year history of the world’s predominant faith, threatening not just the celibate, all-male priesthood but sacred teachings on marriage, sex, and women’s leadership. As debates over the manuscript’s authenticity raged, award-winning journalist Ariel Sabar set out to investigate a baffling mystery: where did this tiny scrap of papyrus come from? His indefatigable search for answers became an international true-crime story, in which, remarkably, he managed to solve the crime. Trade Review‘Ariel Sabar tells a fascinating story.’ -- Craig Brown * The Mail on Sunday *‘A dramatic tale of gullibility, deception, ideology and academic politics.’ -- Matthew Reisz * Times Higher Education *‘[A] madcap, unforgettable book … [F]or enthusiasts of ancient Christianity … and readers of idea-driven capers, whether by Daniel Silva or Janet Malcolm. It’s a barely believable tale, crazier than a tweed-sniffer in the faculty lounge.’ -- Mark Oppenheimer * New York Times Book Review *‘It’s a story about journalism done right, about Sabar’s own capable, dogged sleuthing to get to the bottom of those famous headlines … Veritas offers a vital lesson less about Christianity than about what happens when a scholar decides that the story is more important than the truth.’ -- Lucas Wittmann * Time *‘Ariel Sabar is an excellent investigative journalist explaining in detail a con that could have changed all of Christianity. Whatever the scam, the con artist and the victim both have an agenda.’ -- Frank Abagnale, author of Catch Me If You Can‘Mesmerising … [Sabar] has our attention, and slowly, remorselessly, he pays out the rest of his devilish yarn … Savour the denouement — and don't leave at intermission.’ -- Alex Beam * Wall Street Journal *‘Sabar’s meticulous reporting shows how quickly the first victims of a forgery turn into con men themselves, desperately manipulating the evidence to keep plugging holes in a forger’s fragile story. A masterful portrait of desire and a gripping analysis of a scandal that reveals the blurred lines between scholarship, faith, and lies. An unprecedented contribution to the study of forgery.’ -- Dr Erin Thompson, art crime professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and author of Possession: the curious history of private collectors from antiquity to the present‘This astonishing book — part detective story, part exercise in reporting conducted at its highest level — reaches hold of you by the shirt collar and doesn’t let go … Exciting on every level, it poses the deepest question of faith: does it depend on the scholarly verification of ancient fragments or on what Heaney called a journey ‘into the marvellous’? I was bowled over by it.’ -- Caitlin Flanagan, author of Girl Land‘Intriguing religious/true-crime story involving a possible wife of Jesus … A lengthy yet fascinating tale of how one scholar was duped, both by a con man and by herself.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Veritas is a fascinating journey into theology and academia, meticulously researched, well-written, consistently engaging.’ -- Gregg Easterbrook, author of It’s Better Than It Looks‘If turning scraps of ancient papyrus into an enthralling true-crime escapade takes a miracle, consider Ariel Sabar a miracle worker … Veritas, Latin for truth and inscribed on the Harvard seal, is an extraordinary and mind-bending adventure into ancient traditions with modern consequences.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘Sabar has written a true story of mystery and intrigue … [B]lending religious history with a tale of deception … [A] well-researched, engrossing backstory of failed discovery from a noted scholar.’ -- Jacqueline Parascandola * Library Journal *‘A work of exemplary narrative nonfiction … [F]itting neatly into the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category … Provocative and probing.’ STARRED REVIEW * Booklist/American Library Association *‘Fascinating … Ariel Sabar digs out every detail in his engrossing book … The interaction of these two characters, one with a deep need to deceive and the other with a desperate need to believe, presents a wholly human story of frailty and weakness.’ -- Tom Gjelten * NPR *‘[A]n exhaustive examination of the whole affair in a work of exemplary narrative nonfiction … Provocative and probing, this will entice readers interested in the history of early Christianity.’ -- Ilene Cooper * Booklist *‘Extraordinary … [A]stonishing … The book is as good as a detective novel, possessing plot, subplots, hidden motives, bees in eccentric bonnets and startling revelations.’ -- Katherine A. Powers * Minneapolis Star Tribune *‘A tour de force of investigative journalism … Mr. Sabar’s book is a model on how to investigate any new ‘discoveries’ from ancient texts. It is also a cautionary tale about the acceptance of experts and expertise at face value.’ -- Rebecca I. Denova * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *‘Sabar offers plenty of fascinating arcana about scientific and historical methods for testing and analysing such an object, and he also brings to life many of the people involved … Veritas is packed with details and tells a complex story, but Sabar’s prose is clear and inviting, and the book is structured with a well-tuned sense of suspense. It’s a wonderfully absorbing example of truth being stranger than fiction.’ -- Colette Bancroft * Tampa Bay Times *‘A thriller for eggheads.’ * Boston Globe *‘A testament to the value of investigative journalism … [F]ull of shocking and revelatory moments.’ * Daily Beast *‘Scintillating … Sabar is a master storyteller.’ * Tablet *Praise for My Father's Paradise: ‘A biography, a memoir, a meticulously reconstructed history of a largely vanished people and place … Transcending mere reportage, it acquires a novel-like warp and weft.’ * Los Angeles Times *Praise for My Father's Paradise: ‘Sabar offers something rare and precious — a tale of hope and continuity that can be passed on for generations.’ STARRED REVIEW * Publishers Weekly *Praise for My Father's Paradise: ‘Graceful and resonant.’ * New York Times Sunday Book Review *Praise for Heart of the City: ‘A beguiling romp.’ * New York Times *Praise for Heart of the City: ‘Charming, uplifting tales.’ * Library Journal *Praise for Heart of the City: ‘Quirky true tales about city landmarks and chance encounters.’ * New York Magazine *

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Book Synopsis"Those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell."Paul Doyle has not just been a thorn in the side, more like a thicket bush to the face of the authorities, organised crime gangs and hooligan football ?rms across Europe, not to mention to a torturous drug lord who has wanted him dead for over three decades.This book tells the extraordinary tale of a boy left to rot in the penal system whose harsh experiences turned him into a man who feared no one, but was feared by many. A street ?ghter who became a well recognised head of Manchester''s underworld. Whose life was packed with death defying experiences, savage encounters and brutal violence. From the bleak cobbled streets of Salford, to the Cannabis hub of the world - Amsterdam. This is an astonishing account of one epic journey to the top table of organised crime.

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