A solid 3.5 star read. Very informative. A character index would've been useful to keep track of the many mobsters/politicians/and starlets in the booA solid 3.5 star read. Very informative. A character index would've been useful to keep track of the many mobsters/politicians/and starlets in the book. ...more
Dark, disturbing, and near unbelievable - Stalkers by Eileen Ormsby reads like crime fiction at its finest - only it's not. Comprising four stories ofDark, disturbing, and near unbelievable - Stalkers by Eileen Ormsby reads like crime fiction at its finest - only it's not. Comprising four stories of seriously creepy stalkers complete with information about each stalkers sub category for added context and insight into the mind of the maddened, author Eileen Ormsby provides a peak behind the curtain of normalcy to showcase a world so twisted it's difficult to comprehend.
Whilst it would've been easy to write a book featuring high profile public figure harassment/stalker cases spattered across mainstream media, Stalkers delves a little deeper, both in timeline and victim. Sure there's one story featuring an up and coming young actress but the others are about normal, everyday people, including a shocking case featuring two teenage boys which, honestly scared the living daylight out of me, as did one about a deluded author who sought out a book reviewer who posted an unfavourable review on Goodreads! (yikes...).
It's been a while since a true crime book has given me serious goose bumps. Not since I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara has a non-fiction book left such a lasting impression and that's exactly what Stalkers has done - especially the fourth story about a young women who falls victim to a Craigslist rape fantasy which honestly feels like it was written for the silver screen and not ripped from police files and public news reports. There's so many twists to this torrid tale I couldn't believe how it turned out.
If you're a true crime junkie and/or a fan of the The Dark Web books by Eileen Ormsby this is a no-brainer...more
Much like Cults Uncovered, Unsolved Murders offers up an eclectic mix of murderous morsels of some of the most notorious crimes over the past 100 yearMuch like Cults Uncovered, Unsolved Murders offers up an eclectic mix of murderous morsels of some of the most notorious crimes over the past 100 years. From JonBenet Ramsey to Tupac and Biggie to the Black Dahlia murder(s), authors Amber Hunt and Emily G. Thompson bite off each crime, providing short, sharp, factual and fascinating glimpses into the case to whet the readers appetite.
With 21 unsolved murders packed into a little over 200 pages, there's a lot to take in, yet the authors write each chapter in such a free flowing and easily readable way that the book never feels overwhelming.
Be it a crime committed pre DNA, a bundled investigation, or simply a killer who looks to have outsmarted law enforcement, each unsolved murder case is equally as heinous as the one preceding it. How these killers remain free is as much as a mystery as is their identity.
Unsolved Murders is a great place to start if you're looking to delve deep into the annals of crime. ...more
Cults, religious fanaticism, terrorism, brainwashing, mass murder, and gross scale manipulation of the vulnerable and at-risk are all scary and confroCults, religious fanaticism, terrorism, brainwashing, mass murder, and gross scale manipulation of the vulnerable and at-risk are all scary and confronting elements explored in delicately balanced morsels of madness ripped from straight from newspaper and social medial headlines worldwide.
Non-fiction, and in particular, true crime can be difficult to read. For one, unlike fiction, the murder, horror, and heartache is real. In Cults Uncovered, many followers and bystanders alike suffered in the most inhumane conditions and were exploited by virtue of their ignorance and manipulated by their (at times, misguided) beliefs.
In short, sharp chapters sticking to facts and telling the hard truths, author Emily G. Thompson's recounting of these horrific happenings is a beginners guide to uncovering what lay beneath the glossy magazine spreads and prime time coverage of some of the most memorable and disturbing acts of human depravity in the last century.
Cults Uncovered serves well to introduce those with a casual curiosity of the atrocities taken place in these cults and provides plenty of reference points to dig deeper....more
An interesting subject matter which was let down by a lack of depth and the author's tendency to gloss over crucial events in Jack Riley and Joe FarreAn interesting subject matter which was let down by a lack of depth and the author's tendency to gloss over crucial events in Jack Riley and Joe Farren's criminal history.
1930's Shanghai was a frontier town, rapidly expanding in both population, city limits, and crime. Drugs, murder and mayhem were the main courses on the menu with a couple of unassuming characters in Riley and Farren taking full advantage of the low lying fruit begging to be plucked and exploited.
City of Devils chronicles Riley and Farren's rise to underworld notoriety and eventual downfall with the latter being the more interesting of the two periods. As characters in the book, they lacked depth, much like the vast majority of the book which made it difficult to become invested in their story in any meaningful way.
Despite my misgivings, City of Devils does make for some interesting reading, however I wanted more context and substance to really make this one a winner. I give this 2 (out of 5) stars. ...more
Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero, is an extensive and comprehensive overview of the trials and tribulations of Eliot Ness spanning acEliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero, is an extensive and comprehensive overview of the trials and tribulations of Eliot Ness spanning across the his crime fighting start in prohibition era Chicago to his less glamorous positions in private enterprise.
Much like The Girls of Murder City, author Douglas Perry delves deep into this famed and violent history of 1920's and 30's America to provide an insight outside of the famous mobsters who were responsible for blood on the pavement and ink in the headlines.
Eliot Ness was a complicated, ambitious, and somewhat promiscuous man who led three public lives; the prohibition agent, the Cleveland Safety Director, and later, a Cleveland Mayor candidate, this book details each of his plights in easy-to-detail which ultimately delivers a well rounded and subjective account of Ness.
My rating: 5/5 stars. I learnt so much about Eliot Ness by reading this that I wasn't previously aware of. A must read for fans of prohibition era USA and the aftermath....more
The Darkest Web delves deep into the deprave's darkest desires bringing to light heinous acts of crueltOnline investigative journalism at its finest.
The Darkest Web delves deep into the deprave's darkest desires bringing to light heinous acts of cruelty better left in the shadows of humanity.
The topical nature of the non-fiction peak-behind-the-curtain account of dark web warriors is not for the squeamish. The structure of the book leads the reader down a rabbit hole of murderous and unspeakable acts growing progressively darker as the digital depths of disgust unfold.
Whilst the subject matter isn't for everyone, I really enjoyed The Darkest Web. The writing was easy flowing and the structure of the book gives the reader plenty of 'outs'. Author Eileen Ormsby doesn't shy away from the confronting nature of the book and clearly defines sections of the book which contain the escalating 'darker' material.
My rating: 5/5 stars. If you've got an interest in learning more of the web outside the world we live in, this is for you....more
Ice Nation provides a front-line account of the investigative techniques and tenacity of the police in the war on drugs in rural communities in VictorIce Nation provides a front-line account of the investigative techniques and tenacity of the police in the war on drugs in rural communities in Victoria and border-towns of New South Wales.
The narrative flows like fiction akin to the Underbelly stories to capture the human-element of drug trafficking; the chapters encapsulating stories of the violent perpetrators, innocent and no-so victims, and family members.
Ice kills. That is the message of Ice Nation, and what better way to deliver that message than someone who has seen the affects up front and personal than author Jason Bray, a police officer tasked with bringing down a dangerous and unpredictable rural drug syndicate in the Australian state of Victoria.
Whilst not delving all that deep into the manufacturing side of the drug trade, Ice Nation does provide the reader with a detailed look at the way the drug affects the lives of the people directly or indirectly exposed to it.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Short, sharp, and punchy chapters provided context and depth to the members of the drug syndicate who fell into the black-hole of drug trafficking only to walk away with less than they started. Ice Nation is a great snapshot of the quick rise and fall of a drug syndicate in rural Australia.
I'll Be Gone In The Dark is a haunting and disturbing book, beautifully written and densely populated with facts and footnotes all of which convey theI'll Be Gone In The Dark is a haunting and disturbing book, beautifully written and densely populated with facts and footnotes all of which convey the authors fierce determination to catch a long hidden serial killer and rapist responsible for over 50 acts of unimaginable cruelty in California during the 1970's and 1980's.
Due to the authors' unexpected passing prior to the completion of the book, two thirds of the content comprises her eloquent sweeping narrative which is as addictive to read as it is informative. Whilst the last third is made up of published articles, penned thoughts, collaborator commentary and useful insight into Michelle McNamara as more than an armchair detective, but as a person with a passion for justice.
Such is the subject matter, I found myself waking in the middle of night to near every bump, crunch, and gust of wind thinking a killer was casing my home, probing my property for entry points and studying my surroundings for whatever nefarious purpose he had in mind. Few true crime books have had such an effect on me as I'll Be Gone In The Dark.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Despite the drop-off in content quality in the later stages of the book, this is an excellent read, thoroughly researched which purveys the authors' dogged determination to catch a killer.
For readers familiar with the noir soaked unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, this book recounts much of the information alreadyFor readers familiar with the noir soaked unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, this book recounts much of the information already printed and glamorized in film but it does so in a way that is refreshing and feels 'new'. If anything, Black Dahlia Red Rose reads more like crime fiction with a rolling narrative emphasizing the criminal investigation and spotlighting one key suspect in particular, Lesley Dillon who was staying as the Astor Hotel, the suspected place of Shorts brutally violent murder (the hotel is still standing today but only rents rooms by the hour and has no advertising, website, or phone listing according to the author).
The Dahlia case aside there's a lot of page time dedicated to the alleged corruption of the LAPD of the time which immediately get's the reader thinking of cover-ups and coercion. The Gangster Squad features heavily and is portrayed as a beacon of justice despite some of the squad members more questionable interpretation of the thin blue line, a line they weren't afraid to cross.
My rating: 5/5. This is a great book which true crime enthusiasts will lap up. Jeff Harding narrated the audio edition and did a nice job of ensuring the tone of the book didn't come across as a newsreel, rather, complimenting the free flowing narrative of the investigation....more
Sydney Noir is a book that tells a lot about a group of criminals and corrupt cops as they deal in underworld activities throughout the prosperous nigSydney Noir is a book that tells a lot about a group of criminals and corrupt cops as they deal in underworld activities throughout the prosperous nightlife years of Kings Cross circa 1966-1972; a period in Sydney's time made more alluring to criminal enterprise thanks to a bounty of American serviceman frequenting the city of sin for rest and recuperation before being shipped off to the Vietnam war.
It's during this period in which nightclubs, gentleman's bars, brothels, illegal gambling dens, and mafia-ties are made and cops are paid and paid well if the sums in this book are somewhere in the vicinity of being accurate, especially the select few in Krahe, Kelly, and Phelan who had multiple fingers in many criminally crusted pies.
Shirley Brifman the prostitute turned madam turned whistleblower provides much of the rouge-colored and rose-tinted glasses these stories are told through giving the male oriented crime factory a deadly true life diamond in the rough, who, like near all of the 'noir personalities' in the book, ends up on a cold steel table after committing crimes, now and back then considered near unspeakable (read the book for this, I won't spoil it).
Whilst there are a lot of personalities spattered throughout the book, there's an easy flow from chapter to chapter (each chapter focuses on crimes/criminal events committed for each year of the golden years 1966-1972) which provides a nice sense of continuity, after a while the reader develops some familiarity with these peoples lives so the volume of said personalities doesn't become overbearing.
The book is not without its flaws but I tend to think these are more selective to the individual reader, depending on where your interests lie. Naturally the politics of the time play a part in the criminal proceedings be it on the prophetical or in the thick of it - that's fine, I enjoyed it, what I didn't find particularly interesting was the last chapter in the book where too much emphasis was placed on a question 'was he or wasn't he corrupt' and the lengthy critiquing of other peoples work on the matter - it didn't feel necessary, then again other readers may lap this portion up.
Overall Sydney Noir: The Golden Years is an enjoyable book that shines a light on the seedy side of Sydney circa 1966-1972 and provides some interesting insight into the criminal, law abiding, and political personalities of the time.
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