Obsessed with True Crime discussion

I thought there was a thread for this, but didn't see one.

Currently reading The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum. I'm halfway through Prohibition.

Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "I thought there was a thread for this, but didn't see one.

Currently reading The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by [author:Debo..."

This sounds interesting!

I have a bunch piled up ready to read, but still in the middle of 2 works of fiction, so...

A Murder In Hollywood: The Untold Story of Tinseltown's Most Shocking Crime by Casey Sherman.
The story of the murder of Lana Turner's boyfriend, mobster Johnny Stompanato. Lana's 14 year old, daughter, Cheryl claimed to have killed him to protect her mother.

Diana wrote: "A Murder In Hollywood: The Untold Story of Tinseltown's Most Shocking Crime by Casey Sherman.
The story of the murder of Lana Turner's boyfriend, mobster Johnny Stompanato. Lana's 14 year old, da..."

Replying to add the link, also, I have read about this case in compilations of Hollywood crimes.

A Murder in Hollywood: The Untold Story of Tinseltown's Most Shocking Crime

The Devil Behind the Badge Rick Jervis

I should have been done with this book by now but life takes over :)

Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels, by Ellen Ruppel Shell

4 stars!

A very interesting read about illegal eel fishing, illegal eel trafficking, and how both are paradoxically protecting freshwater eels even as they threaten to wipe the species out. Lots of interesting science in here. I loved this book and was sorry to see it end.

Rhonda wrote: "The Devil Behind the Badge Rick Jervis

I should have been done with this book by now but life takes over :)"

The Devil Behind the Badge: The Horrifying Twelve Days of the Border Patrol Serial Killer by Rick Jervis

Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Rhonda wrote: "The Devil Behind the Badge Rick Jervis

I should have been done with this book by now but life takes over :)"

[book:The Devil Behind the Badge: The Horrifying Twelve Days of the Bor..."

Really looking forward to reading this one.

I finished Blood Stains and now I'm a little ways into The Girls: An All-American Town, a Predatory Doctor, and the Untold Story of the Gymnasts Who Brought Him Down.

Just started Hiding Mengele: How a Nazi Network Harbored the Angel of Death and straining to remember whether anything in here matches up with The Last Nazi: The Life and Times of Dr. Joseph Mengele, which I read ages ago.

Right now I am reading 2 review books: The Alice Crimmins Case and Compassion in the Court Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge Judge Frank Caprio, a great man.

Both books will be released next week so I will be done with them by the end of the week to do my review on them.

Bonnie wrote: "Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge..."

Adding this to our shelves under Attorney Stories.

After being very unsatisfied with Hate Crimes : The Rising Tide of Bigotry and Bloodshed, I was enchanted with the opening line of The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America:

"The sun that rose for the rest of the world that morning was not the one that rose for Lanah Sawyer."

Tried posting Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge and The Alice Crimmins Case in TC released in 2025 and had to go through 6 "I am not a robot checks". ARG!

Lady ♥ Belleza wrote: "Tried posting Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge and The Alice Crimmins Case in TC released in 2025 and had to go through 6..."

Yeah, GR will only let you start 3 discussions a day. Beyond that it starts to think you are a spammer.

Finally brought The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women home from the library. And snatched up The Fall Guy: Pickton in His Own Words when it popped up on Kindle.

Fishface wrote: "Finally brought The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women home from the library. And snatched up The Fall Guy: Pickton in His Own Words when it po..."

I hope you like Radium Girls. That was a good one.

Where Monsters Hide: Sex, Murder, and Madness in the Midwest by M. William Phelps
4 stars


This book is mostly about the investigation. Thankfully, the courtroom drama was brief, as what was given was mostly repetitive. There were some surprises along the way. I would have liked to see more biographical information, but it held my interest from beginning to end.

Koren wrote: "I hope you like Radium Girls. That was a good one."

It was INCREDIBLE. I gave it 5 stars.

I just started Love Is a Burning Thing: A Memoir, a real head-scratcher of a case. The author is the daughter of a woman who survived a kind of mutual murder pact. Two women in Ann Arbor set themselves on fire and were raced to a hospital after someone heard the screaming. The other burn victim died. The author is trying to make sense of it all. This is very much a long the lines of Rabbit Heart: A Mother's Murder, a Daughter's Story, Shot in the Heart by Mikal Gilmore and Not Lost Forever: My Story of Survival, for anyone who has read those.

I just concluded reading: The Misbegotten Son: The True Story of Arthur J. Shawcross. He murdered two children - went to prison - was released then started killing prostitutes. Jack Olsen's writing style is unique, personable, interesting, and keeps you coming back for more. I highly recommend this book. I plan to start reading "Son" by Jack Olsen next.

Erik wrote: "I just concluded reading: The Misbegotten Son: The True Story of Arthur J. Shawcross. He murdered two children - went to prison - was released then started killing prostitutes. Jack O..."

You can't go wrong with that author!

I have discovered that The Fall Guy: Pickton in His Own Words is indeed the same book as WILLIE PICKTON IN HIS OWN WORDS, only with a different editor and different forewords and so forth. I am about halfway in and I can say without reservation that William Shakespeare has nothing to worry about from this guy. For one thing, he adds the words "express" and "formal" to everything he writes, almost randomly.

Currently reading The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Impostor. True story of a imposter on the run for 30 years as a con man.

I'm currently reading "What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator" by Barbara Butcher and so far it's good. Butcher was a death investigator in New York City and she writes about her own experiences in the field. It's interesting, but the writing/narrative is a bit jumpy.

Searching for Savanna: The Murder of One Native American Woman and the Violence Against the Many, by Mona Gable
3 stars

I'm not sure how to feel about this story. It seemed to go off in so many different directions without really choosing one. The horror of the crime and the unanswered questions about how it really happened is one piece. The nationwide advocacy for a problem of unknown size and with unknown solutions is another. And then there are the legislative changes that came about because of this hideous murder/kidnapping. But somehow none of it seemed resolved by the end and I couldn't really see where it was heading. It left me feeling kind of split down the middle.

Currently reading a book on a school attack that happened in Sweden 10 years ago. It's well written and researched and has many interesting discussions. It's highly relevant today, as there was the largest shooting in Swedish history at a school in the city where I live february this year. The book is called "Det som aldrig fick ske: Skolattentatet i Trollhättan" by Åsa Erlandsson.

Just started In My Father's House: A New View of How Crime Runs in the Family, a follow-up to All God's Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence. It's great!

Were do authors post to promote their new book? There was an author's post but it closed down in 2017. Surely some of us are still alive? My book is about the execution of a young family, two children, mother and her boyfriend, in the mountains of New Mexico. Four juveniles in the 18th Street Gang were charged, two confessed, but then the case took some really wild turns during the four death penalty trials. Anyway, enough of me tooting my own horn.

Stephen D Aarons wrote: "Were do authors post to promote their new book? There was an author's post but it closed down in 2017. Surely some of us are still alive? My book is about the execution of a young family, two child..."

If you scroll down a bit on the discussions page (you are there now) you should find a folder titled True Crime Authors. Head down there, get out your horn and start tooting lol

A ways into (Jesus Freaks) by: Don Lattin . This book gives me what I hardly dared hope for: an explanation of exactly how David Berg got to be twisted enough to found and run Teens for Christ, aka The Family International, aka the Children Of God with what appears to have been a clear conscience.

Just started THE CRACK CITY STRANGLER: The Homicides of Serial Killer Benjamin Atkins. It is soooooo good.

I am a chapter into Killing for Company: The case of Dennis Nilsen by Brian Masters. I am very intrigued as to Dennis Nilsen’s backstory and what could have possibly lead him to do what he did to those men.

Eleanor wrote: "I am a chapter into Killing for Company: The case of Dennis Nilsen by Brian Masters. I am very intrigued as to Dennis Nilsen’s backstory and what could have possibly l..."

That book is a wonderful read!