Search Results for: True Crime

Includes a new introduction from Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of THE MONOGRAM MURDERS and HAVEN’T THEY GROWN

Agatha Christie was not only the biggest selling writer of detective stories the world has ever known, she was also a mystery in herself, giving only the rarest interviews, declining absolutely to become any sort of public figure, and a mystery too in the manner in which she achieved her astonishing success.

H R F Keating, a crime novelist and respected reviewer of crime fiction, brought together a dozen distinguished writers from both sides of the Atlantic to throw light on this double mystery. Some analyse the art itself; some explain the reasons for her success, not just the books, but also in film and theatre.

The approaches are penetrating, affectionate, enthusiastic, analytical, funny – even critical. Together, they give an almost unique insight into the life and work of the First Lady of Crime.

Orphaned young, Ming Tsu, the son of Chinese immigrants, is raised by the notorious leader of a California crime syndicate, who trains him to be his deadly enforcer. But when Ming falls in love with Ada, the daughter of a powerful railroad magnate, and the two elope, he seizes the opportunity to escape to a different life. Soon after, in a violent raid, the tycoon’s henchmen kidnap Ada and conscript Ming into service for the Central Pacific Railroad.

Battered, heartbroken, and yet defiant, Ming partners with a blind clairvoyant known only as the prophet. Together the two set out to rescue his wife and to exact revenge on the men who destroyed Ming, aided by a troupe of magic-show performers, some with supernatural powers, whom they meet on the journey. Ming blazes his way across the West, settling old scores with a single-minded devotion that culminates in an explosive and unexpected finale.

Written with the violent ardor of Cormac McCarthy and the otherworldly inventiveness of Ted Chiang, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is at once a thriller, a romance, and a story of one man’s quest for redemption in the face of a distinctly American brutality.

“In Tom Lin’s novel, the atmosphere of Cormac McCarthy’s West, or that of the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, gives way to the phantasmagorical shades of Ray Bradbury, Charles Finney’s The Circus of Dr. Lao, and Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love. Yet The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu has a velocity and perspective all its own, and is a fierce new version of the Westward Dream.” -Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn

Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence
Finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award

Orphaned young, Ming Tsu, the son of Chinese immigrants, is raised by the notorious leader of a California crime syndicate, who trains him to be his deadly enforcer. But when Ming falls in love with Ada, the daughter of a powerful railroad magnate, and the two elope, he seizes the opportunity to escape to a different life. Soon after, in a violent raid, the tycoon’s henchmen kidnap Ada and conscript Ming into service for the Central Pacific Railroad.
Battered, heartbroken, and yet defiant, Ming partners with a blind clairvoyant known only as the prophet. Together the two set out to rescue his wife and to exact revenge on the men who destroyed Ming, aided by a troupe of magic-show performers, some with supernatural powers, whom they meet on the journey. Ming blazes his way across the West, settling old scores with a single-minded devotion that culminates in an explosive and unexpected finale.

Written with the violent ardor of Cormac McCarthy and the otherworldly inventiveness of Ted Chiang, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is at once a thriller, a romance, and a story of one man’s quest for redemption in the face of a distinctly American brutality.

“In Tom Lin’s novel, the atmosphere of Cormac McCarthy’s West, or that of the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, gives way to the phantasmagorical shades of Ray Bradbury, Charles Finney’s The Circus of Dr. Lao, and Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love. Yet The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu has a velocity and perspective all its own, and is a fierce new version of the Westward Dream.” -Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn

The false teeth of a female serial killer from 1908, the cut-and-paste confession of the Black Dahlia killer, the newly cracked cipher of the Zodiac killer, the shotgun used in the Clutter family murders, which were made famous by Truman Capote’s true crime classic In Cold Blood-these are more than simple artefacts that once belonged to notorious murderers. They are objets of fascination to the legion of true crime obsessives around the world. And not merely for fleeting dark thrills, but because they represent a way to better understand those who we typically label monsters in lieu of learning how they actually became one.

In Murderabilia, veteran true crime writer Harold Schechter presents 100 murder-related artefacts spanning two centuries (1808-2014), with accompanying stories of various lengths. A visual and literary journey, it presents a history unlike any previously told in the true crime genre, one that speaks to the dark fascination of true crime fans while also presenting a larger historical timeline of how and why we continue to be captivated by the most sensational crimes and killers among us.

‘The Dictionary of Crime is now the first book I reach for when beginning a new novel. An essential resource, it’s packed with explanations, insider information, contemporary and historical slang, as well as some downright bizarre laws and practices. It’s funny, fascinating and a damn good read’
M. W CRAVEN, winner of the 2019 Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year for The Puppet Show

‘A really good idea . . . executed neatly to come up with the perfect gift for crime lovers’
MAT COWARD, Morning Star

‘I found myself rolling around in it for hours, like a gangster’s moll on a bed full of money. Sheer delight!’
CATRIONA McPHERSON

‘Where was this book when I started writing? From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer is the essential companion for any serious reader or writer of crime’
LEYE ADENLE, author of When Trouble Sleeps

‘A fascinating compendium of crime facts which should be on the shelves of every crime writer ­­- and every crime reader’
SIMON BRETT

‘This is a dangerous book in so many ways, chock full of ways of killing people, from undetectable poisons to various types of guns. It contains riveting accounts of notorious murderers, is crammed with fascinating details of slang, and precise particulars of police procedures. The perfect gift for any true crime enthusiast and an indispensable guide for all crime fiction writers.’
S. W. WILLIAMS, author of Small Deaths and How to Write Crime Fiction

‘A remarkable achievement. At once elucidating and compelling, indispensable and unputdownable. It reads like a page-turning thriller. Whether a crime writer who needs to distinguish a blood agent from a bum beef or a reader with an interest in queer coal makers, this lexicon will keep you hooked, and leave you sublimely informed.’
GARY DONNELLY, author of Killing in Your Name and Blood Will Be Born

‘Fascinating, insightful and taking up permanent residency on my desk. Amanda Lees’ Dictionary of Crime is my new bible!’
CHRIS WHITTAKER, award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All The Wicked Girls and We Begin at the End

‘What a little gem this is ­- such a great idea and a valuable resource for writers. I found myself dipping into it at intervals and marvelling at the extent of the research that’s gone into it, as well as chuckling over some of the more unusual entries. My personal favourites? BINGO seat, nicker, moll buzzer and lully-prigger. Wouldn’t have had a clue what they meant . . . but I’m determined to work them in somewhere in a future novel!’
G. J. MINETTT, author of The Syndicate


‘A fascinating journey through the dark side of the human psyche. Highly recommended for anyone interested in criminals and crime’
PATRICK REDMOND, bestselling author of The Wishing Game

An essential popular A-Z reference guide for fans of crime fiction and true crime, in books, TV and film, helping to make sense of everything from asphyxiation to VX nerve agent.

This is an indispensable guide for fans of true crime and crime fiction, whether in books, film or on TV, who want to look behind the crime, to understand the mechanics of an investigation, to walk in their favourite detectives’ shoes and, most importantly, to solve the clues.

To do that, one needs to be fluent in the language of the world of crime. We need to know what that world-weary DI is talking about when she refers to another MISPER. We have to immediately grasp the significance of the presence of paraquat, and precisely why it is still a poison of choice.

If you want to know how many murders it takes for a killer to be defined as a serial killer, what Philip Marlowe means when he talks about being ‘on a confidential lay’ and why the ‘fruit of a poisonous tree’ is a legal term rather than something you should avoid on a country walk, this is the reference book you’ve been waiting for.

It covers police and procedural terms and jargon of many different countries; acronyms; murder methods; criminal definitions, including different types of killers; infamous killers and famous detectives; notorious cases often referred to in crime fiction and true crime; gangster slang, including that of the Eastern European mafia; definitions of illegal drugs; weapons; forensic terminology; types of poisons; words and phrases used in major crime genres, including detective fiction, legal thrillers, courtroom dramas, hardboiled crime, Scandi and Tartan Noir, cosy crime and psychological thrillers; criminology terms; and the language of the courts and the legal systems of British, American, French, Nordic and other countries.

From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer is an essential, go-to resource for readers and even for writers of crime fiction. More than simply a glossary, this is a guide that provides a doorway into a supergenre, and one that is not just for readers, but also for the many fans of film and TV dramas, of podcasts, and crime blogs. It is also an indispensable resource for writers or would-be writers of crime fiction.

Did you know blowflies can smell a dead body from 16 km (10 miles) away? Or that a person sheds up to 40,000 skin cells every minute? Or that a single hair can tell you if a victim was poisoned?

This book zooms in on tiny things – such as hair, skin, broken glass and dust – that reveal the truth about crimes. Learn about the bacteria that tell forensic scientists where someone was killed, and meet the maggots that tell police the time of death of dead bodies.

The Zoom In On series shines a powerful light on a world so small that it’s normally invisible. Scientists can zoom in on the strange creatures that live there. Now you can look down the microscope and see them too, if you dare…

ADAPTED FOR YOUNG READERS

The host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, tells the story of growing up mixed race in South Africa under and after apartheid in this young readers’ adaptation of his bestselling adult memoir Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

BORN A CRIME IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING OSCAR-WINNER LUPITA NYONG’O!

Trevor Noah, host ofThe Daily Show, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist — and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his keen smarts and humour to navigate a harsh life under a racist government.

This compelling memoir blends drama, comedy and tragedy to depict the day-to-day trials that turned a boy into a young man. In a country where racism barred blacks from social, educational, and economic opportunity, Trevor surmounted staggering obstacles and created a promising future for himself, thanks to his mom’s unwavering love and indomitable will.

It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime not only provides a fascinating and honest perspective on South Africa’s racial history, but it will also astound and inspire young readers looking to improve their own lives.

No gangster has ever been more powerful than Charles “Lucky” Luciano (1897-1962). By the mid-1920s, he had taken over the New York bordellos and was making more than a million dollars a year. In 1931 he engineered the murders of the two reigning New York crime bosses, Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, and quickly took over the entire New York crime racket. Now Luciano was the Boss of Bosses, the undisputed leader of the National Crime Syndicate which he had established, along with Meyer Lansky, Louis “Lepke” Buchalter, Joe Adonis, and Frank Costello, in the early 1930s. His fall came in 1936, when he was indicted on ninety counts of extortion and direction of harlotry. But in 1945 he was released in return for his cooperation with the U.S. Navy during World War II. He spent the rest of his life in Italy, where he ran the International Crime Syndicate, shipping millions of dollars worth of heroin into the U.S. The Luciano Story is the definitive biography of this legendary gangster, based on years of research and dozens of interviews with Luciano himself and among other firsthand accounts. First published in 1954 but long out of print, this book authenticated, for the first time, the far-reaching and sinister operations of the international crime syndicate, International, and its direction by the keenest criminal mastermind in American history.

In 1998, an apparently ordinary Australian man is arrested and charged for a series of brutal murders. The news shocks the nation, bringing both horror and resolution to the victims’ families, but its impact travels even further: into the past, as the murders rewrite personal histories, and into the future, as true crime podcasts and biopics tell the story of the crimes.

From the killer’s childhood town to Texas, Rome and beyond, from the mid-twentieth century to the near-future, Highway Thirteen asks how do communities make sense of such atrocities? How does the mourning of families sit alongside the public fascination with terrible crimes? And can we tell true crime stories without centring the killers?

Would you know if you lived next door to a serial killer? Based on her smash hit tour, Emma Kenny – psychologist and true crime expert – reveals the chilling true stories of killers who hide in plain sight.

Taking readers on a journey into the dark side of humanity, Emma Kenny explores the ingredient list of experiences that turns regular people into murderous monsters, looking at crimes that shook the world.

From Ted Bundy to Joanna Dennehy, Richard Trenton Chase to Aileen Wuornos and many more besides, Emma explores the crime scenes and criminal minds of some of the most notorious serial killers of our time. She also unveils shocking stories of lesser-known killers that even the most dedicated true crime fan will be surprised by.

What unites all of these killers is the ability to slip into society. They look just like you and me. Some were married or parents, conscientious neighbours, teachers or fixtures of their community. Join Emma in this compelling exposé of their depraved world to understand what motivates them and what they look for in a victim. Then maybe you’ll be able to spot the serial killer next door...

‘A fascinating look behind closed lock-up doors’
Evening Standard

East End Gangland is a true crime classic, now updated and expanded. Bestselling author James Morton tracks the changing face of the East End from the 1870s to now, through opium dens and racecourse gangs, crime on the docks and organised prostitution to the major players of today.

The East End has always held a malign fascination for the general public. East End Gangland looks at this phenomenon from the days of the unsolved murders committed by Jack the Ripper to the 1960s when the Kray Twins held the reins of the Underworld, to the present and how the structure of crimes and criminal gangs has changed.


‘The tales are told with a flourish in a fascinating, useful and lively history’
The Times

The business of death can be seriously absurd, and nothing illustrates this better than these gruesome true tales. This gory compendium details the frankly ridiculous ways in which a number of ill-fated unfortunates met (or failed to meet) their maker at the hands of lamentably inept executioners. With black and white illustrations, this book brings together a mixture of bungled executions, strange last requests and classic one-liners from medieval times to the present day.

Arnold Rothstein (1882-1928) was described in the newspapers of the 1920s as “a sportsman,” “a gambler,” and “the man who fixed the 1919 World Series.” But he was much more than that. A bootlegger and labour racketeer, he corrupted politicians, promoted crooked stock sales, and imported narcotics. And, perhaps most importantly, he transformed organized crime from a thuggish activity practiced by hoodlums into a big business, run like a corporation, with himself at the top. For twenty years, the name of Arnold Rothstein symbolized money,big-time money, gambling money, racket money, illegal money, millions upon millions of dollars. His share was ninety percent of any deal he was never indicted for a single crime he always won at cards and horses. And, despite his involvement in dozens of murders and hundreds of other crimes, his luck never ran out. At least not until 1928, the year in which he was fatally shot. The perpetrators,and Rothstein’s millions,were never found. The Big Bankroll is the definitive biography of the man known simply as Mr. Big. In it, Leo Katcher reveals not only sordid details of the life of America’s most powerful gambler, but illuminates the whole era in which crime became king.

Detective Lt. Joe Kenda, star of the wildly successful crime documentary series Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, shares his deepest, darkest, and never before revealed case files from his 19 years as a homicide detective.

TV viewers and readers alike are fascinated and horrified by abhorrent murders. They crave to know the gory details of these crimes, and seek comfort in the solving of the most gruesome. In I WILL FIND YOU, DETECTIVE LIEUTENANT JOE KENDA reminds us that cases like these are very real and can happen even in your backyard.

Joe Kenda investigated 387 murder cases during his 23 years with the Colorado Springs Police Department and solved almost all of them. And he is ready to detail the cases that are too gruesome to air on television, cases that still haunt him, and cases where the killer got away. These cases are horrifyingly real, but the detail is so mesmerizing you won’t be able to look away. Chapters include:

* “Every City has an Underbelly” where beautiful cities experience deadly violence
* “I Talk to Dead People” where Kenda reveals his approaches to crime scene investigation
* “Honey I’m Home, Don’t Mind the Blood” where detective work is brought home
* “Crimes I Can’t Talk about on TV” where Kenda shares the most gruesome, macabre or complex cases


The tales in this book will shockreaders like the best horror stories. This is true crime at its finest, divulging insights into the actions, motivations, and proclivities of nature’s most dangerous species.

From the bestselling author of GANGLAND BRITAIN and REEFER MEN.

Organised crime is one of Britain’s biggest industries. The number of gangland murders, shootings and kidnappings, along with the levels of drug trafficking, people smuggling and money laundering, have all experienced phenomenal growth. Multi-million pound drug deals and vicious turf wars have spread out from the inner cities and now affect even the most rural communities. The day-to-day impact of organised crime on our lives has never been greater.

In GANGS, award-winning author Tony Thompson takes us on a gripping journey into the criminal underworld. From Triad human traffickers in Dover and ecstasy factory owners in Liverpool, to Albanian vice barons in London and gun-toting teenage crack dealers in Birmingham, GANGS reveals the inside story of contemporary organised crime.

It was my job to look and look and never look away, until I had captured every part of the scene, until I had told the story of those last moments that the dead could not…

For years, A.J. Hewitt was the first person into a crime scene. Before the detectives and the forensics team it was her alone with the body, the only sound her flashes firing as they lit up scenes of unimaginable horror. It was her job to shoot the photographs that revealed the circumstances of someone’s final moments.

Now in her debut book, The Darkroom, Hewitt takes us into the shadowy world of the crime scene photographer, and recounts remarkable tales, from murders to suicides, accidents to assassinations.

In the tradition of Unnatural Causes, When the Dogs Don’t Bark and All That Remains, this is a true crime book full of the wisdom that can be found in the darkness.

From atrocities that occurred before the establishment of New York’s police force in 1845 through the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 to the present day, this chronological visual history is an insider’s look at more than 80 real-life crimes that shocked the nation, from arson to gangland murders, robberies, serial killers, bombings, and kidnappings, including:
Architect Stanford White’s fatal shooting at Madison Square Garden over his deflowering of a teenage chorus girl. The anarchist bombing of Wall Street in 1920, which killed 39 people and injured hundreds more with flying shrapnel. Kitty Genovese’s 1964 senseless stabbing, famously witnessed by dozen of bystanders who did not intervene.
Robert Chambers, the handsome, wealthy ex-Choate student, who murdered Jennifer Levin in Central Park, called “The Preppy Murder Case.”
Son of Sam, a serial killer who eluded police for months while terrorizing the city, was finally apprehended through a simple parking ticket.
Perfect for crime buffs, urban historians, and fans of American Crime Story, this riveting collection details New York’s most startling and unsettling crimes, some known and unknown, through behind-the-scenes analysis of investigations and more than 250 revealing photographs.

When Maximilian Potter went to Burgundy to report for Vanity Fair on a crime that could have destroyed the Domaine de la Romanée Conti-the tiny, storied vineyard that produces the most expensive, exquisite wines in the world-he soon found a story that was much larger, and more thrilling, than he had originally imagined.

In January 2010, Aubert de Villaine, the famed proprietor of the DRC, received an anonymous note threatening the destruction of his priceless vines by poison-a crime that in the world of high-end wine is akin to murder-unless he paid a one million euro ransom. Villaine believed it to be a sick joke, but that proved a fatal miscalculation; the crime was committed and shocked this fabled region of France. The sinister story that Potter uncovered would lead to a sting operation by top Paris detectives, the primary suspect’s suicide, and a dramatic trial. This botanical crime threatened to destroy the fiercely traditional culture surrounding the world’s greatest wine.

Like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, SHADOW IN THE VINEYARD takes us deep into a captivating world full of fascinating characters, small town French politics, an unforgettable narrative, and a local culture defined by the twinned veins of excess and vitality and the deep reverent attention to the land that run through it.

The dead talk. To the right listener, they tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died – and who killed them. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help justice to be done using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene or the faintest of human traces.

Forensics uncovers the secrets of forensic medicine, drawing on interviews with top-level professionals, ground-breaking research and Val McDermid’s own experience to lay bare the secrets of this fascinating science. And, along the way, she wonders at how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine time of death, how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist uncovered the victims of a genocide.

In her crime novels, Val McDermid has been solving complex crimes and confronting unimaginable evil for years. Now, she’s looking at the people who do it for real, and real crime scenes. It’s a journey that will take her to war zones, fire scenes and autopsy suites, and bring her into contact with extraordinary bravery and wickedness, as she traces the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day.

The shocking true-crime story of two orphaned sisters who arrived at a health retreat as patients – but only one would ever make it out alive… An extraordinary and gripping account of the starvation doctor from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Tell.

In 1911 two British heiresses, Claire and Dora Williamson, read a brochure about a revolutionary fasting treatment that promised a lifetime of good health. The sanatorium in the village of Olalla, west of Seattle, was surrounded by a beautiful forest, sparkling waters and fresh air. The sisters agreed it sounded perfect and exactly the restorative holiday they needed.

But within a month of arriving, under the supervision of Doctor Linda Burfield Hazzard, Claire and Dora began to realise the frightening truth – they were not patients but prisoners at the isolated sanitorium.

Starved and on the edge of death, the sisters made several desperate attempts to escape. But only one would ever make it out alive.

Chilling and harrowing, Starvation Heights is a story of two vulnerable sisters, and how they were manipulated by a cunning and dangerous doctor into believing that her monstrous treatments would ‘cure’ them. Will totally hook fans of The Five and The Devil in the White City.

What readers are saying about Starvation Heights:

“A fascinating turn-of-the-century story of medical malpractice and murder. If you liked The Alienist, you’ll find Starvation Heights all the more gripping because this story is true.” Michael Connelly

“An engrossing and compelling look at a shocking crime in another era. Olsen’s deft touch takes us back to the early 1900s so cleverly that reading Starvation Heights is akin to stepping into a time machine.” Ann Rule

“One of today’s true-crime masters.” Caitlin Rother, New York Times bestselling author

“Grab a glass of wine and buckle up… If you’re into dark true crime, this is the book for you!” Goodreads reviewer,

“I couldn’t put it down.” Goodreads reviewer,

“One of the best books I have read in a long time.” Goodreads reviewer,

“Fascinating… a must read for any true crime or history buff.” Goodreads reviewer,

“Mind blowing.“ NetGalley reviewer,

“A blistering good tale… mind boggling… a definite winner for fans of true crime, mystery and thrillers and one I will be reflecting on for a long time.” Goodreads reviewer,

“A wonderful true crime read.” NetGalley reviewer,

“In depth and well researched you will find yourself immersed… I found myself completely wound up in it and felt like I was in the courtroom. Terrific.” Goodreads reviewer,

“True crime masterpiece… highly disturbing yet riveting and unusual.” Goodreads reviewer,

“I absolutely loved this!… so disturbing and fascinating.” Nicoles.novel.obsession,

“Olsen has done it again… remarkably detailed… not a book I will soon forget.” Inky Book reviews,

‘A FASCINATING READ’ DR MARIE CASSIDY

A PAGE-TURNING DETECTIVE MEMOIR WHICH REVEALS THE FORENSIC METHODS THAT HELPED SOLVE PROMINENT IRISH CRIMES.

When a violent incident led young misfit garda John Sweetman into the Garda Technical Bureau with incriminating evidence, he found his true calling.

He spent the next 25 years as a detective garda working on the frontline of crime scene investigations – as both a fingerprint expert and, in later years, a forensic handwriting and document expert. His tenacity and natural eye for detail led him to becoming involved in many criminal investigations and high-profile cases.

From the brutal murder of Marie Dillon in Finglas in 1998 to the gangland killing of Raymond Salinger in 2003, John was involved in the search for forensic evidence at these and other crime scenes.

He later employed his handwriting expertise in examining fraudulence, threatening letters and counterfeit documents, as well as the investigations into the murders of Jasmine McGonagle and student Jastine Valdez and the horrific Hawe familicide in Cavan in 2016.

Identity is both a fascinating insight into specialist forensic fields, which peeks behind the curtain of how crimes are solved, and a bravely told story of a nonconformist detective in a remarkable career.

‘I am determined this case is not going to be forgotten. This man is dangerous and has to be found.’ FROM THE PROLOGUE

Dr 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 Murderers
The murders of three policemen plus the apprehension of a murderer who turned out to be a policeman’s son
An examination of sex crimes
The 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 murder

Plus examples of many other baffling crimes which were resolved on the pathologist’s table.

Organised crime doesn’t just exist on our television screens. The real world of serious crime operates every day in every country. It is a multi-billion dollar business and at its core are the drug trade and a world of secrecy and self-protection where intimidation and violence are used as the first and only resort.

Smack Express takes us deep into this world and unravels the web of criminal connections that are at the heart of the Australian underworld. It is about stand over merchants, big time drug dealers and small time crims, politicians, corrupt police, informants, undercover cops, contract killers, criminal gangs, and lawyers and accountants operating on the edge of the law. It is also about the Calabrian Mafia, triads and an international milieu that has connections across Southeast Asia and into Columbia.

Authoritative and meticulously researched, Clive Small and Tom Gilling fit together all the pieces of this frightening and fascinating puzzle. Theirs is the book on organised crime for this generation.

Growing up in Tarpon Springs, Florida – the seaside headquarters of the Greek mafia – Kevin Cunningham fell in love with Greek culture and hoped to become part of it. But when he was seventeen his world turned upside-down: from his deathbed, the man he’d always called dad told him he was the illegitimate son of the local crime boss.

When Kevin’s attempts to gain recognition from his real father failed, he entered into a life of crime, adopting the family name and quickly escalating from swindling tourists to moving cocaine, gun running and racketeering. Having squared off against the FBI and the DEA, and with most of his crew dead, Kevin was locked up on two consecutive life terms. But that’s only the beginning of the story – from helping authorities capture major criminals, outwitting the system, and ultimately finding redemption, Kevin’s story will leave true crime buffs shaking their heads.