Crime Files: Books on True Crimes

If you're interested in reading mystery novels and the like, then this section will surely interest you. The books in the true crimes section cover a wide variety of crimes, including murder, serial rape, confidence scams, robbery and many others. Also included are books on historical crimes, unusual crimes and crimes committed by the rich and famous. Whatever you're interested in, we've listed quite a cross section here for you to browse.
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	Shots in the Dark: True Crime Pictures by Gail Buckland, Harold Evans (Introduction) Paperback: 160 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.59 x 10.98 x 9.08 Publisher: Bulfinch Press; ISBN: 0821227750; (October 2001)
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Book Description When shots ring out, photographers shoot back. Their images can startle, inform, and serve as witness. Mundane and profound, gruesome and compelling, crime photographs are, for better or worse, part of our world. Featuring many rarely and never-before-seen images, this heavily illustrated book sheds new light on the role of crime photography in our history and in our culture. These are pictures we see once and never forget: an autopsy photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald; the bodies of Lizzie Borden's parents, photographed in the room where they were slain; mug shots of celebrities such as Larry King and Bill Gates; and O.J. Simpson pictured wearing shoes that match the footprints at the murder scene.

	Hollywood Death Scenes by Corey Mitchell Paperback: 350 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.93 x 10.02 x 7.04 Publisher: Olmstead Press; ISBN: 158754010X; (September 2001)
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Book Description Hollywood Death Scenes is the first book in a series of true crime and tragedy tour guides. With over 150 addresses, 50 pictures of Hollywood’s tragic figures, and more than 200 photographs of crime scenes as they appear today, Hollywood Death Scenes will transport the reader to the locations of Los Angeles’s greatest tragedies. The reader will be able to peer inside the dark underbelly of this glamorous city from the safety and comfort of his or her own home. Hollywood Death Scenes will also give the adventurous explorer the necessary tools to experience firsthand some of Hollywood’s most notorious landmarks. Whether for the armchair detective or the extreme thrill seeker, Hollywood Death Scenes will take the reader to the other side of the yellow crime scene tape. See the sites where such famous Hollywood luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, Phil Hartman, and River Phoenix met their untimely deaths. Witnesses the atrocities committed by some of the world’s most infamous mass murderers. Stare in horror at extended looks into the country’s most twisted serial killers such as The Night Stalker and The Hillside Stranglers. Understand the chaos wrought on an entire city by madman Charles Manson. Delve into the unsolved mysteries of the deaths of celebrities from Natalie Wood to The Black Dahlia. Hollywood Death Scenes lets the reader experience an important part of our culture’s violent history, without the fear of being harmed.

	Hidden Evidence: Forty True Crimes and How Forensic Science Helped to Solve Them by David Owen, Thomas T. Noguchi, Kathy Reichs (Preface) Paperback: 240 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.65 x 10.02 x 7.04 Publisher: Firefly Books; ISBN: 1552094839; (September 2, 2000)
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Book Description "Hidden Evidence" takes you to the scenes of 40 infamous crimes and into the heart of the forensic investigations. These are the true crime shockers that have grabbed headlines and aroused public passions. David Owen explains the scientific procedures that helped crack every one of these cases -- from the gathering of elusive physical clues to the examination of weapons and bodies, to the use of sophisticated scientific analysis. Threaded throughout the book is the history of forensic science and the technologies that support it, including: fingerprinting, autopsies, handwriting analysis, ballistics, hair sampling, blood typing, DNA testing, dental records, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, compound and electron microscopes, and toxicology. The high-profile cases David Owen used to illustrate forensic developments are from as early as 1775, when Paul Revere used dentures to identify a slain soldier, to the latest developments in the Oklahoma bombing. Most will be familiar to readers, such as: The Lindbergh Kidnapping, Pan Am Flight 103, The Kennedy Investigation, The Hitler Diaries, Wayne Williams, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey MacDonald, Dr. Josef Mengele, Robert Maxwell's suicide, Tsar Nicholas II, and The World Trade Centre bombing. David Owen presents the facts, steering clear of speculation. Comprehensive in scope, thoroughly researched and expertly compiled, "Hidden Evidence" is, in the words of former Los Angeles County Coroner Thomas T. Noguchi, "a fascinating book ... [and] an excellent mini-encyclopaedia of widely discussed, high-profile cases."

	The Encyclopaedia of Serial Killers by Michael Newton Paperback: 400 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.71 x 10.94 x 8.30 Publisher: Facts on File, Inc.; ISBN: 0816039798; (April 2000)	Click here for all general books on Serial Killers.
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Book Description From Jack the Ripper to the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP), The Encyclopaedia of Serial Killers gives readers an exhaustive overview of what is undoubtedly the most macabre and fascinating branch of crime and modern criminology. The book details individual cases of serial murder, law enforcement agents and their techniques, the factors that contribute to the development of a serial killer, and how society chooses to deal with and punish these vicious criminals. In-depth coverage is provided on the realities of serial murder versus popular myths depicted in film and television, key figures on both sides of the law, pivotal cases and events, and criminal activities that have shaped law enforcement responses. Among the most infamous criminals profiled are: Jack the Ripper Albert DeSalvo (a.k.a. "The Boston Strangler") Ted Bundy John Wayne Gacy David Berkowitz (a.k.a. "The Son of Sam") and many more.

Thirty-Eight Witnesses : The Kitty Genovese Case
by A. M. Rosenthal
Paperback: 134 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.36 x 7.50 x 5.01
Publisher: University of California Press; ISBN: 0520215273; (July 1999)

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Thirty-five years after its first printing, Thirty-Eight Witnesses remains a starkly terrifying morality play, shocking the reader with the now-infamous tale of Catherine ("Kitty") Genovese, murdered on her Queens, New York, doorstep in full view of acquaintances, neighbours, and friends--all of whom did nothing, even though the woman was stabbed repeatedly and stalked by her killer for more than an hour. The book's republication adds a haunted echo to its story, reminding the reader that things have changed since 1964, and not at all for the better. The furore and anger toward the silent witnesses after Genovese's death, as Rosenthal documents it, seems almost quaint by today's standards. But if society has lost its ability to feel horror and shame, perhaps it's time to let someone like Rosenthal speak calmly and quietly to our potential to reignite the outrage: "Every man must fear the witness in himself who whispers to close the window," he concludes.

The prose of Thirty-Eight Witnesses--a slim, concise volume that includes only the scarcest hint of extraneous detail about Genovese's life--is calm and steady, with a thoroughness and lack of emotion belying the anger Rosenthal must have felt while he was typing, the shuddering fear of what the world had become... and possibly the nagging suspicion that it had always been this way. - James Madison

	You Can't Cheat an Honest Man : How Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Frauds Work... And Why They're More Common Than Ever by James Walsh Paperback: 354 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.84 x 9.01 x 6.03 Publisher: Silver Lake; ISBN: 1563431696; 1 Ed edition	Click for the full range of books on investment fraud, scams and various swindles.
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Book Description A keen insider's guide to investment rip-offs, scams and con-artists. This book takes an investigative look at the reasons why Ponzi schemes and pyramid frauds are thriving everywhere. It closely examines why over 100,000 Americans are suckered into the schemes every year. Tips are offered to detect schemes and respond when they occur. The purpose of the book is to educated consumers and make them aware of how scams work.

	Strange Crimes and Criminals by Carl Sifakis Paperback: 262 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.74 x 9.24 x 7.40 Publisher: Checkmark Books; ISBN: 0816044244; (November 2001)
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Book Description Throughout the history of crime in America, there have been cases and criminals that have left law enforcement agents and the public scratching their heads. Strange Crimes and Criminals takes a detailed look at the most bizarre crimes and and their perpetrators. More than 190 entries include: * The Astor Place riots (1849): The tragic result of a minor theatrical feud * The Brink's Robbery (1950): Inside job * Cyclone Louie (1882-1908): Coney Island strongman and murderer * Dead Rabbits: Nineteenth-century New York gang * Ida the Goose War: New York underworld feud * Mickey Finn: Knockout drink * Pineapple Primary: Political violence during the 1928 Republican primary in Chicago * Shanghaiing: Kidnapping seamen to complete a ship's crew * Suicide by cop: Individuals deliberately seeking to killed by the police * The Zodiac Killer: California serial killer.

	Riddle of the Rock : The Only Successful Escape from Alcatraz by Don Denevi Hardcover: 245 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.15 x 9.31 x 6.30 Publisher: Prometheus Books; ISBN: 0879756470; (August 1991)	Looking for books about Alcatraz - Click here and browse the diverse range about one of the world's most notorious prisons.
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Book Description Did the infamous "Tablespoon Trio" actually get away from Alcatraz? Riddle of the Rock solves one of America's most tantalizing mysteries with startling new evidence regarding the escape of the century. 60 photographs.

	The Chronicle of Crime by Martin Fido Paperback: 320 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.98 x 7.76 x 5.08 Publisher: Carlton Books; ISBN: 1858688531; 0 edition (February 2000)
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Book Description The Chronicle of Crime provides an authoritative and compelling account of the history of the world's most infamous murderers and villains, from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the nineties. It covers all different crimes over the past hundred years or so in a newspaper style format. Most "articles" are quite brief yet still informative and are a great starting point for any further research. Also there are several features covering major crimes such as Jack the Ripper, Jeffery Dahmer and the Manson murders. A great read and a worthwhile addition to any true crime buff's collection.

	Famous Crimes Revisited : From Sacco-Vanzetti to OJ Simpson by Henry C. Lee, Jerry Labriola Hardcover: 303 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.06 x 9.32 x 6.34 Publisher: Publishing Directions; ISBN: 1928782140; (January 5, 2001)	Click for More books on Famous Crimes.
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From the Author By considering various facets of seven classic crimes of the past century, we document four basic themes: that the same forensic mistakes of the 1920s are still being made today; human error and/or misconduct can tarnish criminal investigations; public opinion can influence the outcome of criminal cases; modern technology might have eliminated questions that we raise and that still remain today. Examples offered include tampering with, suppression of and planting of evidence, not securing and maintaining the integrity of the crime scene, not properly identifying, collecting and preserving physical evidence. Thus, the intent of "Famous Crimes Revisited" was not to present an in-depth discussion of each and every case--from Sacco-Vanzetti to O.J. Simpson (both had long trials and were examined in 97 and 65 pages respectively), including Lindbergh, Sheppard, JFK, Foster and Ramsey (pages devoted to each range from 9 to 19). We selected cases that were high-profile ! and controversial and that spanned different decades of the twentieth century: the 1920s, the 30s, the 50s, the 60s and the 90s.