True Crime Books

Although the 1919 Series is in the title, the book goes beyond that, so if you're a curious baseball fan this book might have more than you are game for. Pietrusza seems to know his New York criminal element of the era, and the books travels down spokes out from the Rothstein hub into these areas, which certainly helps to put Rothstein into perspective, at least from a "buisness" standpoint.

I have uncovered additional info about Rothstein's personality with simple google searches, and in other books; the sources seeming to be reliable. Presuming these are accurate, they do help to supplement what we learn about Rothstein here. That's no big criticism, but the book left me with some unanswered questions about Rothstein's personality -- answers that might or might not be difficult to answer.

Rothstein was not a well-kept secret, even in his era, and there seems to have been enough written about him that I would think it might not be difficult for an author to give us more about his personality. This author choose to focus on dozens of peripheral characters, and if you're a history fan that proves to be illiuminating, but does not always illuminate Rothstein, just places him in a context. Still, readers can argue the "business" of Rothstein and his fellow criminals is the compelling part of his personality, and speaks volumes itself.

A glimpse into history and a ruthless time in America. Not only a good baseball story but a great read for anyone wanting to learn more about the time period.

Without trying to repeat what has already been said, A.R. comes alive in reading this book. He really didn't have many friends, just business associates. His life was all business and that business was making money! He was the ultimate gambler seeing an opening and taking it (no matter who you were - family, friend or foe). A.R. was involved in all types of scams, legitimate and illegal, for the sole purpose of turning a profit. After reading this book - you also find out a few undesirable traits about A.R. such as him being a welsher, and not paying debts on time. He wasn't the most honorable among thieves. This was an interesting characteristic of the book for it isn't one-sided. It gives you the facts about A.R. whether good or bad. This book paints a true portrait of the extent of vice which involved politicians, mobsters, athletes, policemen and of course actors and actresses. There is extensive research with regard to who killed A. R. I found this part of the book to be very interesting to see all the facts and the "behind the scenes" work unravel. It reveals the motives: the who, what, when, where, why and how. The last chapter keeps you very motivated and wanting for more. There were some great quotes from some old timers and I think one can learn a few things from reading this book. The book is recommended to other readers.

Tackling the biography is Arnold Rothstein is not like undertaking to deal with the life of most equally known men of even the same time. Rothstein was covered, as can be seen in the bibliography, in hundreds if not thousands of articles of the time in newspapers, magazines, books, and legends. The problem is not lack of words written, but lack of actual knowledge of the subject. Simply put, much of what has been written is legendary, apocryphal, repetitive, speculative or downright false, and it must have been an overwhelming task to wade through the junk to find the goods. Pietruszka has done as good a job of it as likely can be done at this remove.

Further complicating the task is the personality of the subject, in this case a man who was clearly highly intelligent, charismatic, and industrious, but was missing some kind of chip to his personal makeup that would have made him fully human. Judging from the book, AR loved the multiplication of money in any way possible, judging everything and everyone useful or not useful based strictly upon the expected financial return. Associates passed in and out of his life and he had no compunction about lying to them or ripping them off or leaving them hanging out to dry, to take whatever heat might come down in his wake, and he'd pick them back up again if there was money to be made with no personal feelings entering into it. It must have been hard to resist his charismatic pull, but harder to actually like the man.

Before reading this book I had known a little about Rothstein, mostly from the gambling/World Series angle. I had been unaware of his deep involvement in drugs and similar financial adventures. I wonder to what degree some of the crimes ascribed to Rothstein are simply a case of saying that because he was involved in this, with so-and-so, he MUST have been involved in that, with so-and-so. Notably, Rothstein's own little black book of records may well have been `edited' by the cops after it was found, and of course the missing sheets are missing. There seems to have been little actual written proof of much of anything Rothstein did, and there are so many conflicting stories and points of view it is hard to know the man's actual deeds with any certainty.

Rothstein's relationship with his wife stands in complete contrast: the one person from whom he did not intend to make money he put on such a pedestal that he found himself unable to approach her as a wife, as a woman, and of course this created further suffering.

I think that this man was a very one-sided genius, essentially an amoral machine. Pietruszka has done an excellent job of trying to separate fact from fiction of his fascinating subject.

Author David Peitrusza deserves plenty of kudos for his sweeping biography of Arnold Rothstein, the mad credited for fixing the 1919 World Series. In "Rothstein" we have an overview of the man and his times with perhaps too much of an emphasis on peripheral people and events. The reader will be regaled by stories of turn-of-the-century through prohibition era gamblers and big time criminals. Readers will acquire a greater knowledge of the East Coast underworld and some of the prominent figures who walked the line between criminal and legitimate. From casinos, race fixing and high society's degenerate gamblers to crooks both small time and big, "Rothstein" is an excellent account of the times of the famed gambler. Rothstein surely ranks as one of this country's most notorious criminal master minds.
As much as I enjoyed the book I would have liked getting to know the man himself a little better. While readers will enjoy an opportunity to learn what AR, (as Rothstein was sometimes called) did, where and with whom he did it you cannot be sure to understand what made him tick. His childhood and early years are skimmed over while great detail is given his murder and its subsequent investigation. Hopefully someone can come along who will provide a fuller view of Rothstein. For that biographer and anyone interested in a man immortalized by F. Scott Fitzgerald in "The Great Gatsby" Petrusza's book is a must-read. Whatever "Rothstein's faults as a biography, it is still a good read and highly recommended.

Orenthawl James has written what I consider to be one of finest works of literature of our time. His unique and creative writing styles lend to his already vast understanding of the English language. If ever literature was the purest form of art, it has never been more apparent than in "If I did it". Obviously an innocent man, OJ (Orenthawl James and friend of Bubb Rubb) has been the victim of what he calls "being a black african american minority in a society where he is oppressed by a majority of white people". OJ explains how his "alleged accusation" is nothing more than a hate crime against him and his brothers, citing Bubb Rubb as an example. He goes on to explain that he would have done a much better job than the story that was made up in court. A must read for anyone who wants to knowe the true Orenthawl James- a law abiding citizen mwho cares about people, truth, and justice-a true black american.

"Misbegotten Son" is the true story of Arthur Shawcross, a serial killer in New York state.

Jack Olsen researched Shawcross from childhood to his incarceration for his serial murders. He included excerpts of the psychological/psychiatric interviews and the confessions.

He was diagnosed as "mentally ill" at a young age. He tortured animals and exhibited other behavior believed to be indicators for potential serial killers. He was also diagnosed as "borderline retarded" and never seemed to have a conscience, sought attention frequently, had a violent temper, and was troubled in general.

His first two murders were ghastly with children as his victims. He largely got off easily. Jack Olsen describes the circumstances that led to Shawcross not being charged for both murders. The D.A. rightfully lost his job over it.

Mr. Olsen follows Shawcross's trail after parole where he eventually settled in Rochester,N.Y. That trail is an easy one to follow strewn with female corpses of his 11 victims. Shawcross brags that he cannibalized some of the bodies. He is a psycho-sexual sociopath that always had an excuse for something that triggered his murderous rage. The author readily disbunks the many mythical excuses upon investigation.

Jack Olsen covered all of the angles from the killer, his family, wives and girlfriends, the victims and their survivors. Not least of the characters are some law enforcement personnel from Watertown and Rochester who worked hard pursuing justice in their cases.

"Misbegotten Son" is a very good true crime book that will probably leave the reader scratching his or her head and asking the unanswered question-Why?

THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE BEST TRUE CRIME BOOKS I HAVE READ FOR AWHILE. SOMETIMES I KEPT THINKING , IF MR. SHAWCROSS'S MOTHER WAS THE WAY HE SAID SHE WAS, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN JAILED ALSO!

I investigated pyroluria and found this at Wikipedia.
"Pyroluria was initially described by Abram Hoffer, a pioneer in orthomolecular medicine and orthomolecular psychiatry. Proponents claim that pyroluria is relatively common, but few, if any, mainstream medical experts regard the condition as genuine, with few or no articles on pyroluria found in modern medical literature."

Author Jack Olsen does a brilliant job in creating for us a terrifying portrait of a murdering psychopath--and the breath-taking race of detectives trying to find and stop his killing. Arthur Shawcross was a terrifying killer machine. He brutally tortured and killed two young children in his first cycle of death. Detectives worked night and day to find him and after excrutiating failure, they finally got lucky. But what happened next enraged the community and especially the police when a district attorney permitted Shawcross to plea bargain his sentence so that he was released after serving only l2 years. The DA was deservedly ruined by this plea bargain because Shawcross then began his second cycle of brutal murders--this time of prostitutes. Once more, you're treated to the heroic efforts of two detectives who went without sleep and food in their race to stop and capture the killer. It's like following a fascinating jig-saw puzzle. Piece by piece, the detectives began collecting enough clues to finally capture the mad man. My only criticism is that the book is much too long. I could have done without the numerous oral histories and the many pages devoted to psychiatric evaluations. Another major complaint is that there were no photographs of either the killer or the detectives or the victims. In a stor y this big, I think you really need to see pictures of evil and its aftermath. Perhaps photos were added to the paperback edition. Other than that, though, this book will keep you riveted as if it were a novel. The killer is one you'll never forget.

I couldn't even estimate how many true crime books I've read over the years, and this is, by far, the best ever. What has frustrated me about most of these books is that they don't go very deeply into the WHY's and HOW's---Why did this happen? How did this guy get this way? This book, The Misbegotten Son, not only delves deeply into all that, it does so, eventually, at the molecular-genetic level (literally). Plus, the extensive research that also went into the lives and backgrounds of all parties involved is absolutely amazing. I hate to use such a banal phrase, but I really could not put this book down; I stayed awake for two days straight, savoring every word. The only "bad" thing about this book is that it has probably spoiled me...I can't imagine any future book coming close. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

If anyone is going through the hell of being stalked, or even think they are being stalked, they MUST by Detective Proctor's book "How to Stop A Stalker"
I have read other "stalking" books, and they have been helpful, but none to the extent of Detective Proctor's book.
The information, the suggestions, everything is a MUST for someone being stalked.
He UNDERSTANDS, something that I didn't feel from the other stalking books.
Detective Proctor knows the reality and horror of stalking in an easy read and extremely informative book.
This book is up to date (unlike some of the other Stalking books) and my only problem is that he doesn't have a sequel. Hopefully that is something he is working on.
I give this book ten stars. This book literally saved my life and it can save yours.
If you, a friend, or a family member are being stalked, you must read this book.

A practical guide on how to deal with and survive a stalker. I applaud the author for writing about a subject that many in law enforcement and society itself dismiss cavalierly, until it is too late. We need to take these crimes seriously and deal with them early before they escalate out of hand. This book highlights the do's and don'ts to help victims persevere and overcome the abuse of a stalker. A definite eye opener.

I have taught an upper division course on Family Violence for 20 years. After many years of searching for a credible and useful book on stalking I came across Det. Proctor's book on how to stop a stalker. I have also had 28 years of experience in law enforcement; therefore, I approached the book the first time I "studied" it from both an academic and an applied perspective. The true value of the book lies in the fact that the author bases it on years of field experience investigating and studying stalkers. He is to be commended for stating that he does not know everything and continues to learn new things about the subject. Two major typologies are developed. The first typology presents the elements of the crime of stalking--harrassment, credible threat, and course of conduct. The second typology presents the three types of stalkers--domestic, acquaintance, and stranger. Proctor draws on the two typologies throughout the book as he systematically writes about stalking. The book helps to understand the difference between romantic compulsion and stalking. Drawing on case histories Proctor provides insight into why they stalk, how they target victims, techniques of stalking, compulsion, and the impact on the victims' lives, as well as the victims' families, friends, and co-workers. Proctor does an excellent job of differentiating between male and female stalkers. The use of case histories is what makes the book come alive. Sound practical advice is provided for investigators as well as victims. I highly recommend the book for use in the classroom. My students were impressed and it generated insightful discussion--including personal experiences, on campus and elsewhere, as well as experiences of friends and family members. All criminal investigators and prosecutors should read the book as well. These are not easy cases to investigate and prosecute and Proctor' recommendations are both thorough and helpful.

First off, the royal we becomes annoying really fast.

When he sticks to his topic, he's informative, enlightening, and even entertaining. He knows his stuff and he covers a lot of ground, including the Internet. I feel like I've learned a lot of information from him and I don't regret reading this book.

Too often, however, he veers off into "this is why me and my group and wonderful and have to face a whole bunch of idiots." Like in the section on sadism where he never gets around to giving the example he promised, but rather discusses problems he had with a jurist from another jurisdiction.

Overall, the tone is quite juvenile, and I had to keep reminding myself this was a man in his fifties, not early twenties. He comes off as a bit of a puppy. The name calling gets tiresome after a while. I'd also rather he not talk down to the reader. I didn't need him to clarify that no, dead bodies don't sit up and give statements to the police, thanks.

Those last two points are what keeps the book from getting 5 stars. It's a good book; it could have been a great book.

I expected a work on stalking to be very dry and difficult to get through. This book,however, was extremely interesting,informative and easy to read. It is the sort of book that the normal man in the street could read and apply as easily as someone who is more knowledgeable about the subject. A wonderful handbook for anyone having troubles of this nature and a wothwhile read for any safety conscious individual.

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W.R. Morris was Buford Pusser's authorized biographer, he wrote the best selling "The Twelth of August" however in 1973 he told People Magazine, "Buford can be a really nice guy one day and the next day he's barely civilized. I thread delecitly in the book." Did Pusser and Morris have a falling out or did Morris' research cause him to have a change of oppinion on the hero?

Regardless, this book is the origins of the loose mob that Pusser destroyed. The crime element along the Tenn and Mississippi border was the result of a government crackdown on the illegal activities in Phenix City, Ga in the late 40's. The displaced con artists and prostitutes settled on the stateline of Tn/Miss on highway 45. Morris provides a fasinating discription of the self destructive lives of this murderous group. It seems that Alcorn County, Miss is the hot bed of much of the criminal activity-yet McNairy County, Tn got the title of "Murder County USA" due to it being the dumping ground of many of the unsuspecting victims of the so-called "state line mob." One of these victims was a young Buford Pusser, who had the guts to go back and rob the robbers.

The ring leaders of the mob have an amazing ability to avoid long term jail sentences. They are soon challanged by a new sheriff- Buford Pusser, who has an amazing ability so withstand knife wounds and gunshots. Pusser believed in "fighting fire with fire" a true unconventional law enforcement warrior. Shortly after taking office he picked up a mob leader and took him out to the swamps and beat him up for three hours. Morris, as well as the author of "Mississippi Mud" believe that Pusser knew who was behind the ambush that killed his wife, but he kept the information from the authorities only to track down and kill, or hire to kill, the men himself. The result of this book is that Buford Pusser may have been a flawed and tragic hero, but in the end he got the bastards- and walked damn tall doing it, even if outside the law.

Morris covers some interesting material. However, I don't believe he did as good a job as he did on The 12th of August. Much of the material in this book is just a reprinting of some of his previous book. I compared the two books as I read this one though and sometimes the wording of conversations had some variation. This book is not well written for someone with the journalistic background of Morris. Yet there are some interesting theories in regard to Buford Pusser's possible involvement in taking out some of those who he believed were involved in murdering his wife. I think the book is an overall worthwhile read but there are places in the text where Morris used vulgarity for no other apparent reason than to be vulgar. It did not help drive home the point any better.

Once I started reading the book, it was hard to put it down. I live only a few counties north of where all this was taking place. I only thought I
had an idea of what was taking place and about the people who were running the gambling, illegal whisky, and prostitution operation. That was one tough
area vs one tough sheriff who had to "fight fire with fire".

It took only one day to read this book. It was like a magnet in my hands I could not put it down. I have seen
the movies, and heard stories of Buford Pusser, but now
I know the facts. What an awesome book.

as a little boy who grew up thinking sheriff andy taylor had a cool job, i've always found the sheriff pusser stories interesting.(in a 21 year law enforcement career, i found the job required a little buford pusser and a lot of andy taylor) i read the twelveth of august back in high school and thought the story fascinating but poorly written. the state line mob was better written and after meeting w.r. morris,his lovely wife cathy and spending an afternoon riding the roads of mcnairy county, i began to understand the relationship between him and the sheriff pusser. he couldn't tell the story inthe state line mob while sheriff pusser was living. i think he did a good job of telling the story. he told me about getting into a discussion with one of the characters in the book, who was voicing his displeasure with his portrayal in the book and mr. morris asked him one question: did i lie about you in the book? the man answered to the negative but he still didn't like being mentioned in the book. i've just order my second copy seeing how i loaned my first out to a so-called friend who never returned it. it's a keeper.

I honestly couldn't tell you if this is well written or not because in the first pages they describe an absolutely gut-wrenching, terrifying description of some poor soul being tortured by this maniac that I couldn't bear to read any further. I sincerely wish I'd never read any of it at all and so far, I cannot say that about any other book I've ever read and I do sometimes like to read true crime novels but this one was just too much for me to take. I managed to make it about a quarter of the way through the book and then just had to move on to something more cheery like "The Collector" by John Fowles.

I got this book some months ago, have never finished it and have NO INTENTION of ever finishing it. Now whenever my husband is out of town I sometimes scare myself silly wondering if there are other such subhumans out there doing much the same thing.
Bottom line: Can't really describe whether it's well written or not but it most certainly is ghastly and sickening.

This book is filled with insignificant information from insignificant sources. The author apparently couldn't find enough fact to complete a whole novel on David Ray Parker and his group of followers or chose rather to fill the book with as much sensationalism as possible. He gives voice to people that have nothing to do with the case. There was little to no investigative journalism here. That being said, this book did manage to give a horrific glimpse into a gruesome world. It also managed to enlighten the reader about the level of difficulty in proving someone guilty in court. As well, the book demonstrated the predator's level of intelligence and acuity for research prior to and during his period of violence. The victims were those castaways of society that few care about. Thus, if the reader is willing to wind through all the other disengenous nonsense, she will percieve the true identity of a serial sadist.

I'm stunned at the reviewers who said this book was boring or they almost slept through it. The book itself was well written so I'm not rating the book on they terrible story inside as I think a few have. I thought the book was well written, but I personally had nightmares for weeks after thinking about what these women must have gone through and I really couldn't even imagine and didn't want to. I tossed the book in the garbage after reading it, I couldn't even have it in the house, it just is so disturbing and reeks of evil.

This book is sick. The perpetrator was sick. Everyone around him was sick. The victims were pathetic, but the background of their lives seemed to condemn them to being in the sights of sickos like David Ray. When I finished this book, I wished I had never seen it.

Let's face it! This book is not intended for people who get easily squeamish. Cyndy Hendry and David Ray were made for each other because they committed some of the most heinous crimes against women with no conscience to spare between them. Hendry was a true crimes reader but so am I and I don't have any desire to get mixed up with the likes of David Ray. The fact that book is decently written by a new author like James Fielder shows his effort in deterring possible squeamish readers off. If you don't mind reading books about the Homolka-Bernard case, this book is for you. Although Cindy and Ray are nothing like the Canadian couple who were nicknamed Ken and Barbie. Cindy and Ray are considered to be white trash and on the wrong side of the tracks. The author explains how a woman like Cindy came to be from a rotten upbringing in Washington where she was kicked out of the house. Her own children don't seem to care for her. Cindy is only looking after herself and sold Ray down the Rio Grande faster than I could write this review. Ray was just inhuman in his behavior toward everybody particularly women. It's no wonder that his daughter dresses in masculine clothes or gives the impression that she is still trying to please daddy and believe in his innocence. The fact that an FBI agent committed suicide after seeing the horrors of the toyroom with the coffin, the female examining table, the chains, the handcuffs, the dildos hanging around, the cameras, etc. is enough to make even the most tough guy vomit his guts out. The crimes that David Ray were far worse than most murders. Maybe because he took joy in watching women in excruciating pain and revelled in it as well. What caused a human being to revel in watching women, beg, plead, and agonize for days to live? I don't know and I don't think Ray even knew of his inhumanity but this book gives us a detailed description and insider's look as to what was happening in the sick, disturbed world of David and Cindy. Not that I want to go there or visit there at all. Their world was one sick hell of an existence.

This is a quick read. Typical true-crime pulp style. Nothing spectacular about the writing, but the story is indeed unique.

There are a lot of problems with the morals the book is trying to sell though.

Not a bad beach book, but don't expect to learn a whole lot from it.

Jason Moss did indeed turn into Gacy's "last victim". He eventually shot himself. Sad ending.
~RIP Jason Moss~6/06/06~

but why did he choose that date? 6 6 6.
Strange man, yet still tragic.

This book is certainly not the worst True Crime book I have ever read. However, it presents with some obvious problems. It is NOT a journey into the mind of serial killer as much as a journey into the mind of the author. Much of the book is about the author himself and his own thoughts. While the book is organized and understandable, the style of writing is rather juvenile and lacking in depth. That said, the prison visits Mr. Moss had with Gacy were interesting and somewhat frightening; it is difficult to believe that prison guards were willing to leave the author alone with Gacy for periods of time long enough to constitue danger for the author. However, this is what happened. The last scheduled visit with Gacy truly scared the author and he never returned.

I knew the author of this book, having met him when he applied to be a Big Brother in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a True Crime fan, I did not find his interest in serial killers disturbing or exceptional. However, it is a bit odd that he found it necessary to correspond with so many of the high profile serial killers. During a routine "home visit" to his apartment as part of the Big Brother screening and application process, Mr. Moss showed me his album of response letters from many other serial killers, includig Charles Manson and Richard Ramirez. (I enjoy True Crime, but this was a bit too close for comfort for me.) If my recollections are correct, he did serve as a good Big Brother to a little boy who needed a male mentor. He did not present as narcissistic... although the tone of his book is self aggrandizing. However, perhaps Mr. Moss was less stable than he appeared at times. Another reviewer states the author took his own life. Somehow, this does not completely surprise me.

The author apparently had alot of spare time to mess with serial killers. All poor Jeff Dahmer needed was to be loved.

Too bad John Wayne Gacy didn't make soup out of the author.

The worst of all the books on serial killers I've read.

I wanted to use no stars, but, I had to choose one :(

Don't waste your time. This book is more about Jason Moss and his egomania then it is about serial killers. It did not offer any new insight or information at all.

The pair have a way with words! I could not put this book down, it only took 24 hours to read and I was up set when I was done! I wanted more! The way Dr. Baden tells his stories are wonderful, I look forward to reading more from this pair!

This book would be great for anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in going into forensics. Dr. Baden shows how lots of different professionals work together to solve crimes. He tells about things like blood school and bug school and what goes on at forensics conventions, that most of the population wouldn't even dream of hearing! He goes into detail on a few key players in forensics: the renowned Henry Lee, and even some of the "bad guys," including the medical examiner who faked hundreds of autopsies and had many wrong people convicted.

It's an inside look into a world that the general public rarely gets a glimpse of, and it was wonderfully done.

The book meets all of my standards for 5 stars: Interesting subject, spell-binding story, and well-written. Plus Baden includes comments about the dummies who work as cops, attorneys, judges, medicos, and technicians. These people make life difficult for the real stars: competent cops, attorneys, judges, etc. I especially like how Baden walks you through what he does, commenting on the professional arcana of his craft. Any professional who fails to talk about his tools is suspect, in my book. This book will serve you well if youre writing about true crime.

DEAD RECKONING: The New Science of Catching Killers provides the reader with an inside look into the exciting world of forensic science as the authors explain the scientific detection of cause, manner and mechanism of death. The authors' presentation, which includes exquisite case histories as well as down-to-earth clarification of scientific details with understandable illustration, formulates a captivating read.

As a homicide and forensic consultant I appreciate the importance of trace evidence and how significant such microscopic evidence can be in conducting a homicide investigation. DEAD RECKONING: The New Science of Catching Killers, emphasizes how crucial physical evidence can be. More importantly, physical evidence represents the "unimpeachable witness." It cannot be clouded by a faulty memory, prejudice, poor eyesight or one of many human frailties. As the authors state; "It is reproducible, preservable and ultimately the most reliable witness any cop or D.A. could ever dream of."

DEAD RECKONING: The New Science of Catching Killers is a must read for anyone who has a passionate enthusiasm for forensic science and its application to the investigative process. The authors provide the reader with real life case examples and information about the intricacies of the medicolegal autopsy, the use of blood stain pattern analysis, the analysis of maggots in estimating time of death, facial reconstruction, hair analysis, forensic odontology and the forensic exhumation.

If you enjoy forensic science and true crime literature this book will keep you entertained. However, I don't think it is Dr. Baden's best work. The organization of the book was a bit scattered and overall, it can't decide if it is a textbook, an autobiography or a work of non-fiction.

The strongest parts of the book were his descriptions of the "gods" of the forensics world: Henry Lee, the blood spatter expert and the entomology guru. He makes these men leap off the pages and you find yourself truly fascinated by their morbid daily activities that contribute so much to forensic science. It was a great primer on these little known, much appreciated scientists.

In some places, there was WAY too much detail, I was bored as I imagined I was reading a student's textbook. The true crime genre is a tricky one - you need enough details to keep the audience interested, but not too many they feel you're lecturing to them. This book doesn't quite get that balance right.

Overall the book was disjointed, and I was puzzled as to why Dr. Baden kept peppering chapters with his own dysfunctional childhood details or droning on about his skill in talking to juries while thwarting defense attorneys. I have read other books by Dr. Baden and have seen his HBO specials and I found him to be smart, engaging and completely competent. In this book, he would have done better to eliminate his own egocentric random details and just describe the pure process of the science and the men who do it.

Finally the pictures in the middle seem placed there gratuitously, referring to certain stories haphazardly. It would have been better organized had all of the pictures been placed in the corresponding chapters. Plus, some more relevant pictures might have been more appropriate.

I think if you are a newcomer to the forensic science genre, there are better books to keep your interest. If you're not, this book has some good parts, but disappoints overall.

It is obvious that James Neff spent huge amounts of time and effort in researching and writing this book. It shows. This is a first rate book. It outlines the early days when Bill Presser was a young "organizer" in the Cleveland labor movement (forced associations that pay protection money to the "organizers"). Neff does a great job showing the evolution of Jackie from a self-centered, spoiled boy who rode on his pop's coat-tails to a self-centered union politician that could wheel-deal his opponents into a corner. Try seeing the film "Teamster Boss" with Brian Dennehy as Jackie. It is based on the book (not as good of course) but well worth seeing.

James Neff, is a great writer. At first glance this book looks like a collage textbook. But he has a ton of well researched information. The book just flows and doesnt get boring. It gives you an idea what the Mob had the power to do. And how they accomplished it. What is amazing to me is these thugs actually meet with our presidents. This book is a must read.

I must confess, I read this book to fulfill an assignment for an MBA class. I didn't expect to find it at all interesting, but it was. I had no experience with labor unions up until this point, and it was interesting to find out just who is in charge.

This book is well researched and full of factual information-- too much information for me to absorb effectively. I was expecting it ro read more like a novel than a history book, but I did find certain parts interesting nonetheless.

If you want to find out how the Teamsters rose to power and how the Mafia eventually fell out of control of the Teamsters, read this book.

Jackie presser did an unbelieveable believeable balancing act to decieve the mob, and to throw suspension off hinself every time something linked him to a betrayal. He really seemed sincere about trying to clean up the union. Jackie also had a complex about trying to look good in his fathers eyes. The book takes you back to his child hood, where it says he was a bully and major screw up. and his father knew it. Book told of some family life, and how times were, put this all together and you get very interresting story. I live in cleveland and am very familiar with true events that took place, and find book to be very acurate.

Needed and this place usually has the books that I need. Even better it comes quickly and most products are in great condition. Was a good read and will be a keeper for understanding crime scene analysis.

Compare to some other books on case studies, this book has less cases than others. However, it gives more details and explains by different forensic methods. It helped me a lot with my forensic-case-study paper.

Interestingly enough, the last paragraph of "Crime Science" (right before the 65 notes pertaining to the last chapter) contains an error. The author writes, "Russian officials concluded that the remains were those of the tsar, the tsarina, three of their children (excluding, they determined, Alexei and Marie), and four members of their retinue." The words on the pages before that specifically quoted Dr. William Maples writing that Marie's (or Maria's?) bones WERE among the discovered remains, but that Alexei's and Anastasia's bones were not. The two youngest children were burned, and the rest buried because certain factors prevented them from burning fast enough. Maybe Anastasia's name was too long to fit on that line in the book, so they lamely exchanged it for Marie's, hoping that the reader would not notice. I'm sorry, but if Anastasia's bones WERE present at the burial site, the whole Anastasia mystery would not have existed!

I read Dr. William Maples' book "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" before I read this one, and I would recommend Maples' book over "Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection." It is older (published in 1994), but it is extremely well-written by a gifted author. "Crime Science" has several notes at the end of each chapter and therefore a more than occasional mini superscript number at the end of sentences/paragraphs during each chapter. It even refers to Maples' book and recommends it for further reading. The author of "Crime Science" also refers to Maples as "the late Dr. William Maples." I did not know that he was dead before I read "Crime Science," so you could say that I learned something from reading it. Buy the late Dr. William Maples' book instead!

This book will provide an education to the general reader. Forensic science is "the study and practice of the application of science to the purposes of the law". Page 4 gives Newcomb's Rule, but provides no proof of verification. Eyewitness evidence is subjective and colored by attitudes and perceptions. If a witness is mistaken or lying, there is no way to tell. Physical evidence is objective, but may have subjective aspects. [The authors ignore the topic of planted evidence. They don't tell that expert witnesses support the side that pays them.] Forensic science dates from the early 19th century with modern chemistry and toxicology. Mistaken identification can occur from photographs as well as live persons (p.7). The paragraph on firearms examination omits the pioneering work done in Germany and first used by Earl Rogers in California (p.10). The paragraph on questioned document examination ignores work done in Europe centuries earlier (p.11). Page 14 tells that government forensic laboratories are usually unavailable to the defense. The book "Tainted Evidence" explains why this is a problem due to the lack of objectivity.

Chapter 2 explains the techniques of "Crime Scene Investigation". Fingerprints should be photographed before lifting (p.28). This prevents planting evidence, as in the Trial of Alfred de Marigny. The Case Study is the Jeffrey Macdonald case. I read that Cyril Wecht M.D., J.D. said some of his wounds could not be self-inflicted; the book "Fatal Justice" gives more details. This may not be the best example for a textbook case. Chapter 4 says placing firearms "in the hands of the peasant class" resulted in murders! Like with Robin Hood? The case study is the Sacco-Vanzetti trial (a controversial case - see page 103). Dr. Henry C. Lee's "Famous Crimes Revisited" says "the custody of all the bullets had never been traced". This case study proves Sacco & Vanzetti innocent IMO. One robber shot Berardelli, then chased Parmenter and shot him twice. The other robber shot Berardelli three times. But only one of the bullets submitted in evidence came from Sacco's gun! This suggests evidence planted to convict Sacco & Vanzetti. A third robber jumped into the getaway car that had two other men. This sounds like professionals who had a plan and left no witnesses. Were Sacco & Vanzetti posthumously rehabilitated by the State of Massachusetts? Chapter 7 covers questioned document examination. Suppose a suspect is asked to copy a ransom note 'to prove his innocence'. If somehow this becomes the state's evidence, would that prove innocence?

Chapter 8 tells about blood, the substance most commonly found at the crime scene, or on a person, clothing, or weapon. Tests to identify blood have been known since 1875 using various chemicals, to today's use of DNA. The case study is the O. J. Simpson trial, the most publicized case since Dr. Sam Sheppard. The authors admit "it would have been possible later to switch the collected evidence for faked evidence" (p.207). The Medical Examiner who did the autopsies on Nicole and Ron testified the forensic evidence said the murders occurred after 11pm. The red liquid blood was still leaking down the sidewalk when the police arrived at 12:15am (suggesting murder around 11:45pm). Since the limousine driver picked up OJ at 11pm, Simpson could not have personally murdered Ron and Nicole. The glove and blood evidence were both planted. Read Steven Singular's "Legacy of Deception" for the details. The 'Los Angeles Times' in June 1996 reported that the lead detective took blood samples from the morgue before evidence was turned in for analysis.