It's been ages since I read Bugliosi's Helter Skelter, so it's difficult for me to compare this account to that one. Wiehl and Rother mention that theIt's been ages since I read Bugliosi's Helter Skelter, so it's difficult for me to compare this account to that one. Wiehl and Rother mention that they wanted to look at the Manson Family's crimes from the ground up and gain a new perspective on the events of 1969. It's unfortunate that they weren't able to access as many court records as they'd hoped, but it's still a thorough account. The most notable divergence is the discussion of motivation for the crimes; Wiehl and Rother take the stance that the 'Helter Skelter' narrative was mostly constructed by Bugliosi for the purposes of the trial, and the actual motivation for Manson and his followers might have been more mundane, or less well organized. It's an interesting take on the story, and one applicable to more than just this crime spree....more
This is a collection of in-depth stories Christopher Goffard wrote in his role as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, among other newspapers. The tiThis is a collection of in-depth stories Christopher Goffard wrote in his role as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, among other newspapers. The title account, which is currently the basis of a TV show, is a corker. But the whole collection is excellent, made particularly so by Goffard's keen eye and sympathy....more
An intriguing overview of the history of forgery and the motivations of forgers. There's a good bibliography, too, which points the way to more focuseAn intriguing overview of the history of forgery and the motivations of forgers. There's a good bibliography, too, which points the way to more focused works on particular forgers....more
An up-close look at one particular pill mill in Florida at the height of the prescription opioid crisis. The subtitle is maybe a bit of hyperbole, butAn up-close look at one particular pill mill in Florida at the height of the prescription opioid crisis. The subtitle is maybe a bit of hyperbole, but the harm done by this one particular business is still heartbreakingly widespread. Worst of all, it was legal, at least until the crackdown, so the disingenuous attempts of the owners and doctors to shrug off accusations is hard to read about as well. Fascinating all around....more
This is crime nonfiction as art--an account of the 70s era child killings in Detroit, but also of the author's disintegration as he chases informationThis is crime nonfiction as art--an account of the 70s era child killings in Detroit, but also of the author's disintegration as he chases information about the killer. It's fascinating, but ultimately a frustrating read. Appelman leaves a lot unanswered, most particularly how everything ties together with his own father. ...more
True crime books are a mixed bag. The authors have to walk a fine line between sensationalizing the crimes and making clear the horror of what happeneTrue crime books are a mixed bag. The authors have to walk a fine line between sensationalizing the crimes and making clear the horror of what happened to the victims and their families. And that sort of thing can be even more difficult when the crimes in questions haven't been solved. Philip Ginsburg's account of the search for serial killers in New England during the 70s and 80s does a good job of bringing the events to vivid life without careening headlong into crime porn. Part of what makes this book so interesting is the material from the point of view of a local psychologist who ends up working as a profiler for the local and state police, which strikes a balance of maintain some emotional distance while still delving into the crimes.
[Side note: a lot of these crimes took place when I was a teenager, and yet despite how near I was to the Connecticut River Valley, I don't recall hearing about them at all. In retrospect, that seems weird.]...more
The jacket copy for this makes it sound like a true crime account, but it ended up being more of a musing on childhood friendships and the ways they cThe jacket copy for this makes it sound like a true crime account, but it ended up being more of a musing on childhood friendships and the ways they can fall apart and not get put back together. The thing is, given the circumstances it ends up feeling creepily voyeuristic (despite the author reaching out to them, the murdered girl's parents never respond, and I spent a lot of the book wondering how they must feel about this account). It has a few touching moments, but I'm baffled at the love it's gotten in reviews. ...more
While I'm not sure I buy the idea that the death of Austria's crown prince led to World War I (Austria-Hungary had a number of problems both pulling iWhile I'm not sure I buy the idea that the death of Austria's crown prince led to World War I (Austria-Hungary had a number of problems both pulling it apart and pushing it toward war), overall this book is intriguing. The authors did their best work on the more personal aspects of the story, particularly in weeding out rumor and self-serving tales to come up with a scenario for the events at Mayerling that seem plausible. If there's no way to tell after the fact what happened, King and Wilson have come up with a theory that's likely to impress anyone who's not invested in tall tales....more
I've been on a bit of a true crime reading binge lately, and I grabbed this book at the bookstore after years of avoiding it. Maybe it was because I rI've been on a bit of a true crime reading binge lately, and I grabbed this book at the bookstore after years of avoiding it. Maybe it was because I remembered the miniseries on TV so many years ago, or maybe the age of the book put me off. I can admit now that it was a mistake to discount it. Once I started, I couldn't bring myself to read anything else until I'd finished it.
Joe McGinniss was invited to tell the story by Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, the man accused of murdering his wife and children. On the eve of his murder trial, he brought McGinniss in and gave him unprecedented access to the trial and to his life.
I suspect it didn't turn out the way MacDonald hoped.
The account jumps from transcripts of MacDonald's comments to background for the crime and then the Byzantine maze of investigations and trials. All the time, the reader is slowly brought to the same horrifying conclusion that McGinniss faced: that a charming, successful, all-American Army doctor could--and did--kill his family.
It's been almost 50 years since the murders, and if anything has changed since then, it's that we've seen more stories of superficially charming sociopaths, and thus find McGinniss's conclusions far more plausible than people did in the 1970s. ...more
This was a fascinating book--not so much about specific types of cons, though some are mentioned in detail--focusing on the psychology of con artists This was a fascinating book--not so much about specific types of cons, though some are mentioned in detail--focusing on the psychology of con artists and their victims. Of particular note, it looks at some of the newest psychological research to examine why people fall prey to these crimes, and why they work so well. I'm sure the subtitle is going to jar some potential readers, since we all have our pet theories as to who 'deserves' to be conned and why we ourselves won't become victims. But as Konnikova points out, researchers are discovering that different types of confidence tricks work with different groups of people. Just because you wouldn't dream of buying into a Madoff-style pyramid scheme in the hopes of too-good-to-be-true investment returns doesn't mean some other scam won't appeal to you. (The times I've been taken fortunately weren't huge financial disasters, but they were good learning experiences. Konnikova's book is a reminder that being human makes us uniquely vulnerable even as it allows us to work with others. A greater awareness of the ways some nefarious individuals will try to use our better nature against us offers at least some protection.)
Also, I really need to write a blog post about the similarity between writing fiction and running a con--though the writer hopes that readers come away from a story feeling anything but cheated, I realized as I was reading that the deep revulsion and frustration I feel for some books is probably a result of a sense that the author tricked me somehow, and not in a good way....more
As much a memoir as a crime story, Walsh's book details an epic clash between a journalist frustrated beyond reason by doping in his favorite sport, aAs much a memoir as a crime story, Walsh's book details an epic clash between a journalist frustrated beyond reason by doping in his favorite sport, and a talented but arrogant athlete willing to do anything to win--and to keep his reputation spotless. The cost--for Walsh and particularly those who helped him expose the truth--was high. And the reader can't help but wonder, even with Armstrong's abrupt and meteoric fall from glory, will anything in sports change for the better?...more
The horrors of the cocaine economy build slowly but surely in ZeroZeroZero. Roberto Saviano starts with what seems like a cynical ploy--someone in youThe horrors of the cocaine economy build slowly but surely in ZeroZeroZero. Roberto Saviano starts with what seems like a cynical ploy--someone in your life, he says, is using coke. But by the end you find yourself nodding your head, overwhelmed by the numbers. With that much of the white stuff flowing across our borders, it's not at all surprising that there's a sort of secretive ubiquity. More importantly, Saviano digs into the ways organized crime and private armies have profited from the misery of others. It's not a pretty picture, and the fact that Saviano's been living in police protection for years because of a previous expose on Italian organized crime adds a poignant immediacy to his plaintive final chapter....more
This is one of a number of recent books on the rise and current state of ISIS (aka ISIL and Da'esh), which seems particularly relevant given events inThis is one of a number of recent books on the rise and current state of ISIS (aka ISIL and Da'esh), which seems particularly relevant given events in Paris this week. This one had some good detail, but there were times I struggled to follow the thread of the authors' arguments....more
First things first: there is something here to trigger or offend practically everyone, so don't say I didn't warn you. Robinson's acid commentary on tFirst things first: there is something here to trigger or offend practically everyone, so don't say I didn't warn you. Robinson's acid commentary on the Ripper investigation is by turns horrifying and hilarious, and he saves his most brutal sallies for the capital-E 'Establishment' of Victorian England. And while I'm not sure I buy into the Masonic connection he puts forth, it's clear he's done a great deal of research, and has turned up details I hadn't seen in 20 years of reading true crime books and accounts of the Jack the Ripper killings and subsequent investigations. His solution is masterfully presented, and if nothing else, the trials of Florence Maybrick and William Barrit should give any lover of Victoriana pause....more
Last night I was trying to explain to a friend why this book was as disappointing as it was interesting. And it was *very* interesting--a glimpse at aLast night I was trying to explain to a friend why this book was as disappointing as it was interesting. And it was *very* interesting--a glimpse at a particular time and environment (late 19th century Paris, in particular), a snapshot of gender issues, a question of hypnotism and mind control in the commission of a serious crime--but the author avoids offering any kind of modern insight into the events he recounts. That felt like an omission to me--I wanted to know what current research says about the kind of mind control the authorities were debating in this case. And I would have liked to know more of what Levingston thought about the case and its outcome. Was the 'Little Demon' truly hypnotized into submission? Or (as I think is more likely the case) was she simply brutalized by a string of abusive men, until she lacked the capacity to make healthy decisions?...more
A disturbing look at an American offshoot of Tibetan Buddhism, where an obsession with Tantric paths to enlightenment ended in a young man's death. ThA disturbing look at an American offshoot of Tibetan Buddhism, where an obsession with Tantric paths to enlightenment ended in a young man's death. The author, who also lost a student in a similar incident of spiritual . . . confusion? ecstasy? It's hard to know how to define it . . . Clearly the past troubles Carney. And that may be the book's biggest issue. It's unclear at times how seriously to take the claims of Geshe Roach and his followers, because it's hard to tell how Carney feels about them. At times his words are almost sarcastic, and in other parts of the book he seems far more credulous. Even in the end, the book doesn't come to a conclusion, so much as peter out in a cloud of nebulous thoughts. (For what it's worth, I found Roach and his protege McNally to be rather disturbing, but I'm kind of cynical right now.)...more
A dark and troubling story of a family patriarch who led his family to the ends of the earth in an effort to control them. (Note: While it isn't overtA dark and troubling story of a family patriarch who led his family to the ends of the earth in an effort to control them. (Note: While it isn't overtly graphic, anyone who's sensitive to narratives involving abuse should bear in mind that this is apt to be triggering.) Kizzia ties these threads in well with a look at the free-wheeling spirit of Alaskans, especially those who choose to make a subsistence living far from civilization. Just as a side note, one of the most interesting aspects of this book to me was the way so many people were taken in by Papa Pilgrim's superficial charms, while others seemed to clue in immediately to his creepiness. Fascinating stuff....more
This was a fascinating book. After years in America, Suketu Mehta returned to his childhood home in Bombay/Mumbai with his wife and young children. HiThis was a fascinating book. After years in America, Suketu Mehta returned to his childhood home in Bombay/Mumbai with his wife and young children. His odyssey through the city, meeting people everywhere from the political scene and organized crime to exotic dancers, is a love letter of sorts, though one that doesn't flinch from the more troubling aspects of life there. Mehta is at once an insider and an outsider, which gives him a unique perspective on Mumbai, its population, and some of the issues they face....more
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