Tags:criminology
The Godfather
_________________________________The classic novel that inspired 'the greatest crime film of all time'Tyrant, blackmailer, racketeer, murderer - his influence reaches every level of American society. Meet Don Corleone, a friendly man, a just man, a reasonable man. The deadliest lord of the Cosa Nostra. The Godfather.But no man can stay on top forever, not when he has enemies on both sides of the law. As the ageing Vito Corleone nears the end of a long life of crime, his sons must step up to manage the family business. Sonny Corleone is an old hand, while World War II veteran Michael Corleone is unused to the world of crime and reluctant to plunge into the business.Both the police and ruthless rival crime lords scent blood in the water. If the Corleone family is to survive, it needs a ruthless new don. But the price of success in a violent life may be too high to bear..._________________________________A modern masterpiece, The Godfather is a searing portrayal of the 1940s criminal underworld. Still shocking long after its initial publication, this compelling tale of blackmail, murder and family values is a true classic.
Because You Loved Me
A teenage girl plots her mother’s murder with a deranged online lover in this true-crime classic by the New York Times bestselling true crime author. Jeanne Dominico was a hard-working single mother. Nicole, her fourteen-year-old daughter, was on the honor roll—and head over heels in love with an older boy she’d met through the Internet. Once the lovers met in person, Jeanne sensed trouble. If only she’d known that the life in danger was her own. With a history of psychological trouble and family misfortune, Billy Sullivan demanded obsessive and controlling power over Nicole. The twisted Romeo and Juliet responded to Jeanne’s motherly concern with brutal fury—her fiancé discovered Jeanne’s beaten, barely recognizable body on the kitchen floor. Nicole’s stunning confession and guilty plea led to Billy’s sensational trial, where a sordid tale of love, loss, betrayal, and murder finally took a cold-blooded killer offline—and behind bars. Includes sixteen pages of shocking photos “Phelps is one of America’s finest true-crime authors.” —Vincent Bugliosi “Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan
Too Young to Kill
As daily headlines about bullying and teen violence render it more timely than ever, this shocking true crime tale of a vulnerable small-town girl gruesomely murdered by the peers she called friends is now updated with chilling new details and insights from New York Times bestselling author, investigative journalist, and host of the hit podcast Crossing the Line, M. William Phelps. After leaving her troubled home life in Texas, 16-year-old Adrianne Reynolds hoped for a fresh start as part of her adoptive father’s family in East Moline, Illinois, near the banks of the Mississippi River. Seeking acceptance, she was drawn to a trio of classmates steeped in, and obsessed with, the Juggalo culture—fans of the rap duo Insane Clown Posse. Though they bonded over their feelings of being outcasts, sporting dark clothing, “killer” clown makeup, tattoos, and piercings, Adrianne was ill-prepared to deal with the twisted tangles of jealousy and domination in her new social world. After a brutal murder stunned the community and was traced back to the teens, bonds were severed and loyalties tested . . . as the shocking truth finally emerged. In this updated edition of a true-crime classic, M. William Phelps revisits the alarming and timely saga of a girl who tried to find herself, the youths who befriended and then betrayed her, and the heartbreaking problems of bullying and teen-on-teen violence that continue to shock and bewilder us.
Serial Killers
A comprehensive examination into the frightening true crime history of serial homicide—including information on America’s most prolific serial killers such as:Jeffrey Dahmer • Ted Bundy • “Co-ed Killer” Ed Kemper • The BTK Killer • “Highway Stalker” Henry Lee Lucas • Monte Ralph Rissell • “Shoe Fetish Slayer” Jerry Brudos • “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez • “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski • Ed Gein “The Butcher of Plainfield” • “Killer Clown” John Wayne Gacy • Andrew Cunanan • And more...In this unique book, Peter Vronsky documents the psychological, investigative, and cultural aspects of serial murder, beginning with its first recorded instance in Ancient Rome through fifteenth-century France on to such notorious contemporary cases as cannibal/necrophile Ed Kemper, the BTK killer, Henry Lee Lucas, Monte Ralph Rissell, Jerry Brudos, Richard Ramirez, “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, Ed Gein, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the emergence of what he classifies as the “serial rampage killer” such as Andrew Cunanan, who murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace.Vronsky not only offers sound theories on what makes a serial killer but also makes concrete suggestions on how to survive an encounter with one—from recognizing verbal warning signs to physical confrontational resistance. Exhaustively researched with transcripts of interviews with killers, and featuring up-to-date information on the apprehension and conviction of the Green River killer and the Beltway Snipers, Vronsky’s one-of-a-kind book covers every conceivable aspect of an endlessly riveting true crime phenomenon.INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
Michael Benson's True Crime Bundle: Watch Mommy Die, A Killer's Touch & A Knife In The Heart
In The Hands Of A Sadist... First, he bound and beat his girlfriend, a 43-year-old librarian. Then he went after her teenaged daughter-warning her, "Scream and I will kill you both"-before knocking her unconscious. When the teenager awoke, he proceded to rape her. And in a final horrifying act of depravity, he forced the girl to watch as he slit her mother’s throat. But the killing didn’t stop there... In The Crosshairs Of A Killer... Stephen Stanko was described as "a perfect gentleman" who "seemed so pleasant...and so normal." But behind Stanko’s mild-mannered appearance, round spectacles, and quiet intelligence was a coldblooded ex-convict who kept a grisly scrapbook on serial killers-and convinced everyone he was a nice guy-until he killed and killed again. On The Trail Of A Psycho... A well-orchestrated manhunt caught up with Stanko, who tried to get away with his crimes by pleading insanity. But the jury saw through his ruse and the ruthless killer was sentenced to death. Case Seen On 48 Hours Includes 16 Pages of Shocking Photos A PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN . . . Denise Amber Lee was a 21-year-old happily married mother of two little boys. She had her whole life ahead of her...until an intruder broke into her Florida home. Within a few short hours she was savagely terrorized, murdered, and buried naked in a shallow grave near a desolate swamp. A DEPRAVED KILLER . . . Michael King, a 38-year-old out-of-work plumber, was a ticking time bomb. For years, neighbors called the police on King, complaining that, among other things, he'd thrown battery acid in their pool and slashed their tires. Denise’s fate was far worse. In a horrifying act of cruelty, King bound her with duct tape, raped her repeatedly, then shot her dead. A TRAGIC FAILURE. . . Incredibly, Denise managed to call 911 twice during her abduction. Eyewitnesses and her distraught husband also called, but a slow, inefficient system tragically failed her. As a result, Florida passed the Denise Lee Law, setting voluntary standards for 911 systems. King was sentenced to death. But for Denise and her loving family, it was too late. Includes 16 Pages of Shocking Photos Difficult to put down. . .. This is one that I highly recommend. --True Crime Book Reviews on Watch Mommy Die Die For Love Sarah Ludemann was new to love. The Pinellas, Florida, 17-year old was a late bloomer. When she fell for a boy she was blind to the world of sex, drugs and drama swirling around her. Soon, Sarah had a bitter enemy in 18-year-old waitress Rachel Wade; both girls were head-over-heels with a cocky two-timer named Joshua Camacho. On a warm spring night, their passions erupted into violence. A knife flashed under the streetlights. When the fight was over one girl was dead and the other charged with murder. In an emotion-packed courtroom the whole story took shape--a troubling tale of conflicting lives, tangled sexual affairs, and the high price of having the right feelings for the wrong guy. . . "Brisk pacing. . .shocking details." --Publishers Weekly on The Burn Farm Includes dramatic photos.
Don't Tell a Soul
The New York Times bestselling author of If You Only Knew shares the true-crime story of a babysitter murdered to hide a mother's dark secret.Cherry Walker was a devoted, trusting, uncommonly innocent young woman who loved caring for a neighbor's little boy. But when she was asked to testify in court against his abusive mother, Cherry never got the chance. She couldn't lie if her life depended on it—and it did. Cherry's body was found on the side of a Texas road, after being doused with lighter fluid and set aflame.Attractive, manipulative, and violent, mother of four Kim Cargill had a wealth of dirty secrets she'd do anything to keep hidden. This in-depth account by bestselling investigative journalist M. William Phelps takes you inside Cargill's shocking trial—and into the mind of one of the most conniving female psychopaths in recent history—and on death row.Praise for M. William Phelps“One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter“Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No Lies“Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience.” —Suspense Magazine“Phelps is the king of true crime.” —Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnistIncludes sixteen pages of shocking photos
The Want-Ad Killer
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me comes a true crime story of a serial killer who was sentenced to die—yet lived to murder again....and again.... After committing his first grisly crime, Harvey Louis Carignan beat a death sentence and continued to manipulate, rape, and bludgeon women to death, using want ads to lure his young female victims. And time after time, justice was thwarted by a killer whose twisted legal genius was matched only by his sick savagery. Complete with the testimony of the officers who put him behind bars and the women who barely escaped with their lives, The Want-Ad Killer is one of the most shattering and thought-provoking true-crime stories of our time.
Evil Season
"Benson is a master of true crime." --Robert ScottDeadly DreamsJoyce Wishart was living out her life's dream, running her own art gallery in sunny Sarasota, Florida. But that dream ended in nightmare when a deranged drifter named Elton Brutus Murphy walked through the door with a knife in his hand and a voice in his head commanding him to rape and kill. In the space of half an hour, Joyce was dead--brutally mutilated--and the tony arts enclave plunged into terror as a frenzied manhunt ensued. Told in the convicted murderer's own words, a chilling tale of one life spiraling into madness--and another gruesomely cut short. "Difficult to put down. . .. This is one that I highly recommend." --True Crime Book Reviews on Watch Mommy Die"Brisk pacing. . .shocking details." --Publishers Weekly on The Burn FarmIncludes the exclusive confession of Elton Brutus Murphy
The Burn Farm
First, She Seduced Them. . .Sheila LaBarre liked to troll the personal ads and homeless shelters, looking for men whom society had rejected for one reason or another--men she could easily dominate both verbally and sexually. One by one, she invited them to her remote New Hampshire farmhouse, where she engaged them in S&M. But over time, sex gave way to brutal acts of torture as she mercilessly flogged and beat her captives until they confessed to committing unspeakable acts. Once satisfied that they had paid for their sins, Sheila savagely slaughtered them and burned their remains on her farm. . . Then, Humiliated, Tortured, And Killed Them. . . From the disturbing audiotapes Sheila made of her victims' confessions to her own bizarre statements in which she claimed to have returned from the dead to be God's avenger, The Burn Farm takes you behind the scenes of the scandal that rocked a quiet New England town, and into the twisted, depraved mind of a manipulative, cold-blooded murderer. . . Includes 16 Pages of Shocking Photos
Mommy Deadliest
The true crime story of a New York mother who killed and a daughter who wouldn’t die, from the author of A Killer’s Touch and Watch Mommy Die.Anti-Freeze For A HusbandIt looked like a suicide. A man’s corpse on the bathroom floor—next to a half-empty glass of anti-freeze. But fingerprints on the glass belonged to the deceased’s wife, Stacey Castor. And a turkey baster in the garbage had police wondering if she force-fed the toxic fluid down her husband’s throat.Pills For A DaughterIn desperation, Stacey concocted a devious plan. She mixed a deadly cocktail of vodka and pills, then served it to her twenty-year-old daughter Ashley. The authorities would find Ashley with a suicide note, confessing to the anti-freeze murder. But Stacey’s plan backfired—because Ashley refused to die . . .A Killer For A MotherCharged with murdering her second husband—and attempting to kill her oldest daughter—Stacey Castor sparked a media frenzy. But when police dug up her first husband’s grave—and found anti-freeze in his body, too—this New York housewife earned a nickname that would follow her all the way to prison. They called her “The Black Widow.” And with good reason.The story that inspired the Lifetime film, Poisoned Love: The Stacey Castor Story, starring Nia Vardalos.Case Featured On 20/20Includes Sixteen Pages of Shocking Photos
Lethal Embrace
A Murder Plot. . .Single mother Lee Ann Armanini worked as a bartender in a strip joint in Long Island's South Shore when she got pregnant by Paul Riedel, owner of a health club in Amityville, Long Island. In 1998, Paul did the right thing and married her. The marriage was not a happy one, and Lee Ann left Riedel in 2000. She moved to Florida and took up with a mob-connected hood named Ralph "Rocco" Salierno. Together, they plotted Riedel's murder in order to get his money and ownership of the health club... A Case Of Mistaken Identity. . . But Salierno murdered the wrong man--Alexander Algeri, Riedel's lifelong friend and business partner who bore an uncanny resemblance to Riedel and even drove the same kind of vehicle, a Ford Explorer. A Stunning Trial. . . In a notorious trial that was filled with sensational revelations about drug abuse, illicit sex, and wrong way murder, Lee Ann Riedel and Rocco Salierno were convicted of first-degree murder. Salierno was sentenced to life in prison without parole; Lee Ann Riedel was sentenced to 25-years-to-life. Includes 16 Pages of Shocking Photos. Robert Mladinich is the author of From the Mouth of the Monster: The Joel Rifkin Story. He is a retired New York Police Department second grade detective who has investigated numerous homicides and was named NYPD Cop of the Year in 1985 for his work as a patrol officer in the South Bronx.
If Looks Could Kill
The true-crime story of a millionaire beauty queen and the murder of her ex-lover, by the New York Times bestselling author of Because You Loved Me.On a day like any other in Akron, Ohio, in a parking lot like so many across America, a black-clad motorcyclist rode up to an occupied vehicle and fired a gun—and didn't miss. The shock rippling through the community led to former beauty queen Cynthia George, a respected church member and devoted mother. Married to a wealthy businessman, she seemed to lead a charmed life. But did her beauty mask a heart cold enough to kill? M. William Phelps, award-winning master of the non-fiction thriller, updates this gripping saga of illicit love and murder with startling, unforgettable new insights.Praise for If Looks Could Kill“Phelps, one of America's finest true-crime writers, has written a compelling and gripping book about an intriguing Ohio murder mystery.” —Vincent Bugliosi New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter“Starts quickly and doesn't slow down. The author's thorough research and interviews give the book a sense of growing complexity, richness of character, and urgency.” —Stephen Singular, author of Unholy Messenger: The Life and Crime of the BTK Killer“Phelps' sharp attention to detail culminates in this meticulous recreation of a tragic crime. This gripping true story reads like a well-plotted crime novel and proves that truth is not only stranger, but more shocking, than fiction. Riveting.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No LiesIncludes sixteen pages of photos