A gripping and deeply researched exploration of the hidden influence of organized crime on the global economy that reveals the mafia as an uncredited architect of modern society.

In Mafia: A Global History, Ryan Gingeras takes readers on a fascinating journey into the shadowy world of organized crime and its far-reaching impact on contemporary society. From backroom deals to global power plays, this compelling narrative spans two centuries, unraveling the complex ties between crime syndicates and law enforcement—and how these relationships have reshaped both sides in unexpected ways.

Drawing on over a decade of in-depth research into the global drug trade, Gingeras profiles legendary figures like Al Capone, Pablo Escobar, El Chapo, and Dawood Ibrahim, bringing their stories to life while exposing how these mafias have tested the boundaries of state power. By challenging the law, these criminal networks force governments to adapt, leaving an indelible mark on governance, society, and the global economy.

Gingeras identifies three key spheres of transformation: the legal limits tested by mafias, their economic activities reflecting the Western bloc’s dominance in global trade, and their undeniable presence in pop culture. As crime syndicates continue to evolve in the 21st century, Gingeras highlights the alarming blurring of lines between gangsters, corporations, and political leaders—a trend that threatens to destabilize the global order.

For true crime fans and history buffs alike, Mafia is a must-read. With echoes of Mark Bowden’s Killing Pablo and Sam Quinones’s Dreamland, Gingeras delivers a masterful blend of storytelling and meticulous analysis that will leave you questioning just how much of the world around us is shaped by those operating in the shadows.

When does a bandit become a monarch? When does a gang become a government? And is organised crime at the heart of every modern state?

On a thrilling whistle-stop tour of how the world's criminal underbelly has shaped state-making, capitalism, globalisation and all forms of so-called legitimate power, Homo Criminalis shows the emergence of modern society through the evolution of the underworld and its crimes. From Chinese banditry and eighteenth-century English tea smuggling to today's cocaine submarines and the high-tech crimes of tomorrow, this book shows us how the world's dark underbelly shapes us, no matter how we try to outpace it.

Entertaining, engaging and packed full of fascinating stories, Homo Criminalis is a book for those who want to see our grand story of progress through the surprising and subversive new lens of organised crime.

The phenomenal growth of penal confinement in the United States in the last quarter of the twentieth century is still a public policy mystery. While there is unanimous condemnation of the practice, there is no consensus on the causes nor any persuasive analysis of what is likely to happen in the coming decades. In The Insidious Momentum of American Mass Incarceration, Franklin E. Zimring seeks a comprehensive understanding of when, how, and why the United States became the world leader in incarceration to further determine how the use of confinement can realistically be reduced. To do this, Zimring first profiles the growth of imprisonment after 1970, emphasizing the important roles of both the federal system and the distribution of power and fiscal responsibility among the levels of government in American states. He also examines the changes in law enforcement, prosecution and criminal sentencing that ignited the 400% increase in rates of imprisonment in the single generation after 1975. Finally, Zimring then proposes a range of strategies that can reduce prison population and promote rational policies of criminal punishment. Arguing that the most powerful enemy to reducing excess incarceration is simply the mundane features of state and local government, such as elections of prosecutors and state support for prison budgets, this book challenges the convential ways we consider the issue of mass incarceration in the United States and how we can combat the rising numbers.

Discover Gillian Godden's action-packed gangland thrillers!Diamond by name... Handsome, wealthy and successful, lawyer Nick Diamond is a man who commands and expects respect from everyone he meets. People think he is a man to be trusted. They are wrong. Deadly by nature. Because away from his glittering life in upper-class Chelsea, Nick is keeping a dark and dangerous secret. One that takes him to the slum estates of Glasgow and a very different world. Nick will do anything to keep his secret under wraps, because if it's ever revealed it would be his downfall. Don't miss this brilliant new gangland story from Gillian Godden - guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat! Perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Heather Atkinson and Caz Finlay. What people are saying about Gillian Godden! 'An edge of your seat read that will leave you breathless!' Bestselling author, Kerry Kaya. 'Characters were so real I'm still looking over my shoulder! Bestselling author Owen Mullen.

It's hard to live when you think you deserve to die... When a tired old inmate is found dead in his cell, the prison is obligated to investigate and so DI Barton attends. The men he interviews have been convicted of some of the worst things a human being can do, but it appears likely that the death was due to natural causes. When the house of the dead man is burgled and that crime is followed by a suspicious fire, Barton desperately needs to speak to his widow, but she's nowhere to be found. In the space of twenty-four hours, everyone he wants to talk to has vanished. Then he receives some post which makes him believe he could be the next to disappear. Barton's investigation goes full circle, through a series of brutal murders, back to the prison, and all signs are pointing to the fact that he's made a terrible mistake. There's a violent killer on the loose, who wants everyone to learn that some people deserve to die. DI Barton is back as Ross Greenwood continues with his bestselling series, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Ian Rankin. Praise for Ross Greenwood: 'Move over Rebus and Morse; a new entry has joined the list of great crime investigators in the form of Detective Inspector John Barton. A rich cast of characters and an explosive plot kept me turning the pages until the final dramatic twist.' author Richard Burke 'Master of the psychological thriller genre Ross Greenwood once again proves his talent for creating engrossing and gritty novels that draw you right in and won't let go until you've reached the shocking ending.' Caroline Vincent at Bitsaboutbooks blog 'Ross Greenwood doesn't write cliches. What he has written here is a fast-paced, action-filled puzzle with believable characters that's spiced with a lot of humour.' author Kath Middleton

Once you're in, there's only one way out...Tired of always doing the dirty work with little reward, Danny McKay wants out of the gangland life. But his boss, Freddie Smith, has other ideas... As the current Top Dog of the East End, Freddie knows he must protect his reign at all costs and if that means disposing of his much younger, much stronger, number two, then so be it. Now, with a price on his head, Danny must use all of his wits and connections to stay one step ahead of Freddie - he knows his old boss won't give up without a fight to the death. But with a turf war looming, the question is who will survive and who will be crowned Top Dog. Don't miss the exciting sequel to Under Dog by Kerry Kaya! Perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Heather Atkinson and Caz Finlay. Please note this is a re-release of Top Dog, previously published by Kerry Kaya.

Vinnie has always been different. But Vinnie is a survivor...A childhood accident robbed Vinnie of his memories, making him sensitive and anxious, and his difference soon attracted bullies. If it wasn't for his family and his brother Frank, Vinnie wouldn't have survived. But as the boys grow up, and after the devastating loss of their parents, Vinnie finds himself increasingly involved in violent situations whenever he's with Frank. Is this the type of man he's become, or can the love of a remarkable woman teach him to embrace life? When Vinnie is accused of a terrible crime, and looks set for a long stretch behind bars, fragments of his memory start to return and he begins to unravel his past. Who was his mother? What kind of a man is his brother, Frank? And why does death surround them? Things are not as they seem, but Vinnie can survive anything... Ross Greenwood is back with this shocking, page-turning glimpse into the criminal underworld. This book was previously published as FIFTY YEARS OF FEAR. Praise for Ross Greenwood: 'Move over Rebus and Morse; a new entry has joined the list of great crime investigators in the form of Detective Inspector John Barton. A rich cast of characters and an explosive plot kept me turning the pages until the final dramatic twist.' author Richard Burke 'Master of the psychological thriller genre Ross Greenwood once again proves his talent for creating engrossing and gritty novels that draw you right in and won't let go until you've reached the shocking ending.' Caroline Vincent at Bitsaboutbooks blog 'Ross Greenwood doesn't write cliches. What he has written here is a fast-paced, action-filled puzzle with believable characters that's spiced with a lot of humour.' author Kath Middleton

"One side of me says, I'd like to talk to her, date her. The other side of me says, I wonder what her head would look like on a stick?" Edmund Kemper (1948-), 'the Co-ed Killer' This gripping, fully illustrated true crime book explores a range of serial murderers in an innovative new format, using timelines both of the murderers' lives but also precise hour-by-hour timelines of the crimes. Tracking a Serial Killer tells the story of 25 serial killers, from the nineteenth century right up to the present day. It enables the reader to understand some of the thinking of men such as Ted Bundy, who stalked university dorms, or Andrei Chikatilo, whose killings happened at similar intervals, to Randy Kraft who murdered hitchhikers along California freeways over several years, to Volker Eckert, a German lorry driver who murdered prostitutes across western Europe across three decades. The timeline approach offers a visual overview of the major developments of the murderer's life, both before the killing began and covering killing sprees, trials, incarcerations, escapes, releases and repeat offences, up to their deaths. The second timeline takes the reader into the events of one particular murder, showing how events developed in the twenty-four hours around the murder, how close they were to being caught, how the factors came into place for the murder, and how they managed to escape capture.

The Queen of Glasgow, Toni McVay, is no ordinary crime boss. For one thing, she likes to discipline disappointing employees by scooping out their eyeballs and keeping them as souvenirs. Jamie Gray and his gang the Blood Brothers are happy to do her dirty work in return for lessons in the ways of the local underworld, but are in no doubt that they need to keep Toni sweet to keep themselves safe. Rival families The Gordons and The Thompsons are ready for a turf war, keen to take over the lucrative Gallowburn estate, and weaken Toni's grip on the city. But can the old enemies really trust each other enough to join forces? And will their assumption that the Blood Brothers are the weak link in the McVay empire, prove to be their greatest mistake? Meanwhile Jamie's past refuses to stay hidden, and as his biggest secret looks set to be revealed with explosive consequences, Jamie faces the battle of his life. To keep his family safe, to keep his friends safe, to keep himself safe, and to keep the woman he loves alive. If you love Martina Cole, Kimberley Chambers, and Jessie Keane, you'll love Heather Atkinson. Discover the bestselling gangland author Heather Atkinson and you'll never look back... What readers are saying about Heather Atkinson: 'Another brilliant book from Heather...she really is one the best in the business. ' 'I have read ALL Heather Atkinson's books. They are all fantastic.' 'All Heather's books are action packed and have you on edge.' 'I stumbled upon Heather's books and I'm so glad I did, characters excellent and storylines are great , I find myself searching the book stores for more of them to read the minute I finish one.'

The Art of Investigative Interviewing, Fourth Edition, builds on the successes of the previous editions providing the reader guidance on conducting investigative interviews, both ethically and professionally. The book can be used by anyone who is involved in investigative interviewing. It is a perfect combination of real, practical, and effective techniques, procedures, and actual cases. The reader learns key elements of investigative interviewing, such as human psychology, proper interview preparation, tactical concepts, controlling the interview environment, and evaluating the evidence obtained from the interview. New to this edition will be coverage of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, workplace investigations, fraud investigations and the role of audit. Larry Fennelly joins original author Inge Sebyan Black, both well-known and respected in the field, providing everything an interviewer needs to know in order to conduct successful interviews with integrity and within the law. Written for anyone involved in investigative interviewing.

A pioneer in forensic anthropology, Dr. Bill Bass created the world's first laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition--three acres on a hillside in Tennessee where human bodies are left to the elements. His research has revolutionized forensic science, but during a career that has spanned half a century, Bass and his work have ranged far beyond the gates of the "Body Farm."

In this riveting book, the renowned bone sleuth explores the rise of modern forensic science and takes readers deep into the real world of crime scene investigation. Beyond the Body Farm is an extraordinary journey through some of the most fascinating investigations of Dr. Bass's career--and a remarkable look at the high-tech science used to crack the most perplexing cases.

Mass youth unemployment is now endemic and almost ubiquitous in the global north and south alike. This book offers an original and challenging interpretation of the ways in which young people's unemployment and general non-participation is becoming marginalised and criminalised. It re-examines the causes and consequences of non-participation from an unusually wide range of disciplines, using an innovative theorisation of the fast-changing relationships between extended studentship, welfare provision, labour market restructuring and crime. This approach offers an important contribution for understanding what it means for young people to be socially re-positioned and economically excluded in increasingly unequal societies, in and beyond the UK.

If no one knows you're in danger, no one can save you...The Baxter house in the Lowther Hills, in Scotland, has been up for sale for decades. It's dilapidated and near-derelict, and nobody is interested in it. But for one potential buyer, the remote location and rat-infested cellar are just what he's looking for. For the first year, Mackenzie's marriage to Derek was ideal. Now though, Derek believes she is having an affair, and when she fears her husband is becoming controlling, she knows she's made a terrible mistake. But Mackenzie has a drinking problem, so when she threatens to leave Derek and then disappears, no one believes she has been abducted. It will fall to DS Geddes to untangle the truth... Owen Mullen is a best-selling author of psychological and gangland thrillers. His fast-paced, twist-aplenty stories are perfect for all fans of Robert Galbraith, Ian Rankin and Ann Cleeves. What readers say about Owen Mullen: 'Owen Mullen knows how to ramp up the action just when it's needed... he never fails to give you hard-hitting thrillers that have moments that will stay with you forever...' 'One of the very best thriller writers I have ever read.' 'Owen Mullen writes a good story, he really brings his characters to life and the endings are hard to guess and never what you expected.'