Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
|||
Books > Fiction > True stories > Crime
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER "As exciting as any spy novel" (Daily News, New York), The Princess Spy follows the hidden history of an ordinary American girl who became one of the OSS's most daring World War II spies before marrying into European nobility. Perfect for fans of A Woman of No Importance and Code Girls. When Aline Griffith was born in a quiet suburban New York hamlet, no one had any idea that she would go on to live "a life of glamour and danger that Ingrid Bergman only played at in Notorious" (Time). As the United States enters the Second World War, the young college graduate is desperate to aid in the war effort, but no one is interested in a bright-eyed young woman whose only career experience is modeling clothes. Aline's life changes when, at a dinner party, she meets a man named Frank Ryan and reveals how desperately she wants to do her part for her country. Within a few weeks, he helps her join the Office of Strategic Services--forerunner of the CIA. With a code name and expert training under her belt, she is sent to Spain to be a coder, but is soon given the additional assignment of infiltrating the upper echelons of society, mingling with high-ranking officials, diplomats, and titled Europeans. Against this glamorous backdrop of galas and dinner parties, she recruits sub-agents and engages in deep-cover espionage. Even after marrying the Count of Romanones, one of the wealthiest men in Spain, Aline secretly continues her covert activities, being given special assignments when abroad that would benefit from her impeccable pedigree and social connections. "[A] meticulously researched, beautifully crafted work of nonfiction that reads like a James Bond thriller" (Bookreporter), The Princess Spy brings to vivid life the dazzling adventures of a spirited American woman who risked everything to serve her country.
In 1907, a young girl was found dead in the Lyric Theatre, leaving behind an unwanted pregnancy and an abusive lover. On an otherwise quiet morning in 1891, a cartful of nitroglycerin exploded. The remains of the driver had to be gathered in a peck basket. The Cannonball Express lived up to its name in 1888, when an open switch caused it to shoot off the track, sending two cars flying. Local journalist A. Parker Burroughs resurrects these and other stories from southwestern Pennsylvania's shadowy past. From foul play at the Burgettstown Fair to the tragic murder of North Franklin's Thelma Young, follow the trail with Burroughs as he uncovers the crimes and intrigues of Washington County.
In his inimitable New York voice, Pulitzer Prize winner Jimmy Breslin gives us a look through the keyhole at the people and places that define the Mafia--characters like John Gotti, Sammy "the Bull" Gravano, Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso (named for his weapon of choice), and Jimmy "the Clam" Eppolito--interwoven with the remarkable true-crime saga of the good rat himself, Burt Kaplan of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, the star witness in the recent trial of two NYPD detectives indicted for carrying out eight gangland executions. Through these unforgettable real-life and long-forgotten Mafia stories, Jimmy Breslin captures the moments in which the mob was made and broken.
'Absolutely gripping. Impeccably researched and written with the pace and narrative drive of a thriller, but attentive too to the dignity of the victims.' - Daragh Carville, creator of ITV's The BayThe true story of the shocking 1930s murder case, and the revolutionary investigation that changed forensics forever. Lancaster, 1935. In a jealous rage, Dr Buck Ruxton kills his wife, Isabella, and their children's nanny, Mary, before dismembering the bodies in the bathtub. When walkers discover the remains scattered in a ravine in the Scottish Borders, police are confronted with a gruesome jigsaw puzzle that they must piece together - not only to give the women their names back, but also to catch their killer. Using new research, Jeremy Craddock tells the full story of this landmark case in British criminal history. The Jigsaw Murders brings to life Dr Ruxton, the investigators, the legal figures, and silent witnesses Isabella and Mary, recreating the dramatic scenes that shook the world.
The award-winning and bestselling classic memoir about a young
Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los
Angeles, now featuring a new introduction by the author.
The first full account of the Slenderman stabbing, a true crime narrative of mental illness, the American judicial system, the trials of adolescence, and the power of the internetOn May 31, 2014, in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, two twelve-year-old girls attempted to stab their classmate to death. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's violence was extreme, but what seemed even more frightening was that they committed their crime under the influence of a figure born by the internet: the so-called "Slenderman." Yet the even more urgent aspect of the story, that the children involved suffered from undiagnosed mental illnesses, often went overlooked in coverage of the case.Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls tells that full story for the first time in deeply researched detail, using court transcripts, police reports, individual reporting, and exclusive interviews. Morgan and Anissa were bound together by their shared love of geeky television shows and animals, and their discovery of the user-uploaded scary stories on the Creepypasta website could have been nothing more than a brief phase. But Morgan was suffering from early-onset childhood schizophrenia. She believed that she had seen Slenderman long before discovering him online, and the only way to stop him from killing her family was to bring him a sacrifice: Morgan's best friend Payton "Bella" Leutner, whom Morgan and Anissa planned to stab to death on the night of Morgan's twelfth birthday party. Bella survived the attack, but was deeply traumatized, while Morgan and Anissa were immediately sent to jail, and the severity of their crime meant that they would be prosecuted as adults. There, as Morgan continued to suffer from worsening mental illness after being denied antipsychotics, her life became more and more surreal.Slenderman is both a page-turning true crime story and a search for justice.
A riveting, decades-in-the-writing memoir from the determined young prosecutor who, in two of America's most celebrated trials, managed to convict famed mob boss John Gotti-and subsequently took down the Mafia altogether. John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion-with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement's radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname "The Dapper Don;" his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: "The Teflon Don." This is the captivating story of Gotti's meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall. Every step of the way, Gotti's legal adversary-John Gleeson, an Assistant US Attorney in Brooklyn-was watching. When Gotti finally faced two federal racketeering prosecutions, Gleeson prosecuted both. As the junior lawyer in the first case-a bitter seven-month battle that ended in Gotti's acquittal-Gleeson found himself in Gotti's crosshairs, falsely accused of serious crimes by a defense witness Gotti intimidated into committing perjury. Five years later, Gleeson was in charge of the second racketeering investigation and trial. Armed with the FBI's secret recordings of Gotti's conversations with his underboss and consigliere in the apartment above Gotti's Little Italy hangout, Gleeson indicted all three. He "flipped" underboss Sammy the Bull Gravano, killer of nineteen men, who became history's highest-ranking mob turncoat-resulting in Gotti's murder conviction. Gleeson ended not just Gotti's reign, but eventually that of the entire mob. An epic, page-turning courtroom drama, The Gotti Wars is a brilliantly told crime story that illuminates a time in our nation's history when lawyers and mobsters dominated the news, but it's also the story of a tenacious young man, in the glare of the media spotlight, who mastered the art of becoming a great attorney.
'Beautifully told by David Grann, one of the best true-crime writers around... Nuanced and gripping' Evening Standard Now a major film starring Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek and Casey Affleck, The Old Man and the Gun is joined by two other riveting true-crime tales by the author of the bestselling Killers of the Flower Moon The Old Man and the Gun is the incredible story of a bank robber and prison escape artist who modelled himself after figures like Pretty Boy Floyd and who, even in his seventies, refuses to retire. True Crime follows the twisting investigation of a Polish detective who suspects that a novelist planted clues in his fiction to an actual murder. And The Chameleon recounts how a French imposter assumes the identity of a missing boy from Texas and infiltrates the boy's family, only to soon wonder whether he is the one being conned. In this mesmerizing collection, David Grann shows why he has been called a 'worthy heir to Truman Capote' and 'simply the best narrative non-fiction writer working today', as he takes the reader on a journey through some of the most intriguing and gripping real-life tales from around the world. Praise for Killers of the Flower Moon 'An extraordinary story with extraordinary pace and atmosphere' Sunday Times 'A marvel of detective-like research and narrative verve' Financial Times 'A riveting true story of greed, serial murder and racial injustice' Jon Krakauer 'A fiercely entertaining mystery story and a wrenching exploration of evil' Kate Atkinson 'A fascinating account of a tragic and forgotten chapter in the history of the American West' John Grisham And for The Lost City of Z (shortlisted for the 2009 Samuel Johnson Prize) 'Absorbing... a wonderful story of a lost age of heroic exploration' Sunday Times 'Marvellous... engrossing' Daily Telegraph 'At once a biography, a detective story and wonderfully vivid piece of travel writing... suspenseful... rollicking... fascinating' New York Times
Do you believe in ghosts? In his years of travel writing and research, Dr. Robin Mead has found that people are almost equally divided between believers in ghosts and those who think ghost stories are just that--entertaining stories. In Haunted Hotels in America, you'll find a state-by-state guide to the lodgings that cheerfully admit to having an intangible guest or two. Like the spirits themselves, the stories are extraordinarily varied. Some are sad. Some are puzzling. A few are even funny. As you uncover these incredible mysteries, you'll also learn more about: Iconic ghosts who've established quite frightening reputations that span over a century The chilling hauntings that have inspired popular documentaries and Hollywood blockbusters Each hotel's storied history and its recent hauntings From the mischievous Victorian children that linger in the hallways of the Gingerbread Mansion Inn in Ferndale, California to "Old Seth" Bullock, the first sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota, who still keeps a watchful eye on the Bullock Hotel that bears his name, Haunted Hotels in America is chock full of frights and delights. Ready to plan your next paranormal adventure? Let Haunted Hotels in America be your guide along the way.
Named a Best Book of 2018 by the Financial Times and Fortune, this New
York Times-bestseller exposes how a 'modern Gatsby' swindled over $5
billion with the aid of Goldman Sachs in 'the heist of the century'.
Bob Woodward, the best investigative reporter in the country, spent six years examining the CIA using hundreds of inside sources and secret documents to paint a picture of the world's largest espionage apparatus.
Donna Freed was six years old when her sister casually revealed that she and her siblings were all adopted, a subject her parents refused to discuss. The revelation fractured Donna's sense of identity. The death of her tricky yet treasured adoptive mother died left Donna feeling exposed, her life un-witnessed without a mother to look over her. When she became a mother herself, Donna felt compelled to track down her birth mother. Trawling through records of the now notorious Louise Wise Adoption Service, many previously redacted, she uncovered an explosive and salacious story, one of the biggest true crime investigations to grip the USA in the late 1960s.
Home is where the heart is. But home is also the most common site for murder. The grimly fascinating new book from the UK's leading criminologist David Wilson uncovers the dangers that exist where we least expect them - perfect for fans of The Dark Side of the Mind and The Mind of a Murderer. The home is the place where murder most commonly occurs. In England and Wales, each year on average 75 per cent of female murder victims and 39 per cent of murdered men are killed at home. This gripping new title from the author of My Life with Murderers and A Plot to Kill explores the tragic prevalence of domestic murder and how, for so many victims, their own home is the place they are most in danger. David Wilson is the UK's leading criminologist and his knowledge of murder is unparalleled. By walking through each part of the house, he explains how each room's purpose has changed over time, the weapons they contain, and ultimately, how these things combine in murder. Delving into infamous as well as lesser-known true crime cases, this examination of the tragic, ordinary nature of murder is both a chilling read and a startling insight into the everyday impact of violence and how it can touch us all.
In 1994, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson were brutally murdered at her home in Brentwood, California. O.J. Simpson was tried for the crime in a case that captured the attention of the American people, but was ultimately acquitted of criminal charges. The victims' families brought a civil case against Simpson, which found him liable for willfully and wrongfully causing the deaths of Ron and Nicole committing battery with malice and oppression.In 2006, HarperCollins announced the publication of a book in which O.J. Simpson told how he hypothetically would have committed the murders. In response to public outrage that Simpson stood to profit from these crimes, HarperCollins canceled the book. A Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the Goldmans in August 2007 to satisfy the civil judgment in part. The Goldman family views the book as his confession, and has worked hard to ensure that the public will read this book and learn the truth. This is O.J. Simpson's original manuscript, approved by him, with up to 14,000 words of additional key commentary.
'Sacred, ferocious, and businesslike, Adelstein describes the Japanese mafia like nobody else.' Roberto Saviano, on Tokyo Vice When acclaimed journalist Jake Adelstein hires a former Yakuza boss, known as the 'Tsunami', to be his driver and bodyguard, he soon finds himself swept into the violent heart of Tokyo's organised crime syndicates. From gambling rackets and ritualised killings, to the forbidden pleasures of 'soapland', Adelstein's unlikely friendship with the 'Tsunami' gains him unprecedented access to the Yakuza - now under threat after years of tacit acceptance from Japanese society. But in a culture that prizes loyalty and honour above all else, how far can they go in their quest for truth about Tokyo's criminal underworld? A riveting history of the Japanese mafia, featuring an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, The Last Yakuza is an electrifying - but ultimately uplifting - story of one man's life of crime. 'Terrific, expertly told and highly entertaining.' George Pelecanos, on Tokyo Vice
'A bracing account of abuses of power and corruption in the criminal justice system.' The Guardian From the fearless defense attorney and civil rights lawyer who rose to fame with Netflix's The Staircase comes an essential examination of America's corrupt and abusive criminal justice system. In the past thirty years, more than 2,700 innocent American prisoners-their combined jail sentences adding up to almost 25,000 years-have been exonerated and freed. Terrifyingly, this number represents only a small fraction of the number of persons wrongfully convicted each year. As a result, US jails and prisons are packed with men and women who should not be there, but for crooked police, false testimony, shoddy investigators, vindictive judges, bogus expert witnesses or, far too often, the colour of their skin and their economic condition. Renowned criminal defense attorney and civil rights lawyer David Rudolf has spent his career defending the wrongfully accused. In American Injustice, he draws from his years of experience in the American criminal justice system, including some of his biggest cases, to shed light on the immorality and deceit prevalent at all levels of law enforcement, and the tragic consequences of this misconduct. Rudolf takes the reader to crime scenes to reveal how detectives retrieve evidence that supports their accusations and hide that which doesn't; revisits several unsolved murders to detail how and why the true culprits were never prosecuted; explores how unconscious bias frequently leads prosecutors and police to jump to false conclusions; and exposes how poverty and racism fundamentally deform the system-and why some want to keep it that way.
One of NPR's "Books We Love" New York Times Book Review's "The Best True Crime of 2022" "Rich in historical perspective and graced by novelistic touches, grips the reader from first to last."-Wall Street Journal A suspense filled tale of murder on the American frontier-shedding new light on a family of serial killers in Kansas, whose horrifying crimes gripped the attention of a nation still reeling from war. In 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders-one among the thousands relocating farther west in search of land and opportunity after the Civil War-were capable of operating "a human slaughter pen" appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and whether justice ever caught up to them is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. Set against the backdrop of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre explores the environment capable of allowing such horrors to take place. Drawing on extensive original archival material, Susan Jonusas introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, many of whom have been previously missing from the story. Among them are the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail, and the fugitives that helped the murderers escape. Hell's Half-Acre is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact and an entire family of criminals can slip through a community's fingers, only to reappear in the most unexpected of places.
The historical context of family violence is explored, as well as the various forms of violence, their prevalence in specific stages of life, and responses to it made by the criminal justice system and other agencies. The linkage among child abuse, partner violence and elder abuse is scrutinized, and the usefulness of the life-course approach is couched in terms of its potential effect on policy implications; research methods that recognize the importance of life stages, trajectories, and transitions; and crime causation theories that can be enhanced by it. |
You may like...
The Babysitter - My Summers with a…
Liza Rodman, Jennifer Jordan
Paperback
The Griekwastad Murders - The Crime That…
Jacques Steenkamp
Paperback
Showdown At The Red Lion - The Life And…
Charles Van Onselen
Paperback
|