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Books > Fiction > True stories > Crime
'ASTONISHING AND ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING' - LYNDA LA PLANTE
'Engrossing, emotionally honest and forensically fascinating' - Dr
Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes EVERY BODY LEAVES A
MARK In Traces, Professor Patricia Wiltshire will take you on a
journey through the fascinating edgeland where nature and crime are
intertwined. She'll take you searching for bodies of loved ones -
through woodlands and plantations, along hedgerows and field-edges,
from ditches to living rooms - solving time since death and how
remains were disposed of. She will show you how pollen from a
jacket led to a confession and how two pairs of trainers, a car and
a garden fork led to the location of a murdered girl. She will give
you glimpses of her own history: her loves, her losses, and the
narrow little valley in Wales where she first woke up to the
wonders of the natural world. From flowers, fungi, tree trunks to
walking boots, carpets and corpses' hair, Traces is a fascinating
and unique book on life, death, and one's indelible link with
nature.
'This extraordinary tale of rivalry and celluloid . . . has
fascinated cineastes for years.' Kathryn Hughes, Sunday Times
'Illuminating and thrilling.' The Spectator 'Absorbing, forensic
and jaw-dropping.' Total Film In 1888, Louis Le Prince shot the
world's first motion picture in Leeds, England. In 1890, weeks
before the planned public unveiling of his camera and projector, Le
Prince boarded a train in France - and disappeared without a trace.
His body was never found. In 1891, Thomas Edison - inventor of the
lightbulb and the phonograph - announced that he had developed a
motion-picture camera. Le Prince's family, convinced that Edison
had stolen Louis's work, proceeded to sue the most famous inventor
in the world. The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures excavates one of
the great unsolved mysteries of the Victorian age and offers a
revelatory rewriting of the birth of modern pictures.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA DAGGER IN TRANSLATION 'Disturbing and
powerful ... I loved it' - Leila Slimani, author of Lullaby 'Icy
and chilling... In sharply drawn sentences, Sedira summons the
beauty of a small French village, and the shocking acts of the
people inside it' - Flynn Berry, author of the Reese Whitherspoon
Book Club pick, Northern Spy You sprinted all the way to the river.
What were you running from? Anna and Constant Guillot and their two
daughters live in the peaceful, remote mountain village of Carmac.
Everyone in Carmac knows each other, leading simple lives mostly
unaffected by the outside world - that is until Bakary and Sylvia
Langlois arrive with their three children. The new family's
impressive chalet and expensive cars are in stark contrast with the
modesty of those of their neighbours, yet despite their initial
differences, the Langlois and the Guillots form an uneasy
friendship. But when both families come under financial strain, the
underlying class and racial tensions of their relationship reach
breaking point, culminating in act of abhorrent violence. With
piercing psychological insight and gripping storytelling, People
Like Them asks the questions: How could a seemingly ordinary person
commit the most extraordinary crime? And how could their loved ones
ever come to terms with what they'd done? Lullaby meets Little
Fires Everywhere, this intense, suspenseful prize-winning novel
explores the darker side of human nature - and the terrible things
people are capable of. *Winner of the Prix Eugene Dabit*
Although they account for only ten percent of all murders, those
attributed to women seem especially likely to captivate the public.
This absorbing book examines why that is true and how some women,
literally, get away with murder. Combining compelling storytelling
with insightful observations, the book invites readers to take a
close look at ten high-profile killings committed by American
women. The work exposes the forces that underlie the public's
fascination with female killers and determine why these women so
often become instant celebrities. Cases are paired by motive-love,
money, revenge, self-defense, and psychopathology. Through them,
the authors examine the appeal of women who commit murders and show
how perceptions of their crimes are shaped. The book details both
the crimes and the criminals as it explores how pop culture treats
stereotypes of female murderers in film and print. True crime
aficionados will be fascinated by the minute descriptions of what
happened and why, while pop culture enthusiasts will appreciate the
lens of societal norms through which these cases are examined.
A "well-written, engaging detective story" (Kirkus Reviews, starred
review) about a rogue who trades in rare birds and their eggs-and
the wildlife detective determined to stop him. On May 3, 2010, an
Irish national named Jeffrey Lendrum was apprehended at Britain's
Birmingham International Airport with a suspicious parcel strapped
to his stomach. Inside were fourteen rare peregrine falcon eggs
snatched from a remote cliffside in Wales. So begins a "vivid tale
of obsession and international derring-do" (Publishers Weekly),
following the parallel lives of a globe-trotting smuggler who spent
two decades capturing endangered raptors worth millions of dollars
as race champions-and Detective Andy McWilliam of the United
Kingdom's National Wildlife Crime Unit, who's hell bent on
protecting the world's birds of prey. "Masterfully constructed"
(The New York Times) and "entertaining and illuminating" (The
Washington Post), The Falcon Thief will whisk you away from the
volcanoes of Patagonia to Zimbabwe's Matobo National Park, and from
the frigid tundra near the Arctic Circle to luxurious aviaries in
the deserts of Dubai, all in pursuit of a man who is reckless,
arrogant, and gripped by a destructive compulsion to make the most
beautiful creatures in nature his own. It's a story that's part
true-crime narrative, part epic adventure-and wholly unputdownable
until the very last page.
How a series of violent Amish-on-Amish attacks shattered the peace
of a peace-loving people and led to a new interpretation of the
federal hate crime law. On the night of September 6, 2011, terror
called at the Amish home of the Millers. Answering a late-night
knock from what appeared to be an Amish neighbor, Mrs. Miller
opened the door to her five estranged adult sons, a daughter, and
their spouses. It wasn't a friendly visit. Within moments, the men,
wearing headlamps, had pulled their frightened father out of bed,
pinned him into a chair, and-ignoring his tearful protests-sheared
his hair and beard, leaving him razor-burned and dripping with
blood. The women then turned on Mrs. Miller, yanking her prayer cap
from her head and shredding it before cutting off her waist-long
hair. About twenty minutes later, the attackers fled into the
darkness, taking their parents' hair as a trophy. Four similar
beard-cutting attacks followed, disfiguring nine victims and
generating a tsunami of media coverage. While pundits and
late-night talk shows made light of the attacks and poked fun at
the Amish way of life, FBI investigators gathered evidence about
troubling activities in a maverick Amish community near Bergholz,
Ohio-and the volatile behavior of its leader, Bishop Samuel Mullet.
Ten men and six women from the Bergholz community were arrested and
found guilty a year later of 87 felony charges involving
conspiracy, lying, and obstructing justice. In a precedent-setting
decision, all of the defendants, including Bishop Mullet and his
two ministers, were convicted of federal hate crimes. It was the
first time since the 2009 passage of the Matthew Shepard and James
Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act that assailants had been
found guilty for religiously motivated hate crimes within the same
faith community. Renegade Amish goes behind the scenes to tell the
full story of the Bergholz barbers: the attacks, the investigation,
the trial, and the aftermath. In a riveting narrative reminiscent
of a true crime classic, scholar Donald B. Kraybill weaves a dark
and troubling story in which a series of violent Amish-on-Amish
attacks shattered the peace of these traditionally nonviolent
people, compelling some of them to install locks on their doors and
arm themselves with pepper spray. The country's foremost authority
on Amish society, Kraybill spent six months assisting federal
prosecutors with the case against the Bergholz defendants and
served as an expert witness during the trial. Informed by trial
transcripts and his interviews of ex-Bergholz Amish, relatives of
Bishop Mullet, victims of the attacks, Amish leaders, and the jury
foreman, Renegade Amish delves into the factors that transformed
the Bergholz Amish from a typical Amish community into one
embracing revenge and retaliation. Kraybill gives voice to the
terror and pain experienced by the victims, along with the deep
shame that accompanied their disfigurement-a factor that figured
prominently in the decision to apply the federal hate crime law.
Built on Kraybill's deep knowledge of Amish life and his contacts
within many Amish communities, Renegade Amish highlights one of the
strangest and most publicized sagas in contemporary Amish history.
In February 1983, civil servant Dennis Nilsen was arrested after
body parts were found to be blocking drains at the house where he
lived. As the squad car drove him away, he confessed he had
strangled 15 young men. It wasn't just the crimes that stunned the
police, but the way Nilsen talked. He spoke as if he loved the
young men he killed. His words seemed bizarre. When newspapers
carried stories of how the 37-year-old lured men back to his flat
and why, the nation was shocked by his sheer evil. Yet some
psychiatrists considered him a man of rare, complex, and extreme
psychological problems. Moreover, they had never met a killer who
seemed so keen to understand his own psyche. Whilst on remand in
Brixton Prison, Nilsen filled 55 exercise books with thoughts.
During his subsequent thirty years in prison he has continued to
write, most notably on the first draft of a multi-volume
autobiography. The Home Office has now banned it, calling the work
pornographic and outrageous. Only one journalist has read the book.
Using exclusive access to Nilsen's writing and extensive
independent research, Russ Coffey explains what Nilsen says and how
much of it we can believe. This is a shocking glimpse into the mind
of a killer.
As Judge Robert Clive Jones enters the courtroom, plaintiff
Frank Romano takes a deep breath. Finally, after all this time, his
opportunity to seek justice has arrived. As Judge Jones bangs his
gavel, a trial to determine the responsibility for the largest
cheating scandal in Nevada Gaming History begins.
Several years earlier, beneath the neon lights of Las Vegas,
Romano became a partner in the American Coin Company. In the 1980s,
as the company grew to be the third largest slot company in Nevada,
Romano was content with his challenging and profitable work,
despite regularly being at odds with his partners over the
operating principles of the business. But in 1989, Romano's world
changed forever when American Coin was seized and closed by the
Gaming Control Board for rigging programs. In his gripping story of
white collar crime, Frank shares the incredible details of his fall
from grace and how he dedicated the rest of his life to recovering
his monetary losses and professional reputation.
"American Coin" provides an unforgettable glimpse behind closed
doors of Nevada's biggest gaming scandal as one man embarks on a
road to redemption lined with betrayal, deception, and murder.
**Longlisted for the ALCS Gold Non-Fiction Dagger** **Longlisted
for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize 2022** 'Haunting
... lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned' Sunday
Times 'A compelling whodunnit ... Devastating' Financial Times
'Transfixing' New York Times 'A powerful, unflinching account of
misogyny, female shame and the notion of honour' Observer
___________________ A masterly and agenda-setting inquest into how
the deaths of two teenage girls shone a light into the darkest
corners of a nation Katra Sadatganj. A tiny village in western
Uttar Pradesh. A community bounded by tradition and custom; where
young women are watched closely, and know what is expected of them.
It was an ordinary night when two girls, Padma and Lalli, went
missing. The next day, their bodies were found - hanging in the
orchard, their clothes muddied. In the ensuing months, the
investigation into their deaths would implode everything that their
small community held to be true, and instigated a national
conversation about sex, honour and violence. The Good Girls returns
to the scene of Padma and Lalli's short lives and shocking deaths,
daring to ask: what is the human cost of shame?
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