The definition of organised crime has long been the object of lively debate, at national and international level. Sociological and legal analysis has not yet led to one definitive answer to the question of what exactly 'organised crime' means. Nonetheless, many instruments adopted both at international and national levels set forth special legal regimes designed to target criminal groups featuring a stable organisation, which are perceived as particularly dangerous to society. Therefore, identifying the notion of organised crime is crucial to establishing the scope of any legal instrument specifically designed for combating it. The aim of this book is to reassess the scope, the effectiveness and the overall coherence of existing definitions of organised crime, and to identify any need for a reconsideration of these definitions, specifically with reference to the EU legal order. It will be of interest to academics, practitioners and legislators working in the sphere of EU criminal law and of organised crime more generally.

Be careful who you trust. The Mailer family are oblivious to the terrible danger that enters their lives when seven-year-old Anthony is referred to the child guidance service by the family GP following the breakdown of his parents' marriage. Fifty-eight year old Dr. David Galbraith, a sadistic, predatory paedophile employed as a consultant child psychiatrist, has already murdered one child in the soundproofed cellar below the South Wales Georgian townhouse he shares with his wife and two young daughters. Anthony becomes Galbraith's latest obsession and he will stop at nothing to make his grotesque fantasies reality. A note from the author: While fictional, this book was inspired by true events. It draws on the author's experiences as a police officer and child protection social worker. The story contains content that some readers may find upsetting. It is dedicated to survivors everywhere. *Previously published as White is the Coldest Colour*

An up-to-date examination of Mexico's version of the "War on Drugs" that exposes the evolution of major cartels and their corruption of politicians, law-enforcement agencies, and the Army. What can President Enrique Pena Nieto do to curb the narcotics-induced mayhem in Mexico, and what would be the consequences to the United States if he fails? This book analyzes Mexico's transition from a relatively peaceful kleptocracy controlled by the Tammany-Hall style Institutional Revolutionary Party/PRI (1929-2000) to a country plagued by rural and urban enclaves of grotesque violence. The author examines the major drug cartels and their success in infiltrating American and Mexican businesses; details the response from the Obama administration; assesses the threat that the continuing bloodshed represents for the United States; and emphasizes the constraints on America's ability to solve Mexico's crisis, despite U.S. contributions of intelligence, military equipment, training, and diplomatic support. Documents the origins of Mexico's drug industry to explain today's situation involving a graft-ridden Army, suborned police, ruthless capos, unethical office-holders, and U.S. security forces Emphasizes the threat that the widespread criminality represents to the United States, as well as the constraints on Washington's ability to solve its neighbor's crisis Exposes the linkages between elected officials, particularly governors, and the underworld Illustrates the challenges that will remain, even if the cartels were shattered, by the presence of a human infrastructure of 500,000 men, women, and children skilled in kidnapping, extortion, torture, murder for hire, human smuggling, and dozens of other crimes

This book aims to describe and demystify what makes criminal gangs so culturally powerful. It examines their codes of conduct, initiation rites, secret communications methods, origin myths, symbols, and the like that imbue the gangsters with the pride and nonchalance that goes hand in hand with their criminal activities. Mobsters are everywhere in the movies, on television, and on websites. Contemporary societies are clearly fascinated by them. Why is this so? What feature and constituents of organized criminal gangs make them so emotionally powerful-to themselves and others? These are the questions that have guided the writing of this textbook, which is intended as an introduction to organized crime from the angle of cultural analysis. Key topics include: * An historic overview of organized crime, including the social, economic, and cultural conditions that favour its development; * A review of the type of people who make up organized gangs and the activities in which they engage; * The symbols, rituals, codes and languages that characterize criminal institutions; * The relationship between organized crime and cybercrime; * The role of women in organized crime; * Drugs and narco-terrorism; * Media portrayals of organized crime. Organized Crime includes case studies and offers an accessible, interdisciplinary approach to the subject of organized crime. It is essential reading for students engaged with organized crime across criminology, sociology, anthropology and psychology.

Victim or villain?She's out of prison... Lauren Miller has served six years behind bars for a crime she did not commit. Now, with her life in tatters, she is determined to bring those who framed her to justice. Out for revenge...Journalist Nate Black is intrigued by Lauren's story. Is she the innocent victim she claims to be or is there more to her past? Eager to learn more he offers to help Lauren clear her name and bring the real villains to justice. And running out of time.But with millions of pounds still missing, Lauren remains the prime suspect...and the main target in an increasingly deadly game. And as Lauren's plan with Nate reaches its shocking climax, no one knows who will ultimately take the fall... A nail-biting revenge thriller, perfect for fans of Gemma Rogers, Heather Atkinson and Caro Savage. 'A brilliant read that hooked me from the outset. The Fall is a tale of sweet revenge that I couldn't tear myself away from!' Bestselling author Gemma Rogers.

The brand new instalment in Frances Evesham's bestselling Ham Hill Murder Mysteries!One unexplained disappearance is strange, but two are sinister. In Lower Hembrow, an idyllic village nestled beneath Ham Hill in Somerset, the villagers are preparing to enjoy the autumn traditions of the rural English countryside until Joe Trevillion, a curmudgeonly local farmer and the father of six children, vanishes. When Adam Hennessy, the ex-detective proprietor of The Plough, the village's popular Inn, investigates, he finds ominous undercurrents beneath apparently harmless rumour and gossip. Meanwhile, a vicious campaign of vindictiveness forces Adam and his three amateur sleuth friends to dig deep into the secret lives of their neighbours to expose the source of a cruel vendetta and prevent another death. As they uncover the disturbing truth, the friends learn they must also lay their own past lives to rest before they can hope to make their dreams for the future come true. A brand new cosy mystery series from the bestselling author of A Village Murder, and A Racing Murder perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Betty Rowlands and M.C. Beaton. Other Books in the Ham Hill Murder Mystery series by Frances Evesham A Village Murder A Racing Murder Also by Frances Evesham - The Exham-on-Sea Murder Mystery Series Murder at the Lighthouse Murder on the Levels Murder on the Tor Murder at the Cathedral Murder at the Bridge Murder at the Castle Murder at the Gorge Murder at the Abbey

There is extensive and detailed academic literature on the legal development of international crimes such as war crimes and crime against humanity. However, not much attention has been paid to other serious crimes, including narcotics-related offences, human trafficking and money laundering, which do not necessarily amount to international crimes in the traditional sense. The purpose of this monograph is to fill this gap and offer a critical analysis of developments in the field of transnational organised crime under international law. The book is divided into two parts. Part I is entitled "Norms, Principles, and Concepts." It traces the history of organised crime and explores key concepts and norms relating to the practice from a multi-disciplinary perspective. It then looks at legal obligations imposed upon States as well as non-State actors in relation to transnational organised crime. Part II illustrates how these norms, principles and obligations are translated and enforced in practice. This will be done through case studies at the level of national law (Thailand, Serbia and the UK), regional law (European Union) and international law (United Nations). "A book of many parts, its thematic coherence comes from its devotion to identifying the social threat posed by organised crime and the legal steps taken at the international and national levels against that threat. Rich with example and illustration and written in a light, direct, style, it will provide a lucid guide for practitioners, policy-makers and students to the largely untraversed territory of the international legal system set up to suppress transnational organised crime." Professor Neil Bolster, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. "...the international law governing organized crime is a close relative of the body of law applicable to the International Criminal Court and similar institutions. It provides a forum to address issues of more general concern, such as the scope of universal jurisdiction, immunities, statutory limitation and extradition. Tom Obokata's study, with its original and in some ways unique perspective, enriches our knowledge of the field". Professor William Schabas, Irish Centre for Human Rights. "The book is well written, its documentation is quite exhaustive, and its thesis is timely and compelling." Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni, DePaul University College of Law.

After high school graduation, Seely is forced to move out on her own. She reluctantly decides to move to Hawaii and stay with her sister until she can find a place of her own. She is offered a job with a well-known nightclub in Waikiki serving cocktails. There, she is introduced to the dark side of life.

One evening on her shift, she hears ominous words directed at Mark, the assistant manager. When she turns to see who said these words-no one is there. Then the next morning tragedy strikes. Mark is found in a cane field shot to death. Seely suspects the Hawaiian Mafia is involved, but has no solid proof.

When the Mafia starts coming after her, believing Seely knows of the murder, she finds herself plunged into a nightmare. Why are they targeting her? Could she have seen or heard something that she was unaware of? Seely knows her life is in grave danger and decides to leave Hawaii, hoping to escape their clutches-except they are informed of her moves. After many years of trying to figure out her connection with Mark's murder, Seely faces the truth.

From the glistening sands of Hawaii to the white mountains of Alaska, The Kennedy Half-Dollar delivers an eclectic and unconventional true crime memoir of nonstop action and suspense-with background music to set the mood.

'I thoroughly enjoyed this intriguing mystery set in a beautiful location with deliciously menacing undercurrents.' Frances Evesham It was meant to be a safe place to start again...In need of an escape from her failing marriage, Nia agrees to house-sit her aunt's cottage on the Isle of Wight. She feels sure the cosy close in a quaint harbour town will be a safe place to hide and figure out what to do next. But things are not all as they seem in the close, and the neighbours who welcome her with open arms, are keeping secrets. When Nia finds the body of one of her new friends lying on the beach, she feels sickeningly sure that the killer is dangerously near to home. Who killed her friend and why did she have to die? And if Nia discovers the answers she's looking for, is she next on their hit list? Good neighbours may become good friends, but they can also make deadly enemies... Mary Grand's intricate psychological mysteries set on the Isle of Wight are perfect for fans of Claire Douglas, Lucy Foley, Agatha Christie and The Isle of Wight Murders. What readers are saying about Mary Grand: 'Truly a great puzzler with a superb ending! I HIGHLY Recommend!!!' 'Wow I'm so so impressed it had me gripped start to finish and I couldn't put it down. I completed within 1 night and such a page turner' 'So many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing to the very end. An excellent read.' 'Brilliant if you love psychological thrillers like me.' 'A sinister "whodunit" that is not your typical police procedural.'

MADE is Book 1 of an Epic, Crime Thriller;Trilogy. It's about Andy Cooper; a military vet, turned hustler, turned Gangster, turned Crime Boss. His marriage is on the rocks; fresh out of the military, AC finds himself broke and lost with a Wife and three kids to feed. Trapped in Sin City and working any job he can get from day to day, to make ends meet. Hating the state of mind he's in right now, a really fucked up way to be Gone are the days when Uncle Sam paid for housing, day care and groceries. Now, all own his own again, with no idea of where life is going to take him. One thing for sure, Andy "AC" Cooper no longer wanted to wear that Army uniform another day. Coop loved every minute of it and would not trade it for the world but the next chapter of his life was about to start. It just so happen that he landed in Las Vegas, one of the hardest cities to make it in, it is truly the land of the Hustler. What the outsiders don't know is that beneath the bright neon lights, the delicious buffets and luxurious casino's, lays a whole different world that would eventually suck him in. Inspired by True Events...

ORGANIZED CRIME examines how criminal groups are organized; the widening of their business activities; and the statutes, agencies, and techniques used to combat organized crime. Updated throughout, the eleventh edition reflects the decline of the American Mafia, its importance dwindling as new criminal organizations emerge. The text also explains how criminal organizations operating on a global scale have become more sophisticated and more threatening, and examines additional crime groups that have been added to the pantheon we refer to as organized crime.

View the Table of Contents. Read the Introduction.

aAs a recognized expert in the field, Hamm is eminently qualified to prepare this text on the subject of terrorism from the criminal law perspective. . . . The text is written in a clear, lively manner.a
--"Choice"

aDrawing on six case studies of terrorist attacks by radical Islamists and right-wing racists, Hamm writes that American counterterrorist agencies have neglected some basic insights from scholarly criminology.a
--"The Chronicle of Higher Education"

"Read this book to understand the important nexus between terrorism and crime! This cutting edge analysis suggests a new approach to defeat the terrorist threat to the United States."
--Marc Sageman, author of "Understanding Terror Networks"

"Hamm's clear writing style, careful research and theoretical insights promise to make this a classic in criminology."
--William J. Chambliss, author of "Power, Politics, and Crime"

"[Provides] the first detailed account of how crime provides logistical support for terrorist strikes. By blending the study of terrorism and criminology, Hamm offers the possibility of detecting and stopping terrorism through the pursuit of conventional methods of criminal investigation."
--Gary LaFree, Director, START, National Center for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism University of Maryland Department of Criminology/Democracy

Car bombing, suicide bombing, abduction, smuggling, homicide, and hijacking are all profoundly criminal acts. In Terrorism as Crime Mark S. Hamm presents an understanding of terrorism from a criminological point of view, arguing that the most successful way to understand, detect, prosecute and deter these acts is to use conventional criminal investigation methods. Whether in Oklahoma City or London, Terrorism as Crime demonstrates that criminal activity is the lifeblood of terrorist groups and that there are simple common denominators at work that can remove the mystery surrounding many of these terrorist groups. Once understood the vulnerabilities of these organizations can be exposed.

This important volume focuses in on six case studies of crimes committed by jihad and domestic right wing groups, including biographies of more than two dozen terrorists along with descriptions of their organizations, strategies, and terrorist plots. Terrorism as Crime offers an original and significant framework for explaining international and domestic terrorism, as well as how future acts might be detected or exposed.

Written by a former NYPD cyber cop, this is the only book available that discusses the hard questions cyber crime investigators are asking.
The book begins with the chapter What is Cyber Crime? This introductory chapter describes the most common challenges faced by cyber investigators today. The following chapters discuss the methodologies behind cyber investigations; and frequently encountered pitfalls. Issues relating to cyber crime definitions, the electronic crime scene, computer forensics, and preparing and presenting a cyber crime investigation in court will be examined. Not only will these topics be generally be discussed and explained for the novice, but the hard questions the questions that have the power to divide this community will also be examined in a comprehensive and thoughtful manner.
This book will serve as a foundational text for the cyber crime community to begin to move past current difficulties into its next evolution.
* This book has been written by a retired NYPD cyber cop, who has worked many high-profile computer crime cases
* Discusses the complex relationship between the public and private sector with regards to cyber crime
* Provides essential information for IT security professionals and first responders on maintaining chain of evidence"

The Joy of Stats offers a reader-friendly introduction to applied statistics and quantitative analysis in the social sciences and public policy. Perfect as an undergraduate text or self-study manual, it emphasizes how to understand concepts, interpret algorithms and formulas, analyze data, and answer research questions. This brand new edition offers examples and visualizations using real-life data, a revised discussion of statistical inference, and introductory examples in R and SPSS. The third edition has been extensively reorganized with shorter chapters and closer links between concepts and formulas, while retaining useful pedagogical features including key terms, practice exercises, a math refresher, and playful inserts on "the mathematical imagination." The Joy of Stats also places a strong emphasis on learning how to write and speak clearly about data results. Supported by a companion website with data sets and additional resources, The Joy of Stats is a superb choice for introducing students to applied statistics and for refreshing and reviewing stats as a social scientist, public policy professional, or community activist.

The BRAND NEW gritty gangland thriller from Heather Atkinson!To survive, they'll need to stick together...After the defeat of the rival Gordon and Thompson families, the Blood Brothers' reputations as feared lieutenants of the McVay clan are firmly established. The Gallowburn has become an untouchable stronghold in their capable hands. However, danger rears its head in another form - Jamie's deadliest foe, Cameron Abernethy. Still fighting to be released from prison, Cameron decides to use the Lawson family, the Blood Brothers' biggest rivals, to discover his daughter's whereabouts. With his enemies getting closer, and the police on his tail too, Jamie has some impossible choices to make. This is his last chance to live the life he's dreamed of with the woman he loves, but first he's got to make sure he's not caught or killed... If you love Kimberley Chambers, and Jessie Keane, you'll love Blood Pact. 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.'

He's inside her home. Successful novelist Mia is being stalked. Photos of her and her four-year-old daughter arrive in untraceable emails that demand Mia perform various tasks or else . . . Terrified, Mia tries to escape, but the killer follows her all the way to Italy. In desperation, she returns home, but nowhere is safe. Meanwhile, DI Gravel is investigating the murder of three women. The detective's last case pushed him to new extremes. Now with his health failing and his career at an end, what lengths will Gravel go to in order to catch a vicious killer? Once you've crossed the line, can you ever turn back? This is the fourth book in the dark, edge-of-your-seat Carmarthen Crime thriller series set in the stunning West Wales countryside. *Previously published as Every Move You Make*