5 comments about The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia: Corn Sugar and Blood.

1. There was room for five families in New York. In Cleveland there was only room for one. The Lonardos and the Porellos struggle to control the manufacture and distribution of liquor during prohibition is well-chronicled in this work. Moe Dalitz financing of Las Vegas casinos is discussed. The book even continues on into the racketeering of Danny Greene and the ILA in the 1970's.



2. Organized crime flourishes beyond New York and Chicago and the mob wars of Cleveland, during Prohibition and since, were as colorful and violent as any elsewhere. Rick Porrello is a fantastic writer, a dedicated Mafia researcher, and as both a Cleveland cop and a descendant of Joe Porrello has the inside track on the Cleveland Hit Parade!



3. Great historical facts. Could have been better if it flowed better with less jumping around. Would have enjoyed learning the facts more if it had been done as a factual novel. A must read for any history buff interested in the Clevland area.



4. I love mob books and this one doesn't dissappoint. Must have for the mob book lover.



5. What a book!!! I had no idea Cleveland even had a mob until I started researching Tampa's mob history. There I found out about the Hotel Statler mob meeting back in the 20s, and later when I read up on Vegas and found out about Moe Dalitz. This book gives you insight into the art of rumrunning. This borgata starts out so fierce in the beginning, but just died off and lost strength due to guys getting old, getting killed, and getting flipped. Thanks to this book I'm no longer in the dark about the full scale of organized crime in America.

1 comments about Environmental Crime: A Sourcebook.

1. The text is a huge step toward increasing research on environmental crimes. It provides resources for the acute researcher.

5 comments about Shots in the Dark: True Crime Pictures.

1. Although light on detail, this book, based on a Court TV documentary, provides a good general overview of the history of true crime photography. Some of the images are compelling - though they can almost all be acquired elsewhere. For example, the images of early 20th century New York homicides are culled from Luc Sante's Evidence. However, if you're looking for an introduction to the Morbid Side of Photography, this is a great place to start. The book is divided into six general sections: Crime Scenes, Killers, Sensational Cases (such as infamous thrill killers Leopold and Loeb and John List who murdered his entire family in 1971), Retribution (such as the lynching of three rape suspects in San Francisco), Gangsters (such as Bugsy Siegel), and Presidential Assassins (such as Lee Harvey Oswald). An endlessly entertaining, if lightweight, morbid concoction.



2. Better photos, better writing. If a photo was interesting, the author didn't give much information. In fact she might go on and on about a crime for which there wasn't a photo. If a picture was really interesting, she gave extremely limited info. And I couldn't figure out who or what the 4th picture of the Lizzie Borden axe murder was (author didn't bother to specify - if it was the father's, someone took off his clothes and moved his body onto a different piece of furniture for some reason). All I could gather throughout was that she believes crime is society's fault - not the perpetrator's.



3. "Shots in the Dark"is a book of crime-related photographs...Many of them are quite explicit and full of gore..I cannot for the life of me understand why the two people responsible for this volume,so-called"photo historian"Gail Buckland,and"authority"on photography Harold Evans seem to think that we require thier windy ramblings in order to "understand"the"meanings"behind these pictures..I mean,really !Is it that hard to understand,for example,that the woman pictured on page 50 is dead,and was the victim of a murderer?Not that the captions are unwelcome...no...it is the essay work,especially the stuff written by Evans,that grates..Buckland likes to publish books which feature photographs of the dead,the more grotesque and mutiliated the better...In her earlier volume,entitled"Looking at Death" she features a picture of the mutiliated corpse of Benito Mussolini and his galpal Clara Pettachi after they had been lowered from the beam in the town square where they had been hung by thier feet after execution...Il Duce's face is horrible to behold,and yet Buckland rhapsodises about the"meaning"of this picture,as if it has any apart from shock value and/or historical content...I cannot help but think that most who buy that book,or "shots in the dark"will mainly do so to be shocked or titilliated...a few will do so for the historical aspect...a very very few will do so in order to be helpled by either Buckland or Evans to grasp the alledged"meanings"associated with these pictures..
   As mentioned earlier,the text by Evans is especially annoying...Evans apparently sees some cosmic meaning in these pictures..A picture of cops arresting someone...a pair of 1920s men who fell,or were pushed down an elevator shaft..By golly,if we look hard enough we can discern the secrets of the universe in these pictures,or so Evans seems to imply...BALDERDASH !
   There has recently been a spate of such books,which would suggest that the public is perhaps tired of the fake gore,blood and guts to be had on both the big and the little screens,and wants to look at something real...Maybe ,like the long ago romans,we yearn for admission to the arena,where some real gladiators can kill one another,or some real christians can be eaten alive for our pleasure,and ,for most of us,these pictures take the place of the afore-mentioned entertainments?...
   If you want some explicit real-life photographs,many involving murder and torture,then this book will fill the bill...but if you want the answer to the meaning of life,or even what these pictures are supposed to"mean",go somewhere else,because Buckland and Evans haven't got a clue.



4. If you are entertained by the disturbing, this book is great for keeping your sick mind entertained and your idle hands out of entrails. I would also recommend this book to anyone who isn't afraid to look through the eyes of a crime photographer of times past and appreciate the gall it took to actually take some of these pictures. The text in this book is not that fantastic, but it would be very hard to find words more interesting and memorable than the faces in these photographs. So...jeah...good (picture) book.



5. It wasn't as detailed as Death Scenes but still gives it a great run for the money. I'd recommend it for anyone who is fascinated with forensics. If given the chance, I would still buy it again.

1 comments about Dead and Gone.

1. Dead and Gone is another fine example of Manly Wade Wellman's ability to breathe life into stories from the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding communities. This collection of 10 famous murders from 1808 to 1914 reveals a time when women were idealized and men of the community mobilized rapidly to hunt down a suspected murderer or escaped prisoner. The collection covers a variety of crimes from murder for revenge to poisoning for profit. Mr. Wellman's gift for clear and finely crafted language help the reader envision the times and places he writes about. Included is the story of the murder committed by Frances Silver; Sharon McCrumb expanded on this tale in her novel The Ballad of Frankie Silver. I wish more of Mr. Wellman's books were available; so many are out of print and difficult to find. Wouldn't it be wonderful to help a new generation of readers discover the fine writing of his genius through reissues!

5 comments about Mortal Remains: A True Story of Ritual Murder.

1. Fall River is well known for its Lizzie Borden murders but these murders in 1978 were so much more gruesome than the Bordens. The scary part was that I knew some of these people including Carl Drew. This book is worth reading because it tells you how cults operate and how dangerous they are.



2. i HAVE READ THE BOOK.AND IT IS VERY WELL DETAILED ON HOW THE MURDERS BEGAN IN THAT MASSACHUSETTS TOWN.I LIVED THERE FOR ALL MY LIFE.AND THE TOWN WAS KNOWN FOR PROSTITUTES AND IT STLL IS THAT WAY TODAY.
   I THINK THAT IT IS ONE OF THE TRAGEDIES THAT YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BECAUSE IT IS SO GRUESOME AND HORRIFYING TO JUST IMAGINE.



3. Since this book is unfortunately out of print, I was excited to find a cheap used copy in good condition and having lived in Fall River all my life, it was interesting to read about the "cult murders" that happened about a year or so prior to my birth. The book goes into detail of the interviews,the trials, and the way the victims met their brutal demise. It also includes some great pictures although I was disappointed that they did not include any pictures of one of the victims (barbara raposa). However, it is a very read interesting read and you wont be disappointed.



4. Twenty-five years have passed since the guilty have been sentenced. Robin Murphy may be released, but new facts have been uncovered to the murders and many of the characters are going to be exposed. These facts caused authorities to reopen this case and by the end of this summer (2004) a new trial will occur. I am sure there will be a sequel to Scammell's novel and many prominent people will lose their credibility.



5. Henry Scammell is a freelance writer who consulted with Dr. Douglas Ubelaker, a physical anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institution. This book is based on the evidence contained in the legal processes. The `Preface' acknowledges those who helped the author. Where there were no verbatim records Scammell relied on memories and reports. The first two chapters read like they were a novel. On October 13, 1979 the body of a young woman was found under the bleachers of the Vo-Tech High School. It was Doreen Levesque, a 17-year old with a troubled life (p.28). There is a short history of Fall River, once the cotton-spinning center of the world (pp.31-32). The result was a depressed town. On January 26, 1980 another body of a young woman was found. The police continued their investigations.
   
   A man bought a lot near Devol Pond and began to clear away the brush. He found a skull and the police were called (Chapter 22). Was Karen Marsden killed because of a love triangle (Chapter 23)? The first American murder trial that involved the identification of a skeleton was that of Professor John Webster for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, both from the Harvard Medical School (Chapter 24). Scammell tells of the alleged murder victim who returned just in time to stop an execution (p.193). [F. Lee Bailey told of another case, and there is the famous Boorne case.] Chapter 24 tells about the work of the Smithsonian Institute. Chapter 25 reveals the facts about two of the murders. Robin Murphy, Carl Drew, and Carl Davis were indicted for the murder of Karen Marsden (Chapter 26).
   
   Because of pre-trial publicity the trial was moved to Fitchburg in Worcester county (Chapter 33). Dr. Douglas Ubelaker explained how the skull fragment matched the x-ray of Karen Marsden (Chapter 34). Chapter 35 reconstructed the murder of Karen Marsden at Devol Pond from the trial testimony. The verdict was guilty of first degree murder (Chapter 36). Chapter 38 has the ending. The sex and dope trade has shifted to New Bedford. Ten murdered prostitutes have been found by the roads outside this city. The prosecutor quit to become a personal injury lawyer and help people.
   
   There are two faults in this book. It lacks an index, and maps of the Fall River area and the streets mentioned in this book. This book educates all who think Satanism was some fiction from Renaissance times and is not a danger today.

No comments about Walking On: A Daughter's Journey With Legendary Sheriff Buford Pusser.

No comments about New York Murder Mystery: The True Story Behind the Crime Crash of the 1990s.

3 comments about The Lyncher in Me: A Search for Redemption in the Face of History.

1. Warren Read is the great-grandson of Louis Dondino, one of the ringleaders of a riot in 1920 Duluth that led to the lynching of three circus workers accused of raping a young girl. In an effort to make amends, the city of Duluth dedicated a memorial to Elmer Jackson, Elias Clayton, and Isaac McGhie. Warren Read spoke at the ceremony, apologizing for what his great-grandfather did.
   
   Read follows Michael Fedo's (author of THE LYNCHINGS IN DULUTH) lead in disguising the names of the two young people responsible for the lies that resulted in the murder of the three blacks. If you're hoping for "the why" you won't find it here.
   
   Read provides some interesting anecdotes, mainly Elmer Jackson's rather casual response to his own hanging. Just before he died, he surrendered a pair of dice, saying "I guess I won't need these anymore."
   Another touching narrative was Louis Dondino's friendship with Black Bill, a railroad worker he knew later in life after he moved to Washington state. Warren Reid also spends most of the book complaining about his own dysfunctional family. His father also did time in prison for molesting his own children, and his stepfather seemed to revel in psychological if not physically abusing Warren. There's even a somewhat humorous incident involving a twelve-year old black girl who bullied Warren for an entire school year after he insulted her hair-do. Also, during the summer, Warren and his sister Karen would escape to their grandparents home in Wisconsin. Read does an excellent job describing what sounds like rural living from the nineteenth century. His grandparents had no indoor plumbing or electricity. They took sponge baths and got their water from a nearby spring.
   
   After his speech at the ceremony in Duluth, Read tracks down Elmer Jackson's relatives in Topeka, Kansas, and in Marshall, Missouri. His historical account of the all-black community of Pennytown near Marshall is extremely compelling. Coincidentally, while staying at a hotel in Topeka, Read, a gay man, just happens to run into a demonstration by The Westboro Baptist church led by Fred Phelps, the virulent homophobe, that picketed Matthew Shepherd's funeral in Laramie, Wyoming, and funeral of fallen Iraqi War veterans. Call me a cynic but this seemed like an awful coincidence.
   
   Much of Read's book is rather self-congratulatory, especially after he apologizes for his great-grandfather's part in the lynchings. It's easy to apologize for somebody else's mistakes. Read's version of the Lyncher in himself, was his hatred for the black girl who'd bullied him in his band class. If he'd confronted the Phelps demonstrators, I would have been more impressed.



2. This is an unusual book in that it's both a memoir and an interesting look at American history. Read manages to retell an event in compelling "true crime" fasion while laying the possible effects that event had on his family in the traditional "family dysfunction" memoir style. The fact that he seeks out the family of the victims for a kind of reconcilation might puzzle some people, but I thought it was a pretty amazing thing to do and the perfect ending to a powerful story. I thought the connection to Fred Phelps in Topeka was a timely reminder of intolerance today(I've been in Topeka and that family is out in the streets constantly, so the author very likely did see them). There were moments that struck me as "preachy" but maybe that was just my interpretation. This is a different kind of book--a real story where the author does more than just "tell", he dissects and reflects on his experience, so the reader needs to be prepared be more than just an observer of someone else's life. I didn't realize the lingering effects of this book until well after I put it down. A strong companion to other books written for this genre.



3. Lynchings of black Americans was a form of terrorism that existed too commonly in our country years ago. It's a legacy that still has a hold on society today and anyone who doesn't see that is fooling themselves. Read looks at the idea that the tendency to create violence--in society, within our families--is a reality that most of us could relate to. The writing in "The Lyncher in Me" is poetic and evokes stark images of dysfuntion, violence and, ultimately, redemption. The criticism that Read is "self-congratulatory" or "preachy" is absurd. I was able to hear him speak at a reading and from what I gathered upon meeting him, nothing could be further from the truth. He might be proud of what he's done, but after having heard and read about his experience, I think he's earned that right. He not only shoulders the task of trying to make amends for his family's role in the lychings, he goes above and beyond to try and put out a story for one of the victims.
   
   The final third of the book really delves vividly into the story of Elmer Jackson (one of the men lynched--Read wasn't able to find any leads on the other two men). It's clear in reading this portion that Read has taken great pains to meticulously research and reconstruct this man's life and history, including all things related to him. It's fascinating and impressive. I'm not sure that I would have the tenacity and determination to stick with something so daunting (especially since Read apparently is not only a writer, but a school teacher and a father to three growing boys).
   
   For those of us who come from family violence, it's a wonderful lesson in coming to terms with the humanness of those ugly parts of our family that we too often like to pretend are buried and forgotten. A beautifully written book, highly recommended.

2 comments about The Best American Crime Writing: 2004 Edition: The Year's Best True Crime Reporting.

1. Best American Crime Writing: 2004 Edition, $14.00 US, is an anthology of twenty crime stories gathered by Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook. These yarns were originally published in magazines -- such as Atlanta, Details, GQ, and The New Yorker -- that were sold in 2003. Some are similar in topic, but each story is extremely unique as told from the vantage point of its author. Some big name writers happened to appear in this issue, such as James Ellroy, Jon Krakauer, and Scott Turow, but I prefer the original tack of "lesser known authors" that the Editors pursued in previous issues. This edition also includes an introduction by Joseph Wambaugh, whom discusses the need for tort reform to protect crime writers from frivolous lawsuits in a concise six page case -- but it seems that with these buzz words, he's really trying to score points with politicians in this, an election year.
   
   
   My favorite story in this collection is "Ciudad de la Muerte," a feature that first appeared in Texas Monthly, and that was written by Cecilia Balli. "Ciudad de la Muerte," is both chilling and riveting -- a story of the disappearance of more than three hundred women from Juarez, Mexico, over the last eleven years. But more specifically -- it narrows in on an incident whereby eight bodies were found in canals and irrigation ditches of a cotton field in 2001, and the aftermath of that specific grisly discovery. It's a particularly strong piece, because the writer examines her own fears as she explores the city of Juarez, the shady justice system of Mexico, and the final fate of these women. I'm curious about one thing though, and it's not really clear from the writing, or at least to me. One of the girls that disappeared in that November was named Esmerelda Monnreal, and on page 18 the storyteller reveals that Esmerelda had an older sister named Cecilia also, that had moved to Colorado with her husband. Is this in fact the same Cecilia that authored the story? Or is she simply sympathizing with the victim, because of coincidental names? I could use some clarification on that question. Based on the quality of her work, I'm very eager to read the finished book that Balli is deriving from this piece. This story may also spur you to do further reading on the subject, and spur you to support political action on the matter. Try Googling "Juarez" AND "Disappeared," and reading everything. You may want to write a letter to your Representative or Senator, after perusing these pages, to exhort them to involve the FBI in an investigation of these murders, which should not be allowed to go unsolved, because these women certainly deserve some kind of Justice.
   
   My second "most liked" parable of the group is "Who Is The Boy In The Box?," a twenty-four page recounting of a forty-six year old mystery, penned by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, that first appeared in Philadelphia magazine. And it's a sad story. It's about a little boy that was found in a cardboard box, in a dump, off a path, beaten and dead in Northeast Philly's Fox Chase neighborhood. It's also about the man who ended up performing the fingerprinting and footprinting at the morgue that day, Bill Kelly. The case never left the young policeman's mind. He was 29 at the time the child was found, and consequently developed a lifelong dedication to the case. His most fervent wish was to simply give the boy a name, because somebody must have loved the boy at some point, right? He couldn't imagine anyone harming a child like that, or that the child would be buried in a potter's field, no name on the stone. Police were baffled by "the boy in the box," because every lead fizzled. Other people took interest too -- Remington Bristow, an ME's investigator. The Vidocq Society, a detective, Sam Weinstein. Someone in another Medical Examiner's office, Joe McGillen. In 1998, after the boy was exhumed for modern DNA testing, he was reburied in Ivy Hill Cemetery, in Mt. Airy, PA. The case was featured on America's Most Wanted in 1999, spawning dozens of leads. Someone then came forward with knowledge of the murder, and the facts checked out, and the story is plausible, although the woman did suffer from some psychiatric problems, and some minor lingering doubt remains. She said her mother killed the boy, the boy was purchased as an infant, that he was raised in their basement, and he was mute when he died. Bill Kelly had taken to calling the child Sean over the years, a good Irish name. But the woman that had finally come forward in 2000 gave Bill one small thing. In November of 2003, as he turned to leave from the grave, Bill touched the headstone and said "Good-bye, Jonathan, I'll see you again soon..."
   
   And I suppose my third favorite gem from this volume would be "Stephanie," a chronicle of the unsolved 1965 murder of Stephanie Lynn Gorman, a Los Angeles schoolgirl, as told by James Ellroy, that first appeared in GQ magazine. It's fair to say that Ellroy, who has a gift for writing about the past, is infatuated with his subject here -- and that his writing is eloquent and rhapsodic as usual. Ellroy didn't know the girl, but he's just slightly older, by a year, and he lived within five miles of the girl. The story starts while he's reviewing the murder book. Crime scene: a corner house, Hillsboro and Sawyer, West L.A.
   
   Detective Bureau/Homicide Division/LAPD
   DR#65-538-991 [Murder/187 PC]
   Victim: Stephanie Lynn Gorman/White Female/Age 16
   DOB: 06-11-1949 - DOD: 08-05-1965
   
   Ellroy clinically eyes the crime scene, breaks down the timeline, develops the suspects, pencils in the detectives, chases some leads. Dragnet type stuff. They sprint through 5,000 names. They turns up 201 rap sheets. They arrest a few possibilities -- but they're sprung. Of course he isn't really there, he's just imagining that he's there. A reconstruction. Powerful stuff. Ellroy's friend Rick Jackson tells him about Stephanie, late of Hamilton High. He's LAPD Homicide. It's the year 2000. Stephanie's sister attends a party. She's fiftyish, requests an update. Rick makes calls, Detective Dave Lambkin picks it up, sends unknown prints from the 1965 crime scene to the modern FBI, gets a print match. I'll leave the rest to you. Interestingly enough, you can still map some of the locations mentioned in the story "Stephanie" on MS Streets & Trips.
   
   
   For the purpose of this review, and in favor of leaving you some stories to discover on your own, I've decided to summarize only three of these non-fiction tales. Almost all of the other items in this anthology, such as A Miscarriage Of Justice, For The Love Of God, Not Guilty By Reason Of Afghanistan and Unfortunate Con are just as good, in terms of quality. There was only one story that I skimmed, and one that I couldn't bring myself to finish. I read the remaining eighteen, sometimes more than once. The trio of story lines I've decided to outline for you here are simply the most interesting in my opinion. Penzler and Cook did a fairly good job of selecting stories, but I really would like to see them select from a much greater pool of sources. I think the ideal mix would be three fifths magazine stories, two fifths long-form newspaper articles. And perhaps they should also consider including pieces that were published exclusively on the Internet. Currently they only survey magazine articles, which seems unfair, since so many newspapers also provide excellent crime writing. And having four stories in this issue from GQ? That seems like over representation to me. Ditto having some of the same authors appearing year after year, please, no Robert Draper in 2005. There are many great writers of crime fiction, so the Editors should really give more scribes a chance. And one last note for Base Art Co. who designed the back cover -- white on yellow was a horrid idea -- the story titles on the reverse were nearly illegible.
   
   And If you, my constant reader, seek out Best American Crime Writing: 2004 Edition based on the recommendation here, you'll probably also want to pick up Best American Crime Writing: 2003 Edition and Best American Crime Writing from 2002, the first in this series. Or you may also want to pursue six of the books I've hyperlinked below, which are by the authors that Cook. and Penzler chose to feature in this edition. If you'd like to send stories for possible inclusion in this series, submissions should be directed to Otto Penzler, c/o The Mysterious Bookshop, 129 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019.
   
   If any of the great authors that have contributed to this series happen to read this, may I please encourage you to write a story about Victoria Snelgrove, entitled "Non-Lethal Weapons?"



2. As the title says, enclosed in the pages of this book is the best American Crime Writing of the year. The stories cover a wide range of criminals, their crimes and the individuals victimized. By including different authors, the styles of each contrast nicely as each weaves his or her own tale. Each story and storyteller is unique. I have read the 2002 and the 2003 edition and this book lives up to its predecessors' lofty standards.

4 comments about The Case of Madeleine Smith: The Case of Madeleine Smith (Treasury of Victorian Murder (Graphic Novels)).

1. This book is a graphic-novel overview of a murder case that gripped the attention of mid-nineteenth-century Britain: Did Madeleine Smith, Glasgow socialite, poison her inconvenient lover, Pierre L'Anglier, or didn't she?
   
   Geary does not come down on the side of innocence or guilt; he presents the facts of the case, in his own inimitable drawing style, and lets the reader come to his or her own conclusions. I would say that the clue to innocence or guilt is there, but you have to be paying attention to see it---and I won't spoil the book for others by pointing it out. It's just one small fact that can't be explained otherwise.
   
   This book's recommended for anybody interested in the case, or in true crime or classic crime in general. About the only reason I didn't give it five stars is that Geary apparently swallowed the story of Madeleine living her old age out in New York City out whole, without checking it out. It could be, but it also might not be, the truth---and without digging the corpse in question up and checking its DNA with known relatives of Smith, there's no way to know.



2. Geary does what might be called documentary graphic novels, the best known of which is his series of true crime stories. This one is set in Glasgow in the late 1850s and involves an overly-romantic young gentleman and the young-ish daughter of a prominent architect who carry on a clandestine love affair -- until Madeleine gets tired of the whole thing, takes up with a man her father approves of, and then has to keep her paramour from outing her. Enter arsenic. The ex-boyfriend dies in great pain, the government brings murder charges, and a trial ensues. Even though their styles are nothing at all alike, Geary always reminds me of Edward Gorey -- the sly depiction of violence, the sense of inevitability, the decorous text. This is great stuff.



3. The Case of Madeleine Smith is one of the Treasury of Victorian Murder series. Rick Geary starts off with bibliographic references used in creating the book, a map of Scotland noting the towns germane to the major characters, and a map of the City of Glasgow in 1857 and its surrounding area. All these help the reader to visualize the relative locations of the action. The writing is clear and the artwork is amazing in that you can picture yourself in the story as an observer, and the surprise is when you look up and find yourself in your living room.
   
   On Monday 23 March 1857, Emile L'Anglier arrives at his lodging house seriously ill. He dies later the same day. Notes in his journal cause the arrest of his fiancé Madeleine Smith, who is actually engaged to another man, William Minnock. But all the evidence points to Madeleine.
   
   Geary clearly sets out the evidence going over the background of Emile L'Anglier and Madeleine Smith, the love affair, letters, journal entries, and actions prior to Emile's death. He covers the highlights of the court proceedings, the verdict, and follows up with what happened to some of the major characters in later years.
   
   I found the writing clear and concise. Geary only sets forth the facts about what happened and lets the reader decide if the court's decision was the correct one. It would seem a cut and dried case but the prior history of the major figures casts doubts. What happened may not be what it seems -- there is definitely doubt about motives.
   
   I think if more history was told as clearly with only the facts presented and the reader left to think about the ramifications and possible outcomes and how things might have been avoided or outcomes changed; it would make history much more exciting and interactive as a learning process. I found this illustrated presentation of The Case of Madeleine Smith thought provoking. The artwork is also clear and closely tied to the narrative so that the two are seamless as you're reading.



4. Geary has built up so much good will in this series that I will continue to buy them... but this is just an average entry. In 1857 a Glasgow man dies, his secret girlfriend is a suspect. At her trial she gets off. This story really lacks developments or nuances, but it's still kind of long. I pulled the Jack the Ripper edition out to refresh my memory about why I love these books and was struck by visuals that were stronger, more dynamic and more imaginative. This book conforms to the more procedural aspects of Geary's The Beast of Chicago, relaying even run-of-the-mill (non-interesting) aspects of the case. For all the detail in this book (It might be the thickest volume) I really craved more complications. There just aren't any major moments in it, or anything that makes your blood curdle. Here again, as in the Borden Tragedy and Mary Rogers, Geary tracks the protagnist into old age, but those two stories had a coda. This has none. There's no final incident that makes Madeleine's story pursuable. It seems to be here because it's become the usual way to end the stories.
   
   If you want the best recent volume, buy the Bloody Benders, a gory story with developments that pull you through multiple acts. With his next edition, Geary jumps to the 20th Century for the Lindbergh kidnapping. I'm looking forward to that, but I really hope he can continue to bring nineteenth century stories to the attention of fans and readers.