No comments about Jack el destripador y otros asesinos en serie.

5 comments about Jack the Ripper A to Z.

1. This book written in encyclopedia form, lists all the people associated with the Jack the Ripper murders such as witnesses, informants, suspects, residents, inspectors, etc. There is a summary for each person mentioned, which is very informative. This is an excellent source to have by your side when reading other books on the Ripper. It is invaluable!



2. I had to write a research paper on the Ripper murders, and I found this book invaluable. Grab it as soon as possible. I reccommend it 100%



3. I found this book extremely well researched, well done begg,fido and skinner. I have been interested in the jack the ripper mystery for some years now,and this book was the first to introduce me to such little known suspects as william h piggot.He was arrested in a public house not far from whitechapel after causing a disturbance, and was found to have a torn bloodstained shirt in his possession plus a severe bite mark on his hand(the day after a ripper murder).Then there was edward mckenna, arrested for suppossedly threatening people with a knife.When he was taken to the police station for questioning and told to empty his pockets, they contained amongst other things several metal and cardboard boxes!(the ripperologists out there will know) that a month after mckenna was arrested,Mr lusk recieved a human kidney delivered by post in a (cardboard box). These little gems of knowledge have been brought to life in this alphabettically arranged guide of who's who ,from the bobby on the street to the head of police investigations.A breath of fresh air, much better than the usual claptrap about the prince of wales etc.



4. In his Foreword to this reference book, Donald Rumbelow states that "contrary to popular belief, the pre-occupation with the Ripper is not anti-feminist".

   Oh, thank you for the sour persimmons, Donald Rumbelow. Now all can revel in the mystery of Jack the Ripper with clear consciences and without having to worry about being affiliated with those horrible (chooey!) anti-feminists.

   And your clarification was necessary because, as everyone knows, when we are not blowing up abortion clinics, anti-feminists are indeed in the habit of committing serial murders of women and ritualistically using their blood to brew our sacred malt liquor.
   Sheesh!

   And Rumbelow also states that he has no doubt that the mystery will eventually be solved. He wrote that in 1991 before the Maybrick Diary was publicized, but some of us think that the Maybrick Diary contains the solution to the mystery, and yet the debate rages on.

   What would have to happen in order for the mystery to be solved to the satisfaction of MOST, let alone EVERYONE? In the wake of the Maybrick storm, Rumbelow's prediction seems naïve today.

   But notwithstanding the Forward, this is a very good reference work, usable for both novice and expert, for which the editors, Paul Begg, Martin Fido, and Keith Skinner deserve much credit.

   They appear to have overlooked no detail of information or speculation or tradition associated with Jack the Ripper. When one sees an entire entry devoted to "Smith, H - Undertaker of Hanbury Street, who supplied hearse for Annie Chapman", one must acknowledge that the editors truly appear to have left no stone unturned.

   Maybe they went a little too far. Does it advance the study of the Ripper mystery to list every fanciful movie or TV show based on that theme, including the Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold"?

   The authors are modest enough about what they have done and do not vouch for 100% accuracy, but as corrections are brought to their attention, they appear to be dutifully acknowledged and included in each new edition of this book.

   Where there are disputes, the authors usually present all sides well and demonstrate impartiality in their analysis. Usually. I especially appreciate their presentation of the dispute over the "Lusk kidney" (genuine kidney removed from Ripper victim, Catherine Eddowes, or medical student hoax?)

   But what's this - "(O)n the basis of handwriting analysis, there currently seems little doubt that Maybrick did not write the Journal"? Uh - no. Even the most stalwart Maybrickian might have to admit that the handwriting in the diary is a problem, but that remark from "A to Z" unacceptably crosses the boundary between impartial analysis and opinion.

   And what of the famous "Dear Boss" letters written to the Central News Agency, which were signed "Jack the Ripper", from which the East End murderer acquired his legendary nickname? If the letters were contemporary hoaxes and weren't written by the murderer, it isn't really accurate to refer to the murderer as "Jack the Ripper".

   When the editors solemnly intone (correctly) that "most researchers" have concluded that the letters were indeed hoaxes, I am inclined to believe that they are slyly using the weight of majority opinion to browbeat the reader into agreeing.

   Begg and Fido are certainly part of the "growing consensus" on this issue - do they ever advertise a willingness to go AGAINST the consensus?

   And yet, among other things, the "Dear Boss" letters were taken seriously at the time by the police and were written by someone who appears to display the extreme cocksureness of the serial killer. They were written by someone who seems to know that human blood thickens quickly and can't be saved for later use as ink. And they were written by someone who seems POSITIVE that more murders are yet to come. Moreover, they are written in the same hand as that which wrote a threatening letter to a police witness who might have seen the murderer - hardly the work of a hoaxing publicity hound.

   So why the consensus AGAINST the authenticity of these letters? Could it be that most Ripperologists have their own favorite suspects, who were unable or unlikely to have written the "Dear Boss" letters, and that these Ripperologists merely alter their view of the letters to conform to their own pre-drawn conclusions?

   Begg and Fido wrote about the Ripper before publishing this reference work. Each of them named a different poverty-stricken lunatic semi-literate Polish Jew as the most likely Ripper candidate. Neither of their candidates could have written in the good copperplate hand that wrote the "Dear Boss" letters. Are Begg and Fido expediently allowing their objectivity to be clouded by taking false reassurance from the opinion of "most researchers"?

   Ripperologists are confident about issues such as this because of consensuses that they learn about by reading the works of Ripperologists. Did the police operate this way? No wonder Jack was never caught in his lifetime.

   In their published commentary about Jack the Ripper, Begg, Fido, and Skinner have proven themselves to be of impartial disposition and advocates of fair treatment for all points of view. They have shown themselves to be friends of the truth, whatever that truth may prove to be. But I am reminded of a book on realpolitik that I once read, in which it was observed that a friend is someone that you can trust 80% of the time.

   With that in mind, a rating of four stars out of a possible five seems quite appropriate.




5. This book is basically an alphabetized glossary of every person that conceivably had anything to do with the Jack the Ripper story. Even masochist-poet Algernon Charles Swinburne was proposed as a Ripper suspect! It's an intriguing and helpful catologue of names and brief biographies focusing on Ripper connections. This book will appeal especially to those readers who already have some knowledge of the case from books.

   David Rehak
   author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

1 comments about Gross Misconduct.

1. I grew up in the 1970's as a big hockey fan. I loved the hard-nosed scrappers. None was more hard-nosed or scrappier than Brian Spencer. I knew Brian as an exciting, intense player, who had a decent career playing for a few teams.
   What I did not know was the hardships he faced all through his life. His father was an overly intense man, who once knocked out a young Brian while 'teaching' him to be a better player. His father would also play a tragic part in Brian's first NHL game.
   After his career, Brian's life went in a downhill slide which included a murder trial. Brian was eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence, but the ordeal took its' toll.
   Eventually, Spencer's life seemed to be on the upswing, only to have tragedy intervene once again. This time, it was permanent, as Spencer was killed while being held up.
   This is a great book, which examines every part of Spencer's life. This is an honest look into Spencer's life on and off the ice, which was often sad, tragic and ugly.
   After Spencer's career ended, I, as a young fan, wrote a letter to Spencer's family trying to obtain a signed picture. I had no idea what was developing in his life, until the FBI called my house to determine my involvement with Spencer. I was advised to stop my attempt to communicate with him until all was resolved. After reading this book, I finally got the whole story.

1 comments about Dead Before Deadline: ...And Other Tales from the Police Beat (Ohio History and Culture).

1. I bought this book because my grandmother is Jeanette Nichols. I was rather disappointed in the way the story was portrayed. I would have hoped that the Author (Mr. Yocum) would have had all the facts before putting this to print. It seemed to me that the story was about Ron and his wife (Barb) and not my grandmother (Jeanette) and the family members (blood relatives) who were left behind. I never had the pleasure of knowing my grandmother, but have heard the facts and stories from those who were really involved.
   
   Kindly,
   
   A loving grandson

No comments about The Bridge: The Eric Volz Story.

2 comments about Starrs Treks.

1. I went to school with these two girls. They were in my class!! It's amazing to know that this case was never solved, especially in this day of DNA. I was disheartened by two things. One, most of the names were changed. If the real names were put in the book, I might have had more of an idea who did it. Because I was pretty much in the same circles as these girls. Number two, the last 3/4 of the book was just letters that Detective Horak wrote to people asking for help. It became quite redundant. I'm trying to find the next book he wrote on this matter called "Truth and Justice". I can't find it anywhere!! Help



2. To escape the insanity of this world, read this book. It starts out during the 1930's depression with 'true' tall tales
   experienced by my father thru the present years. At the family
   dinners, my father would tell some of the most funniest, wildest, stories that left us thinking 'naw, it can't be true'. These stories are in the book for you to enjoy.

1 comments about BATHSHUA: "The Most Extrordinary Crime ever Perpetrated in New England...".

1. If you're a fan of meticulously researched historical novels and great storytelling, this book is for you. In Bathshua, Bojan Hamlin Jennings takes an actual historical event - the murder of a Massachusetts trader during Revolutionary War times and the trial of his wife for complicity in the crime - and fashions a compelling novel with fascinating characters. Two stories unfold side by side - the historical one of the founding of our country, and Bathshua's personal story. As the colonies struggle for independence, we see Bathshua more and more deeply imprisoned in an abusive marriage to a man who is not what he seems. Author Jennings skillfully creates an entirely plausible motive for the murder, and takes us through the trial, the first of its kind in the new American court system. I was up late finishing this one.

2 comments about Still at Large: A Casebook of 20th Century Serial Killers Who Eluded Justice.

1. Still at Large is like a medium sized (299 pages) encyclopedia from the infamous to relatively unknown crimes. Listed A-Z from the "Alphabet" murders to "House of Horrors" murders to The "Zodiac".

   It has well known crimes like The Zodiac, Bella Kiss, Kingsbury Run murders (The torso killer) and MANY MANY lesser known crimes: 195 in all!
   Like the mystifying BTK strangler (bind them, torture them, kill them) who terrorized Wichita Kansas. Leaving police a message: "How many more do I have to kill, before I get my name in the paper or some national attention?"
   Or the Mons Murders of Belgium where the killer dumped his victims at sites with names like: Rue de Depot (Dump street), Chemin de L'Inquietude (The path of worry) or beside the rivers Haine (Hate) & Trouille (Jitters).

   Some stories are just half a page long, and others are 2-4 pages. It's clearly written with good detail & very interesting. No pictures or illustrations, just the stories. A great collection of strange unsolved crimes ranging in time from early 1900's to late 90's & from all around the world. For anyone who loves mysteries.

   You'll notice some of the listed unsolved stories have now been recently solved, like the "Spokane Murders" (Robert Lee Yates jr.) & The Spotsylvania child murders (Richard Evonitz)..but most of them are "Still At Large"




2. This book is probably meant to frighten readers. From its cover illustration of a poor soon-to-be-victim running down a dark alley being chased by a madman, to the blurb on the back cover that reads, "So you think you'll never be the vicitim of a serial murderer? Don't be so sure", Michael Newton's encyclopedic "Still at Large" is a scary look into the world of serial killers and their unsolved crimes.
   
   The author has researched crimes globally to give us a jam-packed thriler with over 180 entries listed alphabetically by either the presumed killer's nickname or the region where he/she did the killing.
   
   Some crimes are well-known and now solved, like the Green River prostitute murders of the Seattle, Washington area. Gary Ridgeway has now been found guilty of the crimes which plagued investigators for years.
   
   Another famous elusive killer has now been brought closer to justice as the BTK murders have been attributed to an unassuming man named Dennis Rader.
   
   Still, most of the cases in this book are still unsolved. Some are so old that even if the killer is "still at large", there hardly seems to be reason for the public to worry about becoming the latest victim. And even though this book refers only to the 20th century's serial killers, there are many mentions of London's "Jack the Ripper", who terrorized prostitutes in the late 1800s because so many men have taken up where he left off and have also gotten away with it.
   
   This book is chilling in its depiction of unsolved crimes and will have you looking over your shoulder. However, it is sometimes a little insensitive, I believe, toward victims because it is such a compact roll-call of killers. Most victims end up mere names in a laundry list of murders, with lines like, "the next to die was known junkie/hooker...", which I see as a little cold. That person was still somebody's daughter or friend.
   
   Overall, Newton does a pretty good job of handling the victim situation. No matter how hard authors try, victims are usually secondary to the infamy and celibrity of a killer, even an unnamed one like the "I-45 Killer" or "Frankford Slasher".
   
   I was impressed by Mr. Newton's research. He even discredits other writers of true crime who he feels have stretched the truth by either adding numbers to a victim list or making up murders altogether. It kept me from buying a book by one such writer, and I am grateful!
   
   Read this book if you are a true crime buff- it's a keeper!

No comments about Bonded by Blood: Murder and Intrigue in the Essex Ganglands.

5 comments about Shallow Grave in Trinity County.

1. This book is a well written documentary of a fourteen year old girl who was abducted and murdered on her way home from school in Oakland , California in the mid 1950's. It tells of the police investigation and eventual apprehension and trial of the man believed to have been her killer.
   
   The time, place and people in this true story all relate to my experience at that time period when I was living in Berkeley. Strange to say but even after reading the book, I don't remember reading or knowing about the event. I found the story facinating, especially the careflly related investigation and the trial. I was amazed at how the evidence was analized with the tools of the time to make a case against the suspect.
   
   My recommendation is to read the book. It will make you think and wonder about the participants and their motives for a long time.
   
   Jan M.
   Now living in Trinity County



2. I read Farrell's "Swift Justice" a few years ago, and it haunted me for a long time afterward. When I came across this book, I expected that I would get just as involved with it, and I did. Farrell has a way of including details in a story that make it fascinating, even if you know the outcome (and I agree with the other reviewers who mentioned the give-away photo section). Some of the most interesting aspects of this book involve minor characters, such as the suspect who fears his co-workers' "sex vibrations", the mysterious eyewitness "Melody", and the teenage girl who became obsessed with the accused murderer. These people's own words, which Farrell diligently researched and quoted, give the reader a direct window onto the time period. The book is also full of the kind of scientific information that fans of CSI will enjoy.
   
   [WARNING--SPOILERS FOLLOW] The kidnapping and murder described in the book are so horrible, that I was hoping for the kind of cathartic closure you might get from watching a killer convicted on TV. But Farrell doesn't let the reader off so easy. Though there was ample physical evidence pointing to Barton Abbot, a few little loose threads will leave me forever wondering. And of course, the eternal question of why anyone would commit such a crime is not answered.
   
   As far as the victim's family goes, they are not painted as the sainted martyrs another reviewer complained about. In fact, one of the saddest aspects of the book for me was the parents' refusal to tell their other children what really happened to their sister. "We don't talk about it," the victim's mother said. Years later, her son admitted to Farrell the pain the situation caused him.
   
   Farrell shows how notorious crimes can drag down innocent bystanders: witnesses lost their livelihoods; a mother had to move out of state and change her child's name.
   
   All in all, Farrell has written a book that is not only a gripping true-crime story, but a valuable social history.



3. Harry Farrell's work is not only riveting, it is so well written it takes you to the time and place of the crime and its aftermath. Truly horrifying and disturbing and especially so to me as I grew up in the same general area where Stephanie Bryan was kidnapped. A lot of the landmarks and crime scenes in the book are very familiar to me as I used to work in Berkeley and drove the Tunnel Road and Ashby Avenue daily. It brought the horror home for me. The details of Stephanie's kidnap, sexual assault, and cruel, brutal, murder are heart wrenching and sad. This sweet girl was a highly intelligent honor student who avidly enjoyed reading and loved animals. I was truly aggrieved that such a beautiful human being had to die because of the despicable actions of a brutal sociopath who had no feelings or conscience. Burton Abbott's guilt is readily apparent to me and Mr. Farrell clearly and methodically illustrates this.



4. Harry Farrell, the author of SHALLOW GRAVE IN TRINITY COUNTY, is an excellent writer. This is the first book of his I've read, and he writes it as a journalist/newspaper reporter without injecting his personal opinions, always a positive in my view. Farrell's research is exhaustive and meticulous, and the material resulting from that research is presented coherently, intelligently, and highly professionally.
   SHALLOW GRAVE is the story of the kidnapping and murder in 1955 of a 14 year old girl. The book is basically formatted in three sections: the description of the crime, the police investigation, and the trial. While I often find the courtroom/trial sections of true crime books to be opportunities for uninterested writers to pad their books with filler, I can happily report that Farrell is not guilty of this. He is clearly interested enough in his book that his report of the trial is as well written as the rest of the book.
   However, while almost necessarily the case, the account of the trial repeats a lot of the information reported in the section on the police investigation, as the witnesses testify as to the same info. which Farrell has already presented in the section concerning the investigation.
   This can get tedious, though it is certainly not a deal-breaker. I feel that this section would work better as a series of daily newspaper reports, which of course at the time it was, rather than having it consolidated into a section of a book.
   The other disappointment I felt with SHALLOW GRAVE is that, while there was some, there was not ultimately not enough discussion of of the making of the personality of the sociopath Burton Abbott. However, I believe Farrell probably did the best he could with what he had, given that the case was about 45 years old when the book was written.
   Another positive I should mention is that the pictures in the book are very good, and that they - along with both Farrell's fine descriptions of the U.S. of the 1950's and his ear for the speech of the time - provide a vivid and fascinating backdrop for the book.
   I will certainly be checking out other of Harry Farrell's books.



5. Author Harry Farrell is an excellent historian, archivist and writer whose familiarity with California's bay area shines in one of the first widely publicized kidnapping/murder of a young girl. Gone missing on her walk home from school, 14-year old Stephanie Bryant's body is found, not by law enforcement or the FBI, but by two reporters from the San Francisco Examiner.
   
   The young girl was taken on April 28, 1955 and Burton Abbott, convicted of her murder, was put to death on March 15, 1957, less then two years after her abduction. A stark contrast to 1993's Richard Allen Davis, the convicted murderer of Polly Klaas who remains on California's death row today.
   
   Farrell expertly sketches the climate of pre-discovery, pre-Miranda justice. He also hauntingly underwrites the conclusion that paints Abbott the killer with enough doubt that the reader is left with questions about whether justice was truly served in the 1950's.
   
   All in all, an excellent read, leaving only picky legal buffs, like this reader, wanting more details about the intricacies of the trial.