Two infamous murder cases get reexamined by the best true crime writers working today. Hawley Harvey Crippen and John Reginald Christie each committed homicides that stunned their neighbors, captivated a nation, and overshadowed the lives of the victims at the time. These books seek to train the spotlight back on those that were lost rather than revel in the gory crimes themselves.
There seem to be a bumper crop of true crime primers and guides this summer. Grab these for some edifying and informative reads. Crack open one of these on the beach and it might even convince people to leave you alone…
McNamara outlines the specifics of the mystery in searing exactitude. She pulls bizarre and vivid details from witness statements and police reports, breathing new life into the cold case.
The narrative moves quickly and Marzano-Lesnevich’s writing is fantastic. She writes with vivid detail, yet doesn’t oversaturate it. Readers should be aware that this book deals with difficult topics. What is so admirable is the way the author manages to present and look at them, unflinchingly, without being graphic. The book approaches with an even-handedness that exposes the truth without allowing the book to become mired in it.
When Alfred Hitchcock was searching for his next film idea, he came across the book She Who Was No More by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. He inquired about the rights and found someone had beat him to it. It was already being adapted for the big screen by Henri-Georges Clouzot. It would become the intense…