LAW & CRIME

Crime Time: Twenty True Tales of Murder, Madness, and Mayhem

by J. North Conway
Lyons. Apr. 2021. 240p. ISBN 9781493052882. $26.95. CRIME
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Focusing on crimes that were sensational in their day but are now largely forgotten, Conway (Queen of Thieves: The True Story of “Marm” Mandelbaum and Her Gangs of New York) compiles 20 English and American stories from 1724 to 1913. The narratives feature early uses of forensic evidence and a notable number of women criminals. Conway includes significant firsts: In 1798, blacksmith Patrick Lyon orchestrated the first recorded bank robbery in the United States; four-year-old Charley Ross, who was taken from his front yard in 1874 and never found, was the first documented case of kidnapping for ransom. Each account is bolstered by images and quotes from newspaper articles, pamphlets, or confessions. An extensive list of sources and further reading will aid those interested in exploring true crime history.
VERDICT This entertaining, concise collection will entice fans of true crime and history. Readers may also enjoy Mike Rothmiller’s True Crime Chronicles: Serial Killers, Outlaws, and Justice…Real Crime Stories from the 1800s.
Reviewed by Kate Bellody, SUNY New Paltz , Apr 09, 2021
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