Book picks similar to
No Rest for the Wicked: History & Hauntings of American Crime & Unsolved Mysteries by Troy Taylor
historical-true-crime
strange-and-weird-and-probably-fake
troy-taylor-books
myth-legend-folklore
Tamara's Child
B.K. Mayo - 2010
And when she falls victim to a diabolical scheme to steal her newborn baby from her, she is not about to give up her child without a fight, even if she has to take on the wealthiest and most powerful family in the country. But is Tamara fighting against her child's own best interests? Only she can decide. And it's a decision that she — and her child — will have to live with for the rest of their lives.If you value family, if you have ever yearned for unconditional love, if you want to experience a story whose themes will resonate long after you have turned the last page, then you will want to read this book.
Haunted Wisconsin
Michael Norman - 1979
Containing more than 70 true tales throughout Wisconsin, this is a newly revised edition of an all-time favorite collection of stories.
Will Storr vs. The Supernatural: One Man's Search for the Truth About Ghosts
Will Storr - 2006
But even spending an entire day with Ozzy Osbourne wasn't as frightening as when he agreed to follow Philadelphia "demonologist" Lou Gentile on his appointed rounds. Will Storr never believed in ghosts—but his healthy skepticism couldn't explain the strange lights and sounds he witnessed, and the weird behavior of the occupants of several allegedly haunted houses.What resulted is a confirmed cynic's (and proud of it!) dedicated search for answers in a shadowy world of séances, mediums, devil worshippers—even the Vatican's chief exorcist. So get ready to confront the genuinely creepy along with the hilariously ridiculous in Will Storr vs. the Supernatural!
We Are Not Afraid: The Story of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney, and the Civil Rights Campaign for Mississippi
Seth Cagin - 1988
Seth Cagin and Philip Dray use extensive interviews, trial transcripts, and government files to weave a dramatic recounting of the civil rights cause for which these young men gave their lives.This long awaited reissue of We Are Not Afraid includes a new introduction by the authors that reflects on the case's history, including the belated 2005 state prosecution of Edgar Ray Killen, one of the surviving Klan ringleaders.(back cover)
In the Wake of Madness: The Murderous Voyage of the Whaleship Sharon
Joan Druett - 2003
On May 25, 1841, the Massachusetts whaleship Sharon set out for the whaling ground of the northwestern Pacific. A year later, while most of the crew was out hunting, Captain Howes Norris was brutally murdered. When the men in the whaleboats returned, they found four crew members on board, three of whom were covered in blood, the other screaming from atop the mast. Single-handedly, the third officer launched a surprise attack to recapture the Sharon, killing two of the attackers and subduing the other. An American investigation into the murder was never conducted—even when the Sharon returned home three years later, with only four of the original twenty-nine crew on board.Joan Druett, a historian who's been called a female Patrick O'Brian by the Wall Street Journal, dramatically re-creates the mystery of the ill-fated whaleship and reveals a voyage filled with savagery under the command of one of the most ruthless captains to sail the high seas.
I Am Murdered: George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson, and the Killing That Shocked a New Nation
Bruce Chadwick - 2009
Doubled over in agony, he stumbled to the kitchen in search of help. There he found his maid, Lydia Broadnax, and his young protegé, Michael Brown, who were also writhing in distress. Hours later, when help arrived, Wythe was quick to tell anyone who would listen, "I am murdered." Over the next two weeks, as Wythe suffered a long and painful death, insults would be added to his mortal injury.I Am Murdered tells the bizarre true story of Wythe's death and the subsequent trial of his grandnephew and namesake, George Wythe Sweeney, for the crime—unquestionably the most sensational and talked-about court case of the era. Hinging on hit-and-miss forensics, the unreliability of medical autopsies, the prevalence of poisoning, race relations, slavery, and the law, Sweeney's trial serves as a window into early nineteenth- century America. Its particular focus is on Richmond, part elegant state capital and part chaotic boomtown riddled with vice, opportunism, and crime.As Wythe lay dying, his doctors insisted that he had not been poisoned, and Sweeney had the nerve to beg him for bail money. In I Am Murdered, this signer of the Declaration of Independence, mentor to Thomas Jefferson, and "Father of American Jurisprudence" finally gets the justice he deserved.
Demonic Dolls: True Tales of Terrible Toys
John Harker - 2015
Not only are such phenomena possible, they happen fairly often, with dolls being one of the most frequent targets of spirit attachment. Sometimes those spirits are benign, or at the most mischievous. But many are outright evil and dangerous. This book examines some of the world’s most famous haunted dolls. Some you may have heard about. Others will be new. All will make you reconsider the world you thought you knew. Here is some of what you’ll find inside: * Robert, the haunted doll from Key West. A lot of the information out there about him is wrong. Find out the truth behind the legend. But don’t think the truth is any less terrifying. * Annabelle, the demonic doll featured in the movies The Conjuring and Annabelle. Find out why the real Annabelle is much, much more frightening. * Peggy, the Internet sensation. Why you should think twice before looking at her picture. * Find out which doll started as a hoax, turned into a terrifying reality, and is now considered one of the most "active" haunted dolls in the world. * Discover which exotic locale and tourist attraction is a pediophobe’s biggest nightmare. You won’t believe such a place exists. * Clown dolls. Need more be said? These stories and many more are what you’ll find in this collection of true accounts from the frightening yet fascinating world of haunted and demonic dolls. Reading this book will undoubtedly raise more questions than it answers, but one thing is assured: you’ll never look at a doll the same again.
True Police Stories of the Strange & Unexplained
Ingrid P. Dean - 2011
I had no way of knowing that this seemingly routine decision would lead to a strange twist of fate years later...These true, first-hand accounts from law enforcement officials across the nation reveal how intuition, apparitions, UFOs, prophetic dreams, and other forces beyond our understanding have impacted them in the course of duty.The weird and unexplained experiences in this book take place in the midst of the death-defying gun battles, thrilling rescues, and heart-searing tragedies that police officers face every day--and reveal the fascinating inner lives of the heroic men and women behind the badge.
Shipwreck: The Strange Fate of the Morro Castle
Gordon Thomas - 1972
In the early morning hours of September 8, 1934, the luxury cruise liner Morro Castle, carrying 316 passengers and 230 officers and crew, caught fire a few hours out of the New York harbor on a return voyage from Havana. The fire spread with terrifying swiftness, transforming the ship into a blazing inferno. One hundred thirty-four people died that night—was it an accident? Writers Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts prove that the disaster was no accident, but was planned, meticulously and deliberately, by an officer of the Morro Castle. His name: George White Rogers, chief radio officer. They also prove that Rogers was responsible for the death of the captain, who was poisoned several hours before the fire broke out. Shipwreck is a spellbinding moment-by-moment account of the Morro Castle’s last voyage, and one of the most spectacular disasters to stir the Atlantic Ocean. Through interviews with survivors, rescuers, and investigators, the authors detail a desperate investigation and the search for a mass murderer. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the buildup of World War II, Shipwreck is a sweeping tale of personal heroism, tragedy, and murder.
The Barbarians
Grace Cole - 2018
Historian Grace Cole steps back and reviews the long history of barbarian invaders who pushed into Europe from the steppes of Asia, beginning 3,000 years ago with the nomadic Scythians, and then traces the tribes from Scandinavia, who migrated south to plague the empire until it finally crumbled. She examines the successes and failures of the principal barbarian tribes over the six centuries of their dominance and explores the surprising role of the Church as the era progressed. She covers the rise of France and the Holy Roman Empire and shows how the last great wave of barbarians - the Vikings -colonized a new world in Greenland and North America. Finally, she explains feudalism, the strange structure that held society together into the early Renaissance, outlining how it foreshadowed and laid the foundations for the civilization that became Europe. This rich heritage - the flowering of learning, the bold exploration and colonization of the globe, new political and economic structures, the idea of personal freedom - all were, in large part, the fruit of barbarism. And finally, the belief that barbarians and medieval Europe belonged to a dark age is conclusively put to rest.
Interview with an Exorcist: An Insider's Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance
José Antonio Fortea - 2006
Even many Christians, contrary to the clear words of Jesus in the Gospel, scoff at the notion that the Devil and demons really exist. Is demonic possession real? Are believers really in any danger from Satan and his crafty minions? What is the truth about exorcism?Written by one of the Church's foremost experts on the topic, "Interview with an Exorcist" is based on Fr. José Antonio Fortea's years of work as an exorcist, his extensive investigations of cases of suspected possessions, and his attendance at hundreds of exorcisms.The author describes the nature of the work in the Introduction: "I have chosen to write this book in a style based loosely on that of an ancient scholastic tract - that is to say, a work composed of a series of questions of similar length and different theological weight - while at the same time reading like a modern interview."
"If I Die...": A True Story of Obsessive Love, Uncontrollable Greed, and Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
Michael Fleeman - 2002
He'd been shot at least four times in the head, decapitated, and set on fire. Who could have turned on the ambitious real-estate ace with such bloodthirsty fury? Even before the remains were found, circumstantial evidence was building against Rudin's tempestuous 52-year-old wife, Margaret, who stood to inherit a handsome share of her husband's fortune. Rudin's friends also suspected Margaret, and Rudin himself had thought that his wife was trying to poison him when he was alive. Then a chilling caveat was discovered in Rudin's living trust: that should he die under violent circumstances, an investigation should be conducted. By the time authorities closed in on Margaret Rudin, she'd disappeared. It would take two-and-a-half years to hunt the Black Widow down, and to discover the cold-blooded secrets at the heart of a poisonous marriage....BUT VENGEANCE WOULD COME-FROM THE GRAVE.... Now, reporter Michael Fleeman delivers a startling glimpse into the mind of a woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted as she drove the man who had promised to love and honor her to secretly fear her. Fleeman also details the relentless pursuit of justice that would lead authorities from the glamorous faade of Las Vegas to a squalid apartment on the outskirts of Boston to hold the remorseless wife accountable for her shocking and unfathomable crimes.
The Ghosts on 87th Lane: A True Story
M.L. Woelm - 2007
It still is. I began recording my experiences, hoping to one day share them. I kept waiting for the incidents to stop, so I'd have a logical conclusion to my book. So far, that hasn't happened. It may never happen. I'd like to get my story told before I become a ghost myself. The True Story of a Haunting Beginning in 1968 and spanning four decades, this true story chronicles the hair-raising experiences that nearly drove an ordinary housewife and mother to the breaking point.Not every haunted house is an old Victorian mansion, as the author and her family discovered when they bought a modest house in the suburbs. Even a post-war starter home can be a dwelling place for earthbound spirits--especially if it holds a tragic secret from the past. Eerie feelings of being watched, disembodied sobs, mysterious scratches appearing on her throat, and a child's voice crying, Mommy! convinced M. L. Woelm that she was sharing her home with ghosts. This is her story.
The Last Godfather: The Life and Crimes of Arthur Thompson
Reg McKay - 2004
Arthur Thompson proved them all wrong. For forty years Thompson ruled Glasgow's mean streets, always devising new terror.
An Exorcist: More Stories
Gabriele Amorth - 1992
Gabriele Amorth, the renowned chief exorcist of Rome, expands on some of the key topics of his previous book, covering important details about demonic or occult issues. He uses concrete examples from his own experiences and those of other exorcists to illustrate and substantiate his points.Since satanic sects, occultism, sTances, fortune-tellers and astrologers are so widespread today, Father Amorth asks the question why is it so difficult today to find an exorcist, or a priest who is an expert in this field? The example and the teaching of Christ is very clear, as is the tradition of the Church. But today's Catholics are often misinformed.Exorcisms are reserved for appointed priests, while all believers can make prayers of liberation. What is the difference? What norms must be followed? What problems are still open and unresolved in this field?The new book by Father Amorth answers these and many other questions, supporting his discourse with a rich exposition of recent facts. A valuable, practical and instructive manual for priests and lay people, on how to help many who are suffering.