Bending the Rules


Lizzie Scott - 2015
    Two little boys joined our family when the bitter winter weather was still chilling our bones and their dad was absolutely destitute, no home, no money and no hope of getting his children back with a social worker who seemed to be a bit of a ladies man and favoured their mother. Steve was the second father we had met that would do anything and everything to get his children home…once he had managed to clean himself up and convince the department of Social Services that he would stay off the drink, stay away from women and that he intended to raise his sons in a happy and safe family home. We had to bend a few rules...then break a couple of them in order to help keep this family together…the rewards are immeasurable and, until now, I guess no-one but us and our nearest and dearest (and of course Elizabeth) knew how far we were willing to go to make sure that the right outcome for this placement happened in the end. This placement more than any other we have had, taught me that the determination that one man can have to save his family, against the determination of a department that knows he can’t is a powerful thing, and love really can conquer all.

The Murder of Adrianne Reynolds & Other Stories: A Collection of True Crime


Pete Bird - 2019
    Sarah and Cory would take Adrienne's body to Sarah's grandparents' farm where they attempted to burn it to no avail. They would then recruit another friend to help dismember the body after which they would dump it in a historic site. The three then went and ate lunch at McDonald's to celebrate their crime. What would ever possess these teens to commit such a horrific crime?

The Scarlett Bell FBI Series: Books 6-10


Dan Padavona - 2020
    

A Nickel In My Shoe


S.B. Jenkins - 2011
    And when this baby’s father finally made it to the hospital from the bar room to see his new baby daughter. Did he pick her up and while looking into her innocent newborn eyes say, "I'm not going to feed you, because I don't care if you starve,” or did he say, "someday, when you need emergency medical treatment, I'm going to beat you for getting sick, throw you on the couch and leave you there alone for days- without food, water, or medicine," or did he say... Susan and her two sisters grew up in a time when racism was the norm, child abuse wasn’t recognized and poverty was a way of life. Throughout her life she was often beaten, forced to be a servant and was tossed away like garbage. Susan knew she wanted better out of life...an education, a chance to succeed, to have a mind of her own and most of all...to be free-free from abuse, neglect, prejudice and hatred. This is an inspiring story about a little girl’s struggle to overcome many obstacles- to understand why she was hurt, both physically and mentally, by the very people that were supposed to love and nurture her. And through it all she never lost faith or hope that one day she would succeed-against all odds.“Never look down on anyone, unless you’re helping them up”Jesse Jackson

Broadmoor - My Journey Into Hell


Charlie Bronson - 2015
    His journey has, until now, never been told.In the winter of 1979, aged just twenty-seven, the inmate who would come to be known as 'Charlie Bronson' was considered uncontrollable by the prison system. Certified insane, he was transferred from Parkhurst Prison to the most infamous high-security psychiatric hospital in England, Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane. There he embarked on a one-man campaign to retain his sanity, and to fight against the brutality of a largely hidden regime that relied on enforced drug control.This outstandingly honest account takes the reader back to those dark days. It is a journey filled with sadness, and yet it is one that includes much laughter and pathos, as well as detailing the camaraderie among fellow patients, who included Ronnie Kray and Frankie Fraser.How Charlie Bronson survived Broadmoor, what he endured and the things he witnessed are, for the very first time, documented in this sad, often chilling, sometimes funny and often moving account of one man's journey into madness and his methods for surviving the UK's most feared and notorious psychiatric hospital. Capturing Bronson's unique voice, it is a roller-coaster ride of madness, pain, laughter and tears. It is also a testament to one man's triumph over adversity.

Saving Stacy: The Untold Story of the Moody Massacre


Rob St. Clair - 2019
    The first time the killer thought he had succeeded, and he left Stacy bleeding in her bed. But a few minutes later he must have heard her moaning and returned to her upstairs bedroom. This time he approached the bed, pointed a .22 caliber rifle at her young face, and pulled the trigger again. Then he left.Later that morning, Memorial Day, May 25, 2005, the Logan County Sheriff would declare it a rampage. According to Sheriff Henry, 18-year-old Scott Moody lived on a family farm with his mother and sister; his grandparents lived nearby. The night before his high school graduation something snapped, and Scott went on a shooting spree. He murdered his two grandparents, his mother, a high school classmate who had spent the night after a graduation party, his girlfriend, and then he turned the rifle on himself, committing suicide. He thought he had killed his 15-year-old sister, but she was life-flighted to a hospital in Columbus where she remained in critical condition. Sheriff Henry declared the mystery solved: “It was horribly tragic, a murder/suicide case.”Three days later, Stacy woke up in intensive care. When asked by the county coroner to explain what happened – clearly expecting her to say that her brother, Scott, had shot her – Stacy, in a weak, distressed voice said something else. It was an older man with gray hair, wearing a blue shirt, someone she had never seen before. And then, once again – what everyone suspected but were afraid to publicly talk about – was the Logan County Sheriff’s Office really corrupt?After Stacy was released from the hospital, Detective Jon Stout wanted to interview her in private, away from the influence of her father and stepmother. On a Sunday afternoon he took 15-year-old Stacy in his unmarked cruiser to a shaded parking lot behind the county children services building. It was there he coerced her into taking off her clothes, playfully handcuffing her to the steering wheel, and then forcibly having sex with her. It was only a matter of time before wrongful death actions were filed against Scott’s estate. That’s when Scott’s father, wanting to remove the stigma of his son’s reputation, hired outside experts, who easily refuted the idea that Scott had been the shooter. People in the community knew all along what had happened. The sheriff’s office was corrupt. Underage sex and illicit drugs had finally raised their ugly heads.

Killer Kids Volume 8: 22 Shocking True Crime Cases of Kids Who Kill


Robert Keller - 2021
    

Dixie's Last Stand: Was It Murder or Self-Defense?


John Ferak - 2015
    Then one summer day in 2002, Dixie’s mean and wicked husband was gone. Some of the local residents presumed that Scott packed his bags and left town. But others were skeptical. After all, Scott’s brown Ford pick-up truck was still parked in his driveway. The disappearance mystified Defiance for more than a year. Then in late October, 2003, the truth emerged … or did it?

HUSH [ book 1 ]


Sandra Raine - 2009
    - book 3; DiamonD: Chapter One - book 4; DiamonDs: Chapter Two - book 5; The DiamonD: Chapter Three - book 6; HUSH: Missing Pieces (a companion book to The HUSH Series & The DiamonD Chapters; The DiamonD: BLOOD - book 7; The DiamonD: HOLLYWOOD - book 8; The DiamonD: VEGAS - book 9; The DiamonD: VEGAS, Revisited (a companion book to The DiamonD: VEGAS); The DiamonD: EMPIRE - book 10.*read the Series, become Addicted***WARNING**17+ Readers Only**This book is beyond disturbing, and contains disturbing scenes and a disturbing outcome.**

You Can't Run: The Terrifying True Story of a Young Woman Trapped in a Violent Relationship


Mandy Thomas - 2015
    I knew he would never stop, so I just had to do what I could to survive." Mandy Thomas was just 18 when she met the man who would change her life forever. She was soon under his spell – and then her real nightmare began. Mandy found herself part of a cruel and violent relationship that she couldn’t escape. Until one day he went too far… You Can’t Run is Mandy’s searingly honest and moving true story.

Mother, I Don't Forgive You: A Necessary Alternative For Healing


Nancy Richards - 2017
     The powerlessness, pain, and torment she endured ate her up. But, the ultimate gut-punch came when she finally mustered the courage to break her silence, and her words were met with excuses for her abusers and the admonition that she must forgive. “Mother, I Don’t Forgive You” is a true story of terrifying abuse and the triumph of healing. Written with raw emotion and inspirational clarity, this page-turner offers help and hope for anyone who has suffered from abuse or loves someone who has suffered from abuse. This is Book 1 of a two-book series. The other book in the series is "Mother, It's Hard to Forgive You: Ridding Myself of the Family Scapegoat Mantle." ***Originally published by Blue Dolphin Publishing, Inc., Nevada City, CA in 2005 as "Heal and Forgive."

You Can't Have My Daughter


Elizabeth McDonnell - 2015
    When she was approved to adopt ten-year-old Lara, a sweet and caring girl, it was a dream come true. Elizabeth knew that that her new daughter had had a difficult past but when she found out that Lara had been abused, the extent of her emotional damage became clear. By the age of twelve, Lara was often out of control, hanging out with drug dealers in Oxford, disappearing for days. For the next five years Elizabeth put herself in danger to rescue her daughter time and time again, while battling the authorities who failed to give Lara the help she so desperately needed. She had no idea that her daughter was being trafficked by a sex ring. Because she refused to give up on Lara, today Elizabeth and Lara have a close and loving relationship. Deeply moving, You Can't Have My Daughter is the story of a mother determined to keep her promise to her daughter: 'I will always be there for you, whether you want me to or not'.

Maddie's Story: Based on true story


Asher Boyd - 2016
    When officers discovered Maddie chained to a table and competing with dogs for food, they asked the young girl her name....You could never guess her reply!

Hollywood Private Lives Uncensored


Alan Royle - 2016
    Hollywood minus the hype and hokum.

RED-HANDED: 20 Criminal Cases That Shook India


Souvik Bhadra - 2014
    As the nation watched on in horror, the police uncovered the body parts of fifteen more children in the same location. These grisly killings were found to have been the handiwork of Surinder Koli, a serial killer who lived in a house nearby.In Red-Handed: 20 Criminal Cases That Shook India, lawyers Souvik Bhadra and Pingal Khan narrate the stories behind some of the most sensational criminal cases to have caught the attention of the country in the last few decades. From the murder of Nitish Katara in a case of ‘honour killing’ to the shooting of Jessica Lal; from the Harshad Mehta scam to the Best Bakery arson of 2002; and, from the horrifying ‘tandoor’ case, in which Naina Sahni was killed and then cremated, to the trial and conviction of Sanjay Dutt under TADA, Red-Handed examines the motives behind these crimes even as it aims to lay bare the inner workings of the Indian judicial system. Additionally, the authors illuminate the crucial role that the media has come to play in judicial matters—it shapes public opinion, and often even investigates cases and delivers justice, much before the judges do.