Book picks similar to
Blood Highway by Sheila Johnson


true-crime
non-fiction
e-kind
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His Name is Ron: Our Search for Justice


William Hoffer - 1997
    Scheduled for publication immediately following the outcome of the civil trial.

The Missing Beaumont Children: 50 Years of Mystery and Misery


Michael Madigan - 2015
    A crime so shocking that it has often been described as a defining moment in this country's history.After 50 years of intense police investigation the whereabouts of Jane (9), Arnna (7) and Grant Beaumont (4) is still a mystery; Australia's most famous unsolved crime.On the morning of January 26, 1966 the three children set off from their Somerton Park home to Glenelg Beach on a bus to enjoy a brief excursion at Adelaide's most popular beach only a few kilometres away. Apart from a brief sighting from the Beaumont family's postman early on that afternoon, there have been no other sightings of the children since.The 'mystery' of the children's disappearance has often overshadowed the 'misery' the Beaumont parents have had to endure. This book takes the reader inside the trauma of Nancy and Grant; from the panic and heartbreaking first few days to the utter despair in later years.Only seven years after the Beaumont disappearance, two girls Joanne Ratcliffe (11) and Kirste Gordon (4) were abducted from Adelaide Oval during a football match. Were the two abductions connected? How could they not be connected?Author Michael Madigan delves into the sordid world of the numerous 'persons of interest' who have at times been suspects in this case and forensically answers the question 'who could do such a thing?'

True Crime Stories Volume 1: 12 Terrifying True Crime Murder Cases (List of Twelve)


Ryan Becker - 2017
     Twelve murders are profiled, and each profile offers a personal background of the offender, a detailed description of the crime, the investigation that ensued and the eventual sentencing. Included are profiles of Robert Beaver, an 18-year-old who massacred his entire family, and the bizarre life of Luke Magnotta, who videotaped himself stabbing a man to death with an ice pick and then mailed his body parts to political offices and schools. Unlike other books on the subject, List of Twelve Volume 1 takes the reader right into the dark minds of the murderers, so you can better understand why they committed their crimes. Read on if you dare. But be aware that you're about to witness their darkest fantasies...

So L.A.: A Hollywood Memoir


Staci Layne Wilson - 2017
    But what is so moving about Staci Layne Wilson’s unconventional coming-of-age story is that in spite of her rocky childhood, she describes her parents with deep affection, generosity, and pride. Hers is a story of triumph over a legacy of alcoholism, suicide, and Hollywood burnout, but more than that, it’s a tender, gripping tale of unconditional love (with a healthy dose of humor). Despite the downsides, her upbringing gave her the powerful determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms. Vintage Los Angeles Staci Layne Wilson tells tales of bygone eras – she grew up with showbiz parents in L.A. in the sixties and seventies, had ponies in the backyard and a psychotic monkey in the house, mingled with the stars on the Sunset Strip rock scene in the eighties, partied at the Playboy Mansion, nearly died (twice!). She ultimately found love, purpose, and success as an author, film director, screenwriter, pop culture pundit and notable red carpet reporter has interviewed the biggest celebs in the world. First-hand stories about: The Doors Led Zeppelin Guns N’ Roses Metallica Keanu Reeves Heath Ledger Liam Neeson Jennifer Lawrence Denzel Washington Ben Stiller Mia Farrow …to name just a few! Dozens of full-color photos PRAISE “A touching, laugh-out-loud memoir.” – Daily Sweets “Refreshingly honest look at Los Angeles, past and present.” – Curb Appeal “Charming, self-deprecating.” – Los Angeles Readers & Writers “As a music fanatic, I was in heaven over all the inside stories about The Ventures (through their 50+ year career!), Metallica, Led Zeppelin, and the glam-rock scene on the Sunset Strip. There’s also a whole master class on the heavy metal hangouts of Hollywood: The Rainbow, The Roxy, The Troubadour… Staci’s seen it all!” – Gene Katz, director of The Hair Band Tease If you want to read a time capsule of a specific period in Southern California pop cultural history, look no further. If you want to read a book that’s as delightful as it is insightful, one that stays with you long after you close its covers, this is that book. If you want to be simultaneously educated and entertained, you won’t find a better reference than this one. Staci Layne Wilson not only has a penchant for detail, she has a memory like a bear trap. Nothing escapes her notice, and she has been kind enough to let us see the world through her keen, sentimental (but never maudlin) eyes. The book should come with one caveat emptor, however: if you read it at night, you can forget about sleeping. Not all the coffee in the world can knock down the reading hangover you’re going to have the next day after flipping page after page the night before. – Stacey Keith, author of Stripped Down: A Naked Memoir A book that rivals the best of Huell Howser's TV shows digging up the cherished as well as perished landmarks of the City of Angels.

Public Enemies: The Host of America's Most Wanted Targets the Nation's Most Notorious Criminals


John Walsh - 2001
    Offers an inside look at the popular crime-busting TV show and discusses a variety of landmark, high-profile cases.

Court in the Middle


Andrew Fraser - 2007
    Then it all went horribly wrong. In 1999 he was charged with being knowingly concerned with the importation of a commercial quantity of cocaine. Fraser pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing, trafficking a small quantity, and using cocaine over a period of time. He was sentenced to seven years in maximum security prison. Court in the Middle describes his early years—growing up in a family of lawyers, running hard to build a criminal law practice; his successful years with a national practice, and defending high profile, sometimes notorious, clients. He also discusses his relationship with cocaine, addiction and deals, crime and punishment, and the shocking details of his time spent in a maximum security prison.

Being the Soham Psychic


Dennis McKenzie - 2009
    'I am really sorry but both the girls are dead'. Dennis McKenzie was brought to the world's attention following his involvement in the tragic Soham murder case. Making stunningly accurate predictions about the deaths of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, he was dubbed the 'Soham Psychic'. Since then, Dennis's expertise has continually been drawn on to help solve many horrific crimes, including the case of the 'BTK' Killer - a serial killer who bound, tortured and killed women in Wichita, Kansas and evaded the police for over 30 years. An ordinary boy from a working-class background, Dennis never imagined his life would follow such an extraordinary path. From his first psychic sighting at the age of four to his traumatic prediction of a family friend's death, Dennis shares the experiences that have defined his remarkable life in his typically frank and down-to-earth way. This is the fascinating story of how Dennis discovered his gift and how, with the help of his spirit guides, he has shared his psychic wisdom with the world.

Whitey Bulger - The Biggest Rat


Joe Bruno - 2013
    Mari - New York City Criminal Attorney for 36 years*****"The Biggest Rat - Whitey Bulger's Decades of Deceit" is the story of James "Whitey" Bulger, the Boston mob boss; from his early days of crime, to his heyday running Boston's underworld, including his escape and capture after 16 years on the run. This book also includes Bulger's trial, and the jury verdict which found Bulger guilty of 31 of the 32 counts in the indictment. Bulger was also found guilty of 11 of the 19 murders included in the indictment.It's fair to say Whitey Bulger will die in jail. Bulger's lucky he didn't get the electric chair; which would have been a more fitting punishment for one of the vilest individuals to ever roam the earth.*****On July 9, 2013, Whitey Bulger's former protégé, Kevin Weeks, hate and contempt in his eyes, took the witness stand against his former boss. The 57-year-old Weeks and Bulger were once so tight, they spoke nearly every day for more than a decade. Bulger, 83-years-old, was facing life in prison for committing more than 19 murders.Since Weeks served only five years in prison for aiding and abetting five of Bulger's murders, Bulger's lawyer, J.W. Carney, tried to portray Weeks as a con artist who knew how to manipulate the justice system."You won against the system," Carney told Weeks."What did I win? What did I win?" Weeks said. "Five people are dead."Carney asked Weeks if the killings bothered him.Weeks shot back, "We killed people that were rats. And I had THE BIGGEST RAT right next to me."Whitey Bulger, unlike Genovese turncoat Joe Valachi, Bonanno boss Joe Massino, and Gambino consiglieri Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, willingly became an F.B.I. informant while he was still active on the streets as the Mob Boss of Boston. And Bulger remained an F.B.I. informant for more than 20 years.Kevin Weeks was right. Whitey Bulger was THE BIGGEST RAT of them all.******************************************************Joe Bruno's "Mobsters, Gangs, Crooks, and Other Creeps" finished runner-up (second place) in the 2013 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent Ebook Awards in the category "Nonfiction."efestivalofwords.com/portal.php

On Father's Day, Cindy Gambino's Shattering Account Of Her Children's Revenge Murders


Megan Norris - 2013
    A heartbreaking account of love and loss."When newly separated mum, Cindy Gambino, dropped her boys off to spend Father's Day 2005 with her estranged husband, she had no idea she would never see them alive again.Now, the 'triple dam drowing mum', who was the true target of Robert Farquharson's festering rage, relives the unspeakable revenge which shocked Australia, and left her with the legacy of life-long suffering - her punishment for ending their marriage."

Under the Knife


Diane Fanning - 2007
    But money was never enough for Faiello, whose hard-partying ways constantly left him on the edge of ruin. So he did the unthinkable and worked as a cosmetic surgeon--even though he had no medical degree, or training whatsoever. In the spring of 2003, a beautiful, successful woman named Maria Cruz went to "Doctor" Faiello for a relatively simple cosmetic procedure…and succumbed to a fatal complication while under his care. Faiello allegedly buried her corpse beneath a concrete slab at his Newark, New Jersey home--and went on the run. It was only after Cruz's body was found that the true callousness of Faiello's plan would be dissected…and he would be accused of putting her   UNDER THE KNIFE

The Presidential Years: 2012–2017


Pranab Mukherjee - 2021
    

The Truth about Belle Gunness: The True Story of Notorious Serial Killer Hell's Belle


Lillian de la Torre - 1955
    On the morning of April 27, 1908, the farmhand on a lonely property outside La Porte, Indiana, woke to the smell of smoke. He tried to rouse the lady of the house, the towering Belle Poulsdatter Sorenson Gunness, and he called the names of her three children—but they didn’t answer, and the farmhand barely escaped alive. The house burned to the foundation, and in the rubble, firemen found the corpses of Belle, her two daughters, and her son. The discovery raised two chilling questions: Who started the fire, and who cut off Belle’s head?   As investigators searched the property, they uncovered something astonishing: The remains of a dozen or more men and children who had been murdered with poison or cleaver were buried beneath the hog pen. It turned out Belle Gunness was one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. And when the investigation revealed that the body found in the fire might not have been hers, the people of La Porte were forced to confront the terrifying realization that Belle might have gotten out alive.   Nominated for an Edgar Award for best factual crime story, The Truth about Belle Gunness is based on extensive interviews with witnesses and residents of La Porte who knew Belle and her family. Perfect for fans of In Cold Blood or The Devil in the White City, it is a “magnificent [and] brilliantly written” exploration of a highly unusual murderer (The New York Times).

The Cases That Haunt Us


John E. Douglas - 2000
    Provocative. Shocking. Call them what you will...but don't call them open and shut. Did Lizzie Borden murder her own father and stepmother? Was Jack the Ripper actually the Duke of Clarence? Who killed JonBenet Ramsey?America's foremost expert on criminal profiling and twenty-five-year FBI veteran John Douglas, along with author and filmmaker Mark Olshaker, explores those tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. With uniquely gripping analysis, the authors reexamine and reinterpret the accepted facts, evidence, and victimology of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zodiac Killer, and the Whitechapel murders.Utilizing techniques developed by Douglas himself, they give detailed profiles and reveal chief suspects in pursuit of what really happened in each case.The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them -- with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results.

The Professor and the Prostitute: And Other True Tales of Murder and Madness


Linda Wolfe - 1986
    

Misconception: A True Story of Life, Love and Infertility


Jay-Jay Feeney - 2013
    I want a baby but not in that crazy, desperate way where I cringe whenever I see someone else with one, or I think nasty, evil thoughts about people who are pregnant, but a child of my own would complete my life and make my husband extremely happy.Jay-Jay Feeney has been married to Dom Harvey since 2004. She always imagined they'd get married, have children, grow old. But so far, things haven't worked out quite as she expected. A high-profile job, an unpredictable family life, and medical procedures and emergencies have kept her on her toes. Here is Jay-Jay's story, told with a mix of brutal honesty and humor, in which she charts the highs and lows of life lived both in the public gaze and in the shadow of infertility.