Book picks similar to
Bonded by Blood by Bernard O'Mahoney


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Smile for the Camera: The Double Life of Cyril Smith


Simon Danczuk - 2014
    Instantly recognisable for his colossal build, Smith was a larger-than-life character in a world of dull grey men. Yet 'Big Cyril' was anything but the roly-poly gentle giant of popular imagination.In November 2012, Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk outed Smith in Parliament as a serial child abuser. Now, in this devastating exposé, he describes how Smith used his profile to groom and sexually abuse young boys, frequently in institutions he had helped to establish. His victims, often troubled boys from broken homes, had no voice against their attacker and, though rumours abounded, Smith's appalling crimes went unnoticed by the public and unpunished by the authorities.Smile for the Camera is not just about a terrible abuse of power. It's about those who knew that abuse was taking place but looked the other way, making the corridors of Westminster a safe haven for paedophiles like Cyril Smith. This updated edition of the book that sparked a criminal investigation brings shocking new material to light, asking urgent questions of those who allowed Smith to prey on young children for decades without question.

Murder myself, Murder I am.


Jon Keehner - 2014
    He was supposed to be home by four o’clock that afternoon. Two days later, police discovered his abandoned car in the small town of Darrington, Washington. As my mother desperately struggled to get law enforcement to help find her husband, his killer set out to cover up his crime and evade detection. Once he was eventually captured, the shocking truth about the killer’s violent past and early release from prison deepened my mother’s resolve on her relentless quest to ensure, that despite a favorable plea deal that would have released him on January 27, 2014, that he would never walk free again.

Property Of Folsom Wolf


Don Lasseter - 1995
    Louis housewife who abandoned her family and became the sex-slave of ex-Folsom Prison convict Greg Marlow, known to his fellow inmates as "Folsom Wolf". Together, the pair went on a cross-country spree of sex, torture and murder that ended with their convictions and death sentences.

The Krays: The Prison Years


David Meikle - 2017
    With violence and intimidation they were the kings of London. They sipped champagne with celebrities and rubbed shoulders with politicians. They were untouchable. Until they weren’t. After an undercover operation, the Kray twins were found guilty of murder and were sentenced to life in prison. They were just 35 years old. But once inside, the twins were determined to make their stay truly historic. The Twins began earning more money inside than they ever did on the streets. They sold branded t-shirts and memorabilia and they allowed books and films to be published about their lives. They didn't stop. Whilst locked up, their mother died as did their brother Charlie, and their associates and friends all fell away. But while Britain changed as a nation, the brothers continued to operate as the gangsters they once were. Their violence ingrained so deep that they couldn’t leave it behind. The Krays: The Prison Years explores the fascinating and largely untold story of the Kray twins following their imprisonment.

Pretty Boy


Roy Shaw - 1999
    He has cult status and commands a respect that few, even in the violent world he moves in, can equal. To him, violence is simply an accepted part of his profession. He doesn't exaggerate it, he can't excuse it and he refuses to apologize for it. His name may mean nothing to you—he's no actor, no showman, no wannabe celebrity. He does, however, live by a merciless code, and though he may not have cloven hooves and a tail, if he goes after someone, all hell comes with him.

A Celestial Affair (Trengillion Cornish Mystery Series Book 6)


Daphne Neville - 2016
    Twelve years have passed since Trengillion was covered in a deep blanket of snow and since then much has changed. Ned Stanley, the village school's headmaster, has retired and the inn is, yet again, under new ownership. Throughout Cornwall, businesses are making final preparations for the half a million extra tourists predicted to visit the county in August for the much hyped solar eclipse. An event which, unbeknown to the residents of the peaceful fishing village, will bring in its wake far more than a large influx of holiday makers. A Celestial Affair is the sixth book in a series of seven set in Cornwall on the beautiful Lizard Peninsula. The books cover a timespan of sixty years.

A Posh Murder (Rex and the Dowager Book 1)


Keith Finney - 2021
    

Takedown Twenty: A Stephanie Plum Novel - Book Review and Study Guide


J.T. Salrich - 2013
    Salrich."Takedown Twenty" is finally here! Janet Evanovich fans will be glad to know that Stephanie Plum is at it again. "Takedown Twenty: A Stephanie Plum Novel" picks up right where "Notorious Nineteen" left off. If you'd like to enhance your experience while reading "Takedown Twenty" then this book review and study guide is perfect for you! With "Takedown Twenty" we again find everyone's favorite female bounty hunter running around Trenton, New Jersey. Stephanie Plum is busy splitting her time between chasing criminals, trying to decide between two lovers, and solving the mystery of why a full grown giraffe is running around loose in the city. Yes... a full grown giraffe. Yes, in "Takedown Twenty: A Stephanie Plum Novel," Janet Evanovich once again takes us on an action packed roller coaster ride that you're sure to enjoy. In this book Stephanie is chasing the local "Godfather" while bumbling and stumbling her way through a hilarious series of misadventures. Will she end up with Ranger or Joe? Will she "get her man" without getting killed along the way? And why is there a giraffe running around Trenton that nobody but Stephanie and Lula ever see? When you read "Takedown Twenty: A Stephanie Plum Novel - Book Review And Study Guide" you will get a deeper understanding of the characters and plot found in "Takedown Twenty" as well as the themes and symbolism included in the novel. You also get a detailed chapter by chapter breakdown and analysis of the events as they unfold along with a glossary of the important characters and terms used in the original book. Just in case that's not enough for you I've also included a list of possible study questions (book club discussions topics) and quotes from the book that I found interesting. Wrapping it all up is a discussion of the critical reviews for "Takedown Twenty" as well as my overall opinion of the book. Plus much more! Whether you're reading this for a book club, school report, or just want to catch up with your favorite characters and find out what happens before diving into the full length book, you can use this book review and study guide to get most out of your experience reading "Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich."

What every body is saying: DI Tregunna Cornish Crime novel


Carla Vermaat - 2016
    There is only one thing he knows for certain: he has to keep working otherwise he will be overwhelmed by self-pity and depression. Then he is called out to investigate the disappearance of schoolgirl Leanne. Soon he finds out that another girl is missing, but why do her parents insist that everything is alright? When a hand is found on the muddy bank of the river Camel near Padstow, an unsolved case of a shoe with a foot still in it pops up in the investigation and it soon becomes clear that the body parts belong to the same person. As the dead person's life begins to unfold, Tregunna uncovers a dark world of secrets, lies and revenge, and the certainty that a killer is still out there, ready to strike again …. Mystery and suspense are peppered with a touch of romance and humour in this gripping, unputdownable whodunnit set on the spectacular north coast of Cornwall. ‘Tregunna is a solid, realistically plotted mystery that keeps you guessing’ ‘Lots of suspense and good characterisation. Would make a good TV drama.'

The Coin Store: A True Story of Drug Cartels, Mobsters, Cops and Agents


Patrick Burns , Special Agent (Ret.) - 2016
    He was the King of Cocaine, the wealthiest and most violent criminal in the world. By the 1980s his Medellin Drug Cartel was responsible for smuggling several tons of cocaine into America each and every day, killing thousands of people along the way. The end result was hundreds of millions of dollars in cash profits. In response, and as part of President Reagan’s War on Drugs, Congress created the Money Laundering Act of 1986. The goal was to take the profit out of Escobar’s business. And the plan was working. Drug Money seizures went up. But as U.S. Agents became more and more efficient at finding the dirty cash, stashed inside ship bellies and truck beds at America’s ports and land borders, Pablo and other Cartel leaders sought a more efficient method to get their money back to Colombia. They found the solution in an unlikely place, a dusty back room of a tiny, rare coin shop in the small town of Cranston, Rhode Island. The shop owner was a young, local mobster who had already been laundering much of the Mob's stolen gold. With a few minor adjustments, his coin shop evolved into a springboard for a new venture, a billion dollar money laundering scheme. The Italian Mafia's stolen gold was used to dispose of the Colombian Cartel's dirty cash. It was the perfect scheme, brilliant. As his customer base grew, the young mobster, known as Fat Man, a.k.a. Mr. Cash, set up a string of phony gold shops crisscrossing America. The end result was one of the world's largest, most efficient money laundering networks. By some accounts, Fat Man laundered more than a billion dollars of drug profits for Pablo Escobar and the other Cartel leaders. This is the true story of how it all happened. It is a step –by- step view of how the scheme worked and how it was ultimately uncovered. This story reveals conventional and at times unconventional tactics used by the government in its three-year, worldwide investigation. It is also a behind-the-scenes look at Fat Man himself and his crew, as well as the agents and cops who pursued them. It was unlikely that Fat Man, a small town gangster, would ever become an international money launderer for the Colombian Drug Lords. But what was more unlikely was the fact that it took a rookie agent to finally uncover the scheme. And more unlikely than that was the fact that the rookie agent was Fat Man’s neighbor. Both were born within just a few days from each other, grew up just a few miles from each other, lived in similar blue-collar neighborhoods and even lived in all but identical homes. And both were influenced, in very different ways, by the New England Mob, which was headquartered nearby on Federal Hill in Providence, RI. While Fat Man relished a life of crime, I dreamed of becoming an agent. In 1987, while his scheme originally went unnoticed, I was at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in southern Georgia. One year after the new Money Laundering Law was created, I began work as a new U.S. Treasury Agent. My first post of duty was Providence, RI. My first assignment was to follow a lead, a suspicious cash deposit at a local bank. It was originally considered to be a dead end, “keep busy” work for a new, inexperienced agent with little to do. But that changed when I followed the lead to Fat Man’s Coin Store. This is how it all happened.

A Kingpin Stole My Heart: A Complete Hood Love Series


Princess Diamond - 2020
    That is until she catches Graham in bed with another woman. Their breakup leaves her homeless and heartbroken. Nyceah has no choice but to return to Chicago to face her past. However, with Nyceah out of the picture, Graham stares karma in the face. A string of bad events causes him to be bitter, to hate Nyceah’s guts, and to seek revenge. Nexus “Next” Giuliani owns one of the biggest shipping companies in the world. He makes great money as a corporate leader, but, it’s his street affairs that concern him the most. He returns to Chicago to finalize contraband drug shipments for the mafia to France. He has put his heart and soul into this arrangement that includes marrying the French ally’s daughter to seal the deal. Neither Nyceah or Next is looking for love when they first meet, but their attraction is instant. Even though they try to avoid each other for obvious reasons, she craves his touch and he longs for her presence. What starts off as lust between them quickly develops into something more. However, Nexus’ wife Camille and Nyceah’s ex-boyfriend Graham are willing to do anything to stop these two from being together, including murder. Will Camille kill her husband’s mistress like she has in the past? Or will Graham get to Nyceah first? Nyceah’s life is in jeopardy with threats coming from everywhere. With all the power that Nexus has, will he be able to save her from certain death? Experience the complete series right here, right now!

John Rawlings Investigates (Part Two)


Deryn Lake - 2019
     From the death of an aristocrat in the Queen's palace, to a badly beaten corpse on a ghost ship, these evocative historical whodunits recreate 18th century London with all its grim streets and grimmer secrets. The Rawlings novels are richly atmospheric and compelling Georgian mysteries woven around the real characters of John Fielding, the phenomenal sightless magistrate known as the ‘Blind Beak’, whose Runners formed London’s early police force; and John Rawlings, the Apothecary reputed to have invented soda water. Praise for Deryn Lake’s John Rawlings Mysteries: ‘A wealth of marvellous characters parade across the pages, their dialogue is lively and John Rawlings is proving to be a real charmer’ - Eastbourne Herald ‘An effervescent tale...the author organises her large cast and colourful background with skill and gusto through a racily readable drama’ - Felicia Lamb in the Mail on Sunday’s Night & Day Magazine