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  Deadly Derbyshire - Tales of...

  Scott Lomax

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  A collection of historical British true crime stories, with illustrations included.   From the murder of Hannah Hewitt in 1732 to John Cotton’s killing in 1898, Deadly Derbyshire gathers dramatic, atmospheric true tales of murder and manslaughter in this county in England’s East Midlands.   Read about the “fiery” circumstances of the death of John McMorrow; a farm tragedy at Stoney Houghton; and killings for pittances such as three eggs and a sixpence. You’ll also discover stories of unprovoked and wicked deeds and numerous suspicious deaths. Based on extensive research of newspaper archives, uncovering a large number of cases never previously explored, this compendium examines the darker side of this historical port city.

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  Britain's Most Notorious Hangmen

  Stephen Wade

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  A breathtaking history of Britain’s executioners—from the seventeenth court of King Charles II to the UK’s last official hangman of the twentieth century.   In 1663, Jack Ketch delighted in his profession and gained notoriety not only because of those he executed—dukes and lords—but for how often he botched the job. Centuries later, in 1965, after nearly six hundred trips to the gallows, Albert Pierrepoint retired as Britain’s longest-running executioner. Between them are three hundred years in a fascinating history of crime, and the “turn-off men” who handled the penalties—many of them criminals themselves, doing the grim work to save their own necks.  Britain’s Most Notorious Hangmen tells the stories of the men who plied their deadly trade at Tyburn tree or at the scaffolds in the prison yards across the country, including such notable “neck-stretchers” as Throttler Smith and the celebrated James Billington. But true-crime historian Stephen Wade explores the lives and crimes of many of the infamous killers that were hanged, as well. He also sheds light on the changing social norms of the country, and the moral dilemmas that arose for hangmen tasked with performing what was once considered the most crowd-pleasing free “entertainment” ever offered to the public.

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  Mata Hari and some other Women...

  Sir Basil Thomson

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  Margaretha Geertruida Zelle (1876 – 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer who was convicted of being a spy and executed by firing squad in France during the first World War.Sir Basil Home Thomson, KCB (1861 – 1939) was a British intelligence officer, police officer, prison governor, colonial administrator, and writer. Thomson interviewed Mata Hari in London in 1915 as part of a British investigation into her espionage activities.This is his first hand account of that meeting. He also recounts the interrogation of other female foreign spies during his period in office.

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  The Beast I Loved - A Battered...

  Robert Davidson

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  The disturbing true crime story about what drove an abused New Hampshire wife to kill her violent husband, and the chaos that followed.   Before domestic violence hot lines and safe houses were widespread, June Briand shot four bullets into her husband’s head in 1987 and was sentenced to fifteen years to life. This is the shocking true story of survival—and the intense bond June shared with her pathologically violent husband, a monster who physically and sexually tortured, degraded, and dominated her so relentlessly that she refused to believe he was dead even after she killed him. What kind of woman would slay her own husband? What kind of man would drive her to do it? Why didn’t she just leave him? Based on hundreds of hours interviewing June Briand, speaking with her lawyers, and poring over countless pages of court transcripts, police and hospital records, and interviews with virtually every key person involved with this case, the author explores those difficult questions while exposing the twisted dynamics of a relationship that enslaves a woman—and drives her to kill the beast she loved when she was finally out of hope, out of time, and out of her mind.  “As gripping as The Burning Bed.”—John Saul, New York Times–bestselling author of Creature  “A superbly written, riveting—often horrifying—story urgently needed for our time….A powerhouse page-turned about the limits of what a human being can endure.”—Susan Page, bestselling author

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  Die Staat vs Oscar - 9 uur 4...

  Marida Fitzpatrick

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  Oscar klop aan die deur en Reeva kom maak vir hom oop. Die man wat oor die drumpel trap, wat vir die laaste keer by hierdie huis instap, is Oscar Pistorius, skatryk, alomgeliefde wêreldberoemde Olimpiese held. Die man wat oor minder as 24 uur by dieselfde deur sal uit steier, sal 'n ánder Oscar wees. Berug, bebloed, bedroef, 'n flentersgebreekte spieël van homself."Dis die verhoor van die jaar, die storie van die dekade. Dis 'n liefdesverhaal wat 'n hofdrama geword het, 'n sprokie wat in bloed geëindig het.Die Oscar Pistorius-saak is al van hoek tot kant bestudeer en ontleed, in berigte en debatte bespreek. Maar nog nooit is dit van die begin tot die end as 'n spanningsverhaal vertel nie. En dít is wat Marida Fitzpatrick in Die Staat vs. Oscar doen. Sy weef die skrikwekkende gebeure van daardie nag en die mees dramatiese dele van die verhoor op só 'n manier ineen dat die boek soos 'n misdaadriller lees. Tussendeur dié boeiende vertelling is uittreksels uit roerende onderhoude met van die betrokkenes se naastes. Die boek bevat ook 'n interessante ontrafeling van die tegniese aspekte van die verhoor: Wat het die ballistiek, die getuienis oor die gille en Oscar se twee verwere uiteindelik vir hom beteken? Dit word alles geïllustreer met foto's wat op die toneel geneem is en grafiese voorstellings. Die Staat vs. Oscar is 'n fassinerende storie wat nie net al die legkaartstukke van die Oscar-raaisel in plek laat val nie, maar deurentyd aangryp en meesleur.

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  Nisida - Celebrated Crimes Book 7

  Alexandre Dumas

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  To paraphrase the note from the translator, The Celebrated Crimes of Alexandre Dumas père was not written for children. The novelist has spared no language—has minced no words—to describe violent scenes of violent times.However, in this, the seventh of the series, Dumas turns away from the bitter hatreds and bloody cruelty of the preceding stories. He lets the novelist take over from the historian, giving free rein to his storytelling instincts. The story of Nisida is worthy of an Italian opera in the great romantic tradition, and indeed Donizetti attempted it, but without success. It is the story of an attempt by a womanizing nobleman to seduce and ruin the daughter of a poor but admirable fisherman, an attempt that ends in his death at the hands of her brother, who is then sentenced to die and is executed, but not by the hands of the law.The story is told in lush and melodramatic style, tending in places to comedy. It is as if Dumas just had to give himself a break after the harsh, tense history of the preceding titles in the series, and turned his gift for melodrama and high coloring loose with a passion.Dumas does claim that the story is based on the records of an actual case. If so, the case is  well buried, or Dumas changed too many names and details to permit us to track it down with certainty.Enjoy!

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