Category True Crime

Talking with Psychopaths by Christopher Berry-Dee @bonnierbooks_uk #nonfiction #educational #truecrime #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today of Talking with Psychopaths by Christopher Berry-Dee. This is the first time I have read a book by this author but I am glad to see that there are more for me to read.

My huge thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for arranging my copy of the book from the publisher Bonnier Books.

The plea of insanity in criminal cases can be traced back at least to the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, which dates from 1755-1759 BC. It is a complicated defence, and its origins in modern law lie with what are called the ‘M’Naghten Rules’ of 1843, formulated by British judges as a jury instruction in cases where a plea of insanity had been entered. Daniel M’Naghten shot and killed one Edward Drummond, believing him to be the British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, and was acquitted on the grounds of insanity, and the M’Naghten Rules still exert considerable influence over defences today. Clearly, a plea of insanity in murder cases is of critical importance when the death penalty is still applied, and even today it may still be the difference between a life sentence in a high-security prison, or an indeterminate one in a secure psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile, 27 of the USA’s 50 states have retained or readopted the death penalty, and at least 54 other countries, including China, Russia, India, Iran and Saudi Arabia, also retain it. Naturally, a criminal who was liable to swing for murder could, and sometimes did, make every attempt to appear insane, and this book examines some of these cases, as well as trials in which the accused was indeed judged to be insane. The failure rate is high; of seven American serial killers who deployed the defence in their trials, only two were successful, ending their days in secure psychiatric facilities; two were executed, and the other three either died or were killed while serving full-life sentences, or are still in gaol.

MT REVIEW

I like to read books about true crime, especially ones that look at cases from the past and how treatments were performed. The author has brought all these things together to look at cases from the past and also some of the more recent ones. American serial killers are most often represented on streaming shows and there is also a good amount from other countries as well.

I think there is an interest in how people’s minds work, especially those of serial killers, a morbid curiosity if you like. So this book looks at cases, treatments and how the plea of insanity is used in defense. Sometimes it works and at others, it does not, the author does ask at the end of each chapter if you think the killer is mad, insane or just evil.

The author has quite a laid-back way of presenting his findings, the cases, the treatments and also how the trials went with the outcomes. At times he has quite a jovial manner and this is actually quite refreshing and it does lighten the mood of what could be an intense subject. This does not mean he is joking about the crimes or the impacts though. He does not rely on the heavy use of jargon which again is good as it means the book keeps the readers’ interest as it is not to science or education.

This is the first book I have read by this author but I am aware of him writing others, these are referred to several times during the book. Others are also referred to and one of these I have read.

This is a well-laid-out book, it is the author’s opinions and he does have a good background to be able to make the observations he does. He has a background as an Intelligence Officer and has interviewed many serial killers. This is an author who would definitely make an interesting conversationalist as a dinner guest!

I liked this book a lot and I will be looking at reading more of his books.

This is a book that will interest those who have a, yes I am going to use the phrase again, ‘morbid fascination’ with serial killers, insanity pleas, and want a more relaxed approach rather than a technical or jargon-laden book. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post,a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Private Inquiries: The Secret History of Female Sleuths by Caitlin Davies @CaitlinDavies2 @RandomTTours @TheHistoryPress #truecrime #nonfiction #bookreview

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for a fabulous non-fiction book. Private Inquiries: The Secret Life of Female Sleuths is the second book I have read by this author.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my copy of this book from the publisher The HistoryPress.

The female private detective has been a staple of popular culture for over 150 years, from Victorian lady sleuths to ‘busy-body spinsters’ and gun-toting modern Pls. But what about the real-life women behind these fictional tales – what crimes did they solve, and where are their stories?

Dismissed as ‘Mrs Sherlock Holmes’ or amateurish Miss Marples, mocked as private dicks or honey trappers, they have been investigating crime since the mid-nineteenth century – theft, fraud, burglary, missing persons, blackmail, drugs, robbery, romance scams, industrial espionage, and murder.

In Private Inquiries, Caitlin Davies traces the history of the UK’s female investigators, uncovering the truth about their lives and careers from the 1850s to the present day.

Women like Victorian private inquiry agent Antonia Moser, the first woman to open her own agency; Annette Kerner, who ran the Mayfair Detective Agency on Baker Street in the 1940s; and Liverpool sleuth Zen Scott-Archer, who became the first woman president of the World Association of Detectives.

Caitlin also follows in the footsteps of her subjects, undertaking a professional qualification to become a Private Investigator, and meeting modern Pls to find out the reality behind the fictional image.

Female investigators are on the rise in the UK – and despite the industry’s sleazy reputation, nearly a third of new trainees are women. After a century of undercover work, it’s time to reveal the secrets of their trailblazing forebears.

MY REVIEW

This book is a fabulous read and it delves into the lives of female private investigators. Very little is really known about them, and to be fair, very little is mentioned about their male counterparts. The author decides to take a course to find out about what is entailed, she also tries to shadow someone and soon discovers it is not as easy as she thought it would be.

What makes someone decide to be a PI, well for some, in the early days it was to earn money and it gave them a chance to prove that they could look after themselves. For those in service as maids, cleaners and the like it was easier as they are unremarkable, not noticed and are generally not seen. This appearance, or rather the lack of appearance gave women the upper edge as they were able to go into people’s rooms to tidy and clean, make beds, snoop through any papers, and maybe drill a couple of discrete spy holes while they do the dusting.

In the early days, there was no register or any sort of control over the role of PI’s, they came and went and some were scammers, others blackmailers and there were the odd few who set people up. For the most part, a PI was utilised for discovering affairs so that a divorce could be obtained as well as many other things.

Over the years the role of PI has changed and there are protocols and laws in place that are adhered to. These are there to protect both the PI and the client. As times have changed so have their roles, not just tracing people who are lost, but also serving papers, finding lost relatives and also to look into cold cases.

The author looks at different women over the decades up to today. This is an area most of don’t really think about and if we think of PIs we think of the fictional ones. As a reader, I can name several investigators from fiction but I could not name a single real-life one.

This is where the author takes the reader on a journey through the history books, newspapers, footage, and interviews to help discover more. From the earliest known female investigators who worked for others to those who decided to work for themselves. This book charts the various activities employed, the way things have changed, the laws and also the lives of the women.

This is a wonderful book and if you are a fan of true crime then this one would probably appeal. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks by @CaitlinDavies2 @RandomTTours @TheHistoryPress #nonfiction #truecrime #womeninhistory #bookreview

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks by Caitlin Davies. There are many books around about male criminals, so it was a great book to read that focused on women. I can honestly say after reading this, they should have their own books because my goodness some of the women were evil!

My huge thank to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my paperback copy of this fabulous book from the publisher The History Press.

Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, Ronnie Biggs, the Krays … All have become folk heroes, glamorised and romanticised, even when they killed. But where are all the female crooks? Where are the street robbers, gang leaders, diamond thieves, bank robbers and gold smugglers?
Queens of the Underworld reveals the incredible story of professional female criminals from the 17th century to today. From Moll Cutpurse who ruled the Jacobean underworld, to Victorian jewel thief Emily Lawrence and 1960s burglar Zoe Progl, these were charismatic women at the top of their game.
But female criminals have long been dismissed as either not ‘real women’ or not ‘real criminals’, and in the process their stories have been lost. Caitlin Davies unravels the myths, confronts the lies, and tracks down modern-day descendants in order to tell the truth about their lives.
‘A riveting dive into the criminal underworld and the women who queened it there’ – Helena Kennedy QC

‘A rollicking account of all kinds of crime committed by women, who have not only been forgotten or ignored, but who put their male counterparts to shame’ – Julie Bindel, The Spectator

MY REVIEW

There are many books, documentaries, films and online features about crime. When you look many or most are about the men in the world that commit those crimes. Women are mentioned but they are often thought of as trophies, a bit of fluff or an accomplice. Most of the time they are not seen as the masterminds behind the crime or the gangs that are involved.

The author takes several women who, over the centuries, committed crimes that would have been serious, dangerous and downright shocking. They may have sweet angelic faces but beneath this veil, there is a shrewd and often deadly woman.

These women are mostly from around the London area and the author gives details about the women, their crimes, families, what made them stand out, when they were caught and how they then passed out of sight and mind. In some respects, you could say that these are the most notorious but are they the Queens of the Underworld as there are so many accounts that have been lost? There is also something else to consider… what about those who have not been caught!

The way women are seen in society plays heavily in this book and from the early accounts women are seen as not having any reason to be educated in any form as they are there to look after the home, and the children and maybe do chores or cleaning for others or they are prostitutes. They are not deemed worthy of being able to handle the intellect to plan and carry out a crime. Even in the modern day and at the turn of our century women are not classed as the worst of the worst. This mantle of the worst criminal always seems to go to the men.

Are women who commit crimes wanting to be seen in the same respect as their male counterparts or are they looking to make a statement? Or is it because they are responsible for raising and providing clothing and food for their children? There are mentions of women of different ethnicities, social classes and backgrounds to give a well-balanced mix. It has been difficult for the author though to find the information and gather all the details she would have liked. Again this is something where the male criminal has another advantage as such, there are so many more books and theories and documentaries about them, and you find yourself sifting through to find the women.

This is a fabulous book and I do like how the author links and then at times comes back to the women she has already mentioned. From pick-pockets to armed robbers and swindlers to contraband smugglers the author takes the reader on a journey through history. It is a fascinating book and has made me realise how little I know or have been aware of as regards women and crime are concerned. It has opened my eyes and it is a book I would definitely recommend.

About the Author

Caitlin Davies is the author of six novels and eight non-fiction books, many of which have a criminal theme. The Ghost of Lily Painter was based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, while Bad Girls: The Rebels and Renegades of Holloway Prison was the first comprehensive history of Europe’s most infamous female jail. It was nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, 2019.

Caitlin is a trained teacher, who started her writing career as a human rights reporter in Botswana. She currently works as a Royal Literary Fund writing fellow at NHS Kent & Medway.

Queens of the Underworld tells of her journey into the lives of female crooks from the 17th century to today. Her upcoming book, Private Inquiries: the secret history of female sleuths, to be published in October 2023, reveals the true tales of female private eyes from the 1850s to the present. Caitlin trained as a private investigator as part of her research, but wasn’t nearly as observant as she hoped she’d be.
 

Check out the stops on the Blog Tour…

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing : ) xx

The Dublin Railway Murder by Thomas Morris #NetGalley @HarvillSecker #victorianmystery #truecrime #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for The Dublin Railway Murder by Thomas Morris. This is a very interesting Victorian mystery that is based on a real case.

I requested this book via NetGalley and I was approved to read this from the publisher, Harvill Secker.

An astonishing real-life locked-room murder mystery set in Victorian Dublin, packed with gripping, perplexing twists. This meticulously researched true-crime tale reads like a quintessential Victorian thriller and is perfect for fans of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher.

One morning in November 1856 George Little, the chief cashier of the Broadstone railway terminus in Dublin, was found dead, lying in a pool of blood beneath his desk. His head had been almost severed; a knife lay nearby, but strangely the office door was locked, apparently from the inside. This was a deed of almost unheard-of brutality for the peaceful Irish capital: while violent crime was commonplace in Victorian London, the courts of Dublin had not convicted a single murderer in more than thirty years.

From the first day of the police investigation it was apparent that this was no ordinary case. Detectives struggled to understand how the killer could have entered and then escaped from a locked room, and why thousands of pounds in gold and silver had been left untouched at the scene of the crime. Three of Scotland Yard’s most celebrated sleuths were summoned to assist the enquiry, but all returned to London baffled. It was left to Superintendent Augustus Guy, the head of Ireland’s first detective force, to unravel the mystery.

Five suspects were arrested and released, with every step of the salacious case followed by the press, clamouring for answers. Under intense public scrutiny, Superintendent Guy found himself blocked at almost every turn. But then a local woman came forward, claiming to know the murderer….

MY REVIEW

This is a well-researched account of the death of George Little. He worked as a cashier for the Broadstone Railway in Dublin and his death occurred in 1856. This was a case that confounded detectives as the room was locked from the inside and initial observations were confusing.

This is quite a good read and one that I did find very interesting as it took me back to a very different way of investigating crime. The laws were very different from today and the way things were undertaken to solve showed how things have changed over the years.

This was interesting for a number of reasons as it showed various aspects of society at the time, living conditions and also how the proceedings could be hampered by newspaper reports. I really enjoyed the way the author laid this book out, it made for following what could have been a very confusing account, much easier to follow. Questions led to more questions, sometimes leading to dead ends. There were various suspects and yet it took many months for things to finally come to a conclusion, even then it was not altogether clear cut.

The research is meticulous and there are some great footnotes to show how things have changed over the years. The facts have been used well and incorporated into a narrative of events. This makes for a practical and analytical read, showing the stories of those involved but without emotion. At times it felt like reading a newspaper article. I think this style is good for a true crime read, not that I have read that many, but it was a style I enjoyed.

This is a slower book and there is some overlapping, but this I think is expected given the era of the crime. We are lucky to have computers to cross-reference, double-check and back-up as well as have a much more advanced technology to assist with identification. There are mentions of major changes to the law to show a comparison between then and now.

This is a good read and one for those who enjoy true crime and especially historical crime. Well laid out, a good pace and some very interesting facts. I do think it could have been a little shorter in length but that is just my opinion. I would happily recommend this one.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Chasing Black Gold by Robert Stone @rstonecbg @rararesources #BookReview #Giveaway (Open Int’lly)

yvonnembee 6 Comments

Chasing Black Gold: The Incredible True Story of a Fuel Smuggler in Africa by [Stone, Robert]

Today I am delighted to be sharing Chasing Black Gold By Robert Stone as part of the blog blitz by Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources. My thanks to Robert for my copy of the book and Rachel for the invite to join the tour xx

Where to buy a copy: The History Press – Amazon UK – Waterstones – Barnes and Noble

Amazon.Com – eBooks.Com

Synopsis:

ROBERT STONE was a serial entrepreneur – an enterprising individual, mostly on the wrong side of the law, who spent twenty-five years operating all over the world, before being arrested in Switzerland as a result of an international manhunt led by an Organised Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. Over the course of his career, Stone earned and lost several lifetimes’ worth of fortunes, went to prison on three continents, used dozens of aliases, saw men die, and masterminded one of the biggest marijuana smuggling operations in criminal history. Fuel smuggling in Africa, trading fuel with generals, rebels and businessman, was both his career high and, ultimately, what brought him down.

My Thoughts:

Well this was a really interesting read and the author is very candid in his account of his life as a smuggler. I’m also having to remind myself that it is the book I am reviewing and not the lifestyle the author chose to live. I am someone who works hard for my weekly wage and I live within my means, so this book was a real eye opener for me. To see how the shadier side of smuggling and making the next million can consume someone to the point of risking their life.

CBG -Coastal Shipping Base Warri, Nigeria

This photo shows the coastal shipping base in Warri, Nigeria.

The author definitely ‘aint no saint, but I did get the impression that he was well thought of as an employer. He has had a dangerous life and most definitely lived it on the edge more often than not. While I can admire the inventiveness required to solve logistical problems I do not admire the fact that his life was a lie and gotten by illegal means, but I am not judging, each to their own.

CBG -Rob, Linda and Crew- Off Africa 1988.jpg

This shows Robert and his wife Linda with some of the employees off Africa.

I found that this book was really easy to get into and did capture my attention as I was taken into the authors real life world. It has danger, chases, being on the run, being in prison, being a millionaire with ships around the world to being broke and living in hiding. I must also mention he has a wife and family and on several occasions my heart went out to them as the author was essentially a husband and father who worked away a lot of the time, well most of the time.

CBG -Reunited Family 1996.jpg

The Family re-united in 1996

If you want a book that is a real eye-opener then this is one for you. It could just as easily be a script for a Hollywood Blockbuster film rather than a biography, it really is that action packed, dangerous, jaw dropping and thrilling, that will take you around the world. From beautiful beaches to regime ruled countries it has it all. This is a book I would definitely recommend to readers of biographies and true crime.

About the Author:

CBG -Getting ready to bury Kruggerands and money.jpg

This picture shows Robert getting ready to bury Kruggerands and money.

Author Robert Stone first came to Aberdeen Scotland in 1973 as a pioneer saturation diver in the early dangerous days of the North Sea. Retiring from diving in the mid 80’s he became a serial entrepreneur –mostly on the wrong side of the law. He spent the next decade operating businesses all over the world from his Aberdeenshire home.

Stone earned and lost several fortunes, went to prison on three continents, used dozens of aliases, and masterminded one of the biggest marijuana smuggling operations in criminal history. Fuel smuggling in Africa, was only one of his many exploits.

His Scottish wife and young children knew nothing of the dark side of his life until the day they were all arrested in Switzerland as a result of an international manhunt led by an Organised Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Twitter – https://twitter.com/rstonecbg

Twitter https://twitter.com/TheHistoryPress

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thehistorypressuk

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thehistorypressuk/?hl=en

Giveaway – Win 10 x signed copies of Chasing Black Gold (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

ENTER HERE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN , GOOD LUCK XX

Many thanks for taking the time to read my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx