Tag: true crime
-
The Oracle’s Daughter by Harrison Hill
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Oracle’s Daughter: The name kinda gives it away. Quick synopsis: The story of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps. Yes, that’s actually the name. Fact for Non-History People: There are estimated to be about 10,000 cults in the U.S. Fact for History Nerds: California has the highest concentration of cults…
-
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for London Falling: It’s a long way down. Quick synopsis: The mysterious death of a teenager in London. Fact for Non-History People: London is the world’s largest urban forest. Fact for History Nerds: Over 300 different languages are spoken in London. My Take on London Falling: Sorry, dear reader, this might be…
-
The Science of Second Chances by Jennifer Doleac
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Science of Second Chances: Better living through data. Quick synopsis: A look at some possible solutions to recidivism in the U.S. criminal justice system. Fact for Non-History People: In the U.S., approximately 70% of released prisoners are rearrested within 5 years. Fact for History Nerds: Within three years, nearly 50%…
-
The Rembrandt Heist by Anthony Amore
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Rembrandt Heist: When in a jam, make a bigger jam. Quick synopsis: The life and crimes of art thief Myles Connor. Fact for Non-History People: The largest art heist on record is the 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston with 13 works valued at $500 million…
-
End of Days by Chris Jennings
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for End of Days: Plenty of judgement to go around. Quick synopsis: The story of the Ruby Ridge tragedy and how it all happened. Fact for Non-History People: In 2021, 15% of Americans believed the government had fallen under the control of a Satan-worshiping cabal of pedophiles. Probably a higher number now.…
-
American Reich by Eric Lichtblau
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for American Reich: Feel like this is going to cause an argument. Quick synopsis: A look at a hate crime in Orange County, CA and the rise of hate crimes overall in the U.S. Fact for Non-History People: Hate crimes have doubled since 2015, reaching over 11,800 incidents in 2023. Fact for…
-
The Blood Countess by Shelley Puhak
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Blood Countess: #FreeBáthory Quick synopsis: The true story of history’s most prolific female serial killer, Elizabeth Báthory. (Ahem, ALLEGEDLY.) Fact for Non-History People: 15% of U.S. serial killers are women. Fact for History Nerds: The most prolific female serial killer by confirmed victims is Jane Toppan with 31. My Take…
-
Five Bullets by Elliot Williams
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Five Bullets: How many is too many? Quick synopsis: The story of the Bernie Goetz case in 1980s New York City. Fact for Non-History People: The NYC murder count per year went from 1,392 in 1985 to 2,262 in 1990. To be clear, 1,392 was already a lot. Fact for History…
-
The Pain Brokers by Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Pain Brokers: Sometimes surgery is the least painful part. Quick synopsis: The story of terrible humans taking advantage of people through mass tort schemes. Fact for Non-History People: There are approximately 170 different mass torts which cover over 393,000 individual claims going on as of 2025. Fact for History Nerds:…