Tag: true crime

  • American Alt by Chris Lockhart

    Schizophrenia seems like a massive challenge by itself, but if you add dissociative identity disorder to it then you get, well, Michael Dodd! Dodd is one of two main characters in the excellent American Alt by Chris Lockhart. Lockhart, the author, is the other main character who doesn’t have either of those mental disorders, but…

  • The Jackal by Joby Warrick

    When you think of Carlos the Jackal, you probably picture a suave, cold-blooded hitman roaming the capitals of the world. He has every action planned to the most minute detail. He can think on his feet. He is James Bond without a moral core. That’s a cool visual and all, but the real Carlos the…

  • Checkmate by Ben Mezrich

    If only there was a way in chess for everyone to lose. No, a draw doesn’t count. However, you could make the argument that Checkmate by Ben Mezrich ends in a draw and that’s what everyone deserves. The story is about chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and a young (and supremely obnoxious) Hans Niemann. You may…

  • Kingdom of Devils by Katherine Grandjean

    Quick, what do you think of when I say what happened after the American Revolution, and before the Civil War? The Louisiana Purchase? Yes! Ratifying the Constitution? Perfect! America’s first spree killers? Oh, didn’t see that coming did you? Well, don’t feel bad. Katherine Grandjean surprised me too with her excellent Kingdom of Devils. The…

  • The Ego Trip by Kimon de Greef

    I don’t know. Maybe I am just a prude, but I have never looked at a toad and thought, “Man, I’d really love to ingest the secretions of this animal. Might just change my life.” However, Kimon de Greef is here to tell us that a lot of people did have those thoughts in his…

  • Catch the Devil by Pamela Colloff

    I don’t know, but maybe someone is already in jail we need to use a bit more discretion in how much we trust them. This is basically the crux of Pamela Colloff’s excellent Catch the Devil. Paul Skalnik is a fraud, thief, sexual predator, pedophile, and serial bigamist. He was also the favorite pet of…

  • Fires in the Night by Matthew Wolfe

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Fires in the Night: Let’s save the Earth by lighting stuff on fire! Makes sense to me. Quick synopsis: The story of a cell within the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Fact for Non-History People: It is estimated the group performed hundreds of criminal acts in the late 1990s and 2000s. Fact…

  • By the River’s Edge by Gregg Olsen

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for By the River’s Edge: Donna has a lot of explaining to do. Quick synopsis: The story of a Spokane, Washington serial killer. Fact for Non-History People: California has produced the most serial killers in the U.S. Fact for History Nerds: Alaska, however, has the most per capita when accounting for population.…

  • 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…