In 1929, there were two “Canary Murder” Cases. The first was a film starring Louise Brooks, William Powell, and Jean Arthur, released in February, which told the story of a showgirl (“The Canary”) who was strangled after a failed attempt at blackmail. The second “Canary Murder” occurred in Chicago towards… Read more
Charles A. Gardner’s Dannemora is a gripping account of the notorious escape of two vicious convicted murderers from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, in New York’s North Country, which lead to one of the country’s most extensive manhunts and culminated in a dramatic, bloody standoff. Great nonfiction shares some key features… Read more
In Death on the River, bestselling true crime author Diane Fanning recounts a tragic kayak accident that left one man dead—and his fiancée arrested for his murder. CHAPTER ONE A brilliant sun warmed the air on a mid-April Sunday afternoon—a day that shouted with joy that spring had arrived at last. The… Read more
I am a true-crime junkie. Since I was a teenager, I’ve binged on Discovery ID and true-crime documentaries. Watching the new episodes of Dateline, 48 Hours Mystery, and 20/20 is a weekly ritual. And I devour true-crime books by some of my favorite authors including Ann Rule, Gregg Olsen, John… Read more
A Tale of Two Murders by Laura Thompson is a riveting account of the notorious “Ilford murder” which became a legal cause ce´le`bre in the 1920s and led to the hanging of Edith Thompson and her lover, Freddy Bywaters. She had made a grave mistake, believing that she had more… Read more
Georgia Tann left a dark legacy throughout the country, sewing tears among children and their birth parents for decades. Wearing gray hair, spectacles, a floral dress, and a sweet Southern smile, Tann looked like any caring grandmother—but most who encountered her learned that it was all a vile mask of… Read more
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America’s most infamous serial killers are surrounded by grisly, strange facts that have frightened and fascinated the general public for decades. But how well do you know your serial killers? Take the quiz and find out!
So often, true crime documentaries focus on cases where the truth is unknown. New evidence either puts into question the conviction or reopens an investigation, and often times, the ambiguous ending can be frustrating. Netflix’s new true crime documentary, I Am a Killer, takes a different approach to true crime, interviewing… Read more
Criminal Element is excited to announce that we’ve partnered with Macmillan Podcasts to produce a new true crime podcast, Case Closed—perfect for fans of Serial, Dirty John, Criminal, and other favorites! Hosted by renowned true crime book editor Charlie Spicer—a 30-year veteran of St. Martin’s Press who has published more than 100… Read more
