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Showing 1 - 11 of 11 items
By Edgar Allan Poe. 2016
By Wensley Clarkson. 2021
WITH A FOREWORD BY NIGEL McCRERY, CREATOR OF SILENT WITNESSGoing beyond the popular TV show, this is the true story…
of forensic science from those who solve crimes without witnesses. How do you identify a serial killer?What are the tell-tale signs of guilt?Can we now solve the unsolvable?Since even before the first season of Silent Witness in 1996, forensic science has played an increasingly important role in the investigation of violent crimes.With a boom in cold-blooded cases throughout the 1980s, police began to rely on DNA evidence to help them find perpetrators and since then forensic science has taken off as a powerful tool in solving murders. Bestselling true crime author Wensley Clarkson takes us beyond the headlines to examine the real-life stories where forensics have played a crucial role. He speaks to experts who have worked on the most gruesome, most chilling and most shocking crime scenes and explains how notorious criminal cases from across the world were solved.And he shows how the silent witness is often the one who screams the loudest.'I was hooked right from the start and couldn't put it down. I stayed up until after 2am to finish…
it... A non-stop, tense and thrilling read' Reader review, 5 stars A deadly trap. A ticking clock. How long until she has only one last breath? Jessie wakes to darkness, cold, and the rain beating down on her. She reaches out, and her hands meet hard stone. Suddenly she knows where she is. Deep in the woods, far underground, at the bottom of the well where her best friend's lifeless body was found fifteen years ago. After returning to her hometown to investigate a new murder, she now finds herself poised to become the killer's next victim. Jessie gazes up to the circle of night sky above her, the relentless raindrops landing on her face. She doesn't know how she came to be here, but she knows that, with the storm getting worse, it's only a matter of time before the well begins to fill with water. Can she make it out before it's too late? And what will be waiting for her on the surface if she does? A totally gripping, dark and twisty psychological thriller that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards and Freida McFadden. Readers have been loving One Last Breath: 'Heart-pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. Definitely one of the best books this year' Reader review, 5 stars 'This book blew my mind! ... You know it's good when you get past half way in one sitting!' Reader review, 5 stars 'Riveting and engaging ... a testament to Cunliffe's storytelling prowess, delivering a gratifying and suspenseful experience' Reader review, 5 stars 'White knuckles from the very first page and the tension does not let up!' Reader review, 5 starsBy Matthew O'Brien. 1997
By Nelson George. 2011
Finalist for the 2012 NAACP Image Award in Literature!"George is an ace at interlacing the real dramas of the world...the…
book's slim length and flyweight depth could make it an artifact of this particular zeitgeist in American history. Playas and haters and celebrity cameos fuel a novel that is wickedly entertaining while being frozen in time."--Kirkus Reviews"This hard-boiled tale is jazzed up with authentic street slang and name-dropping (Biggie, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, and Chuck D)...George's tightly packaged mystery pivots on a believable conspiracy...and his street cred shines in his descriptions of Harlem and Brownsville's mean streets."--Library Journal"George is a well-known, respected hip-hop chronicler...Now he adds crime fiction to his resume with a carefully plotted crime novel peopled by believable characters and real-life hip-hop personalities."--Booklist"George's prose sparkles with an effortless humanity, bringing his characters to life in a way that seems true and beautiful. The story--and the conspiracy behind it--is one we all need to hear as consumers and creators in the post-hardcore hip-hop world."--Shelf Awareness"Part procedural murder mystery, part conspiracy-theory manifesto, Nelson George's The Plot Against Hip Hop reads like the PTSD fever dream of a renegade who's done several tours of duty in the trenches...Plot's combination of record-biz knowledge and ghetto fabulosity could have been written only by venerable music journalist Nelson George, who knows his hip-hop history...The writing is as New York as 'Empire State of Mind,' and D is a detective compelling enough to anchor a series."--Time Out New York"A breakbeat detective story...George invents as much as he curates, as outlandish conspiracy theories clash with real-life figures. But what makes the book such a fascinating read is its simultaneous strict adherence to hip-hop's archetypes and tropes while candidly acknowledging the absurdity of the music's current big-business era. There's a late-capitalism logic at work here. If this book had been written in the early '90s, it would have been about the insurgent artistry of hip-hop musicians and the social-justice strides the genre was effecting. Today, it's a procedural about the death of principles."--Time Out Chicago"Like good hip hop, there is social commentary and a blurring of the lines between great storytelling and all-to-real happenings. The Plot Against Hip Hop reads almost like Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice, but in the world of rap music. Brilliant prose, vast conspiracy, (at times) borderline trippy narrative. If you love crime fiction and you love hip hop, this book is a must read."--BookRiot"The Plot Against Hip Hop is a quick-moving murder mystery that educates its audience on Hip Hop's pioneer generation along the way...it is a nostalgic look at a magical and manic moment in time."--New York Journal of Books"George very masterfully has created a novel that informs as well as entertains."--Huffington PostThe Plot Against Hip Hop is a noir novel set in the world of hip hop culture. The stabbing murder of esteemed music critic Dwayne Robinson in a Soho office building is dismissed by the NYPD as a gang initiation. But his old friend, bodyguard and security expert D Hunter, suspects there are larger forces at work.D Hunter's investigation into his mentor's murder leads into a parallel history of hip hop, a place where renegade government agents, behind-the-scenes power brokers, and paranoid journalists know a truth that only a few hardcore fans suspect. This rewrite of hip hop history mixes real-life figures with characters pulled from the culture's hidden world, including Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Russell Simmons.By Mazaradi Fox. 2016
"Having grown up on the streets of South Jamaica, Queens, Fox wrote this first novel in 2013 while incarcerated at…
the Orleans Correctional Facility. After moving to rap music as a pal of artist 50 Cent, in 2014 the author unfortunately was gunned down by a killer in a black ski mask. Here, Teen DeMarco Jones finds himself in a correctional center to do a bid for 18 months. By luck he breaks out and returns to the streets and starts dealing."--Library Journal"[A] paean to hip-hop life in Queens . . . [Protagonist] DeMarco’s rise is meteoric, and his fall as fast and inevitable, in this tragic tale filled with street talk."--Publishers Weekly"The only novel from deceased legendary Queens rapper Mazaradi Fox, a member of 50 Cent’s G-Unit crew."--Publishers Weekly, Fall 2016 Announcements"A gripping, gritty, riveting read from cover to cover...Highly recommended."--Midwest Book Review"As gritty as they come."--Ozzie's Book Blog"The Game Don't Change is a story from the streets, where life and death are closer than you think. Mazaradi Fox knew how to play the game better than most, and his life and experience shine through every page of this tough and unsentimental book. An instant classic of NYC thug life."--Prodigy of Mobb DeepMazaradi Fox wrote this novel in 2013 during his incarceration at the Orleans Correctional Facility. The Game Don't Change opens when DeMarco Jones escapes from a juvenile detention center. Successfully evading the law, DeMarco builds his reputation on the streets of Queens as a fearless and charismatic drug hustler. Though he is only sixteen, women of all ages can't get enough of him. He quickly finds, however, that he must battle ferociously to maintain his new kingpin status.By Albert Johnson. 2013
"A gritty, fast-paced tale of revenge...Tight, terse prose harkens back to pulp fiction of the 1950s...The work is a breath…
of fresh air from lengthy, trying-too-hard-to-shock street lit and is an excellent choice for all metropolitan collections."--Library Journal (starred review, Pick of the Month)"The urban setting is unnamed but familiar in this brief, bloody tale of wasted lives lived short and hard."--Publishers Weekly"Simultaneously a fast-paced crime drama and an engrossing, unsentimental moral tale, H.N.I.C. peers into the dark heart that underpins the codes of loyalty and friendship, betrayal and vengeance."--Brooklyn Daily Eagle"In a genre that too often places incorrect ebonics in the mouths of black characters and fails to cross the empathy gap to get into their heads, Savile and Prodigy arrive at a seamless voice that is a refreshing take on crime fiction tropes...if tone and texture are what you're looking for in your hardcore literature...H.N.I.C. delivers the goods."--Okayplayer"H.N.I.C. is written by Prodigy himself and shows the extent to which good rappers can make good storytellers."--Brooklyn Based"Ultimately, H.N.I.C. deals on all the right levels and is completely satisfying."--Blackout Book Review"If you don't have this novella in your library collection already, please be on the lookout for this 2013 release, H.N.I.C., penned by Hip Hop artist Prodigy of the group, Mobb Deep."--StreetLiterature.com"The strength of this novella, in addition to its straightforward prose and rapid pacing, rests on the universal theme at its center: loyalty. Loyalty and the bullshit our friends put us through...Like any good work of crime, H.N.I.C. is grounded in such common experiences and, like any good work of crime, it speaks to all of us, despite the fact that very few of us can bypass an alarm system through some computer trickery."--Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together"It tells the...urban tale of deceit, greed and questioned loyalty with just enough drama to keep you turning the pages."--Literary Jewels"A brutal and quick read...custom-made for the big screen."--Charles Tatum's Review ArchiveProdigy, from the legendary hip-hop group Mobb Deep, launches Akashic's new Infamous Books imprint with a story of loyalty, vengeance, and greed.Pappy tries to break out of the game before the head of his crew, Black, gets them all killed. Against his better judgment Pappy agrees to do one last job, but only because it's the price of his freedom. He knows his "brother" Black would rather see him dead than let him walk away. Yet he still agrees to do the job because Black isn't the only one who can't be trusted.Further developing the stark realism and uncompromising streetwise narratives of his lyrics, H.N.I.C. cements Prodigy's position as one of the foremost chroniclers of contemporary urban life. Simultaneously a fast-paced crime drama and an engrossing, unsentimental moral tale, H.N.I.C. peers into the dark heart that underpins the codes of loyalty and friendship, betrayal and vengeance.With H.N.I.C., Prodigy inaugurates Infamous Books, a revolutionary partnership that pairs the Infamous Records brand with Brooklyn-based independent publisher Akashic Books. Infamous Books' mission is to connect readers worldwide to crime fiction and street lit authors both familiar and new.By Nelson George. 2015
Nominated for the Brooklyn Public Library's Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize for Fiction"This is a fine mystery and [protagonist] D Hunter…
is as world weary, yet steadfast, as Philip Marloew, Spenser, Dave Robicheaux, or Easy Rawlins. A definite yes to purchase for both mystery and African American collections."--Library Journal (Starred Review, Pick of the Month)"George covers a lot of ground with style: the rhythm-and-blues music scene past and present, the sometimes startling evolution of Brooklyn and its environs, and the multitude of hangers-on, wannabes, and grifters who want a piece of the action."--Publishers Weekly"Real relationships and real talk frame the mashup of mysteries in George's street-framed series."--Kirkus Reviews"The wonderful sing-song street slang dialogue and esoteric industry knowledge make The Lost Treasures of R&B a richly entertaining addition to George's evolving series."--Shelf Awareness"George uses The Lost Treasures of R&B to tackle the hot-button issue of the gentrification of Brooklyn (and elsewhere) as protagonist D struggles to come to terms with the ghosts of his childhood in 'old Brooklyn.'"--Philadelphia Tribune"Written in the spirit of authors such as Walter Mosley and Donald Goines...The book blends music from the past with thug appeal of the present to appeal to young and old alike."--Baltimore Times"George is a historian of his culture."--The Stranger"Hunter is back in Brooklyn solving a mystery that has a backdrop firmly on the R&B scene."--NBCBLK, 14 Books to Read This Black History Month"Like its predecessor this installment of D's story fuses music, history, and crime on the streets of New York."--Flavorpill NYC"Nelson George delivers an entertaining and hard-boiled look at the music scene, and raises the question of proprietary rights and black culture."--MysteryPeople, One of Three Picks for February"As a huge R&B fan, when I ran across the title, The Lost Treasures of R&B, I just had to read it...and I'm glad I did."--Underrated ReadsProfessional bodyguard D Hunter takes a gig protecting rapper Asya Roc at an underground fight club in poverty-stricken Brownsville, Brooklyn. Unknown to D, the rapper has arranged to purchase illegal guns at the event. An acquaintance of D from the streets (and from the novel The Plot Against Hip Hop) named Ice turns out to be the courier.During the exchange a robbery is attempted. Ice is wounded. D gets Asya Roc to safety but is then chased by two gunmen because he has the bag containing the guns. This lethal chase ends under the elevated subway where D and the two gunmen run into a corrupt detective named Rivera. A bloody shootout ensues.D, who has just moved back to Brooklyn after decades in Manhattan, finds himself involved in multiple mysteries. Who were the gunmen? Why were they after the guns? Who was being set up--Asya Roc or Ice? Meanwhile, he gets a much-needed paying assignment to track down the rarest soul music single ever recorded.With gentrifying Brooklyn as the backdrop, D works to unravel various mysteries--both criminal and musical--while coming to terms with the failure of his security company and the ghosts of his childhood in "old Brooklyn." Like its predecessors The Accidental Hunter and The Plot Against Hip Hop, The Lost Treasures of R&B uses pop music as the backdrop for a noir-flavored big-city tale.By Joseph Wambaugh. 1984
In this true crime story, Wambaugh focuses on the Border Crime Task Force, an eighteen-month experiment conducted by the San…
Diego Police. This task force foot-patrolled the Mexican-U.S. border between Tijuana and San Diego in an effort to stop the gangs who mug, rob, rape, and murder Mexican, illegal aliens. Powerful and compassionate. Strong language. Violence. Bestseller 1984By Wensley Clarkson. 2021
WITH A FOREWORD BY NIGEL McCRERY, CREATOR OF SILENT WITNESSGoing beyond the popular TV show, this is the true story…
of forensic science from those who solve crimes without witnesses. How do you identify a serial killer?What are the tell-tale signs of guilt?Can we now solve the unsolvable?Since even before the first season of Silent Witness in 1996, forensic science has played an increasingly important role in the investigation of violent crimes.With a boom in cold-blooded cases throughout the 1980s, police began to rely on DNA evidence to help them find perpetrators and since then forensic science has taken off as a powerful tool in solving murders. Bestselling true crime author Wensley Clarkson takes us beyond the headlines to examine the real-life stories where forensics have played a crucial role. He speaks to experts who have worked on the most gruesome, most chilling and most shocking crime scenes and explains how notorious criminal cases from across the world were solved.And he shows how the silent witness is often the one who screams the loudest.By Monte Francis. 2007
Neighbors were unaware of what went on behind the tightly closed doors of a house in Fresno, California—the home of…
an imposing, 300-pound Marcus Wesson, his wife, children, nieces, and grandchildren. But on March 12, 2004, gunshots were heard inside the Wesson home, and police officers responding to what they believed was a routine domestic disturbance were horrified by the senseless carnage they discovered when they entered.By Their Father's Hand is a chilling true story of incest, abuse, madness, and murder, and one family's terrible and ultimately fatal ordeal at the hands of a powerful, manipulative man—a cultist who envisioned vengeful gods and vampires, and totally controlled those closest to him before their world came to a brutal and bloody halt.