Adam Selzer

"The most sensational and intriguing murders from across the USA are re-examined in this disquieting volume, which introduces readers to the most lethal killers from every state. Spanning the period from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the Second World War, these are homicides from a seminal period of American criminal history, an era that saw the formation of the first state police agency, the first murderer convicted using fingerprints and the birth of the FBI laboratory. Every murder case is accompanied by an elegant contemporary map or bespoke floorplan on which the precise movements of both killer and victim are meticulously plotted, offering unrivalled insight into the vital components of the crime. The macabre picture is completed with early mugshots and unnerving crime scene photographs, bringing to life bloodsoaked Wild West saloons, inner city ganglands and the deadly machinations behind famous assassinations. The killers featured range from the 'Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run', who attacked and dismembered his victims in Cleveland's most unsavoury suburb, to the black widow Belle Gunness, who lured numerous victims to her Illinois farm, and from the infamous Texan bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde to the devious Petrillo cousins in Philadelphia and their contract killing service. Crime expert Adam Selzer illuminates the details of each case, recounting both the outrageous details of the crimes themselves and the ingenious detective work and breakthrough forensics that solved them. His bloodthirsty tour of America's criminal underworld uncovers the ruthless scheming of murderers both infamous and little-known"--Publisher's description.