Ending his 10-year career as Lyndhurst Police Chief, Rick Porrello retired after serving for approx. 33 years in law enforcement. But if you think that retirement means less activity, you are wrong. Porrello is an author with plans for more books. He also dreams about drumming again soon. His book ‘To Kill The Irishman’ was […]
Book Reviews
Crimes of Famous & Infamous Criminals by Mitzi Szereto
You may have a star on the walk of fame or a statue in the town square of your city of birth, but that does not guarantee that your star will shine forever because as this book shows you, all these stars fell, and they fell hard. In their demise, they dragged with them loved […]
Brutish Necessity by Jon Berry
The full title of the book is ‘Brutish Necessity, a Black life forgotten.’ The author, Jon Berry, sets out to tell the story of Oswald Augustus Grey, an immigrant of Jamaica. When he was 19 years old, Grey committed a crime for which he was hanged at the age of twenty. Grey was accused of […]
Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
This is the first book by Rupert Holmes in a series of the McMasters Guide to Homicide. It starts with employers. According to interviews with the author, two other books are in the making. Just like in his lyrics, you need to wait to the ending to get the last plot twist. That is the […]
Twelve Twenty-Six Seventy-Five by Tony Reid
On April 25, 2018 the world learned that Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr. was arrested. Having read several books about his crimes, one more disturbing then the other, I sincerely hoped that after sentencing I’d never have to hear that name again. Not only were the crimes haunting to read, I became friends with some victims’ family […]
Simple, Safe & Secret by Eve Carson
On November 28, 1981 Joan Lucinda Webster, a Harvard graduate student, went missing. Joan (25) was last seen at Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts as she returned to Harvard from her Thanksgiving break. Her skull was found on April 18, 1990. The rest of her remains were found on April 25of the same year. Joan was […]
The San Francisco Doodler Murders by Kate Zaliznock
The Doodler refers to a Black male, young, tall, unidentified, and violent serial killer who was active between January 1974 – September 1975. His target area was the LGBTQ community in San Francisco. People did not speak out and trust in police was low. Five of his victims are known but he is allegedly responsible […]
The Seeker Series by S. G. MacLean
The five books in the Seeker Series by S. G. MacLean carry you into a politically challenging period. We meet Damian Seeker in 1654 when Oliver Cromwell is Lord Protector with almost unlimited powers. There is general unrest everywhere. People fight for free speech and printers work overtime to make news pamphlets. To stay ahead […]
Unsolved Crimes & Mysteries by Mitzi Szereto
There are a lot of books about true crime and unsolved mysteries. However, this one has something I covet and not always find: the right tone. The latest installment in the anthology series ‘The Best New True Crime Stories’ by Mitzi Szereto covers everything from continent to time. We read stories from the 1800s and […]
Junk Science by M. Chris Fabricant
If you love to read about Forensic Sciences then this book by M. Chris Fabricant should be on your list. A variety of junk sciences are discussed and how they are slowly weeded out. The essence of Fabricant’s book is this: Can scientific evidence overturn legal precedent? It seemed insurmountable at one point and once the […]