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 read about crimes where humans were not the target.
Every author who contributed to this book has done an outstanding job displaying compassion and respect for the victim and their families. They all raise the right questions for further action and most notably, all refrain from sensationalizing.
I encourage you to look up all the authors online. As usual, all authors have their bio in the back of the book. Many have columns, blogs, and social media accounts were you can find the latest about their work. It was hard but for this review, I picked two favourites.
The Great Montréal Museum Heist of 1972 by Anya Wassenberg.
I love the story of a good heist especially if it includes the technical details. How did they get the blue prints of the museum’s layout, of the alarm system, who observed the guards’ routine, etc. In this case, I always thought the construction crew was partially involved but apparently not. You cannot help wondering if someone ordered this heist. However, all the rolled-up paintings, taken out of their frames, found would then have been a smokescreen or they didn’t steal al that was ordered? What do you think?
Swallowed Up by the Dark: The Vanishing of Benjamin Bathurst by Ciaran Conliffe.
Reading this story, I had one image in my mind: Rowan Atkinson in a character combination of Mr. Bean and Blackadder. Read it and tell me what images popped up in your head. As for the pants, I think it is possible that Bathurst got lost, started running, hurt himself, found someone to ask for help, but died while in that person’s care. Realizing that a search would be imminent, they buried Bathurst and left the pants out as a decoy.
Notes
The stories in Szereto’s book all run in perfect pace, are all very well-written, and all hit the right tone. All authors connect to their story and their victims. It will leave you thinking and that’s the hallmark of a great book.
Highly recommended reading!
I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Mitzi Szereto in exchange for an honest review. My other book reviews are here.