Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




True Crime Book Reviews Available Now (page 2)


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Cover art for LAW AND DISORDER
NONFICTION
Released: March 1, 2013

"The prose is mostly workmanlike, but in a culture besotted with serial killers, Douglas can claim a rare authenticity regarding the evil that men do."
From a pioneer of behavioral analysis, a look at notorious murder investigations marred by controversy. Read full book review >
Cover art for GODS OF MISCHIEF
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 12, 2013

"Plausible yet incomplete account of biker criminality, delivered with more grime than romanticism."
Brash account of a reformed bad boy's decision to help the federal government take down "Green Nation," the Vagos outlaw motorcycle gang. Read full book review >
Cover art for NOBODY WALKS
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 5, 2013

"Gritty, effective, personalized tale of the outlaw lifestyle and its consequences."
Pulpy, engrossing account of losing a family member to a senseless murder and retribution delivered through the criminal justice system. Read full book review >
Cover art for ANOTHER FORGOTTEN CHILD
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 5, 2013

"A straightforward, full documentation of the challenges encountered in providing care to society's most neglected children."
Diaristic account of providing foster care to a woefully abused child. Read full book review >
Cover art for MAFIA COP
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 1, 2013

"Will interest Mafia aficionados, but too scattered and heavy-handed to find a wider audience."
The account of an Italian-American police officer whose friends included both law enforcement officials and "wise guys" in 1960s-era New York City. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE INVENTOR AND THE TYCOON
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 22, 2013

"A skillfully written tale of technology and wealth, celebrity and murder and the nativity of today's dominant art and entertainment medium."
National Book Award winner Ball (Writing/Yale Univ.; The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History Through DNA, 2007, etc.) returns with a complex story about railroad tycoon Leland Stanford and the murdering man who for a time was his protégé, pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE ART OF BETRAYAL
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 9, 2013

"An absorbing study focused on the questionable cost of gathering secrets."
A study of the British intelligence service in which the author ponders an important question: Did the Cold War threat really warrant the grand drama and danger required in betraying country and friendships? Read full book review >
Cover art for THE HONORED SOCIETY
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 8, 2013
by Petra Reski, translated by Shaun Whiteside

"Will appeal to those interested in the Mafia, but casual readers may get caught up looking for the story and have a hard time absorbing the material."
Journalist Reski personalizes her longtime coverage of the Italian Mafia in this short recent history of the organization. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE GREAT PEARL HEIST
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 27, 2012

"Lacks the excitement of a truly thrilling heist caper, but offers an illuminating glimpse into England's criminal past."
A World War I–era true-crime tale about the theft of the world's most valuable necklace. Read full book review >
Cover art for HOW THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 20, 2012

"The lessons to be learned are many, but, the editors conclude, the regulatory mechanisms meant to preclude future meltdowns, such as the Dodd-Frank Act, are now under assault. Stay tuned."
Think Bernie Madoff was an outlier? To gauge by some of the contributors to this volume, the whole speculative economy is a vast Ponzi scheme. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE INJUSTICE SYSTEM
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 12, 2012

"A wrongful-conviction saga different from most others because there is no justice at the end."
Stinging account of a questionable 1986 death penalty case by the lawyer who tried to get it overturned. Read full book review >
Cover art for KIDS FOR CASH
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2012

"Though occasionally dry, this sincere exposé of wrongdoing will appeal to readers interested in social justice, court reform and children's rights. "
An investigative journalist uncovers the greed and disregard for liberty at the heart of a judicial scandal that had lasting repercussions for children in Pennsylvania. Read full book review >