The holidays had come and gone, and Doyle was chafing to get back home to London, so as to start being productive, again. Acton's hereditary estate was grand indeed, but there was something a bit off-putting about the grandeur, and all that tiresome peacefulness. After all, Trestles hadn't always been a peaceful sort of place; for hundreds of years, it had housed generation after generation who were consumed with ruthless ambition, and who were willing to sail very close to the wind, in their quest for material gain. Best to whisk Acton away, before this troublesome atmosphere seeped into his very bones. . . .

Detective Sergeant Kathleen Doyle has been called-in to assist with a few unsound-mind murders, lately-murders committed by a person who appears to be mentally unhinged. This type of murder is always a concern for Scotland Yard, since it raises the possibility that there's a serial killer on the loose. And it doesn't help matters that the weather is so very cold and miserable-small wonder, that these killers have gone off the deep end; Doyle was half-way there herself, what with Christmas coming far too quickly, and a husband who was showing some troubling signs of his own.

This in-depth study of a fourteenth-century murder explores the social fabric of the era through a tale of scandal and conspiracy among a noble family. In 1375, Sir William Cantilupe was found murdered in a field outside of a village in Lincolnshire. As the investigation progressed, fifteen members of his household were indicted for murder, and his armor-bearer and butler were convicted. Through the lens of this murder, Melissa Julian-Jones explores English society during the Hundred Years War, from crime and punishment to social norms and sexual deviance. Cantilupe’s murder was one of the first case to be tried under the Treason Act of 1351, which deemed the murder of a man by his wife or servants to be petty treason. It reveals the deep insecurities of England at this time, where violent rebellions within private households were a serious concern. Though the motives were never recorded, Julian-Jones considers the evidence as well as the relationships between Sir William and the suspects, including his wife, servants, and neighbors.

Labeled as the crime of the 1990’s, serial murder is predicted to remain the crime of the first decades of the new millennium. This book brings together the perspectives of acknowledged experts in the field along with those of emerging authorities on serial murder. The chapters offer a unique look at these crimes from a variety of viewpoints and experiences. Accessibly written, this compelling volume includes information on minorities and serial killing, as well the manner in which serial killers are traced and tracked.

The 'serial killer' has become increasingly prevalent in popular culture since the term was coined by Robert Ressler at the FBI in the mid-1970s. Murders and Acqusitions explores the social and political implications of this cultural figure. The collection argues that the often blood-chilling representations of the serial killer and serial killing offered in TV series, films, novels and fan productions function to address contemporary concerns and preoccupations. Focusing on well-known popular culture texts, such as The Wire, Kiss the Girls, Monster, the Saw series, American Psycho, The Strangers, CSI and Dexter, this electic anthology engages with a broad spectrum of cultural theory and performs critical textual analysis to examine the sophisticated ways the serial killer is deployed to mediate and/or work through cultural anxieties and fears.

In recent years, there has been a surge in school shootings, workplace homicides, hate violence, and deadly terrorist attacks in the United States. This has resulted in a greater focus on homicidal behavior, its antecedents, ways to recognize warning signs of at-risk victims and offenders, and preventive measures. It has also led to increased efforts by lawmakers to create and pass tough crime legislation as well as improved federal, state, and local law enforcement response to murder and other violent crimes. The Dynamics of Murder: Kill or Be Killed is a multifaceted probe of murder offenses, offenders, victims, and characteristics of homicide in American society. This book breaks new ground in homicide studies by examining issues generally ignored or neglected among researchers. Topics include murders occurring in the workplace and in schools, those perpetrated by gangs and terrorists, those incited by bias, and intimate and intrafamilial murders. The book discusses sexual killers, serial and mass murderers, and suicide. It also examines psychological and sociological theories on murder and violence, as well as the increasing role the Internet plays in these crimes. Case studies of actual murderers are included, including serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego, mass murderer Byran Koji Uyesugi, the murder/suicide case of Sahel Kazemi, and the intrafamilial murders committed by Charles Stuart and Sarah Marie Johnson. A comprehensive exploration of the crime of murder in American society, this fascinating study is an essential resource for researchers, criminologists, and other professionals in a wide range of disciplines.