Following retirement, Harold Jackson returns to his childhood hometown to face the consequences of a halfcentury- old unimaginable crime. During this exceptionally rare visit, his mind meanders through the years of his youth, and the little time he had to spend with his good buddies, the Steinbruner twins. He recalls all their silly antics, boyhood tricks, stupid stunts, and willingness to check out everything happening on the streets of Morningside. He also visits that confusing and exhilarating period when a young boy helplessly discovers that girls are prettier . softer . cuter . and just more fun to look at than boys. But his most devastating memory is the one that has controlled him for more than five decades. Not able to endure the horrifying murders that destroyed the life of so many, he keeps his feelings hidden beneath a cloak of shame. Now, he must face the twisted truth, as officials will reveal to the world the astonishing occurrences of 50 years ago.

In the latest from the bestselling author of Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue, former police sergeant Frank Malloy and his wife adjust to life in New York high society as they investigate a death in the field of higher learning... After spending his first few weeks as a private detective by investigating infidelities of the wealthy, Frank has a more serious case at hand. Abigail Northrup of Tarrytown, New York, was her parents’ pride and joy. After graduating from a prestigious women’s college in Morningside Heights, she took a job there as an instructor. She also joined the ranks of the New Women, ladies planning for a life without a husband in which they make their own decisions and make a difference in the world. Unfortunately, her murder ended all that. When the police declare the incident a random attack and refuse to investigate further, Abigail’s parents request Frank’s help. Of course, he’ll need Sarah’s assistance as she’s more familiar with the world of academia, and it will be far easier for her to interview the lady professors. Yet difficulties arise as they learn that although Miss Northrup may have been an exemplary student and teacher, she lived in a world of secrets and lies…

Excerpt from Chapter One: All Tanenbaum said was “And then what happened, Eddie?” He appeared to enter some weirdly hypnotic, catatonic trance—his already breathy voice became monotonal, his eyes glazed over, his face drained of expression—and he went on and on and on. “She said, ‘Wait until your mother hears this; this is going to break her heart.’ And I said, ‘Please don’t tell my mother, Sherrald; please don’t tell my mother, Sherrald; please don’t tell my mother.’” And while Eddie Hurdle continued to mouth that refrain, “please don’t tell my mother,” both of his hands gripped an imaginary knife and repeatedly, metronomically, plunged it down and raised it up and plunged it down and raised it up, over and over and over again. The three observers—Davin, Tanenbaum, and the stenotypist—sat in stunned silence as Eddie Hurdle reenacted his crime. * * * * “Other sins only speak; murder shrieks out,” wrote playwright John Webster in 1623, and our fascination with murder and murder trials has continued unabated to the present. Murder is, after all, the most dramatically unlawful thing a person can do to another. It runs counter to the very fundaments of human society, breaching what social philosophers have termed the social contract. Society speaks with its firmest voice in addressing the conduct of its members who kill another, and murder prosecutions have the direst of consequences of any court proceeding, as they may occasion the loss of a violator’s liberty for life or even the loss of his or her life itself. But most murder cases, while fascinating in the motives or personalities of the killers or the circumstances of the killings and the ensuing trials, receive little attention and recede into ordinariness. Only rarely does a murder case become a cause célèbre, notorious enough to capture wide attention; the O. J. Simpson–, Scott Peterson–, Claus von Bülow–type cases prove the exception rather than the rule. For the most part, the public’s perception of garden-variety murder trials quickly becomes only memory’s ashes strewn sparsely on the fields of public awareness. Brought to life by the prosecutor who tried the six “everyday murders” narrated here, three in Manhattan and three in San Francisco, these true stories prove redolent with drama, encapsulating raw human emotions that often impel man to murder—greed, lust, jealousy, hatred, as well as mere folly—and actually are quite extraordinary in their own context. Sit at the prosecution’s table with masterful prosecutor Hugh Anthony Levine as he represents the People of the State of New York or the People of the State of California in the trials of some everyday murders.

A terrified voice cried out in the night. “Who are you? What do you want? The sound of snapping twigs closed in on the five teenagers enjoying an evening around a glowing campfire at Gitchie Manitou State Park. The night of music and laughter had taken a dark turn. Evil loomed just beyond the tree line, and before the night was over, one of the Midwest’s most horrific mass murders had left its bloodstains spewed across the campsite. One managed to survive and would come to be known as the “Gitchie Girl.” Harrowing memories of the terrifying crime sent her spiraling out of control, and she grasped at every avenue to rebuild her life. Can one man, a rescue dog, and a glimmer of faith salvage a broken soul? This true story will touch your heart and leave you cheering that good can prevail over the depravity of mankind. Through extensive research, interviews, and personal insight, the authors bring a riveting look at the heinous crime that shook the Midwest in the early 1970s. Written from rare, inside interviews with the lone survivor, who broke nearly four decades of silence, this shocking yet moving story will not soon be forgotten.

Sarah Brandt is shattered when she learns that a woman has inquired at the Daughters of Hope Mission for Catherine, the abandoned child she has taken as her daughter. The woman claims she was Catherine’s nursemaid, and is now acting on behalf of the girl’s mother to reunite them. Unwilling to simply hand Catherine over to a complete stranger, Sarah asks Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to investigate. But when he goes to interview the woman at her tenement in Chelsea, he finds she has been murdered. Though her death leaves Sarah’s claim to Catherine unchallenged, her sense of justice compels her to work with Malloy to find the killer. Their search takes them from the marble mansions of the Upper West Side to the dilapidated dwellings of lower Manhattan and into the deepest and darkest secrets of Catherine’s past. And while Malloy helps Sarah determine the fate of the child she loves, he faces a challenge of his own—and his decision could change both their lives forever…

Madame Katerina, Detective 'Nine Nails' McGray's most trusted clairvoyant, hosts a séance for three of Edinburgh's wealthiest families. The following morning everyone is found dead, with Madame Katerina being the only survivor. When questioned she alleges a tormented spirit killed the families for revenge. McGray, even though he believes her, must find a rational explanation that holds up in court, else Katerina will be sentenced to death. Inspector Ian Frey is summoned to help, which turns out to be difficult as he is still dealing with the loss of his uncle, and has developed a form of post-traumatic stress (not yet identified in the 19th century). This seems an impossible puzzle. Either something truly supernatural has occurred - or a fiendishly clever plot is covering a killer's tracks...

> Detective Inspector Ron Scott of K Division, Greenock, Police Scotland, and his team are investigating a series of murders committed by a killer they are calling ‘The Gardener.’ > > Curiously, the victims have been murdered by a perpetrator who uses common garden tools as his weapons of choice. In addition, a four-year-old girl has been brazenly abducted from a shopping mall by a man, in full sight of security cameras. > > Greenock police have a lot on their hands, and time is of the essence.