Con Artists Memoir

We live in a secular, skeptical, and cynical age. Americans have lost faith in its institutions - including the church. Although the vast majority of Christian leaders serve faithfully, examples of financial fraud, greed, sexual and emotional abuse, and other systemic problems are almost everyday occurrences. And a watching world has a right to ask even those who are faithful ministers of the Gospel: “If you knew this was happening, why didn’t you say something?”

Napoleon famously observed that "history is a set of lies agreed upon", and Edward Steers Jr. investigates six of the most amazing frauds ever to gain wide acceptance in this engrossing book. The controversies that Steers presents show that there are two major factors involved in the success of a hoax or forgery - greed and the desire to believe.

Will you be the same after experiencing the mind of a murderous killer? What will happen to your world view and your thought process after learning the WHY behind each horrific act? The disturbing nature of these stories often makes you question everything you thought or believed about humanity. Yet they are engaging and fascinating at the same time. We all had wicked thoughts throughout our lives. What is it that makes us different from those who act upon it? Is it that they have a stronger "why"? Were they born evil?

In 1989 a woman fishing in Texas on a quiet stretch of the Colorado River snagged a body. Her “catch” was the corpse of Johnny Jenkins, shot in the head. His death was as dramatic as the rare book dealer’s life, which read, as the Austin American-Statesman declared, “like a best seller”. At the time of his death, Jenkins was about to be indicted by the ATF for the arson of his rare books, warehouse, and offices. Another investigation implicated Jenkins in forgeries of historical documents, including the Texas Declaration of Independence.

After an investigation spanning nearly two years, Los Angeles investigators come up empty in the case of a terrifying serial sex killer. But then, a seemingly unrelated arrest is made across state lines. In book two of Murder by Increments, we journey deeper into the life and mind of the suspect at the center of the case: one of the most confounding and mysterious serial killers in American history. Killing Cousins documents the shocking story of an abusive childhood that created a monster.

"Big Bob" Bashara put on a respectable face. To his friends in Detroit's affluent suburb of Grosse Pointe, he was a married father of two, Rotary Club President, church usher, and soccer dad who organized charity events with his wife, Jane. To his "slaves", he was "Master Bob", a cocaine-snorting slumlord who operated a sex dungeon and had a submissive girlfriend to do his bidding - and he wanted more slaves to serve him. But Bashara knew he couldn't rule a household of concubines on his income alone. He eyed his wife's sizable retirement account and formulated a murderous plan.

The brutal murder of LaVerne Stordock, a respected family man and former police detective, shocked the residents of his rural Wisconsin community. On the surface, the case seemed closed with the confession of Stordock's second wife, Suzanne. But the trail of secrets and lies that began with his death did not end with his widow's conviction. Ever since she was a teenager, Dorothy Marcic was haunted by unresolved questions surrounding the killing of her uncle. Though she led a busy life as a playwright, theatrical producer, and university professor, she couldn't put her doubts to rest.

Are you fascinated by the unknown? Don’t trust the mass media? Have you seen a UFO? If you want to learn more about the mysteries of the universe, you’ll most likely start with our very own “earthly” conspiracy theories. This audiobook is purposely crafted to give you an eye-opening experience and encourage you to change your perspective. You’ll also discover what Area 51 is - and why “ufologists” are so fascinated with this secretive facility.

A Treasury of Deception is a tongue-in-cheek commemoration of those who attempted to pull off the greatest scams. Conmen, tricksters, charlatans, impostors, and downright liars seeking wealth, 15 minutes of fame, or the alleviation of blame rely upon the maxim that “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

In The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, renowned MM expert Jay Margolis and New York Times best-selling author Richard Buskin finally lay to rest more than 50 years of wild speculation and misguided assertions by actually naming the screen goddess's killer. At the same time, they use the testimony of eyewitnesses to describe exactly what took place inside her house on Fifth Helena Drive in Los Angeles's Brentwood neighborhood.

Eccellente documentarista, specializzato nella produzione di documentari e servizi sugli sport estremi, Enrico "Chico" Forti si trasferisce da Trento in America, in cerca di fortuna, sfruttando la sua intelligenza eclettica ed il suo estro vulcanico. Si stabilisce in Florida, il Sunshine State. Sposa una modella californiana dalla quale ha tre bellissimi figli. Tutto sembra andare per il meglio nella vita dell'imprenditore italiano.

Diego Armando Maradona diceva: "Chi ruba a un ladro ha cent'anni di perdono". È davvero così? In modo sprezzante e semplicistico la si chiama truffa. Spesso però si tratta di prodotti di ingegno, colpi di genio, macchinazioni da grande attore, manipolazioni da ipnotista. In una sola parola: opere d'arte. Alcuni studi scientifici hanno rilevato un aumento esponenziale delle truffe nei Paesi occidentali in concomitanza con periodi di crisi economica. Questo, quindi, è il momento giusto per ogni truffatore di talento.

Nashville 1964. Eighteen-year-old babysitter Paula Herring is murdered in her home while her six-year-old brother apparently sleeps through the grisly event. A few months later, a judge's son is convicted of the crime. Decades after the slaying, Michael Bishop, a private citizen, stumbles upon a secret file related to the case and with the help of some of the world's top forensic experts - including forensic psychologist Richard Walter (aka "the living Sherlock Holmes") - he uncovers the truth. What really happened is completely different from what the public was led to believe.

We all know Sydney is full of corruption and crime, but none of us expected to read about a Sydney businessman being shot in the back of his head, in his driveway, in front of his nine-year-old son, in Cremorne. Nor that the order would come from a Point Piper millionaire. Kate McClymont is Australia's best-known investigative journalist. Kate and McGurk received intel that he was going to be 'hit'. Before the two could meet, McGurk was murdered.

Let This Be Our Secret is a remarkable true crime story set on Ireland's north coast where the bodies of a couple were found in a car filled with carbon monoxide fumes - the apparent victims of a suicide pact....

Late-1970s Los Angeles was rampant with killers and shady characters, but all the go-getters at Space Matters saw was possibility. Richard Kasparov was handsome and charismatic; his younger associate, Jerry Schneiderman, brilliant and nerdy. When the pair hired a veteran contractor to oversee construction, the space planning firm they operated out of a hip mansion in LA's Miracle Mile district appeared poised to transform the boundless skyline into their jackpot. After the promising team imploded, however, the orderly lines on their blueprints succumbed to treachery and secrets.

Wie schon bei den beiden vorangegangenen Bänden von True Crime Case Histories möchte ich mit einem kurzen Wort der Warnung beginnen. Die meisten Nachrichtenartikel und Fernsehsendungen über wahre Verbrechen überfliegen die klebrigen Details wirklich grausamer Verbrechen. In meinen Büchern beschönige ich die Fakten nicht, egal wie schrecklich sie auch sein mögen. Ich versuche, meinen Lesern eine klare und genaue Beschreibung zu geben, wie wahnsinnig die Mörder wirklich waren. Ich tue mein Bestes, um nichts auszulassen. Die in diesen Büchern enthaltenen Geschichten sind nichts für Zartbesaitete.

Avremi Zippel always knew his life would be different. With a commitment to follow in his father's footsteps and serve as the Rabbi in Salt Lake City, he knew his life would defy stereotypes. However, nothing could prepare him for the truly unexpected twists and turns reality had in store.

While some of these cases are sure to tickle the memory of any true crime enthusiast, some might just be new to you. One thing all these cold cases have in common is that they’ve finally been solved, some with incredibly shocking outcomes.

Sono criminali che non cercano violenza o sangue, ma il cui ingegno straordinario sa infliggere colpi magistrali al patrimonio e al nostro orgoglio. In Il potere dell'inganno, Carlo Lucarelli e Massimo Picozzi vi condurranno attraverso le menti più brillanti e tortuose della storia del crimine: da chi ha venduto due volte la Torre Eiffel a chi ha ingannato i nazisti con falsi Vermeer, da ladre di diamanti che hanno operato per sei decenni a falsari diventati eroi nazionali. Venti storie avvincenti che esplorano il lato oscuro del genio umano, dove l'inganno diventa arte.