PI Savannah Reid and the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency may have bitten off more than they can chew when a Hollywood legend makes a deadly comeback . . . It will be a cold day in San Carmelita before Savannah skips over a high-profile homicide case, especially one attached to a tasty reward. But when 90-year-old former silver screen siren Lucinda Faraday is murdered inside her derelict mansion, serving justice comes with unsavory risks. The fallen star, considered one of the most beautiful women of her time, was found strangled by a pair of vintage stockings. Now, Lucinda is making headlines again—and, like in the past, her name is connected with the worst kind of scandal . . . As a quest for answers reveals sleazy secrets about the victim’s history, the Moonlight Magnolia Agency soon discover that corruption, addiction, and blackmail were as rampant in the good old days of Hollywood as in the present—maybe even more so. Balancing a suspect list longer than Lucinda’s acting credits and evidence that could destroy the reputation of people still alive, can Savannah outsmart the culprit before she or someone else get reduced to tabloid fodder next?

Provides a solid review of the subject, with an accessible, incisive presentation, including photos and features unique to this edition.

The Encyclopaedia of Serial Killers, Second Edition provides accurate information on hundreds of serial murder cases - from early history to the present. Written in a non-sensational manner, this authoritative encyclopaedia debunks many of the myths surrounding this most notorious of criminal activities. New major serial killers have come to light since the first edition was published, and many older cases have been solved (such as the Green River Killer) or further investigated (like Jack the Ripper and the Zodiac Killer). Completely updated entries and appendixes pair with more than 30 new photographs and many new entries to make this new edition more fascinating than ever. New and updated entries include: Axe Man of New Orleans; BTK Strangler; Jack the Ripper; Cuidad Juarez, Mexico; John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, the Sniper Killers; Gary Leon Ridgway, the Green River Killer; and Harold Frederick Shipman.

For decades now, serial killers have taken center stage in the news and entertainment media. The coverage of real-life murderers such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer has transformed them into ghoulish celebrities. Similarly, the popularity of fictional characters such as Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter or Dexter demonstrates just how eager the public is to be frightened by these human predators. But why is this so? Could it be that some of us have a gruesome fascination with serial killers for the same reasons we might morbidly stare at a catastrophic automobile accident? Or it is something more? In Why We Love Serial Killers, criminology professor Dr. Scott Bonn explores our powerful appetite for the macabre, while also providing new and unique insights into the world of the serial killer, including those he has gained from his correspondence with two of the world’s most notorious examples, David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”) and Dennis Rader (“Bind, Torture, Kill”). In addition, Bonn examines the criminal profiling techniques used by law enforcement professionals to identify and apprehend serial predators, he discusses the various behaviors—such as the charisma of the sociopath— that manifest themselves in serial killers, and he explains how and why these killers often become popular cultural figures. Groundbreaking in its approach, Why We Love Serial Killers is a compelling look at how the media, law enforcement agencies, and public perception itself shapes and feeds the “monsters” in our midst.

As in previous editions, this book is appropriate for criminal investigation, forensic psychology, criminal behavior and interpersonal violence courses, generally as a supplement to a core text or as one of several paperbacks. The authors continuing research and involvement in field investigation are a source of relevant and often high profile case studies to illustrate theory and application of methods shown. Chapters include Arson, Pedophilia and Psychological Profiling and Rape. This edition features a new chapter on Lizzie Borden, analyzing this historic murder case with fresh insight and a unique analysis. The text is particularly readable and engaging, making frequent use of illustrative tables, figures and occasional photos.

The forfeiture rule, in common law, states that a person cannot inherit property from someone whom he or she has unlawfully killed. The problem is what should happen to the inheritance where the dead person has died intestate and the potential heir is excluded because he or she has killed the dead person. This problem was highlighted by a Court of Appeal case in 2000, in which the killer's children were, in effect, disqualified from the inheritance because of their parent's wrongdoing. The Law Commission issued a consultation paper on this topic in 2003 (No. 172, ISBN 0117302589). This report discusses the responses and sets out the Commission's final recommendations. The Commission recommends a "deemed predecease" rule: where a person forfeits the right to inherit from an intestate through having killed that intestate, the rules of intestate succession should be applied as if the killer had died immediately before the intestate. The Commission also recommends that this approach should extend to persons who have disclaimed an inheritance, or who have died unmarried and under 18 years of age, but leaving children. The report also includes a draft Law Reform (Succession) Bill, with explanatory notes.

In this provocative cultural study, the serial killer emerges as a central figure in what Mark Seltzer calls 'America's wound culture'. From the traumas displayed by talk show guests and political candidates, to the violent entertainment of Crash or The Alienist, to the latest terrible report of mass murder, we are surrounded by the accident from which we cannot avert our eyes. Bringing depth and shadow to our collective portrait of what a serial killer must be, Mark Seltzer draws upon popular sources, scholarly analyses, and the language of psychoanalysis to explore the genesis of this uniquely modern phenomenon. Revealed is a fascination with machines and technological reproduction, with the singular and the mass, with definitions of self, other, and intimacy. What emerges is a disturbing picture of how contemporary culture is haunted by technology and the instability of identity.

The surprising true story of Mexico’s hunt, arrest, and conviction of its first female serial killer For three years, amid widespread public outrage, police in Mexico City struggled to uncover the identity of the killer responsible for the ghastly deaths of forty elderly women, many of whom had been strangled in their homes with a stethoscope by someone posing as a government nurse. When Juana Barraza Samperio, a female professional wrestler known as la Dama del Silencio (the Lady of Silence), was arrested—and eventually sentenced to 759 years in prison—for her crimes as the Mataviejitas (the little old lady killer), her case disrupted traditional narratives about gender, criminality, and victimhood in the popular and criminological imagination. Marshaling ten years of research, and one of the only interviews that Juana Barraza Samperio has given while in prison, Susana Vargas Cervantes deconstructs this uniquely provocative story. She focuses, in particular, on the complex, gendered aspects of the case, asking: Who is a killer? Barraza—with her “manly” features and strength, her career as a masked wrestler in lucha libre, and her violent crimes—is presented, here, as a study in gender deviance, a disruption of what scholars call mexicanidad, or the masculine notion of what it means to be Mexican. Cervantes also challenges our conception of victimhood—specifically, who “counts” as a victim. The Little Old Lady Killer presents a fascinating analysis of what serial killing—often considered “killing for the pleasure of killing”—represents to us.

Emerging from depths comes a series of papers dealing with one of the most significant creations that reflects on and critiques human existence. Both a warning and a demonstration, the monster as myth and metaphor provides an articulation of human imagination that toys with the permissible and impermissible. Monsters from zombies to cuddly cartoon characters, emerging from sewers, from pages of literature, propaganda posters, movies and heavy metal, all are covered in this challenging, scholarly collection. This volume the third in the series presents a marvellous collection of studies on the metaphor of the monster in literature, cinema, music, culture, philosophy, history and politics. Both historical reflection and concerns of our time are addressed with clarity and written in an accessible manner providing appeal for the scholar and lay reader alike. This eclectic collection will be of interest to academics and students working in a range of disciplines, such as cultural studies, film studies, political theory, philosophy and literature studies.

Psychological Analysis of Confessions by Serial Killers by August Raines dives deep into the chilling world of serial killers through their own words. While true crime often captures the grisly details of their deeds, this book focuses on a crucial yet overlooked aspect: their confessions. Raines explores how these confessions serve not just as evidence in court but as profound windows into the criminal psyche. By examining the confessor's words, the book sheds light on the motivations and psychological complexities behind these heinous acts. It also considers the societal fascination with these confessions and their role in shaping public perception. Raines examines how the confessions can sometimes be a strategic maneuver to manipulate or mislead, yet they also provide valuable insights into the human mind. With a focus on the psychological implications and the significance of these narratives in investigations and social discourse, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the deeper dimensions of criminal psychology and the power of confession.