July 29, 2024 marked the centenary of Elizabeth Short's birth. Born in Boston, Beth, as she often preferred to be called, was the middle child of Cleo and Phoebe Short. She had four sisters: Virginia, Dorothea, Elnora, and Muriel. In 1930, Cleo's miniature golf course business tanked. He positioned his car close to a bridge to create the appearance of suicide. A houseful of women has its comforts, but Cleo's abandonment appears to have profoundly … [Read more...]
ABOVE THE GROUND: A True Story of The Troubles in Northern Ireland—a tale of courage, injustice, and redemption by Dan Lawton
Kirkus Reviews named "ABOVE THE GROUND" one of its Best Indie Books of 2024! In 1978, the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, known as The Troubles, reached a boiling point. An enthralling work of history told with intelligence and urgency." -Kirkus Reviews, November 2023 Gripping, well-researched, authentic, and powerful... If you like biographies and legal thrillers, you must read this book." -Mark W. Hansen, The Los Angeles Daily … [Read more...]
Joan Renner on Jealousy and Gin
I Love Los Angeles Crime! Every city has a unique crime signature. In Los Angeles, crime has a distinctly cinematic feel. In 1910, Hollywood made its first film, In Old California. The silent short ran for 17 thrilling minutes. A western, the characters run the gamut from upstanding citizens to thieves. Hollywood has been obsessed with themes of good vs. evil ever since. In the following tale, Jealousy and Gin, the killer is a real-life B-movie … [Read more...]
Author Joan Renner On True Crime, Blogging, and Advocacy
Hi! I'm Joan Renner, a multi-talented individual with a passion for all things true crime. As a seasoned author, blogger, historian, archivist, tour guide, and sought-after TV and podcast commentator, I've carved out a unique niche in the world of crime storytelling. Back in 2007, I turned my lifelong fascination with crime into something more tangible by blogging for a local true crime blog. Little did I know this step would lead me down a … [Read more...]
Author John Ferak Pens an Updated Epilogue for the WRECKING CREW 5th Anniversary, November 2023
"Ferak chronicles the long and sordid history of the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department and the reason Sweaty's license was suspended. Framing Avery was just par for the course." -Kathleen Zellner Updated 5th Anniversary Edition Including Exclusive Interview with Steve Avery In 2016-17, while working for the USA TODAY NETWORK's Wisconsin Investigative Team, author John Ferak wrote dozens of articles examining the murder case against Steven … [Read more...]
Dan Lawton’s ABOVE THE GROUND Grabs a Spotlight Review by Kirkus Reviews!
We are proud to share that ABOVE THE GROUND: A True Story of The Troubles in Northern Ireland" by Dan Lawton, a recent history publication from WildBlue Press, has received a noteworthy review from Kirkus Reviews, an esteemed critic in the literary world. The rigor and expansiveness of Lawton's research is simply astonishing, and his journalistic prose is exacting and powerful. This is by turns a terrifying and heartbreaking story, conveyed with … [Read more...]
M. William Phelps Explains: A Serial Killer’s Fictional Counterpart
'And all of it is about him [Happy Face Killer]. His insecurities. His fantasies. His anger. His narcissism. His inadequacy. His incompetence. His failures as a man.' Over the course of 12 years, I received over nine thousand pages of letters from a violent psychopath. Keith Hunter Jesperson became known as the "Happy Face Killer" after doodling (with no intention of it becoming his nickname) a smiley face on a letter he wrote to a newspaper. … [Read more...]
MONSTERS ON THE LOOSE: The True Story of Three Unsolved Murders in Prohibition Era San Diego by Richard L. Carrico Tells the Tragic Story of Three Cold Case Murders
As an archaeologist, historian, and now murder investigator, the intellectual curiosity of Richard Carrico has no limits. Well researched and written, his new work, as with all good mysteries, takes us into unknown territories and keeps us reading well into the dark night. -GEORGE H. HARWOOD, Author and Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado "Innocent victim brutalized by deranged killer. Police have no leads. Lock your doors San … [Read more...]
Author Richard Carrico Goes Beyond the Book in Q&A Before the Launch of Historical True Crime MONSTERS ON THE LOOSE
Enjoy this insightful interview featuring Richard L. Carrico, a distinguished historian, anthropologist, and the author behind the highly anticipated historical true crime novel MONSTERS ON THE LOOSE: The True Story of Three Unsolved Murders in Prohibition Era San Diego. Dive deeper into Carrico's extensive research and writings by visiting pastshadows.net, an exclusive platform dedicated to his scholarly pursuits. Q&A Q: What book has left … [Read more...]
GRIM PARADISE by Rod Sadler is Now Available in Audiobook, Narrated by Stephen Bowlby
Stephen Bowlby delivers yet another compelling true crime experience for listeners. In the audiobook adaptation of Rod Sadler's GRIM PARADISE, Bowlby elevates the narrative, injecting it with heightened depth and intensity. When widow Frances Lacey was murdered in July 1960 on Mackinac Island, only a few meager clues were found by police, and the case soon turned cold. But more than sixty years later, will those same clues finally solve the … [Read more...]
