Mass Murderers

A chilling history of the most notorious cults of the past two thousand years<BR><BR>The word "cult" conjures images of people in thrall to a charismatic leader who extracts obedience through lies and threats, and of apocalyptic prophecies, sexual perversion, and mass suicide. From the Celtic druids, whose ritual sacrifices inspired the folk horror film The Wicker Man, all the way up to the Peoples Temple and Heaven's Gate, The Penguin Book of Cults charts the history of our fear of the religious other. <BR><BR>Bringing to light little-known sources such as a "death tape" of Jonestown's final hour, when Jim Jones led more than 900 of his followers to drink poison, and a minute-by-minute log of the FBI's final assault on the Branch Davidian headquarters, and including accounts of drinking the blood of sacrificed cats, theories that we are living inside a hollow earth, and reports that space brothers from Venus are coming to redeem us from the threat of nuclear war, this volume opens a fascinating window into cults and why some of them have ended in spectacular violence.

Wer sind die Menschen, die als Despoten in die Geschichte eingehen? Was treibt jemanden an, ein Selbstmordattentat oder Völkermord zu begehen? Woher kommt die Überzeugung, durch Gewalttaten das 'Richtige' zu tun? In fünf Jahrzehnten der politischen Reportage begibt sich Erich Follath immer wieder direkt in die Höhle des Löwen, um einen Blick hinter die Fassade zu werfen und die Menschen hinter den beispiellosen Gräueltaten ganz persönlich kennenzulernen. So trifft er Muammar al-Gaddafi im Beduinenzelt, lauscht einer Gesangseinlage von Imelda Marcos, schlägt Menachem Begin beim Schachspiel und trinkt Tee mit dem Privatsekretär Pol Pots. Die Begegnungen lassen ihn zuweilen überrascht, erschüttert und frustriert zurück. Erich Follaths dreizehn Porträts folgen nicht nur den Tätern und den politischen Auswirkungen ihres Tuns. Er begibt sich auch auf die Spuren von Angehörigen, Weggefährten und Opfern und deren Einzelschicksalen. Und er erzählt, wie er einmal selbst im Gefängnis und auf der Anklagebank landete und damit rechnen musste, zum Tode verurteilt zu werden.

Ashes of the Forgotten by Jessica Hintz is a chilling blend of true crime fiction, psychological thriller, and historical crime novel, inspired by the terrifying true events surrounding one of Argentina's most disturbing killers. Set in early 20th-century Buenos Aires, this dark psychological fiction unravels the twisted mind of a young boy whose fascination with death turns into a spree of child murders, arson, and a reign of quiet terror.When pets start disappearing and children go missing in the slums of Buenos Aires, suspicion falls on a sickly, odd boy with a vacant stare and a fascination with fire. What unfolds is a haunting descent into the origins of evil-a juvenile killer novel that peels back the layers of trauma, neglect, and obsession. Readers of serial killer fiction and books like Mindhunter will be captivated by this gritty, visceral exploration of a child psychopath who manipulated everyone around him-even infiltrating a grieving family's wake just to touch the corpse of his victim.This gripping crime fiction Argentina tale fuses historical true crime elements with psychological suspense to tell the story of the boy who became known as "the little big-eared devil." As the city hunts for answers, the truth lies buried under years of secrets and forgotten bones.Perfect for fans of twisted mind thrillers, disturbing crime novels, and real-life horror books, Ashes of the Forgotten is an unforgettable journey into the darkest corners of the human psyche. Don't miss this haunting psychological crime thriller that dares to ask: what happens when innocence is just a mask for something far more sinister?

In a startlingly truthful account, Mukunde Gustave "Gus" Mukurarinda shares his personal survival story of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the aftermath, and more. As a boy, Gus survived one of the most tragic and horrific events in history: the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. But in The Snowfall, he goes far beyond a frontline memoir. He delves into the socio-political structure that enabled the genocide, demonstrating that the murder of a million Tutsi -over 300,000 of them children-was not a spontaneous tragedy but a long-planned crime rooted in decades of ideology and systemic discrimination.The narrative of The Snowfall begins on April 3, 1994, just days before the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. At only 11 years old, Gus witnesses the world around him unraveling. Through a blend of flashbacks and firsthand memories, he reconstructs the realities of his family's past and his country's troubled history-piecing together what he saw, heard, and processed as a child.Beyond the genocide itself, The Snowfall vividly depicts life for a Tutsi family before the violence and explores both the struggles and resilience of survivors in its aftermath, as well as the country's path to liberation.Written with teenagers, academics, and fellow survivors in mind, The Snowfall is history immortalized in creative nonfiction. Featuring a foreword by acclaimed journalist Linda Melvern and a meticulously researched narrative, it stands as a powerful testimony, ensuring the truth is neither erased nor rewritten.

A "work of narrative nonfiction telling the forgotten story of the mass killing of eleven Black farmhands on a Georgia plantation in the spring of 1921--a crime that exposed for the nation the existence of 'peonage, ' a form of slavery that gained prominence across the American South after the Civil War. ... By turns police procedural, courtroom drama, and political exposeâ, [this book introduces] readers to three Americans who spearheaded the prosecution of John S. Williams, the wealthy plantation owner behind the murders, at a time when white people rarely faced punishment for violence against their Black neighbors. The ... polymath James Weldon Johnson, newly appointed the first Black leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, marshaled the organization into a full-on war against peonage. Johnson's lieutenant, Walter F. White, a light-skinned, fair-haired, blue-eyed Black man, conducted undercover work at the scene of lynchings and other Jim Crow atrocities, helping to throw a light on such violence and to hasten its end. And Georgia governor Hugh M. Dorsey won the statehouse as a hero of white supremacists--then redeemed himself in spectacular fashion with the 'Murder Farm' affair"--

Introducing Honor Killings: Stories of Tragedy and the Battle for Womens Rights by Victoria Caldwell, a compelling exploration of the dark reality of honor killings across cultures, highlighting the cultural, legal, and sociological factors, while showcasing inspiring stories of survivors and the global efforts to combat this epidemic of gender-based violence.

Deine Angst ist erst der Anfang. Flehe um ein schnelles Ende!Nach einer Partynacht findet sich Charlotte, die Nichte von Hauptkommissar Falk Bachmann, blutüberströmt und orientierungslos auf einem Polizeirevier in Frankfurt wieder. Sie hat keinerlei Erinnerung daran, was passiert ist. Sie weiß nur: Sie ist einem Entführer entkommen, der mindestens ein weiteres Opfer in seiner Gewalt hat.Noch in derselben Nacht ruft ein schockierender Fund das LKA in den Taunus. Vom Täter gleißend hell ausgeleuchtet, hängt zwischen zwei Bäumen die grausam zugerichtete Leiche einer Frau. Ausgeweidet. Der leere Bauchraum mit Kunstharz ausgegossen.Zunächst tappen Bachmann und die Polizeipsychologin Juliane Klawitter im Dunkeln darüber, was den Psychopathen antreibt. Doch dann entdecken sie eine Botschaft im Körper der Toten - adressiert an Bachmann. Während die beiden sie zu entschlüsseln versuchen, gelingt es dem Killer, Charlotte erneut in seine Gewalt zu bringen.Ein blutiges Spiel beginnt, und nur Bachmann kann es stoppen. Doch dazu muss er einer Bestie in Menschengestalt gegenübertreten ...Eine Familientragödie, ein Serienkiller und die Frage nach dem Bösen im Menschen

'My favourite debut of the year . . . utterly compelling' LUCY CLARKE<BR><BR>'A twisty read you 100 percent won't be able to put down' COSMOPOLITAN<BR><BR>'Glossy, clever and unsettling' ANDREA MARA<BR><BR>'Nail-biting' MARIE CLAIRE<BR><BR>'Twists and turns a plenty!' RED MAGAZINE<BR><BR>'Totally gripping' RACHEL ABBOTT<BR>__________________________________________<BR>THEY CALL ME THE LUCKY ONE. THEY DON'T KNOW I LIED.<BR> Nine years ago, Charlie Colbert's life changed for ever.<BR><BR> On Christmas Eve, as the snow fell, her elite graduate school was the site of a chilling attack. Several of her classmates died. Charlie survived.<BR><BR> Years later, Charlie has the life she always wanted at her fingertips: she's editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry.<BR><BR> But when a film adaptation of that fateful night goes into production, Charlie's dark past threatens to crash into her shiny present.<BR><BR> Charlie was named a 'witness' in the police reports. Yet she knows she was much more than that.<BR><BR> The truth about that night will shatter everything she's worked for. Just how far will she go to protect it?<BR>__________________________________________<BR><BR>A dark and deeply compulsive read that will keep you racing through the pages late into the night, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Gillian McAllister and Girl A by Abigail Dean.<BR><BR>'One of the most chilling reads of the year' M. W. CRAVEN<BR><BR>'The breakout debut thriller of 2024' CELIA WALDEN<BR><BR>'Keep you turning the pages as you race to find out the truth' DAILY MIRROR<BR><BR>'A proper thriller with plenty of twists and turns' SUNDAY EXPRESS, S MAGAZINE<BR><BR>'Knife-sharp and utterly immersive' ANDREA BARTZ<BR><BR>'Guaranteed to keep you up past your bedtime' LAURIE ELIZABETH FLYNN<BR><BR>'Intoxicatingly sharp . . . I never wanted to stop reading' CLEMENCE MICHALLON<BR><BR>'Knife-sharp' WOMAN'S OWN<BR><BR>'Compelling and engrossing' KATY WATSON<BR><BR>'A nail-biting ride' ASHLEY WINSTEAD<BR><BR>'Dark and dazzling' JENNIFER HILLIER<BR><BR>'Propulsive' KATHERINE ST. JOHN<BR><BR>'Twists I did not see coming' ASHLEY TATE

After a three-week trial, Young-who almost certainly did not commit the Spencer family murders-was also acquitted. Nevertheless, three days later he was hanged from his own pasture gate by a mounted lynch mob led by the same bounty-hunting detective who had designed, augmented, and executed Young's frame-up. Attempts to arrest and indict the bounty hunter and others for Young's murder were extraordinarily complicated, involving a ludicrous hearing, a fruitless chase by a sheriff and his posse, the appearance of the state's adjutant-general, the eventual arrest of the bounty hunter in a scheme he himself designed so he could claim the reward, a failed indictment, and the bounty hunter's faked marriage to a teenager in an attempt to ferret out additional suspects. Hearing that he had been secretly indicted and alarmed by the possibility of arrest and confinement, the bounty hunter fled by rail toward the Black Hills, but he was caught near Yankton and hauled back to Missouri in chains. The girl he had "married" attempted to kill him when he was in custody. By this time, the highest authorities in Missouri's government were involved with the case against the bounty hunter. But his lawyer (Felix Hughes, the grandfather of Howard Hughes, Jr.) appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court, the law under which the bounty hunter was indicted was nullified, and he walked away scot-free. Although the original murders were never solved, Innocent as the Angels argues that two suspects, together by chance or design, committed the crime. Although the book is easy to classify as true crime and unsolved mystery, historical value inheres in its illumination of post-Civil War rural America, especially among modest farmers and tradesmen during a multi-year depression. Other threads are also evident: the woefully inadequate state of rural criminal investigation, for example, and the shifting criminal world of bounty hunters masquerading as private detectives-a subject to which historians have given scant attention.

In the spring of 1972, the small, Missouri town of Harrisonville found itself with a hippie problem. Hippies had settled into the town square surrounding the county courthouse. The group of young people included men who had recently returned from tours in Vietnam as well as high school teens who idolized these older men. City leaders needed to act. But how?The situation worsened to the point that one of the hippies, Charlie Simpson, would enter the square on April 21st with an M-1 carbine and murder three people before taking his own life. After the tragic shootings, the situation with the hippies did not improve. Tiring of the situation, some Harrisonville citizens formed a vigilante group to attempt to drive the hippies off the square. The two groups would clash in the battle of the Harrisonville Square.Through extensive research, the author, a former Harrisonville resident, tells the compelling true story of the conflict between hippie culture and polite society in the early 1970s in the small town. Hippie War: Battle for the Harrisonville Square takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey through the genesis of the problem, the murders, and what steps were taken attempting to bring the two sides together.

Kranke Psyche, schwere SchuldHerr Matzke vergewaltigt fünf Frauen, sitzt seit 30 Jahren in Haft, fühlt sich aber unschuldig. Herr Knieriemen missbraucht seine 10-jährige Nichte. Er genoss ihn, diesen Moment, in dem er endlich selbst ohne Angst sein konnte. Frau Krüger, die ihr Baby, den kleinen "Murkel", totgeschlagen hat, will nie wieder Opfer sein - während des Therapiegesprächs zückt sie ein Messer und sticht zu.Die Psychotherapeutin Karoline Klemke erzählt erschütternde Fälle aus Therapiesitzungen im Maßregelvollzug. Diese führen die Abgründe des Menschen und die Beweggründe der Tätervor Augen, sie spiegeln aber auch, wie die Therapeutin um Kontrolle kämpft und um Fassung ringt - im festen Willen zu helfen. Intensive Einblicke in eine geschlossene Welt.'Karoline Klemke hat mich mitgenommen in eine Welt, die ich nicht kannte. Während ich las, kam mir dann mehr bekannt vor, als ich gedacht hätte. Ein Buch zum Fürchten, zum Lachen, zum Nachdenken, einwandfrei geschrieben. Ich hab's verschlungen.' Katja Oskamp

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z, a mesmerizing story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth<BR><BR>On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes.<BR><BR>But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang.<BR><BR>The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann’s recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O’Brian, his portrayal of the castaways’ desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann’s work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound. Most powerfully, he unearths the deeper meaning of the events, showing that it was not only the Wager’s captain and crew who were on trial – it was the very idea of empire.

America has spawned hundreds of cults. Charismatic leaders periodically burst into the news for the most awful of reasons. We are awash with stories of brainwashed members’ struggles to leave. Meet the messianic leaders, see the indoctrination and manipulation, look at their beliefs, and read the stories of some of America’s most notorious, eccentric, and unusual cults! <BR><BR> From false religions and offshoots of traditional religions to political, financial, sexual, and hate groups, American Cults: Cabals, Corruption, and Charismatic Leaders looks at 40 groups and leaders, including their histories, deceits, manipulations, and twisted ideologies. Some rely on systems of obedience, submission, and dependency. More than a few have mystifying beliefs. Others are dark and murderous. You’ll encounter curious, bizarre, and sometimes upsetting stories of … - Charming, manipulative, and exploitative leaders—Jim Jones, Jim Baker, David Berg, David Koresh, and many, many others. - The breakaways from traditional religions—Father Divine and the Peace Mission, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Westboro Baptist Church, the Gospel of Prosperity, and many more. - Political, Ponzi, metaphysical, and science schemes—the cult of the scientific method, pyramid schemes, political cults, the Unification Church, and much more. - Aliens, extraterrestrials, and the cosmos—Church of Scientology, Raëlians and Heaven’s Gate, to name a few. - End-times and doomsday cults—rapture beliefs, Edgar Cayce, the Ant Hill Kids and more. - Racial, radical, and social media cults—QAnon, Ku Klux Klan, Oath Keepers, Antifa, and others. - Sex, perversity, and submission—NXIVM, Sullivanians, Rajneesh, and many more. <BR> American Cults looks at why America is such a fertile ground for cults, how some people got caught in their webs, and how some managed to escape! With more than 120 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.

When two tons of truck smashed into his vehicle, Scott Roux's life would never be the same. Leaving the hospital with a broken foot, severe headache and a sore back, Scott thought all he had to do was heal. But traumatic brain injury would change his life forever. Losing his short-term memory and his ability to continue as an executive salesman, his comprehension dropped to a third-grade level. How could he continue his life when he wasn't who he used to be? Scott used his passion for life to push himself forward in the face of crippling circumstances. Now he shares his secrets to a fulfilling life with you. Through stories of the past and hope for the future, this book will help you to understand that Everything Has Meaning.

On October 27, 2018, three congregations were holding their morning Shabbat services at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood when a lone gunman entered the building and opened fire. He killed eleven people and injured six more in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history. The story made international headlines for weeks following the shooting, but Pittsburgh and the local Jewish community could not simply move on when the news cycle did. The essays in this anthology, written by local journalists, academics, spiritual leaders, and other community members, reveal a city's attempts to come to terms with an unfathomable horror. Here, members from each of the three impacted congregations are able to reflect on their experiences in a raw, profound way. Local journalists who covered the story as it unfolded explore the personal and public aspects of reporting the news. Activists consider their work at a calm distance from the chaotic intensity of their daily efforts. Academics mesh their professional expertise with their personal experiences of this shattering event in their hometown. A local rabbi shares his process for crafting messages of comfort even as he attempts to reckon with his own feelings. Bringing these local voices together into a chorus raises them over the din of international chroniclers who offer important contributions but cannot feel the intensity of this tragedy in the same way as Pittsburghers. The essays in this anthology tell a collective story of city shaken to its very core, but determined that love will ultimately win. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Jewish Family and Community Service of Pittsburgh (https: //www.jfcspgh.org/), which serves individuals and families of all faiths throughout the Greater Pittsburgh community.

The heart-wrenchingly honest new book about life and death from forensic pathologist and bestselling author of UNNATURAL CAUSES, Dr Richard ShepherdA TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR'Deeply insightful. Unflinching' THE TIMES'A finely-crafted detective story' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Enlightening, strangely uplifting' DAILY MAIL'Fascinating' DAILY EXPRESS_________Dr Richard Shepherd, a medical detective and Britain's top forensic pathologist, shares twenty-four of his most intriguing, enlightening and never-before-told cases.These autopsies, spanning the seven ages of human existence, uncover the secrets not only of how a person died, but also of how they lived.From old to young, murder to misadventure, and illness to accidental death, each body has something to reveal - about its owner's life story, how we age, justice, society, the certainty of death.And, above all, the wonderful marvel of life itself._________Praise for Dr Richard Shepherd'Gripping, grimly fascinating, and I suspect I'll read it at least twice' Evening Standard'A deeply mesmerising memoir of forensic pathology. Human and fascinating' Nigella Lawson'An absolutely brilliant book. I really recommend it, I don't often say that but it's fascinating' Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2'Puts the reader at his elbow as he wields the scalpel' Guardian'Fascinating, gruesome yet engrossing' Richard and Judy, Daily Express'Fascinating, insightful, candid, compassionate' Observer

A FINANCIAL TIMES 'SUMMER BOOKS OF 2021' PICK'An accomplished, inventive detective novel thrumming with tension and family secrets' Sanaë Lemoine, author of The Margot Affair'An astonishingly assured first novel, both funny and moving'The Times Crime Club'Very impressive... Repentance is an evocative crime thriller with a likeable, self-aware protagonist, but also skilfully explores the darkest period in Argentina's modern history'Financial Times'A powerful crime novel ... Opening old historical wounds that still strongly affect Argentinian society, this is a tale with many layers, many of them painful to evoke and a strong depiction of a country and a period that still simmers between the pages of history books and the crime novel is a perfect way of lancing the boil. Recommended'Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time BUENOS AIRES, 1981.Argentina is in the grip of a brutal military dictatorship.Inspector Joaquín Alzada's work in the Buenos Aires police force exposes him to the many realities of life under a repressive regime: desperate people, terrified people and - worst of all - missing people.Personally, he prefers to stay out of politics, enjoying a simple life with his wife Paula. But when his revolutionary brother Jorge is disappeared, Alzada will stop at nothing to rescue him.TWENTY YEARS LATER...The country is in the midst of yet another devastating economic crisis and riots are building in the streets of Buenos Aires. This time Alzada is determined to keep his head down and wait patiently for his retirement. But when a dead body lands in a skip behind the morgue and a woman from one of the city's wealthiest families goes missing, Alzada is forced to confront his own involvement in one of the darkest periods in Argentinian history - a time ofcollective horror and personal tragedy.Alternating between two key moments in the life of a man and his country, Repentance is a noir with a difference, featuring an unforgettable character on a quest to solve a case that offers both a painful reminder of all he has lost and a last chance at redemption.