What do you think?
Rate this book
Prescription: Murder! Volume 1: Authentic Cases From The Files of Alan Hynd
From the files and pen of world renowned true crime writer Alan Hynd (1903 - 1974) comes a deliciously dark sampling of some of the most fascinating true murder cases of the first half of the 20th Century. These stories, the first of three short collections, are unified by a single they all involve physicians. And not for the autopsy, but as perpetrators or accused perpetrators. You may never see your family care giver again in the same light. Told in the characteristic wry, anecdotal reportorial style that made Alan Hynd famous in his day (two wartime best sellers in 1943, contributions to The Reader's Digest, Colliers, Coronet, The Saturday Evening Post, True, Liberty, The American Mercury and almost every true detective magazine in print) these tales will have you cringing one minute, laughing the next, and gasping in shock a moment later. Truly, no one could make up classics like these. Take for example, the murder ring of South Philadelphia in which a faith healer and two Lotharios helped restless wives rid themselves of abusive unwanted husbands...or the respected French war hero who was a pillar of the community by day but prowled brothels and music halls by night and was caught with a cadaver sealed within the walls of his home....or the traveling physician who married a farmer's ex-wife and had four step-sons, then three, then two, then...... And finally, as a bonus track, relax and savor the wickedly evil doings of "Sister Amy Archer" at the Archer convalescent home in Connecticut, where old folks checked out just a little too quickly for comfort. The events eventually became the basis of "Arsenic and Old Lace," the hit play and iconic movie. As the old adages go, you couldn't make this stuff up... and true crime is always farther out there than fiction. (With illustrations)
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2014
61 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 28, 2017
DNF@15%
May come back to this later, but for now I can't waste my time.
This is very poorly written. I get that it's a "gumshoe", mid-American style, but it should probably be listed as historical fiction instead of true crime/nonfiction. There are some facts scattered among a lot of dramatic interpretation, and I wasn't digging it.
May come back to this later, but for now I can't waste my time.
This is very poorly written. I get that it's a "gumshoe", mid-American style, but it should probably be listed as historical fiction instead of true crime/nonfiction. There are some facts scattered among a lot of dramatic interpretation, and I wasn't digging it.
April 20, 2015
This book contains some of the most bizarre cases of murder I've ever encountered. From faith healing and insurance scams to the regular visits of the hearse at an old folks' home, I'm sure you will lose count of the corpses unless you start keeping score in the first chapter.
The stories are written in a friendly, almost conversational style. There are so many errors (Sparling becomes Sparing, then Spading; nephew becomes son; Righteous John is referred to as Old John; "Suddenly he mapped his fingers") that it is sometimes difficult to follow the story.
I don't believe you'll encounter these stories elsewhere and you won't want to miss them
The stories are written in a friendly, almost conversational style. There are so many errors (Sparling becomes Sparing, then Spading; nephew becomes son; Righteous John is referred to as Old John; "Suddenly he mapped his fingers") that it is sometimes difficult to follow the story.
I don't believe you'll encounter these stories elsewhere and you won't want to miss them
April 9, 2015
For the curious
Written in the tone of pulp noir (which was when these stories were originally written) this is a book of old fashioned ten cent thrillers. Cases the rest of the world has forgotten about, but leave you wondering, "how did they get away with it for so long?" Perfect short stories to help pass the *ahem* time *ahem* in the bathroom, or just to occupy a few hours when you really should be doing anything else.
Written in the tone of pulp noir (which was when these stories were originally written) this is a book of old fashioned ten cent thrillers. Cases the rest of the world has forgotten about, but leave you wondering, "how did they get away with it for so long?" Perfect short stories to help pass the *ahem* time *ahem* in the bathroom, or just to occupy a few hours when you really should be doing anything else.
March 12, 2016
I LIKE READING ABOUT TRUE CRIME IT CAN AND IS VERY GRUSOME TO READ IT NEVER STOPS AMAZING ME. WHAT MAKES SOME PEOPLE SO HORRIBLE.;|
June 9, 2017
I am always astounded at the levels to which humans can stoop. The crimes described in this book are mind boggling, keeping in mind when they were committed. I like to think that with modern technology, these crimes are not possible, or that today's detectives will be able to solve these types of crimes so much easier. But maybe today's criminals are also able to use technology to their advantage. A truly fascinating read.
January 10, 2020
This is a collection of murder and mayhem that was written decades ago for a newspaper. It was written as entertainment, so while the cases are real, the writing is loads of fun!
I'm sure the writer took liberties with the details (how could he possibly know the killer gave a steely stare - hah!), but it's fun to just go along for the ride.
I'm sure the writer took liberties with the details (how could he possibly know the killer gave a steely stare - hah!), but it's fun to just go along for the ride.
June 5, 2021
Yeah it is old fashioned and some of it is not with the same views of what is shocking or roles of people.But it is a fun read and it is nice to see crime from the pov of someone at the time and not looking back years later
May 9, 2019
Great read!
Loved all four of the stories and they were tastefully written as if they were episodes of a TV show. Highly recommend! On to volume 2...
Loved all four of the stories and they were tastefully written as if they were episodes of a TV show. Highly recommend! On to volume 2...
December 2, 2020
I never knew
I had never heard any of these cases before. It was a fascinating read. I will definitely be moving on to volume two.
I had never heard any of these cases before. It was a fascinating read. I will definitely be moving on to volume two.
July 4, 2015
Early 20th Century Murder …
Free copy provided as an Amazon Prime member.
PRESCRIPTION: MURDER! VOL I represents a handful of stories that detail several odd cases of doctor-related murder cases.
Generally, I prefer more modern crime stories, but admit that I found the handful of cases in this particular volume rather interesting. The stories illustrate doctor-involved murder plots that (for the most part) center on life insurance benefits. These accounts are relatively brief and told in a story-telling manner that keeps the reader focused from beginning to end. While the dated nature of these murder cases harken the days when potions and elixirs were considered “medicine”, the plans for murder were arguably elaborate and innovative. I particularly enjoyed the tale of a diabolical World War I hero imprisoned for murder who was later deemed a hero again … in another country.
For those who enjoy murder mysteries, PRESCRIPTION: MURDER! VOL I offers an interesting palate of short, digestible stories that are fun to read.
Free copy provided as an Amazon Prime member.
PRESCRIPTION: MURDER! VOL I represents a handful of stories that detail several odd cases of doctor-related murder cases.
Generally, I prefer more modern crime stories, but admit that I found the handful of cases in this particular volume rather interesting. The stories illustrate doctor-involved murder plots that (for the most part) center on life insurance benefits. These accounts are relatively brief and told in a story-telling manner that keeps the reader focused from beginning to end. While the dated nature of these murder cases harken the days when potions and elixirs were considered “medicine”, the plans for murder were arguably elaborate and innovative. I particularly enjoyed the tale of a diabolical World War I hero imprisoned for murder who was later deemed a hero again … in another country.
For those who enjoy murder mysteries, PRESCRIPTION: MURDER! VOL I offers an interesting palate of short, digestible stories that are fun to read.
May 21, 2015
The stories themselves were interesting to read, and they were so wild and crazy that it's almost difficult to believe they actually happened. The book would have been more enjoyable if it was better edited, though. The digital edition I read on my Kindle was full of typos and oddly hyphenated words. If the book wasn't so short I probably would have given up on it because the errors bothered me so much.
June 24, 2016
The folksy-noir style is a little annoying, but if you can get used to it these are entertaining little stories, and not cases I'd ever heard of before (with the obvious exception of Arsenic and Old Lace).
One (the Sparling/MacGregor case) contained a ton of errors (calling a Sparling MacGregor, or telling some of the deaths out of order - someone who is just described as having died is suddenly alive and dying all over again).
One (the Sparling/MacGregor case) contained a ton of errors (calling a Sparling MacGregor, or telling some of the deaths out of order - someone who is just described as having died is suddenly alive and dying all over again).
November 15, 2015
Interesting quick read. Author tended to make a joke of the murders I had to remind myself that these were true stories with real people. Was surprised that a few of the murderers went on to normal lives.
April 12, 2015
Truth is stranger than fiction, and this collection of true stories will prove just that. You can check out my review here.
May 13, 2015
If you can get past the writing style and you like true crime then you will enjoy this book. It is something good to read to pass the time and the stories are pretty short so you can breeze through them pretty quick. I would give it 3.5 stars.
May 28, 2015
Interesting stories about murders for money, however, the best part of this book were the witty comments from the author. Alan Hynd's comments made the stories become tales told by the fire to amuse his guests. I've already got Volume 2 ready to start next!
September 3, 2015
Daintily written true historical crimes
Breezy wordcraft and nice packing make a quick read of these historical true crime vignettes. "Ladies" comprise a goodly number of perpetrators or co-conspirators!
Breezy wordcraft and nice packing make a quick read of these historical true crime vignettes. "Ladies" comprise a goodly number of perpetrators or co-conspirators!
November 19, 2015
Overall, this had some interesting cases. I liked the writing style and voice, but here were a lot of editing/proofreading errors. That really bugs me and brought my rating down. However, in fairness I did get this book for free or $2 or less...
January 12, 2015
Amusing true crime stories from back in the day. Old-style classics worth reading in the here and now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2015
Great old crime noir style that should interest any true crime fan, especially those who enjoy noir.
April 11, 2015
Well written book
If you like true life stories this is the book for you. Very simply written and easy to read. A very fast read.
If you like true life stories this is the book for you. Very simply written and easy to read. A very fast read.
April 14, 2015
A collection of somewhat interesting mysteries from the early 1900's. The book would have been more enjoyable if the writing was more concise.
July 27, 2015
A quick read with some interesting cases. I'll likely read the other volumes since I managed to get them all as free Kindle books.
January 20, 2016
It's a good book about murder cases
It's a good book about classic murder cases. Most cases are from the late 1800 or early 1900. Easy to read
It's a good book about classic murder cases. Most cases are from the late 1800 or early 1900. Easy to read
January 25, 2016
Interesting anthology of true short stories about murders committed by the medical profession.p
September 3, 2016
an interesting read telling some gruesome tales of medical psychopaths.
August 30, 2019
Murder 1
This is a quick, but uninteresting book about bizarre actions by some people. I may read more from this author.
This is a quick, but uninteresting book about bizarre actions by some people. I may read more from this author.
April 19, 2015
I loved the narrative voice, but the text was carelessly edited, and I found that annoying.
July 2, 2015
I am not a big fan of murder stories from the 1930's
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews