Memphis Murder & Mayhem

by Teresa R. Simpson

A journey through Memphis’ troubled the shocking crimes and the brutal killings that led to it being dubbed the “Murder Capital of the World.”   With its alluring hospitality, legendary cuisine and transcendent music, Memphis is truly a quintessential Southern city. But lurking behind the barbeque and blue suede shoes is a dark history checkered with violence and disarray. Revisit the mass murder of 1866 that took more than fifty lives, the infamous Alice Mitchell case of the 1890s and a string of unthinkable twentieth-century sins. Author and lifelong Memphian Teresa Simpson explores some of the River City’s most menacing crimes and notorious characters in this riveting ride back through the centuries.   Includes photos!

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Paula Corregan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book!

This book details murders which happened either in or near Memphis, Tennessee. The author is quoted as saying she hopes the book was "informative and intriguing". The book certainly fills that bill. I did notice a few errors ( two different dates are mentioned for MLK's speech in Memphis and the maiden name of a murderer is listed as both Herrin and Herring). I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teresa Simpson's collection of concise sketches focusing on Memphis and some of its more infamous murders is tightly written. The research is solid and the work is engaging.

I personally wish there was a higher level of detail and the stories were more in-depth. However, this is a perfect guidebook for someone interested in murder in this particular geography looking to research further.

[Estella Pinkton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned something new about Memphis. Memphis is a beautiful place with a lot of good things beside what you hear on the news.