Crime Time: Twenty True Tales of Murder, Madness and Mayhem

by J. North Conway

Crime Time is a collection of twenty riveting, page-turning, historic true crime stories from 1724 to 1913 covering a host of monstrous American and English criminals, their crimes and their punishment. It includes stories of criminals--men, women, and children--whose gruesome tales have been obscured by the passage of time.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Crime

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2021

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is collection of true crime stories about American and English lawbreakers this time. There is a short story about each one, telling about what their crime was and what their punishment consisted of. This is my first book by this author, and I found it to be decently written for this type of subject. I'll be checking out some of his other titles in the future. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author J. North Conway, and the publisher.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was surprising for me that there were still some of these criminals that I have not yet heard of. The short stories were entertaining, yet informative. This was a good non-fiction pick to break up these heavy fantasy books I've been reading.

[Nick Guzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“i feel the time… the time to crime” — Tom Cruise in Crime Time: Maverick (2022)

while each chapter serves the book’s stated purpose of highlighting notable American crimes and criminals beyond your classic Al Capones, Lizzie Bordens, Lindbergh kidnappings, and Villisca axe murderers, only some are colorfully written while others are in as dire need of an editor as my stupid first line of this review

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title Crime Time is perfection! As History and True Crime are amongst my favourite genres, I just had to read this and am very pleased I did. The author defines "crime" and then delves into the lives of 20 criminals and gangs from 1724-1923, their childhoods and upbringing, crimes themselves and their deaths (often executions). Not only does the author describe murder but also heists, bank robbing, kidnapping and shop lifting and the masterminds (and duds!) behind them. We also read about the origins of several expressions such as "double cross" and the story where dental evidence was first used. Talk about compelling! I hung onto every word.

Of the twenty stories, several stand out to me including Gentleman Jack who could escape almost everything, including prisons and once even joined the search for a criminal. He even became a venerated hero. The youngest I read about was a bullying twelve-year-old girl who hung for the murder she committed over a basket of strawberries and revenge.

Interestingly, criminals were often shown the results of their crime by the police to elicit responses including the murderer of the Girl in Green. Sometimes tickets were sold to attend sensational executions such as for Durgan who killed her employer in jealousy. Another story describes vigilantes and what they did to a terrifying gang. Many criminals kept corrupt politicians and police in their pockets through bribery and threats. The author also explains that some criminals repent yet others cast the blame in other directions such as women in general or former lovers.

Many of these criminals had heinous childhoods but not all of them did; some grew up wealthy and privileged and others were professionals or from wealthy and esteemed families. Still others begged parents to take care of their children and bring them up honourably to avoid pitfalls.

The photographs and newspaper clippings at the chapter headings are brilliant. I like that the author uses actual confessions, too. Those interested in history and true crime ought to read this.

My sincere thank you to Lyons Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the e-ARC of this thought-provoking and arresting book.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime Time: Twenty True Tales of Murder, Madness, and Mayhem
By J. North Conway
Lyons Press, 23 April 2021


From the publisher:

CRIME TIME is a collection of 20 riveting, page-turning historic true crime stories from 1724 to 1913 covering a host of monstrous American and English criminals, their crimes and their punishment. It includes stories of criminals-- men, women and children, whose gruesome tales have been obscured by the passage of time.

My thoughts:

I requested this book because of my interest in true crime, particularly the historical variety, and I was not disappointed. Crime Time is an interesting book that covers a variety of true crime tales over three centuries. The crimes are mostly murder and some are definitely gruesome. There is also kidnapping, bank robbery, and criminal masterminds, both male and female. Each chapter is about a different crime and since none of the chapters are over long, it is a fairly quick read. The book is well-written and entertaining. I would certainly recommend this book for those who enjoy historical true crime.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lyons Press for the free digital copy.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: Sometimes it is good to read books with multiple stories under a theme. It is something you could read in one sitting or could delve into for quickie reads. True crime stories are always fascinating and this compilation told many stories that were new to me. They included a few that were “firsts” of their kind. Since we are talking about murder and other crimes it is at best a tenuous honour.

The victims and the criminals came from all walks and levels of society. There is the architect who became the most notorious bank robber. There is the minister who turns to murder to take care of a small problem. And there is the child stolen from his front yard by kidnappers and never seen again. There are career criminal families both by birth and by choice. It is an interesting assortment of some very bad people.

Lots and lots of attributions, it is filled with narratives from the time. The writing might have been tighter but all in all it is a worthwhile read. Four purrs and two paws up.

[Matt Flick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime Time by J. North Conway is a collection of 20 different true crime stories. It explores many different crimes throughout history, many of which were firsts in the United States.

This book was so full of great information. I loved how the author focused on lesser well-known crimes and criminals. Many of the stories also took place in my backyard of New York City, so I really appreciated learning more about the history of my hometown.

True crime stories is a genre I usually do not go for but I’m a huge history buff, so I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and well researched. It’s obvious the author was really passionate about the subject.

J. North Conway has written several other books on various historical topics and I will definitely be checking out his other works.

[Phil Schuler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like crime books have been letting me down. I was excited to find this title . . until I read it. It was like reading a police blotter, a police blotter by an unimaginative Sargent. There was no life to the stories. It was the same story on each person that anyone can find on the internet. Anytime there was any life to it the author moralized over things like the death penalty. I want crime, not sermons. In the end I had to force myself to finish.

[Shahna (VanquishingVolumes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting compilation of lesser known crimes, this collection was a quick read that taught me a few things while being just engaging enough to hold my attention. A good bathroom or coffee table book to have on hand, or in my case something to help edge out of the dreaded reading slump.

Thank you for the lessons about lesser known crimes! This criminolgy student appreciated it!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, and worth the time. For true crime enthusiasts, there is an opportunity to read about some less known crimes from history, with enough detail to pique interest in pursuing further investigation if one chooses. This will be a great addition to our library collection for patrons to find information about less known criminal histories.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so bummed with this book! I was really looking forward to the premise and it seemed so promising, but the writing was so terrible that it was hard to follow along and comprehend what I was reading. There were also some grammatical mistakes and a couple misspelled character names. I would have loved to read a book like this from like, Erik Larson or Bill Bryson instead.

[Adelaide McIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved almost all the reports. A couple of these people I had hear about, one even being from my home town, bundt many were obscure tales that I want to learn more about. Anyone who loves true crime from the turn of the century should check this out!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like true crime, this one brooches historical cases you may not know much about. Reading this one was easy, as they're 20 unique stories. You can put it down and walk away or read it all in one swoop.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's always nice to find a book that looks at little known historical crimes– I was familiar with maybe half of these. That being said, the writing style was slightly amateurish, with some repetitions and circular phrasing.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read; some of these cases were completely new to me and a few went all the way back to the 1700s. The book needed serious text-and copyediting to make it less clumsy, but I'm not sorry I read it.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories and written well. Even though most of the stories I've read before, it's a book well worth a read anyway. It was a nice way to spend the short time it took me to read.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Amber R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recounting of the crimes are short and enjoyable. It was a fairly quick read.

[Stephen Ruffino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an ok book. Would I read again? No. Do I feel like reading it was a waste of time? No. Not really. I would say half to 3/4 of the stories were good. Only a couple of them really had me dialed in and interested in what I was reading. My main gripe with this book is that before the author tells us each story, he gives a quick run down of how their story ends. Kind of feels like a spoiler before you even get to start the short story. If you’re into all types of crime and find crime interesting, give it a shot.

[Mandy Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an advance copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Crime Time was a book containing tales of historic crimes. Most of them were before the 20th century. Each story was about 8-15 pages long. I have been a fan of true crime for over 2 decades and had not heard of most of these. I really liked that they were not the same criminals, revisited. I also liked the variety if criminals - murderers, thieves, arsonists. My favorite thing about this book, though, was the insights into the justice system of times gone past. Hannah Ocuish is the one that I've thought about the most - I don't want to spoil the book but my heart broke for her.

Overall, I recommend this for any True Crime fan. The length of each chapter makes it great for a summer vacation read, and the lesser known historical criminals are a change of pace from a lot of offerings that are out there.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading this book! Anyone who enjoys crime drama and true life mystery would probably love it just as much.

J. Conway did a great job in recounting the stories of 20 different criminals. It is well written, fast paced, and a light read. Just a purely entertaining book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the access on exchange for a copy.