Murder Maps USA: Crime Scenes Revisited; Bloodstains to Ballistics, 1865 -1939

by Adam Selzer

Vivid and intriguing, Murder Maps USA plots the most remarkable American homicides between the Civil War and WWII onto maps and plans, alongside haunting crime scene photographs and compelling expert analysis. The most sensational and intriguing murders from across the United States are reexamined in this disquieting volume, which introduces readers to the most lethal killers from every state. Uncovering homicides from a seminal period of American criminal history, this compendium covers from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of WWII, the era that saw the first murderer convicted using fingerprints and the birth of the FBI laboratory. Every murder case is accompanied by a contemporary map or bespoke floorplan on which the precise movements of both killer and victim are meticulously plotted, revealing the vital components of each crime. The gruesome scene is completed with early mugshots and unnerving crime scene photographs, bringing to life blood-soaked Wild West bars, inner city ganglands, and the deadly plots behind famous assassinations. The killers featured range from the black widow Belle Gunness, who lured numerous victims to her Illinois farm, to Cleveland’s “Mad Butcher,” and from the infamous Texan bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde to the devious Petrillo cousins in Philadelphia and their contract killing service. Crime expert Adam Selzer illuminates the details of each case, recounting the shocking details of the crimes themselves, and the ingenious detective work and breakthrough forensics that solved them. His bloodthirsty tour of America’s criminal underworld uncovers the ruthless scheming of murderers both infamous and little-known, providing a hair-raising anthology that will appeal to anyone with a taste for murder. 700 illustrations

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, American

224 pages, Hardcover

Published December 7, 2021

About the author

Adam Selzer blocked Goodreads on his computer for years but now he's on here, so let him have it. His first book was HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE (now available in a "Now With More Swearing") edition, his next one is PLAY ME BACKWARDS (for satanic young adults), and his best known is probably I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT, a Twilight satire that was not marketed as a satire.

He also writes the SMART ALECK'S GUIDE series and has published a bunch of Chicago history/ghostlore books.

You can also find him under the name SJ Adams, the name he used for SPARKS: THE EPIC, COMPLETELY TRUE BLUE (ALMOST) HOLY QUEST OF DEBBIE, which won a Stonewall honor and made the YALSA popular paperback list.

Reviews

[Andy Paciorek · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐ As with the previous volume, I found the combination of obscure and more infamous cases really interesting. I liked the aesthetic but again as with the prior volume deducted my rating because some of the photos and particularly the maps were printed too small to be of practical use. I realise that the Maps are the unique selling point (or modus operandi) but they don't maintain a function and though they look nice, I would have preferred larger photos of the people involved in the cases and crime scenes. But overall the pair of books are good additions to the true crime shelves.

[ASC Library]

364.1523 Sel

[Kirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 'Murder Maps' books are must haves for lovers of historical true crime like myself. The cases mentioned here aren't explored in depth, but are a great jumping off point to further research, and the format of the books are amazing; the photographs and maps are just fascinating, and so we'll organised.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first one. I know more cases because they were all in the United States and more recent than the previous book. Still has the same formatting and short blurbs on each murder and who was suspected of committing the murder. A great book for true crime fans.

[Gina Zappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book extremely fascinating. If you are at all into criminology and/or history I'm sure you will also find it interesting. There's a timeline in the intro of this book that I was particularly taken in by, I found it to be shocking how far back some of these techniques and procedures were being studied and implemented. I would have never imagined that! Be forewarned that there is a lot of photographs in this book, shocking no one that is picking up a murder/ crime scene book, there is photographs of dead bodies in here. Just in case that is something that may bother you, you have been warned. Overall, as a fan of history and true crime, I highly enjoyed this book.

[Shauna C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting read for any true crime enthusiast, or anyone with an interest in historical crimes. The book is a mix of famous crimes & criminals and those that were notable for other reasons, such as new leaps in forensics, the accused murderers, or simply the nature of the crime itself. The book is divided into four main parts, divided based on the region of the country in which the crime took place, (the northeast, south, Midwest, and west), with an introduction discussing the basic progression of criminology & forensics. The book includes a variety of maps, diagrams, and photos (including the accused, the victims, homes, other areas of related interest to the crimes, etc.). Please be aware that some of the photos are of the actual crime scenes and may be a little disturbing or gruesome to some readers. Those discussed include Charles "Lucky" Luciano, John Wilkes Booth, Lester Gillis aka "Baby Face Nelson", Robert Ford, HH Holmes, and Clyde Barrow, among many others.

[John Krowka · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book provides descriptions of many murders divided into geographic regions of the country with short anecdotes and illustrations. Many of the illustrations are so small that they are difficult to view. The book fails to provide any context into the trends of murders over time. It is interesting that most of these murders described in this book were committed for love or money. Today the situation seems very different with mass shootings and many hate-crime murders.

[Helen White · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to know about forensics and the history of famous murders in the USA then this is a good read. Not always full of details as it covers 1865 -1939 so Bonnie and Clyde are here, Robert Ford, Belle Gunness and Lucky Luciano for example.

[Carol-Ann Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating starting point into the world of true crime, I especially like the images included as some places look so different today and would be unrecognisable, it's true you don't always know where you are standing

[Kathryn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting and lots of cool maps!

[Nick Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but only very short blurbs about each murder. Wish there was more detail

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what it says about me that I already knew of most of these murderers. Still, I liked the way they were presented in this book.

[Kelsea Ezzell · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this at a discount book sale, I had to get it. If you’re a true crime fan, it’s definitely a must-have for your bookshelf.

[Amanda Eskelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of true crime this book is for you. It’s takes you through some interesting crimes across the US some I have never heard of. It is a beautiful book with great info

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purchased this at the Mob Museum in Vegas years ago and finally found time to read ! The author has put a lot of work into this!