Wicked North Alabama

by Jacquelyn Procter Reeves

Even in paradise, evil sometimes creeps in.
Thoughts of Alabama invite images of Confederate jasmine and fertile cotton fields, sweet iced tea and Southern hospitality, but there's a darker side to the state's history. Some of the stories captured within the pages of this book are well known to the good folks of North Alabama; others are less familiar. The scandals of Lincoln's brother-in-law, the reign of terror created by Huntsville's Southwest Molester, the Decatur man who buried his wife's dismembered body under the fish pond and the beautiful Black Widow of Hazel Green--all of these stories are well researched and masterfully written by Huntsville author Jacquelyn Procter Reeves. True-crime fans will appreciate this treasury of stories spanning nearly two hundred years of North Alabama history.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went on a Ghost Walk led by the author, and I loved her storytelling. I was so excited to read this book and hear her tell more local stories. But this book was a bit disappointing. I guess with ghost stories, you can embellish a little, or just trail off and imply what happened. But with true crime stories, you really don’t know how the people were feeling or what motivated them, for the most part, and you can’t just make it up. These stories were mostly just the facts—whatever could be gleaned from police reports and newspaper clippings, I assume. The motivations, feelings, inner thoughts—the heart of what makes a good story—just wasn’t available.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up in Madison county Alabama, I was familiar with several of the stories in this book before reading it. My grandfather told me about the Scottsboro Boys when I was a kid. Some of the stories I remember from news reports. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book. Ms. Reeves is a good writer and spins a good yarn.

[Martha Avans · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to read about some crimes and events of North Alabama, then check out this little book. I really enjoyed reading about events/crimes that took place in areas I know.

[Megan Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really interesting tidbits of information from around North Alabama. From a Frank James robbery to Huntsville’s madam, Mollie Teal, the stories are broad and interesting to say the least!

[RaW · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you live in North Alabama, enjoy history, and find true-crime stories fascinating, this book is a must-read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

We currently live in northern Alabama. I personally enjoy reading about all the crimes, history, and drama that left its mark here.

[Bettie lapham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

I really enjoyed this book and, being from North Alabama, I was aware of several of the incidents mentioned in the book and feel that the author was very factual in her accounts. This is a book I couldn't put down and finished in a couple of nights. The only fault that I could find with this book is not enough pictures.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short stories of murder and mayhem. Good reading for local residents.

[Alfred Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some decent stories, but the writing was very uneven.

[Jim Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

...Great compendium of non-fictional shorts...For anyone living in or out of Alabama. Hope she does a sequel! J. Ballard

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of stories about the northern Alabama area. A few of the stories did not seem to fit the collection as well as others, and it was a little all over the place with time periods (it would have been nice if the date of the chapter was sometimes mentioned earlier in the story, as it ranged from the early 18th century to the 1990s), but overall it was a really fun read and I learned a lot.