Master Detective: The Life and Crimes of Ellis Parker, America's Real Life Sherlock Holmes

by John Reisinger

Presents--along with a few case histories--a biography of the New Jersey detective who solved over ninety-eight percent of the murder cases in his county, but whose downfall was the Lindbergh kidnapping case.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Biography, Biography Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

John Reisinger is a former Coast Guard officer and engineer, who writes on historic incidents and themes. He is the author of Master Detective, the true story of detective Ellis Parker and his controversial involvement in the Lindbergh kidnapping investigation. Max Allan Collins called Master Detective "Fascinating reading for true crime buffs and mystery fans alike." John also writes the Max Hurlock Roaring 20s Mysteries, a series of books based on real crimes of that era. Tidewater Times reviewer Anne Stinson said of the series "Mark me down as a super-fan of John Reisinger. I predict that every lover of an exciting tale told well will agree."
He has recently completed The Secrets Behind the Structures: The little known stories behind some of the world's most well-known landmarks. John lives on Maryland's Eastern Shore and has appeared in a segment on the TV series Mysteries at the Museum. His website is http://www.johnreisinger.com

Reviews

[Christian Petrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in hardback from a dollar store. Was not sure what I was going to get. Turns out this is a good book. One aspect of history that I enjoy is the small stories with the large stories. People will always remember the big picture, but not the details. This book not only gives a good biography on someone lost in history, but adds another aspect to the Lindbergh kidnapping.

With giving the biography of Ellis Parker, not only are we introduced who to someone who sounds like they were well known at the time, but also how someone can fall from grace.

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, the main reason is I lived in Mt. Holly and knew Ellis Parker Jr. and his second wife, Betty. They were two of the nicest people I have ever known! The writer, John Reisinger, did a fine job of telling this story! I have been gone from Mt. Holly for a long time and this book brought it back. I could picture everything he talked about. So glad to have read this book.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most impressive to me in reading Reisinger's book is learning of the birth of modern criminology in the early 20th century. Brighter minds pored deeply into cases and gathered from increasingly broader pools of research and shared law enforcement libraries of criminal cases, ultimately developing the tool of fingerprinting and creating a national law enforcement database to aid in the apprehending and prosecuting suspects. The central character of Master Detective, Ellis Parker, had a hand in these innovations and many more, and his story is compelling.
This is a piece of American history that warrants telling and it made me wonder why I hadn't ever heard of Mr. Parker previously.

[Bill Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulous recounting of the life and criminal detection career of Ellis Parker. Parker's otherwise amazing and exemplary life was marred by his fixation on finding the "real" kidnapper of the Lindbergh baby. He believed a man named Paul Wendel was the actual culprit and that Bruno Hauptmann was innocent. He has Wendel kidnapped and tortured into making a confession, which Wendel repudiates at the first opportunity. Parker's crew of kidnappers include his son, Ellis, Jr. and several gangsters. Parker's son, employees and law enforcement associates have sufficient faith in Parker the detective and Parker the man that they aid and abet his efforts, probably experiencing some head-shaking doubts along the way. Parker had, earlier in his career, kidnapped a suspect to bring him back to Parker's jurisdiction in New Jersey. The man was convicted and there was no doubt about his guilt. Technically illegal, but morally justifiable, but a slippery slope. In Wendel's case, concurrent with the fantastic muddle that was the Lindbergh case, it is much less clear that Wendel played any role at all other than previously teasing Parker about inside knowledge and possible help in solving the mystery. At one point, Parker, having been bureaucratically frozen out of the main investigation, attempts to recover the baby through Wendel's gangster connections. Money is paid, but it all comes to naught. It seems likely that Parker was conned by Wendel and / or his gangster associate.
The intriguing mystery in the book is why a man of Parker's detection abilities and character would resort to gruesome and evidentially dubious tactics to pin the crime on Wendel. Reisinger attributes most of Parker's motivation to his ambitious nature and frustration from being denied an opportunity to solve the Lindbergh kidnapping when numerous governmental organizations were involved in the effort. Also, Parker had interviewed Hauptmann and was convinced of his innocence. Could Parker's ego and resentment have trumped his acute detection abilities and his basically good nature? Wendel was a self-promoting blowhard and confidence trickster whose grasp of reality had to be questionable to some and certainly to Parker. Parker's personal reputation was such that the people he hunted and jailed respected him because he was known for his fairness. Crooks would surrender to Parker rather than risk apprehension by his third degree happy colleagues.
Parker seemed desperate to prevent Hauptmann's execution. The problem, on the surface, is to reconcile his intelligence, past performance and his character with the kidnapping and torture of the flaky Wendel. However, nearing the end of his career, Parker also appeared desperate to record a final triumph: save a man he believes to be innocent and provide the real solution to the Lindbergh kidnapping, whose official solution comes under intense criticism to this day. During his trial and incarceration, Parker's health begins to fail and he dies in prison of a brain tumor. What effect his failing health and / or cause of death may have had on his behavior is problematic.
Reisinger writes lucidly and does a great job based upon the available remaining resources. Ellis, Jr. had his father's papers destroyed and his confidential secretary, Anna Bading, destroyed all documents related to her time with Parker. Obviously, two crucial lost resources that could shed more light on a somewhat murky series of events and perhaps more importantly, on Parker's motivations and actual expectations regarding the Wendel investigation. Occasionally the book shows some sloppiness regarding the validation / fact checking of the sources Reisinger used (there are some minor errors) and he sometimes has a habit of omitting key information relating to events that are or would seem to be readily available; the reader is waiting for information that never comes. He does include history book favorite of mine: an "epilogue" section that summarizes the fates of the key players.
Parker's fall from grace was indeed tragic and Reisinger has made a great effort to provide Parker with the recognition he deserves. I think most readers will be moved over Parker's fate, but we still want to know more about the why of it all.

[Ishan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this three stars because while I enjoyed it I feel Reisinger's writing style was a bit amateurish. The verbatim conversations was a particular sign of this - when writing history one should not infer things without evidence, as in these conversations. It begins to feel like an episode of Forensic Files whenever this happens, marring what is otherwise a very interesting recounting of these cases and the man who solved them.

I also feel like Reisinger does not do a good enough job of showing the fatal flaws of Parker before they show up, except in small flashes. Thus when his fall from grace occurs, it seems he has gone insane quite suddenly.

However, the account of the trial was absorbing reading which helped put everything in perspective. Thus I felt sad at the inevitable ending of the story, which was rendered with great poignancy.

Overall a highly enjoyable portrait of a fascinating character, marred only by some passages of conjecture and insufficient detail in some areas.

3.5

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of surprised this one is fairly unknown. Very interesting main character. He really is the a real life Sherlock Holmes. The book goes through a good 150 pages of little stories about the crimes he solved. It could be made into a solid couple of seasons for TV. The latter half covers when he gets way too involved in the Lindbergh kidnapping after it was essentially resolved. That is not quite as interesting but it's worth the time.

[GT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impossible for me not to love the idea of this book. True Crime, History, Lindbergh, Lindbergh Kidnapping, Detective, a Hero brought low by his own transgressions... Great stuff. I'm in. And the book delivered.

Really incredible to me for such a respected and revered figure to exhibit extremely poor judgement, and then to be held accountable.

I found that I learned quite a bit about Ellis Parker, the man, the myth. Very well written accounting of this man's ego, successes, foibles, and ultimately his undoing.

4 Stars

★ = Horrid waste of time
★★ = May be enjoyable to some, but not me
★★★ = I am glad I read it
★★★★ = Very enjoyable and something I'd recommend
★★★★★ = A rare find, simply incredible

[Chay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great historical biographical account of one of the greatest real life detectives to ever live. Hailed as the "Real Life Sherlock Holmes", Ellis Parker had an uncanny and brilliant capacity for reasoning and deduction. This particular account of Ellis Parker's career specifically involves the world famous kidnapping of the Lindbergh Baby.

From an uncanny and nearly untarnished career, this book will take you on the journey of Parker's investigation of the famous kidnapping and how it ended is career in disgrace. This book is full of photos of official documentations and letters from the original case. A must read for any fans of detective work.

[Stephan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. Ellis Parker was definitely a smart and deductive thinker. The ending threw a curve ball in how I thought Ellis would spend his remaining years. If you find criminal justice interesting, give this book a read.

[Jeanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book for one I picked up at the dollar store. The life of Ellis Parker with his periphral involvement in the Lindbergh kidnapping.

[Judy Green]

excellent

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book mostly covered the Lindbergh case. I may need to reread this, because I am not sure why I only gave it 2 stars. I found it at the dollar store for a dollar.

[Lesley Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A genius who has a story sadder than sadness, but his credits can never be erased by others.