True Crime | Prepub Alert, July 2024 Titles

From organized-crime in Gilded Age New York City and a crime caper about a Jazz Age jewel thief to modern looks at murder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fox, Margalit. The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum: The Rise and Fall of an American Organized-Crime Boss. Random. Jul. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9780593243855. $32. CRIME

A former NYT reporter known for her front-page obituary sendoffs, Fox’s (Edgar Award finalist The Confidence Men) latest examines the life of Fredericka Mandelbaum, an impoverished 19th-century mother turned organized-crime baroness in Gilded Age New York City, as she became a successful fence and criminal mastermind.

Gerard, Sarah. Carrie Carolyn Coco: My Friend, Her Murder, and an Obsession with the Unthinkable. Zando. Jul. 2024. 368p. ISBN 9781638930464. $28. CRIME

Gerard (True Love) pursues answers regarding the devastating murder of her friend Carolyn Bush by her roommate, Render Stetson-Shanahan. After spending countless hours interviewing friends and family and researching court documents, Gerard ultimately emerges with a portrait of Carolyn’s life and a shocking “whydunit.” With a 75K-copy first printing.

Jobb, Dean. A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue. Algonquin. Jun. 2024. 448p. ISBN 9781643752839. $32.50. CRIME

Jobb’s The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream was longlisted for the ALA Carnegie Medal. His latest is a true-crime caper about Jazz Age jewel thief Arthur Barry, who charmed the rich and famous but also managed to steal millions of dollars in jewels from the Rockefellers and royalty.

Mager, Kim. A Hunger To Kill: A Serial Killer, a Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession That Changed a Small Town Forever. St. Martin’s. Jul. 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781250274885. $30. CRIME

Retired police detective Mager, along with the best-selling Lisa Pulitzer (Hunting the Unabomber), recount Mager’s experience with serial killer Shawn Grate, who after his arrest would only speak with Mager. Conducting life-threatening interviews with Grate, Mager managed to extract his confessions of murder, kidnapping, and assault, which led to his successful conviction.

Slater, Dan. The Incorruptibles: A True Story of Kingpins, Crime Busters, and the Birth of the American Underworld. Little, Brown. Jul. 2024. 432p. ISBN 9780316427715. $32.50. CRIME

Slater’s last book, Wolf Boys, was a Chicago Public Library best book. Here he depicts early 20th-century New York City, rife with vice and corruption, and explores the role of Jewish New Yorkers in the burgeoning organized-crime world, along with those who tried to stop it, including a secret unofficial vice squad, known as the Incorruptibles.

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