The author takes you through different true crime stories taken from newspapers, court transcripts, and other documents. Some you have never heard or read about. The most famous and talked about one in the book is the Lizzie Borden case and also the Lufthansa heist which was very interesting. A very good and researched book.

The book's narrative style is both engaging and informative. McCarthy skillfully weaves together first-person accounts, newspaper articles, court transcripts, and eyewitness testimonies, creating a vivid and immersive reading experience. This method preserves the authenticity of the original stories while making them accessible and compelling for modern readers.

One of the most compelling aspects of this collection is its breadth. Stories range from the infamous Lizzie Borden case to lesser-known but equally fascinating crimes. The detailed recounting of the Lufthansa heist, the audacious exploits of a society bank robber, and the haunting murders of a farm family showcase the variety and depth of true crime storytelling.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I went through this book IN ONE DAY. I hardly ever get to do that anymore because, well, life happens.. But it kept me reading and I was so hooked on it I bought it for my sister in law for Christmas this year, since she is a true crime genre junky :) Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

"The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told" by Tom McCarthy falls short of its promises and leaves much to be desired for avid true crime enthusiasts. While it attempts to compile captivating stories, it ultimately disappoints on several fronts.

One of the primary issues with this book is its lack of originality and depth. Many of the stories included are well-worn tales that have been extensively covered in other true crime literature and media. Instead of offering fresh insights or unique perspectives, the book rehashes familiar narratives, leaving readers craving new and compelling content.

Ohhh this was fabulous! I was trying to update as I went through but hit 11%, not 81% - and my notes didn't keep either (gotta love technology).

If you are a true crime fan, you are going to LOVE this book! Full of fun facts, court cases, who-dun-its, and a run down of the case. Interesting book, and hard to set down.

The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told: Tales of Murder and Mayhem Ripped from the Front Page, edited by Tom McCarthy, is an anthology of ten different true crimes stories. These articles, covered by various newspapers from the 1800s onward, detail every step of these crimes, including conversations and eye witness accounts.

I am a True Crime buff, so it was an exciting read, with a variety of shocking twists. Many of the stories were new to me as I tend to concentrate on crimes occurring from the 1950s on, but I was fascinated by the detail each article entailed. Please be advised that the details are intense. They may prove to be too intense for the casual reader.

These are first hand accounts and the journalists covering the stories did not shy away from what they felt would sell their papers. Murder, gore, and mayhem are big sellers, especially gore.
I feel this warning is warranted. There were times I had to set the book down and return to it later during particularly gory revelations.

Understand that these articles were written at a time when political correctness was never a consideration and they are a product of their time. Please know that we at MockingOwl Roost, do not condone the use of various words contained in the articles pertaining to various races or gender. I was stunned by the verbiage, as my ethnicity and gender did come under fire.

Greatest True Crime Stories does showcase the fearlessness of the reporters who would do almost anything in the pursuit of telling these morose tales to the waiting public. Many went directly into harm's way to capture the scoop for their various publications. This has not changed over time as the reporters of our day rush into war zones to bring us the news.

The police/sheriffs/mounties were relentless and single-minded in capturing the killers and bringing them to justice. I can’t begin to imagine being one of the Arctic Canadian Mounted Police having to face extreme temperatures in the first story or an officer having to stand over the Bordens’ bodies and deal with Lizzie Borden’s bloody ordeal.

If you are a fan of True Crime, you will find this book fascinating. There are references for the various stories if you wish to do your own research. I foresee myself sliding down a few Google rabbit holes to further my research as I softly hear “Lizzie Borden took an ax…” playing in my head.

I made it 19% and have dnf’d. this is no reflection on the book. The stories told her are easily read and include commentary from witness and news bits. I was however looking for crime stories in recent history. A lot of the stories in this book are very old(some even pre 1900’s).

If you are looking for infamous cases and find crime history to be interesting, this maybe the read for you!

Tom did an amazing job researching and writing this piece. Wasn't much new to learn but coming across such information can sometimes be difficult. Anyways, who doesn't love true crime?

I will always appreciate a good collection of true crime stories. Most are ones that I already knew, but they were written about in an engaging way. Formatting on the ebook was a little difficult, but that's nothing that a printed copy couldn't solve!

An interesting collection of true crime stories although it doesn't particularly stand out from other true crime collections I've come across. Lizzie Borden is one of the true crime stories that intrigues me the most, so I loved that it was included in this book. I especially loved how Porter went through and described the extremely narrow window it took and the very particular circumstances that occurred in order for someone to get away with that crime. Well written and informative as well.

Rehash of old cases. Not all that interesting if you have read and reread theses cases elsewhere.
Probably pretty good if you have never heard of them.

I enjoyed this book, not only for the true crime stories, but because it was also a history in journalism. The newspaper articles were a trip to read. Good book with a great concept.

This is an easy to read, super interesting true crime complication. I hadn't heard of some of the older cases! I'm an avid true crime reader, and I found this a great mix of well known and lesser known cases. The narrative structure was really well done too.

A collection of true crime stories from the past century. There is truly something here to catch the interest of true crime readers, no matter your preference in styles. Each story is told in a different voice, set in different time periods, different types of crimes, you definitely will not be bored. Tom McCarthy has done an excellent job of editing while gathering some of the most interesting cases a true crime junkie could ask for.

This book was a harder format to read. I found it didn't have paragraphing or titles to differentiate properly.

However, it was an informative novel and I did enjoy what I was reading. The formatting pulled me out a bit but overall these were people I had never heard of. So it was all new scenerios and information. It was all written concise and we'll put. It didn't deviate from the story and the narrative was very well done.

This is definitely a book i would recommend to all true crime buffs! Especially when some of the stories seem more obscure and not talked about a lot.

A quick read, but just OK. I wasn't as intrigued as I thought I would be with these tales.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!

I give this book a relatively high rating as the writing is captivating and the stories very interesting. The author doesn't just give a NY Times style recap, the characters jump off the page and you begin to feel you know them. What is lacking are conclusions. We want to see 'what happened in the end.' The stories often leave you dangling and wondering what happened next.

The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told, edited by Tom McCarthy, is an easy-to-read compilation of true crime stories, some dating back as far as the 1800s. I’ve read a lot of true crime, so some of the stories were familiar, but there were others that were new to me. Each chapter is written by a different author.

The stories are well told and full of lively descriptions. The chapters have different ways of recounting the crimes: there are first-hand accounts from detectives, court transcripts, newspaper accounts, the criminal’s own words, and time period context. Some accounts are written by contemporaries of the time. The writing in general is strong and vividly conveys the crimes without being exploitive. There are a fair number of chapters about famous robberies/heists; one has some stereotypes I wasn’t thrilled about, but overall the book avoids caricatures.

Some accounts really stood out. I liked the chapter on the “merry murderesses” of Chicago (at least one story was the inspiration for the musical Chicago, which by the way I’ve seen, and which by the way is awesome). There is a heart-pounding account of men trying to capture a mysterious trapper in the Arctic Circle and a good chapter on Lizzie Borden. Another story I liked, but which also caused frustration, was about a criminal who was a genius at stealing from banks. It had the feeling of a true caper, and was very well written. However, that chapter ends just when it was getting more interesting, which baffled me. I was completely caught up in the robbery, expecting more information about the robber’s next even bigger escapade and why his life was cut short, and the chapter abruptly ends. A very strange decision for a true crime book! There is another chapter that’s even worse. Not every story is unresolved, but enough were to frustrate me.

Although this might sound a little weird for a true crime book, all in all, I found it very entertaining. It’s a good book for those new to true crime, as it covers a variety of cases across different time periods. It’s a quick, interesting read for long-time buffs as well.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. #netgalley

Sometimes you just need some great true crime. These stories were great.

Interesting collection of true crime stories. I thought it was well written and will definitely look for more true crime written by author.