Crime Time

Interesting stories and written well. Even though most of the stories I've read before, it's a book well worth a read anyway. It was a nice way to spend the short time it took me to read.

I love this book about true crime stories. As a true crime connoisseur, the best ones are covered here. This will be extremely interesting to all readers.

Crime Time by J. North Conway is a collection of 20 different true crime stories. It explores many different crimes throughout history, many of which were firsts in the United States.

This book was so full of great information. I loved how the author focused on lesser well-known crimes and criminals. Many of the stories also took place in my backyard of New York City, so I really appreciated learning more about the history of my hometown.

True crime stories is a genre I usually do not go for but I’m a huge history buff, so I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and well researched. It’s obvious the author was really passionate about the subject.

J. North Conway has written several other books on various historical topics and I will definitely be checking out his other works.

An outstanding book. The book is well illustrated and the stories are well done and intriguing. I really enjoyed the way the author brought the characters to life and told their story. I found this book hard to put down. A great read for the true crime fans!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay so I absolutely loved this book! I kinda figured that I was going to because I love both historical true crime and short stories so a book that combines both was pretty much a guaranteed win. I really enjoyed all the stories that were included and the way that the author gave you all the details you need without going too in depth, which leaves room for the reader to get a glimpse at the stories and to pick the ones that they want to learn more about.

(I plan on looking into all of these in the future because they were all fascinating)

I had heard of some of these stories but it was still nice to get a refresher and to see where they fit into the grand scheme of things. The stories hit all the main points and paint a really vivid picture of both the time and the people involved. It’s always fascinating to read about historical true crime and the punishments that were doled out for what now seems like petty crimes.

The only actual issue that I have with this book is a very tiny thing, but if we’re being honest it pisses me off to no end and kind of makes me question some other things. There’s a small mention of Jack the Ripper and when talking his victims the author refers to them as prostitutes when this is proven to be false and I think it’s a dangerous assumption to continue making.

I absolutely love true crime and this book was no exception. I loved the look into crimes I knew nothing or very little about. These stories were gruesome and disgusting which I loved.

This is collection of true crime stories about American and English lawbreakers this time. There is a short story about each one, telling about what their crime was and what their punishment consisted of. This is my first book by this author, and I found it to be decently written for this type of subject. I'll be checking out some of his other titles in the future. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author J. North Conway, and the publisher.

The title Crime Time is perfection! As History and True Crime are amongst my favourite genres, I just had to read this and am very pleased I did. The author defines "crime" and then delves into the lives of 20 criminals and gangs from 1724-1923, their childhoods and upbringing, crimes themselves and their deaths (often executions). Not only does the author describe murder but also heists, bank robbing, kidnapping and shop lifting and the masterminds (and duds!) behind them. We also read about the origins of several expressions such as "double cross" and the story where dental evidence was first used. Talk about compelling! I hung onto every word.

Of the twenty stories, several stand out to me including Gentleman Jack who could escape almost everything, including prisons and once even joined the search for a criminal. He even became a venerated hero. The youngest I read about was a bullying twelve-year-old girl who hung for the murder she committed over a basket of strawberries and revenge.

Interestingly, criminals were often shown the results of their crime by the police to elicit responses including the murderer of the Girl in Green. Sometimes tickets were sold to attend sensational executions such as for Durgan who killed her employer in jealousy. Another story describes vigilantes and what they did to a terrifying gang. Many criminals kept corrupt politicians and police in their pockets through bribery and threats. The author also explains that some criminals repent yet others cast the blame in other directions such as women in general or former lovers.

Many of these criminals had heinous childhoods but not all of them did; some grew up wealthy and privileged and others were professionals or from wealthy and esteemed families. Still others begged parents to take care of their children and bring them up honourably to avoid pitfalls.

The photographs and newspaper clippings at the chapter headings are brilliant. I like that the author uses actual confessions, too. Those interested in history and true crime ought to read this.

My sincere thank you to Lyons Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the e-ARC of this thought-provoking and arresting book.

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


I did enjoy this true crime I liked all the stories in it almost. Which over the years I've grown more picky. And this one I would honestly get four stars I think I found a new author to enjoy.

Crime Time is a compilation of stories about crime in the early 20th century. The stories and accompanying illustrations made for a great read.

This was a fascinating read! True crime anthologies are fun to read through, and this one was well organized.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting collection of cases that I had not previously heard of.
Fans of true crime and history books will enjoy this.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I loved almost all the reports. A couple of these people I had hear about, one even being from my home town, bundt many were obscure tales that I want to learn more about. Anyone who loves true crime from the turn of the century should check this out!

It was surprising for me that there were still some of these criminals that I have not yet heard of. The short stories were entertaining, yet informative. This was a good non-fiction pick to break up these heavy fantasy books I've been reading.

Crime Time: Twenty True Tales of Murder, Madness, and Mayhem
By J. North Conway
Lyons Press, 23 April 2021


From the publisher:

CRIME TIME is a collection of 20 riveting, page-turning historic true crime stories from 1724 to 1913 covering a host of monstrous American and English criminals, their crimes and their punishment. It includes stories of criminals-- men, women and children, whose gruesome tales have been obscured by the passage of time.

My thoughts:

I requested this book because of my interest in true crime, particularly the historical variety, and I was not disappointed. Crime Time is an interesting book that covers a variety of true crime tales over three centuries. The crimes are mostly murder and some are definitely gruesome. There is also kidnapping, bank robbery, and criminal masterminds, both male and female. Each chapter is about a different crime and since none of the chapters are over long, it is a fairly quick read. The book is well-written and entertaining. I would certainly recommend this book for those who enjoy historical true crime.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lyons Press for the free digital copy.

This was a pretty interesting read...didn't have the "usual suspects" that are normally covered in a true crime book such as this. :)

An interesting compilation of lesser known crimes, this collection was a quick read that taught me a few things while being just engaging enough to hold my attention. A good bathroom or coffee table book to have on hand, or in my case something to help edge out of the dreaded reading slump.

Thank you for the lessons about lesser known crimes! This criminolgy student appreciated it!

Crime Time contained twenty summaries of various crimes from around the turn of the century (mid 1700s to early 1900s), with a focus on New England and New York City.

The summaries themselves were a solid peek at the crime committed, the investigations and the results (if any). The author chose to not go in a more salacious direction, unlike some crime anthologies and compilations, which resulted in a slightly drier, more analytical read. This approach made the summaries feel more direct in terms of narration, rather than twisting through the various personalities of the criminals. (That approach can sometimes overshadow the crimes being discussed, as can be seen in other true crime works).

Overall this was an informative read. While some crimes are more well-known (such as the Sophie Lyons case), others are a bit more obscure.

Recommended for readers that enjoy true crime writers such as Jerry Bledsoe and Diane Fanning.

As a bit of a true crime buff, I'm always interested to learn about interesting historical crimes. A few of the criminals in this collection were familiar to me but I learned a lot as well. Each case represents a change in forensics or criminal justice. A few of them are told with an air of near admiration that was a bit concerning.

Sometimes all we really want to read is a really good story. Crime Time: Twenty True Tales of Murder, Madness and Mayhem (Lyons Press, 2021) by J. North Conway offers just that in spades. Gathering together some of the most prolific and little-known stories of violence, robbery, and murder, Conway’s text is a fun anthology that does not cover the well-trodden ground of other, more infamous cases.
Just over 200 pages, this book is a quick and concise look at some criminal cases that captivated and terrified their contemporary societies. The cases are mostly historical British and American crimes, taking place as early as the eighteenth century. There are cases for every interest: murder, bank robbery, conspiracy, and more abound in this book. My favourite cases were either murders that I had never heard of, or that I vaguely recalled but wanted to know more about. The harrowing death of Helen Jewett in 1836, The Strawberry Basket Murder of 1786, The Factory Girl’s Murder in 1832, or the story of the killer John Webster from 1849 were all favourites of mine. As a lover of historical true crime, I particularly enjoyed this anthology. While I was less taken with the tales of robbery or kidnapping, the short, snappy nature of the book ensures that the text maintains a fast pace.
Although it might seem like a simple account of some lesser-known criminal cases, Conway’s ambitions for writing such a book are more complex. In the introduction he writes:

“crime is generally defined as an offence against public law. In 1911, English legal scholar William Blake Odgers defined crime as follows: ‘A wrongful act of such a kind that the State deems it necessary, in the interests of the public, to repress it; for its repetition would be harmful to the community as a whole.’ if we are to adhere to Odgers’s definition of crime, insomuch as we need to repress it in the desired hope of eradicating its repetition, then we must as well illuminate these lesser known crimes to be better able to deal with their horrifying recurrence. If we remain ignorant of particular crimes and their historical significance, how can we ever hope to adequately address and deal with them as a society?”

Conway directs his work here toward a nobler purpose beyond simply recounting grisly stories of criminals in days past. In some ways, he is successful in his ambition. He recounts cases from a period in history where the law was constantly changing, where it existed at all, and these infamous cases are watershed ones, inciting new laws or legislation that is designed to protect victims, “including opening up the debate in America over the death penalty, and legislating juvenile prosecution and kidnapping as a federal offense.” In “The Strawberry Basket Murder,” in which a twelve-year-old Pequot girl was executed for killing a six-year-old girl, making her the youngest female offender to be executed in the United States. Conway points out that, although she may have killed the girl, this does not mean her punishment was just:

“in the United states, the youngest children put to death by the government have all been children of colour. James Arcene, A Cherokee boy, was only ten or eleven years old when he was tried for committing a robbery and murder that resulted in his 1885 hanging in Arkansas. In the twentieth century, the youngest children executed were both African American: thirteen-year-old Fortune Ferguson of Florida (1927) and fourteen-year-old George Stinney of South Carolina (1944).”

Startling and deeply upsetting, Conway’s text does contain these moments of real and critical thoughtfulness in relation to criminals and their victims.
Ultimately, however, Conway’s text is essentially a collection of good stories. This book would appeal to anyone looking to learn more about British and American crime in bite-sized chunks. By no means exhaustive, these short and fast-paced crime stories are compelling and quick. If you want to learn more about any given case, Conway includes both a glossary and an extensive bibliography that will guide you. His book, however, is not the place for a thorough account. He provides the details and little else, but that is precisely what made the book interesting to read, and the opportunity to seek out additional sources is an excellent compromise.
Crime Time was a lot of fun, and its twenty interesting, harrowing, and at times unbelievable stories were cleverly presented.

Please add Crime Time to your Goodreads shelf.
Don’t forget to follow True Crime Index on Twitter and please visit our Goodreads for updates on what we’re reading! You can find Rachel on her personal @RachelMFriars or on Goodreads @Rachel Friars.
About the Writer:
Rachel M. Friars (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on neo-Victorianism and adaptations of Jane Eyre. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, popular culture, and the Gothic. Her academic writing has been published with Palgrave Macmillan and in The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies. She is a reviewer for The Lesbrary, the co-creator of True Crime Index, and an Associate Editor and Social Media Coordinator for PopMeC Research Collective. Rachel is co-editor-in-chief of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and regularly publishes her own short fiction and poetry. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read, and worth the time. For true crime enthusiasts, there is an opportunity to read about some less known crimes from history, with enough detail to pique interest in pursuing further investigation if one chooses. This will be a great addition to our library collection for patrons to find information about less known criminal histories.

If you like to read about true crime, this is a book well worth reading. The author examines cases of murder, robbery, burglary as well as confidence schemes. The crimes occurred in the nineteenth as well as twentieth centuries in the United States and were perpetrated by men and women alike. I found a few spelling and grammar errors in the book. I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Sometimes it is good to read books with multiple stories under a theme. It is something you could read in one sitting or could delve into for quickie reads. True crime stories are always fascinating and this compilation told many stories that were new to me. They included a few that were “firsts” of their kind. Since we are talking about murder and other crimes it is at best a tenuous honour.

The victims and the criminals came from all walks and levels of society. There is the architect who became the most notorious bank robber. There is the minister who turns to murder to take care of a small problem. And there is the child stolen from his front yard by kidnappers and never seen again. There are career criminal families both by birth and by choice. It is an interesting assortment of some very bad people.

Lots and lots of attributions, it is filled with narratives from the time. The writing might have been tighter but all in all it is a worthwhile read. Four purrs and two paws up.