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From the true crime author of Murderabilia, a geographic telling of some of the most notorious but lesser-known murders for each US State. Filled with hundreds of entries organized by location,
50 States of Murder is a lively and chilling work of storytelling and an authoritative survey of the homicidal history of the United States—perfect for any true-crime obsessive. Certain crimes are impossible to imagine happening anywhere but where they did: Could the Manson murders have gone down somewhere besides the 1960s sex-and-drug-fueled, occult-dabbling culture of Southern California? Would Truman Capote’s
In Cold Blood have been as powerful if the Clutter family massacre happened anywhere besides the tightly knit world of Holcomb, Kansas? Or would the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski have been able to hole up in the woods evading notice for decades anywhere but in Montana?
Discover each state’s most memorable and notorious crimes through expert authorship, stunning visuals, and interactive design.
About the author
Harold Schechter, a two-time Edgar nominee, has published more than 30 true crime titles, including five 100K+ copy bestsellers. His most recent work, Maniac: The Bath School Disaster and the Birth of the Modern Mass Killer, just published (March 9, 2021). He has taught literature and myth criticism for more than 40 years at Queens College/CUNY and is a murderabilia collector himself.
Summary
From true crime master Harold Schechter, author of Murderabilia, comes a unique atlas of America's homicidal history.
Filled with hundreds of darkly fascinating tales of murderous mayhem, 50 States of Murder is a chilling work of storytelling and an authoritative survey of the United States’ homicidal history. Master true crime author Harold Schechter explores each state’s most grizzly, gruesome, and notorious murders that have passed into regional lore, from Iowa’s Cornfield Killer to the Texarkana Moonlight Murders to the Beauty School Barbarian of Arizona. Presented in a photo-filled, atlas-like format, this bloodcurdling journey into the dark heart of American murder will please any ravenous true crime obsessive.
