Criminal Law Consulting
​For Writers & Filmmakers
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Free eBook

True Crime Book Review: "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective"

8/8/2012

0 Comments

 
This true crime book describes a murder of a 3 year old boy in mid-1800s England.  The young victim of the Road Hill murder's throat was slit, and his body was dumped down an outdoor privy.  The crime occured in the middle of the night, and everyone in the household was a suspect. 

The crime captivated the public's imagination, and everyone had a theory about who did it.  The concept of the detective was new, and detective stories were popular throughout the country. 

The methods of investigation used were rudimentary and seriously flawed by today's standards.  It is hard to believe any crimes were solved in those days.

London's foremost detective, Mr. Whicher, was brought in to review the evidence after the local police could not solve the crime.  He pointed the finger at what seemed an unlikely suspect, and was denounced when the evidence did not prove guilt.

The crime and ensuing investigation are described it in a way that leave you guessing who the murderer is. 

The book spends far too much time discussing fictional detective stories of the time.  It is clear the author did a lot of research, but most of it does not enhance the underlying story here of the murder and detective.  The references to other stories are often distracting and uninteresting if you have not read the books to which she refers.

Although the book gets bogged down by details and sidetracked by side stories, the underlying crime story is a good one.  If you have the patience to wade through the muck, the root is a true crime story worth reading.

(Click below to check out the book.)
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher
Also, get your free eBook revealing the Top 7 Mistakes Made by Writers of Crime, Mystery and Legal Drama. 
0 Comments

True Crime Book Explores Amusing and Dark Underside of Southern Life: "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

6/14/2012

4 Comments

 
I recently read the true crime book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Brendt.  On some level, I hesitate to call this a true crime book because it is largely about other happenings in Savannah, Georgia.  But a core storyline of the book follows the multiple murder trials of an antiques dealer, Jim Williams, who shot and killed his young lover, Danny Hansford.
Jim Williams made a life and a fortune for himself buying and restoring historic houses in downtown Savannah.  Danny Hansford was a troubled young man who was sexually appealing to both men and women. 

Danny occasionally worked for Jim and had the run of his restored mansion filled with antiques.  Jim provided Danny with money, a car, and other material things.  Danny did not seem to have a problem with his position as Jim's semi-secret lover as long Jim kept Danny financed.

One early morning, in Jim's study, Jim shot Danny three times, killing him.  Jim reported the shooting to police.  He explained that Danny had shot at him first, and he fired back in self defense.

Jim Williams was charged with murder.  His four trials centered around the question of whether Jim had killed Danny in cold blood or whether he acted in self defense. 

The book is not very detailed or technical in its coverage of the trials, but you finish the book feeling like you understand why the outcome of each trial and appeal was what it was.  There is also enough information given to allow the reader to come to their own conclusions about what really happened the night of the shooting.  But there are still questions left hanging.

The non-true-crime parts of the book are equally interesting.  The author, John Berendt, tells the story of his part-time life in Savannah.  He encounters and befriends a variety of eccentric characters, including a piano-playing lawyer with a revolving door of friends and scams, a trash-talking drag queen, and a voodoo witch doctor.

The book was made into a movie, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring John Cusack, Kevin Spacey, and Jude Law.

For an epilogue focusing on Jim Williams, and his non-fatal illegal dealings, check out "After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."  Although not nearly as well-written as the original (and filled with typos), "After Midnight" is a short, quick read that fills in a few gaps and presents a different perspective.

(Click the pictures to check out the books and movie.)
Let me know what you thought about "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."  And sign up for a free eBook on the Top 7 Mistakes Made by Writers of Crime, Mystery, and Legal Drama.
4 Comments

True Crime Book Illuminates the Italian Justice System in a High Profile Serial Killer Case Known as the Monster of Florence

5/31/2012

0 Comments

 
High profile cases are generally not the best examples of a criminal justice system at work.  I would certainly not want someone judging the American criminal justice system on the basis of the O.J. Simpson and Casey Anthony trials, for example. 

With that caution, Italy's investigation into a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence (il Mostro di Firenze), as presented in a gripping true crime book, The Monster of Florence, by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, was nothing short of absurd.  
Although not well known in America, the Monster of Florence is one of the most famous serials killers known throughout the world.  The Monster preyed on young couples who used the hills surrounding Florence as an intimate escape. 

While the targeted couple was in the heat of passion in their car, the Monster would shoot the man, then the woman.  He would drag the woman from the car and cut out her vagina.  In later crimes he would also rip off the woman's left breast.

These horrific crimes, committed over a period of years, terrified people living in the Tuscany hills, and created a frenzy to find the killer or killers.

The book follows the decades of investigation and prosecution of several people accused of being the Monster, or being someone criminally associated with the Monster.  The investigators' theories evolve from a lone serial killer to a family of killers to a vast satanic consipracy involving most of Florence's upper class.  Even the book's authors were swept up in the investigation.

The authors convincingly present their own theory of the crimes and suspect.  My one complaint is that I wished the book had explained a little more was the Italian criminal justice system.  From the bits and pieces discussed, it appears the Italian system is very different from the U.S. system in some key respects (the prosecutor is a judge, a trial is heard by a panel of judges not lay jurors, an appeals court can hear new evidence). 

It would have been interesting to have a little more background on that.  Otherwise, I found the book to be a fascinating case study.  It's a must-read for any fan of true crime.  Despite the complexity of the story, it was a quick and enjoyable read.

There were also some interesting parallels for anyone who followed the Amanda Knox story (American exchange student Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend were convicted of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy).  The main prosecutor who believed in and investigated the satanic consipracy theories of the Monster killings was also Amanda Knox's prosecutor, and he advanced similar theories in that case.

For fans of The Silence of the Lambs (my favorite serial killer book and movie ever) and Hanibal, author Thomas Harris apparently followed the Monster investigations and used the case as inspiration for his books (click the images to order from Amazon). 
0 Comments

Best Legal Fiction Novels of 2012 Up for Harper Lee Prize

5/21/2012

9 Comments

 
Three finalists have been announced for the 2012 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.  The three finalists are (click picture to buy book; descriptions are from author websites):

*  Michael Connelly, The Fifth Witness
In tough times, crime is one of the few things that still pays. But if defense attorney Mickey Haller was expecting an uptick in business during the economic downturn, the reality is a different story. Even people needing legal representation to keep them out of jail are having to make cutbacks, it seems. In fact, the most significant part of Mickey’s business right now is not about keeping clients out of jail but about keeping roofs over their heads as the foreclosure boom hits thousands of people who were granted unrealistic mortgages in the good times and now face being kicked to the curb in the bad times.

Lisa Trammel has been a client of Mickey’s for eight months—hers was his very first foreclosure case, in fact—and although so far he’s managed to stop the bank from taking her house, the strain and sense of injustice have taken a toll. The bank recently got a restraining order to prevent her from protesting against its practices. Now, a high-level bank employee, Mitchell Bondurant, has been found dead in the bank’s parking lot, and Lisa is about to be indicted for murder. For Mickey, it’s back to what he does best on the biggest stage of all, but if he thought defending Lisa Trammel was going to be a walk in the park, he’d be wrong. Not only is he about to learn some startling truths about his client, but also about himself, and by the time the verdict is in, Mickey’s whole world will have been turned upside down.

*  Robert Dugoni, Murder One
A year after tragedy, attorney David Sloane has returned to work full time. At a black-tie dinner, he reconnects with Barclay Reid, opposing counsel in Sloane's most prominent case. Barclay is suffering from her own personal tragedy after the death of her teenage daughter from a drug overdose. In the aftermath, Barclay has begun an intense crusade against the Russian drug traffickers she holds responsible for her daughter's death, pursuing them with a righteousness that matches Sloane's own zeal for justice. Sloane finds himself drawn to this woman, despite their adversarial past.

When Barclay's crusade stalls and the Russian drug dealer turns up dead, she stands accused of murder, and Sloane is her chosen defender. Amidst the swirling media frenzy, in his first criminal case, Sloane finds himself once again in harm's way, while mounting evidence suggests Barclay is a woman with many secrets. And she may not be quite as innocent—or as in love with Sloane as she purports to be.

*  David Ellis, Breach of Trust
In this second installment of the Jason Kolarich series, Jason investigates the murder of a key witness in a criminal case that Jason tried. Jason had forced the witness to testify and believes that this led to the witness' murder. When the evidence leads to an obscure agency in state government, guilt-stricken Jason goes to work for the agency to dig deeper. Before he knows it, Jason finds himself square in the middle of a high-level conspiracy of fraud and corruption—as well as a covert federal investigation into these crimes. He is confronted by agents of the FBI, who force Jason to work undercover to root out the criminal activity. Jason finds himself with two roles, solving the murder of the witness and helping put away top state officials—all the way to the governor’s door. But are the two things related? And how far must Jason go to solve the murder and take down a corrupt governor?

This is the 2nd Annual Harper Lee Prize.  The prize is given each year to a fiction book published in the preceding year that best exemplifies the role of lawyers in society.  The winner of this year’s Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction will be announced in August 2012. 

Vote for your pick for this year’s best legal novel at The ABA Journal.  And weigh in below about your favorites!

In 2011, John Grisham received the very first Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for his book, The Confession.
I haven’t read this year’s nominees yet, but I really enjoyed The Confession!
9 Comments

Oscar Best Picture Winners: 18 Crime and Legal Genre Films

2/24/2012

0 Comments

 
When done right, crime and legal films can be award magnets.  They are common Oscar contenders.  Here are the crime and legal movies that have won the Academy Award for Best Picture over the years (click the pictures to check out the ones you haven’t yet seen):
No Country for Old Men – 2007
Based on the novel, a man finds two million dollars after a drug deal gone bad and flees a hit man trying to recover the money, with the sheriff close behind.


The Departed
– 2006
An Irish Mob boss plants an informant in the Massachusetts State Police while the police send an undercover officer to infiltrate the Mob.  Both sides discover the other’s scheme, and each try to learn the other’s identity before his own cover is blown.

Crash – 2005
A story of racial and social tension, several characters' stories interweave during two days in Los Angeles, including a black LAPD detective estranged from his mother, his criminal younger brother and gang associate, the white District Attorney and his irritated and pampered wife, a white racist police officer who disgusts his more idealistic younger partner, and an African American Hollywood director and his wife who must deal with the racist officer.

Chicago – 2002
A musical crime movie about two women convicted of murder trying to save themselves from their death sentences.



The Silence of the Lambs – 1991
(My personal favorite and only the third movie in history to win in all five major Oscar categories – best picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay.)
Based on the novel, an FBI trainee gains the trust of a brilliant institutionalized serial killer to help the FBI catch another active serial killer.

Kramer vs. Kramer – 1979
Based on the novel, the film depicts a couple’s divorce and its impact on everyone around them.




The Godfather Part II
– 1974
This film depicts the rise to power of Vito Corleone and chronicles the Corleon family’s story after the events in The Godfather (see below).



The Sting
– 1973
A crime comedy following two professional conmen who try to scam a mob boss.




The Godfather
– 1972
Based on the novel, this film tells the story of the Corleone crime family.




The French Connection
– 1971
The film tells the story of two real NYPD detectives and revolves around the smuggling of narcotics between France and New York.



Oliver!
– 1968
A musical that in part follows the adventures of a band of pick-pockets.




In the Heat of the Night
– 1967
Based on a novel of the same name, this is the story of a black Philadelphia police detective (Sydney Poitier) who becomes involved in a murder investigation in a racist small town in Mississippi.


West Side Story
– 1961
A musical gang film based on the Broadway musical of the same name.




On the Waterfront
– 1954  
A Mob film about union violence and corruption among longshoremen.  With Marlon Brando.




All the King’s Men
– 1949
The rise and fall of a self-taught lawyer who became a corrupt politician and eventually discovers he can’t buy his way out of everything.



Casablanca
- 1942
Set in World War II, Casablanca was the portal for Europeans fleeing the Germans and trying to get to the United States.  Many famous quotes come from this film, including, "Round up the usual suspects."


Rebecca
– 1940
Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film.  An intense psychological thriller starring Laurence Olivier.



Mutiny on the Bounty
– 1935
Based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel, the film is a fictional chronicle of the real-life mutiny against Captain Bligh.
 
 



 
I have to admit I haven't seen all of these.  Which are your favorites?

If you're a writer of filmmaker, get your free eBook revealing the Top 7 Mistakes Made by Writers of Crime, Mystery and Legal Drama.
0 Comments

Free Autographed Book Giveaway - Deadline Extended!

1/13/2012

0 Comments

 
We've extended the deadline to enter our first free autographed book giveaway.  You now have until February 15, 2012, to enter.

We are giving away an autographed hardcover edition of:  "Chasing Justice:  My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit" by Kerry Max Cook. 

This incredible true story has gotten great reviews and is a great read!  For more info about the book and to enter, check out our Giveaway page. 
Picture
0 Comments

Year in Review: The Year's Best Mystery and Thriller Novels

1/3/2012

0 Comments

 
Check out Amazon's picks for the best mystery and thriller books of 2011.  Do you agree?
0 Comments

Year In Review: Best-Selling Crime/Legal Books

1/2/2012

4 Comments

 
Crime and legal stories are always some of the best and best-selling books.  Here are some of 2011's best-selling crime and legal books (click on the images to pick up the books you may have missed):

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard:  "In 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop. For the next eighteen years, she was held captive by Phillip Craig and Nancy Garrido and gave birth to two daughters. A Stolen Life is Jaycee's story, told in her own words. In this stark, compelling narrative, she opens up about what she experienced during nearly two decades of captivity and offers an extraordinary account of courage and resilience."
The Litigatorsby John Grisham:  "Fired by his fancy downtown firm, David Zinc joins the “boutique law firm” of Finley & Figg. His first case: track down patients who have suffered heart attacks while taking the popular cholesterol-reducing drug, Krayoxx, and convince them to join a class action suit against a giant pharmaceutical company. The partners at Finley & Figg smell fame and fortune. It almost seems too good to be true. And it is. A tremendously entertaining romp from America’s favorite storyteller."
The Abbey by Chris Culver:  "Ash Rashid is a former homicide detective who can't stand the thought of handling another death investigation--until his niece's body is found in the guest home of one of his city's most wealthy citizens. The coroner calls it an overdose, but against orders, Ash launches an investigation to find his niece's murderer. The longer he searches, the more entangled he becomes in a case that hits increasingly close to home. If he doesn't solve it fast, his niece won't be the only family member he has to bury."
Killing Lincoln:  The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard:  "In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased." 
11/22/63 A Novel by Stephen king:  "On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination—a thousand page tour de force."
Explosive Eighteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich:  "Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.  Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying."
The Affair:  A Reacher Novel by Lee Child:  "Everything starts somewhere. . . .For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997. A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A coverup.  A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington. Reacher is ordered undercover--to find out everything he can, to control the local police, and then to vanish. Reacher is a good soldier. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, he finds layers no one saw coming, and the investigation spins out of control."
V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery) by Sue Grafton:  "A spiderweb of dangerous relationships lies at the heart of V is for Vengeance, Sue Grafton's daring new Kinsey Millhone novel. A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose. And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web."
The Drop (Harry Bosch) by Michael Connelly:  "Harry Bosch has been given three years before he must retire from the LAPD, and he wants cases more fiercely than ever. In one morning, he gets two. DNA from a 1989 rape and murder matches a 29-year-old convicted rapist. Was he an eight-year-old killer or has something gone terribly wrong in the new Regional Crime Lab? The latter possibility could compromise all of the lab's DNA cases currently in court. Then Bosch and his partner are called to a death scene fraught with internal politics. Councilman Irvin Irving's son jumped or was pushed from a window at the Chateau Marmont. Irving, Bosch's longtime nemesis, has demanded that Harry handle the investigation. Relentlessly pursuing both cases, Bosch makes two chilling discoveries: a killer operating unknown in the city for as many as three decades, and a political conspiracy that goes back into the dark history of the police department."
The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly:  "Mickey Haller has fallen on tough times. He expands his business into foreclosure defense, only to see one of his clients accused of killing the banker she blames for trying to take away her home. Mickey puts his team into high gear to exonerate Lisa Trammel, even though the evidence and his own suspicions tell him his client is guilty. Soon after he learns that the victim had black market dealings of his own, Haller is assaulted, too--and he's certain he's on the right trail. Despite the danger and uncertainty, Haller mounts the best defense of his career in a trial where the last surprise comes after the verdict is in."
Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson:  "The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark. A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced. As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes--one that may alter the fate of the entire country."

Happy reading and writing in 2012!
4 Comments

Tip: A Great Way to Find New Mystery and Thriller Novels and True Crime Books

12/11/2011

0 Comments

 
If you have a Kindle, or a smart phone with an Amazon Kindle app, you have to check out their daily deals.  They often feature mysteries, thrillers, and true crime books, both old and new.  At $.99 to $1.99, the prices can't be beat!

Check out their website for new books every day.  Better yet, join their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter, and you'll be notified of the new deal every day!

Happy reading!
0 Comments

"Brown's Requiem," the First Mystery Novel by the Author of "L.A. Confidential"

12/8/2011

0 Comments

 
I recently finished reading "Brown's Requiem" by James Ellroy.  Ellroy is the author of "L.A. Confidential."  "Brown's Requiem" was his first novel.

The title refers to the protagonist, Harlan Brown, a disgraced LAPD officer turned private detective.  Brown was spiritually awakened by and continues to thrive on classical music, hence the title's reference to requiem.

The story was a little dense.  If I had taken more than a week between readings, I probably would not have remembered who certain characters were or how they related to the story. 

Generally, the book was about a private investigator who is hired by a golf caddy to investigate his long-lost sister and her benefactor.  The caddy is a hateful scumbag, and Brown's investigation quickly turns against his client. 

This is one of those stories where the city in which it takes place becomes another character.  Ellroy was clearly in love with the Los Angeles of 1980, and he makes the city's seedy side come to life.  He takes special care in exploring the city's golf courses, which are completely unhknown to non-golfing angelenos.

This book doesn't get into the courtroom at all, so I don't have much to say about its realism.  But overall, it was a decent mystery that left me a little empty at the end.
0 Comments
Forward>>
    Get your FREE E-Book revealing The Top 7 Mistakes Made by Writers of Crime, Mystery and Legal Drama:
    Send My Free E-Book!

    Author

    Blythe Leszkay is a successful and experienced criminal attorney, criminal law professor, and consultant to writers and filmmakers.  See About Me.  This blog is intended to answer common criminal law questions, dispel misconceptions, and explain misunderstood criminal law concepts.  It is also a place to discuss any crime or law related topics of interest.  Contact me for a free initial consultation on your film or writing project.

    Categories

    All
    Appeals
    Burden Of Proof
    Celebrity Crime
    Common Questions
    Constitution
    Consulting Services
    Courtroom
    Crime In The News
    Crime Novels
    Crime Tv
    Death Penalty
    Defenses
    Evidence
    Extortion
    Hate Crimes
    International Crime
    Juvenile Crime
    Legal Comedy
    Legal Definitions
    Legal Drama
    Manslaughter
    Movies
    Murder
    Search And Seizure
    Serial Killers
    Sex Crimes
    Supreme Court
    Trial
    True Crime
    Writing Tips

    RSS Feed

      Get Email Updates

    Join!
    Loading
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.