Accused of the murder of his former lover, Korean War veteran Sam Monroe is forced to abandon his job as an assistant district attorney and fight to clear his name.

Sam Monroe thought his steamy love affair with Manhattan socialite Laura Nielson was dead and buried, but when she didn’t show up after unexpectedly calling him late at night and asking to meet, he decides to investigate. He finds her naked on her penthouse balcony, strangled, his dog tags wrapped around her neck. With a bull’s-eye on his back as the prime suspect, Sam begins a search for the killer that reveals Laura’s involvement with several men, some with ties to a well-known crime family.

As circumstantial evidence mounts against him, the cops close in, especially a heavy-handed rogue patrolman carrying a grudge against Sam and looking for serious payback. Forced to operate in the shadows, he relies on the unofficial help of several coworkers in the DA’s office and Debora Jean Ryan, a private investigator who offers to assist but has an agenda that she refuses to disclose. As they probe Laura’s past looking for clues, they must also figure out Laura’s mysterious trip out west, the death of a young man in New Jersey during her childhood, and who is making attempts on his life.

From the crime-ridden precincts of Lower Manhattan, the mean streets of Spanish Harlem, and the lofty mansions along Millionaires’ Row, Night in the City is classic crime noir fiction at its best that wonderfully evokes the vibrant world of 1950s New York. Michael McGarrity again proves himself to be one of the most accomplished writers of mysteries working today.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over a span of 39 years, 23 aliases, 28 arrests in 20 cities, and nearly a dozen imprisonments, Robert Spears had lived a con artists' life of unparalleled adventure and intrigue. This is his story.

Shortly before Thanksgiving Day in 1959, a plane exploded in mid-air, killing all 42 passengers and crew and leaving scattered debris and bodies across the otherwise tranquil Gulf waters. Listed on the manifest was Dr. Robert Spears—once the highly regarded president of the Texas Naturopathic Association. Father of two small children with a lovely, society-minded wife and an elegant home in an exclusive neighborhood, it was a monumental tragedy for them as it was for all the souls lost that day.

Less than two months later, Robert Spears miraculously “rose from the dead” in Phoenix where he was promptly arrested. Headlining newspapers nationwide—“Man Downs Airliner to Fake Death”—Spears was discovered to have cleverly switched identities, persuaded his friend, Al Taylor, to fly with his plane ticket, asked him to carry “a package” on board, and drove away in his buddy’s car with his wallet and driver’s license.

As the FBI began to investigate, they uncovered a stunning, mind-bending tale of murder, abortion rings, and false identities—more than 25 aliases for Spears alone—as well as insurance scams and investment fraud that stretched over decades.

But that was far from the end of the story.

Methodically and carefully researched for years and meticulously sourced by a research sociologist and author, Vanishing Act is one of the great true crime stories of our time and a compelling read that is paced like a page-turning, mystery novel. Until now, the complete and shocking story has never been told.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the gripping story of the real Charles Manson as told by his long-time prison administrator, counselor, unofficial "press agent," and confidant, Ed George.

“Throughout my life, people have asked me about Manson. . . .

‘Does he have hypnotic powers?’ ‘Does he have a diabolical charisma?’ . . .

‘Is he crazy?’ My response is that for some people, the answer to all of the above is yes—except for the last question.” —EDWARD GEORGE

Charles Manson was perhaps the most infamous criminal of the twentieth century. Convicted for orchestrating the shocking Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969, and for two other killings, there has been much written about him. But not many people knew him as well as Edward George, who over years of conversations with Manson as his prison administrator, counselor, unofficial “press agent,” and confidant, gained deep insight into Manson’s mind-set. In this updated edition of George’s riveting account, he illuminates the many sides of Manson: charismatic cult leader, master manipulator, calculated “showman,” sly trickster, and more. George and his coauthor, Dary Matera, begin by detailing the troubling events of Manson’s youth, the historic 1969 murders, and the subsequent trial that ended an era. They then pull back the curtain on the intense reality of Manson’s turbulent life behind bars and the events that have transpired since the initial publication of this book in 1999, including Manson’s death in 2017.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.