First published 2003
Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook sifted through hundreds of publications to gather the year's finest crime journalism. Their compilation features four standout pieces. Maximillian Potter profiles Murray Marks at the University of Tennessee's Body Farm, where corpses decompose across two acres to advance forensic science. Jay Kirk chronicles Mack Moore and his wife Angel, who abandoned their corrupt funeral business to operate a brothel. Skip Hollandsworth investigates the vanishing of teenager Treva Throneberry and her bizarre reappearance. Lawrence Wright tells the story of FBI agent John O'Neill, who pursued Osama bin Laden for ten years before dying in the World Trade Center collapse. This collection demonstrates how skilled journalists transform real criminal cases into compelling narratives that inform and captivate readers.
Genres: crime, non-fiction, journalism, true-crime
Vibes: compelling, informative, thought-provoking
Tropes: real-life-events, true-story
Setting: United States, Tennessee, World Trade Center
Period: 2003
512 pages · Paperback · Vintage