"October 31 is just around the corner and Emily Westhill's Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he's ordered three dozen, with no screaming faces and twice the fudge frosting, for his seventieth birthday--a special event in more ways than one. It's to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned. But the next day, when Emily arrives with her Boston cream donuts, she stumbles upon Rich's corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash--just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallingbrook to go out screaming."--

Halloween in the small town of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, is the perfect season for Deputy Donut owner Emily Westhill to unmask a killer. October 31 is just around the corner and Emily Westhill’s Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he’s ordered three dozen, with no screaming faces and twice the fudge frosting, for his seventieth birthday—a special event in more ways than one. It’s to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned. But the next day, when Emily arrives with her Boston cream donuts, she stumbles upon Rich’s corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash—just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallingbrook to go out screaming. Praise for Jealousy Filled Donuts “Charming . . . Yummy donut recipes round out a whodunit (or is it a whodonut?) sure to please cozy fans.” —Publishers Weekly

A century of Boston’s thrill killers, psychos, and fiends—notorious in their day, now nearly forgotten—from the Antebellum era through the 1970s. The Boston Strangler may be the most infamous serial killer in Massachusetts history, but his crimes pale in comparison with the carnage of those profiled in this chilling compendium. Covering a century the city’s heinous past, journalist Christopher Daley reveals nine of the most sensational cases that once made headlines across the country: Kenneth Harrison, aka “The Giggler” whose random victims ranged from children to men to an elderly woman he tossed over the Broadway Bridge, just for fun; upstanding Albert Tirrell, who claimed he was sleepwalking when he slit the throat of his mistress, prostitute Maria Bickford, and set her on fire; Jesse Pomeroy, a natural-born sadist and, at fourteen, the youngest convicted serial killer in the annals of American crime. Here too are the shocking tales of the Bussey Woods murders, the Barrel Butcher, the Boston Skull Cracker, and more. Featuring rare photographs, as well as maps to extant crime scenes, Murder & Mayhem in Boston is a must for true crime aficionados.

Put on your detective hat and uncover the facts and myths about the Boston strangler. Starting in 1962, eleven women living in and around the Boston area had been murdered in similar, and similarly brutal, ways. Many of these women had been sexually assaulted. Several had been stabbed. All had been strangled. Topics discussed include the victims, the atmosphere of Boston, Massachusetts, at the time of the murders, and the man who confessed to the murders, Albert DeSalvo. The evidence against DeSalvo, reasons DeSalvo confessed to murders he may not have committed, theories about who the Boston Strangler really was, and DNA evidence are also highlighted. Features include a Tools and Clues section that highlights research tools, technology, and investigative methods, a timeline, a glossary, selected bibliography, further readings, places to visit, source notes, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

The New York Times–bestselling account of the serial killer’s rampage and the ensuing manhunt. Now a Hulu true crime thriller starring Keira Knightley. On June 14, 1962, twenty-five-year-old Juris Slesers arrived at his mother’s apartment to drive her to church. But there was no answer at the door. When he pushed his way inside, Juris found Anna Slesers dead on the kitchen floor, the cord of her housecoat knotted tightly around her neck. Over the next two years, twelve more bodies were discovered in and around Boston: all women, all sexually assaulted, and all strangled. None of the victims exhibited any signs of struggle, nothing was stolen from their homes, and there were no signs of forcible entry. The police could find no discernable motive or clues. Who was this madman? How was he entering women’s homes? And what insanity was driving him? Drawn from hundreds of hours of personal interviews, as well as police, medical, and court documentation, this is a grisly, horrifying, and meticulously researched account of Albert DeSalvo—an American serial killer on par with Jack the Ripper.

A shocking true story of crime, punishment, and injustice in a major American city. Charles Stuart claimed it was a black man who carjacked him, shooting both himself and his wife, ending both her life and the life of their unborn child. The accusation and subsequent manhunt enflamed the long-simmering racial tensions of Boston, leading to the arrest of an innocent man. It was then discovered that Stuart had killed his wife and shot himself to cover up the crime, seeking a big insurance payout. When his crimes were exposed, Stuart jumped off a bridge to his death. Ken Englade explores the story with panoramic vision and a stunning eye for detail. Looking at the crime itself and the police response, Englade shows how Stuart’s crime unraveled, how the truth came out, and what the media’s response can tell us about the biases through which we view the worst of crimes.