James R. Smith (1) (1947–)

What a fascinating book! Kidnappings were quite the fad through Prohibition and the Depression. The Lindbergh baby case is the most well known out of the east coast, but kidnappings--and sadly, subsequent murders--were quite a California thing throughout the era. Smith and Roger's created a well-written and researched book that breaks the incidents into easy-to-read true crime stories with photographs and other documentation included. The incidents gravitated around Los Angeles and the Bay Area, though my native Central California gets mentioned quite a bit, too.

One would think that the targets of these crimes would all be wealthy and/or famous, but no. Not always. Some of the cases are pretty disturbing. If you're triggered by things happening to kids (one horrible case involves a mutilated young girl) or by photographs of bodies (the book starts off with a case wherein the accused are lynched by a mob of citizens), then this isn't a book for you. One strange case has a kind of reverse Stockholm syndrome--the crooks came to adore their victim and after being busted, were praising her to everyone who would listen.… (meer)