November 20, 2023
Hunt (Unsolved Murders) effectively translates her true crime podcast of the same name with this diverting dive into cases that prompted major changes in the American legal system between the late 19th century and 1982. Dividing the cases into five categories—“Civil Rights Catalysts,” “Law Changers,” “Forensic Advancers,” “Societal Shifters,” and “Unsolved with Impact”—Hunt highlights five examples per category, summarizing each case’s known facts before analyzing its cultural consequences. Some, like the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, are widely known: the blaze killed nearly 150 people due to a lack of adequate safeguards, leading to sweeping labor reforms. Others, like the 1964 murder of Queens, N.Y., bartender Kitty Genovese (which led to the creation of the nation’s first 911 system), get reframed: Hunt notes that the persistent narrative that multiple witnesses knew Genovese was being attacked and did nothing to help her is broadly inaccurate. Throughout, Hunt goes for breadth rather than depth. As a result, some chapters, like her brief rundown of the Osage Nation murders covered by David Grann in Killers of the Flower Moon, feel rushed and slightly superficial. Still, readers seeking a springboard for additional research will be rewarded with a brisk and fascinating overview of American criminal history. Photos.
November 1, 2023
In the late seventeenth century, the Massachusetts colony was rocked by allegations of witchcraft against numerous citizens. In Salem, neighbor was pitted against neighbor, as these accusations were nearly impossible to disprove or defend against, and punishment was swift and severe. Journalist and true-crime podcast host Hunt uses the Salem Witch Trials as a cautionary tale for future cases and the issue of defendants' rights. A century later, a woman's vicious slaying brought the dynamic minds of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr together, representing the affluent defendant. And in 1983, child abuse charges leveled against McMartin Preschool triggered a wave of similar claims across the country. These are just a sampling of the crimes Hunt shares for their commonality and enduring impact on the criminal justice system in this exemplary assessment of American crime and punishment and their evolution over five centuries. Through a wealth of examples, both high-profile and relatively unknown, Hunt illustrates the changing nature of U.S. law in this informative work.
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Starred review from December 1, 2023
Award-winning Cincinnati Enquirer investigative reporter Hunt (coauthor, Accused: The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Andes) investigates 25 cases that range from the Salem witch trials of the 17th century to the Chicago Tylenol poisoning murders of 1982. Her crisp prose highlights the details of each crime and its accompanying trial, interspersed with illustrations of sites, people, and documents pertaining to each case. At the end of every case is a "Legal Legacy" sidebar that illuminates the ways in which its precedent affected American jurisprudence. Readers will likely learn something new about cases they thought they previously understood and may be startled to learn about crimes they haven't heard of before that have impacted the way the justice system works. VERDICT Fans of true crime will enjoy this collection of tales from the annals of American justice; they will surely come away eager to learn more about the crimes that have meaningfully shaped the judicial system.--Jennifer Moore
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