Lethal Guardian

The complex true-crime story of a Connecticut lawyer who had her brother-in-law killed, by the New York Times bestselling author of Perfect Poison. On a cold spring night in 1994, passing motorists discovered the bullet-riddled body of Anson “Buzz” Clinton along an interstate's exit ramp in Connecticut. Buzz, a former exotic dancer, was married to Kim Carpenter, whose family believed he was an unfit guardian for Kim's daughter, Rebecca. Kim's parents had unsuccessfully sued for custody. Kim's sister, Beth Ann Carpenter—a bright, beautiful real-estate lawyer—became convinced that only Buzz's death would ensure Rebecca's safety. Investigating detectives soon uncovered a twisted trail of murder for hire, obsession, manipulation, and secrets that would tear more than one family apart. The aftermath of this brutal crime would set investigators and prosecutors on a long and twisted path strewn with lies, treachery, and deceit that would cross the Atlantic Ocean before finally bringing justice home. Praise for Lethal Guardian “An intense roller coaster of a crime story . . . complex, with a plethora of twists and turns worthy of any great detective mystery, and yet so well-laid out, so crisply written with such detail to character and place that it reads more like a novel than your standard nonfiction crime book.” —Steve Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Monster Includes sixteen pages of revealing photos

'. . . a well-written piece of investigative journalism that asks some deeply troubling questions . . .' - NY Journal of Books 'Cadwallader has written a brave, powerful and forensically detailed book about a shameful and denied aspect of our conflict's history.' - The Irish Times. 'Anne Cadwallader's remarkable book focusses on collusion in the British security forces (the RUC, the British Army, and the UDR) in the mid-Ulster "Murder Triangle". Over 120 people were killed by a loyalist gang operating in mid-Ulster and Cadwallader has created a convincing argument that collusion with certain elements of the security forces was crucial in the committing of these crimes and the lack of proper investigation into many of these crimes' - The Dublin Reader Farmers, shopkeepers, publicans and businessmen were slaughtered in a bloody decade of bombings and shootings in the counties of Tyrone and Armagh in the 1970s. Four families each lost three relatives; in other cases, children were left orphaned after both parents were murdered. For years, there were claims that loyalists were helped and guided by the RUC and Ulster Defence Regiment members. But, until now, there was no proof. Drawing on 15 years of research, and using forensic and ballistic information never before published, this book includes official documents showing that the highest in the land knew of the collusion and names those whose fingers were on the trigger and who detonated the bombs. It draws on previously unpublished reports written by the PSNI's own Historical Enquiries Team. It also includes heartbreaking interviews with the bereaved families whose lives were shattered by this cold and calculated campaign.

A New York State investigator matches wits with a devious serial killer in the New York Times bestselling author’s true crime thriller. Gary C. Evans was master of disguise and career criminal who had once befriended David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz. In 1989, he started weaving a web of deadly lies in Upstate New York, telling a female friend that the father of her child had deserted her. In fact, Evans had killed the man—just before striking up a ten-year romance with the woman. Evans first met Investigator James Horton in 1985 when Evans snitched on a childhood friend and crime partner—failing to mention that he'd murdered him. Then, two local jewelry dealers were killed. In 1997, another old friend of Evans, went missing. Was Evans responsible? Horton launched a nationwide manhunt to uncover the truth. For more than a decade, Evans and Horton maintained an odd relationship—part friendship, part manipulation—with Evans serving as a snitch while the tenacious investigator searched for the answers that would put him away. After Horton used Evans to obtain a confession from a local killer, Evans led Horton in a final game of cat-and-mouse that would culminate in the most shocking death of all . . . Sixteen pages of revealing photos!

The true-crime story of a Massachusetts nurse with a dark secret, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Left Behind. At the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northampton, Massachusetts, Kristen Gilbert was known as a hardworking, dedicated nurse. Yet so many emergencies and sudden deaths occurred under Kristen's watch that others jokingly called her the “Angel of Death.” No one suspected the horrifying truth: that over the course of six months, Gilbert had caused the deaths of as many as forty patients. With new insight into the sociopathic mindset of nurses who kill, and the latest details on Gilbert's ongoing prison sentence, M. William Phelps exposes how one person's good intentions went so chillingly, killingly wrong . . . Praise for Perfect Poison “True crime at its best—compelling, gripping, an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Phelps packs wallops of delight with his skillful ability to narrate a suspenseful story.” —Harvey Rachlin, award-winning author of Song and System “A compelling account of terror . . . the author dedicates himself to unmasking the psychopath with facts, insight, and the other proven methods of journalistic leg work.” —Lowell Cauffiel, New York Times bestselling author of House of Secrets Includes sixteen pages of dramatic photos

The New York Times bestselling author of Kill For Me recounts the true-crime story of the mysterious death of a Pennsylvania housewife. In the midst of Pennsylvania's Amish country, on a peaceful summer night in 2008, the body of forty-five-year-old Jan Roseboro was found at the bottom of her backyard pool. Her husband Michael, a successful businessman and member of a prominent family, showed no emotion as he learned of her death. But the next day an autopsy revealed Jan had been savagely beaten and strangled before being tossed in the water to drown. Soon Michael's secret lover, pregnant with his child, stepped into the media spotlight. And a horrifying true story of illicit passion, deadly deceit, and cold-blooded murder unfolded . . . Praise for New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps “One of our most engaging crime journalists.” —Katherine Ramsland, New York Times – bestselling author of Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer “Phelps creates a vivid portrait.” —Publishers Weekly “One of America's finest true-crime writers.” —Vincent Bugliosi, New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter Includes sixteen pages of revealing photos

A teenage girl plots her mother’s murder with a deranged online lover in this true-crime classic by the New York Times bestselling true crime author. Jeanne Dominico was a hard-working single mother. Nicole, her fourteen-year-old daughter, was on the honor roll—and head over heels in love with an older boy she’d met through the Internet. Once the lovers met in person, Jeanne sensed trouble. If only she’d known that the life in danger was her own. With a history of psychological trouble and family misfortune, Billy Sullivan demanded obsessive and controlling power over Nicole. The twisted Romeo and Juliet responded to Jeanne’s motherly concern with brutal fury—her fiancé discovered Jeanne’s beaten, barely recognizable body on the kitchen floor. Nicole’s stunning confession and guilty plea led to Billy’s sensational trial, where a sordid tale of love, loss, betrayal, and murder finally took a cold-blooded killer offline—and behind bars. Includes sixteen pages of shocking photos “Phelps is one of America’s finest true-crime authors.” —Vincent Bugliosi “Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan

The New York Times bestselling author of Obsessed examines the lives of a South Carolina serial killer and his victims in this true-crime story. Heather Catterton was a beautiful, beloved seventeen-year-old when her body was found in the brush by a country road in South Carolina. Sweet-natured Randi Saldana's remains were then discovered, charred and unrecognizable, in a wooded area nearby. Bestselling investigative journalist M. William Phelps delves into the lives of Danny Hembree's victims and reconstructs the twisting path from his horrifying crimes to his high-profile trial and conviction. Drawing on interviews with the killer himself, Phelps chillingly brings readers into the mind of a murderer. Praise for The Killing Kind “Phelps focuses on unrepentant killer Danny Hembree . . . [who] seizes the chance to take center stage with lurid confessions of a decades-long career of violent robbery, assault, rape, and murder . . . . Fans of the authors Discover TV series, Dark Minds, will be rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly Includes sixteen pages of dramatic photos

The true-crime story of Edwin Snelgrove, an American serial killer who wanted to out-kill Ted Bundy, from the New York Times bestselling author. In September 2001, Carmen Rodriguez, a beautiful thirty-two-year-old Hartford mother of four, went missing. At first police were stymied . . . until a killer's crucial mistake led investigators down a long, dark road of cold, calculated murder . . . In 1987, single mother Mary Ellen Renard was strangled, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead in her New Jersey apartment. Her vicious assailant had already killed once . . . and would kill again. But unlike the fiend's other victims, Mary Ellen lived to tell the tale . . . Clean-cut, popular and on the fast track at a multinational computer firm, Rutgers grad Edwin “Ned” Snelgrove shocked friends and colleagues with a plea bargain for Renard's brutal attack—and the heinous 1983 murder of college girlfriend Karen Osmun. Vowing never to be caught again, Ned spent his time in prison obsessively studying the violent career of his idol Ted Bundy . . . then was released ten years early for good behavior . . . Unflinching and brilliantly researched, this is an exclusive tour into the twisted mind of an all-American killer . . . and a state attorney's tireless efforts to lock him away forever. Praise for I'll Be Watching You “Skillfully balances a victim's story against that of an arrogant serial killer as it reveals a deviant mind intent on topping the world's most dangerous criminals. Phelps has an unrelenting sense for detail that affirms his place as one of our most engaging crime journalists.” —Katherine Ramsland, New York Times – bestselling author of Confession of a Serial Killer Includes sixteen pages of revealing photos