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When Valentines Were Vicious: A Brief History of the Vinegar Valentine

When Valentines Were Vicious: A Brief History of the Vinegar Valentine

"Tis a lemon that I hand you / And bid you now “skidoo” / Because I love another— / There is no chance for you!"

By Maya Corrigan | February 12, 2021

Orson Welles, Lucille Ball, and The Greatest Thriller That Never Was

Orson Welles, Lucille Ball, and The Greatest Thriller That Never Was

It was supposed to be one of the great confluences of talent in Hollywood history. So what happened to The Smiler with the Knife?

By Vince Keenan | February 3, 2021

What Writing About the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre Taught Me About the Madness of Crowds

What Writing About the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre Taught Me About the Madness of Crowds

A historical fiction author considers a sixteenth century atrocity with too many lessons for the present, and the role of fiction in representing the past.

By Kate Mosse | January 21, 2021

The Most Notorious Lonely Hearts Killers of All-Time

The Most Notorious Lonely Hearts Killers of All-Time

Six serial killers who found their victims through personal ads

By Camilla Bruce | January 20, 2021

When Poe Invented the Detective Story, he Changed the Literary World Forever

When Poe Invented the Detective Story, he Changed the Literary World Forever

Poe's contemporaries and forebears had a lot to say about the new genre, and his detective, the brilliant Dupin

By Olivia Rutigliano | January 19, 2021

War Pigeons: The Humble Heroes Behind His Majesty's Secret Service

War Pigeons: The Humble Heroes Behind His Majesty's Secret Service

During both world wars, homing pigeons flew hundreds of miles through enemy fire to deliver messages and save lives.

By Stephanie Graves | December 22, 2020

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

A White Supremacist Serial Killer and His First Victims

By John Douglas and Mark Olshaker | December 2, 2020

Erskine Childers: Gentleman, Spy Novelist, and Gunrunner for the IRA

By H.B. Lyle | November 4, 2020

Inside the Early Days of The Crime of the Century

By Thomas Doherty | November 4, 2020

The Dark Legacy of America's Deadliest Train Wreck

The Dark Legacy of America's Deadliest Train Wreck

On the "White Death" disaster in Stevens Pass, Washington

By Daco Auffenorde | October 21, 2020

The

The "Kidnapping Club" That Terrorized African Americans in 19th Century New York

A gang of unscrupulous racists, with the support of prominent city figures, attacked New York City's Black community in the 1830s, and inspired novel forms of resistance.

By Jonathan Daniel Wells | October 20, 2020

The Infamous Deeds and Postmortem Travels of William Corder

The Infamous Deeds and Postmortem Travels of William Corder

After his execution for murder, William Corder's body was given to the dissectors, and his skin used to bind a book about his trial: just the start of the corpse's long afterlife.

By Megan Rosenbloom | October 20, 2020

How The 1969 Murders of a Labor Leader and His Family Changed Coal Country Forever

How The 1969 Murders of a Labor Leader and His Family Changed Coal Country Forever

When reformer Joseph Yablonski decided to challenge union boss Tony Boyle in an election, Boyle soon decided to rid himself of his rival—permanently.

By Mark A. Bradley | October 16, 2020

On Rotwelsch, the Central European Language of Beggars, Travelers and Thieves

On Rotwelsch, the Central European Language of Beggars, Travelers and Thieves

From Lutherans to Nazis, linguistic authorities have long sought to understand and control Rotwelsch (and long cast aspersions at its many Yiddish loan words).

By Martin Puchner | October 13, 2020

The Civil War Hoax That Almost Took Down The Union

The Civil War Hoax That Almost Took Down The Union

In 1864, newspapers printed a message from the President threatening a new draft. Lincoln didn't write it. So who did?

By Elizabeth Mitchell | October 6, 2020

Two Assassinations (and One Attempt) That Changed The Course of the Russian Revolution

Two Assassinations (and One Attempt) That Changed The Course of the Russian Revolution

After the murder of a Chekist and an attempt on his own life, Lenin turned towards more draconian measures to consolidate power and contain international intrigue.

By Jonathan Schneer | October 2, 2020

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