A Very British Gangster

A look at the real life of Gotti-esque Dominic Noonan of Manchester, England. He gets things done for his community members that the police and social service agencies can’t achieve such as reuniting a mother with her baby “stolen” by the grandparents or making sure one neighbor doesn’t feel free to assault another neighbor with a hammer. Of course, Dom doesn’t have to worry about what he can legally do to effect change. He does whatever he thinks will work even though that might include threats of or actual violence.

There are a whole bunch of Noonans, brothers, cousins, godchildren, in Dom’s “security business.” When one of his brothers dies in a motorcycle accident, so many people come to show respect that the police have to spend thousands of pounds on crowd and traffic control. If you liked watching the Sopranos, try this Manchester version of crime family life. - Reviewed by Nancy

Manhunt: the Twelve-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin, escaped from Ford's Theatre the night of Lincoln's assassination with a broken leg. He headed South and was aided by several sympathizers for twelve days until his luck ran out. Mr. Swanson describes Booth's motives for killing Lincoln and his flight from Washington, D.C. in great detail, engaging the reader into the life of a famous killer. - Reviewed by Deb.