Publishers Weekly
09/20/2021
Reporter Canavan debuts with a lively survey of the bloody and sometimes bizarre history of crime in Philadelphia, from the forgotten (in 1787, while Philadelphia hosted the Continental Convention, a witch hunt resulted in the stoning death of an elderly woman) to the well-publicized (in 1947, infamous bank robber Willie Sutton escaped from a Philly prison). In the 1930s, tailor Paul Petrillo masterminded the largest mass murder plot in U.S. history, selling arsenic to unhappy housewives to poison their husbands. The crimes netted a total of $100,000 in life insurance money, led to the conviction of 23 people, and sent two to the electric chair. The city was also the home to the first kidnapping for ransom, in 1874, and the country’s first bank heist, in 1798. And it’s the resting place of serial killer H.H. Holmes of The Devil in the White City fame, who was hanged in 1896 for the murder of his business partner, Benjamin Pitezel, in 1894. Per his final wish, Holmes was buried in cement to prevent his body from being dissected. Canavan writes with zest about a host of colorful characters and their misdeeds. True crime aficionados will be amply rewarded. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
NetGalley Review: 4 stars
Last updated on 19 Sep 2021
"This is a neat group of crime stories from Philadelphia. There are several firsts that came out of the town that are pretty impressive. Many are stories I haven’t heard of, which I like. There’s even some things about the H.H. Holmes story that were new to me. Interesting true crime read. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Kathryn Canavan, and the publisher."—Valerie Shampine, consumer reviewer
Library Journal
11/01/2021
Journalist Canavan sheds light on burglaries, murders, riots, and other crimes that took place in Philadelphia during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Highlights include Al Capone's arrest for possession of a concealed weapon (and his imprisonment at Eastern State Penitentiary); the 1874 abduction of four-year-old Charley Ross, considered to be the first kidnapping for ransom in the United States; the 1871 assassination of Black civil rights activist Octavius V. Catto; and the 1787 public stoning of a woman accused of witchcraft—she was killed just streets away from the Constitutional Convention taking place at Independence Hall. The stories in the first half of the book are rich with detail, while those in the second half would benefit from more fleshing-out; the text is at times repetitive, and the book ends on an abrupt note. Scholarly readers will appreciate notes on newspaper articles and other resources. VERDICT Readers in the Philadelphia area will likely be most interested, though general audiences will appreciate how Canavan uses historic images to create a vivid sense of setting.—Jessica Hilburn, Benson Memorial Lib., Titusville, PA
