2024 the best of james cleveland review

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In 2001 The Kent State University Press published James Jessen Badal’s In the Wake of the Butcher: Cleveland’s Torso Murders―the first book to examine the horrific series of unsolved dismemberment murders that terrorized the Kingsbury Run neighborhood from 1934 to 1938. Through his access to a wealth of previously unavailable material, Badal was able to present a far more detailed and accurate picture of the battle between Cleveland safety director Eliot Ness and the unidentified killer who avoided both detection and apprehension.

In his groundbreaking historical study, Badal established beyond any doubt the truth of the legend that Ness had a secret suspect whom he had subjected to a series of interrogation sessions, complete with lie detector tests, in a secluded room in a downtown hotel. Badal also disclosed recently unearthed evidence that identified exactly who that mysterious suspect was. But was he the infamous Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run? Badal presented all the evidence available at the time and invited readers to draw their own conclusions.

Now, armed with conclusive new information, Badal returns to the absorbing tale of those terrible murders in an expanded edition of In the Wake of the Butcher. For the very first time in the history of research into the Kingsbury Run murders, he presents compelling evidence that establishes exactly where the killer incapacitated his victims, as well as the location of the long-fabled “secret laboratory” where he committed murder and performed both dismemberment and decapitation.

Was Eliot Ness’s secret suspect the Mad Butcher? Thanks to this new information, Badal is finally able to answer that question with certainty.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Kent State University Press / Black Squirrel Books; Revised, Expanded ed. edition (April 16, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 160635213X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1606352137
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 0.81 x 8.96 inches
Reviewer: Paul B
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Well-Researched...a Great Read
Review: I just finished "In the Wake of the Butcher." What a great read! I've been reading books about the Torso Murders, going all the way back to when I was in high school.  This book was by far the most enjoyable of them.I've been a Cleveland police officer for the last 27 years and having worked in 6th, 5th District and 4th Districts, I felt a special connection to some of the areas and neighborhoods described in the book.As much as I enjoyed the content (which was a reflection of the author's research), I truly enjoyed his direct style of writing. It's not an easy task to be so direct when attempting to describe some of the street people as well as the police officers and politicians in play. Nicely done.

Reviewer: jonathan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Incredible book! Very well written!
Review: This is an excellent book, simply fascinating! Very well written, unbiased and extremely accurate, best book on the topic in my opinion. I grew up in NE Ohio and I remember my father telling me about this case when I was in high school and it has always fascinated me. It is absolutely amazing, in m opinion anyway, how more people don't know about these grim, twisted murders. This book is just amazing. I will definitely be reading more from this author, I have heard nothing by great things about him. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: Sam Weintraub
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Personal Review of In the Wake of the Butcher
Review: Although a bit short, In the Wake of the Butcher is compelling. One will need a strong stomach to finish this gruesome tale of at least 12 brutal murders in the Cleveland and Pennsylvania areas.I enjoyed it. I just wish the Cleveland Police would have caught the guy. It's very creepy to know someone has gotten away with such butchery.

Reviewer: Jay
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Couldn’t stop reading!
Review: After reading “Twilight of Innocence” a case that forever interests I like this author’s style. So I decided to read this one. Loved it. Excellent read for any true crime buff. If you like the “Black Dahlia” case this is up your alley. The author goes over various suspects but one seems to really be the guy. I personally feel it was a bit of cover up because they knew who the guy was but did not have any legal evidence to pin him. And I believe they didn’t have any evidence because they may have purposely looked the other way. Maybe I am over thinking it but this book keeps you wondering and thinking as its still all unsolved cold.

Reviewer: Tom Wescott
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: One of the all-time best true crime books
Review: This is hands down the best book ever written on one of the most strange and disturbing crime series in American history. Badal puts forth a suspect who, although not entirely convincing, is more compelling than any other put forth. His depth of research, appreciation for detail, and compelling writing style make this one of my all-time favorite true crime books, and I've read countless. I give it 5 stars only because I do not have the option of giving it more.Tom WescottAuthor of The Bank Holiday Murders: The True Story of the First Whitechapel Murders

Reviewer: Jeffrey Compton
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The Definitive Account of the True Crime of the Century
Review: The Cleveland Torso Murders were among the first, accounted for, serial killings in America. Because of the gruesome details, not to mention that fact that the case is still open, they deserved much more attention. Criminologists, especially those interested in psychological profiling, would learn much from studying this case, than from other, more publicized murders, including the Sam Sheppard case.Though we have not seen each other recently, I knew Jim Badal many years ago when I lived in Cleveland. His expertise in the Torso case at that time merited, at least in my opinion, a book, but Badal held back until he could bring real additional knowledge to the discussion, not just rehash and theories. His wait was worth it. Not only was Badal able to track down and interview members of the victim's families (and thus put a real face on persons previously portrayed through stereotypes), but he was the first Torso case author to read through the extensive records left by the lead police investigator. Thus we have a book of superb accuracy and detail, that reads better than a good crime novel.The best part of the book is that Badal does not push his own theory of who was the Torso murderer. While some may find that disappointing, he instead takes the high road by giving the readers just the facts, and thus allows them to come up with their own theories. We will probably never know who did these awful crimes, and speculating for a little added notoriety would have only diminished the book's true horror.

Reviewer: David N. DeRoberts
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Best account of the subject
Review: This book is by far the most thorough and best account of Cleveland's torso murders. It's well-researched and provides solid evidence that Dr. Sweeney was the killer. Well worth reading even if You're not from northeast Ohio.

Reviewer: Michael G
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good cheer, the American Sweeney
Review: Great read, tons of research by Badal and a real page turner. No dry chapters. One of the better unsolved (Ness solved who the Butcher was) crime books I have read. Must read.

Reviewer: natalie palmer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Most comprehensive, detailed, meticulously researched book on the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. Fascinating and saddening by turns, this book also gives detailed portraits of the lives of the few identified victims and of the hardship and sometimes staggering poverty of the era. The victims seemed to consist primarily of vagrants and prostitutes, people who led extremely hard lives but were, at the same time, very vulnerable.

Reviewer: Laura O'Reilly
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This book gave me nightmares. All I kept thinking about was the killer and the way he cut up bodies and alluded police.It was very informative. It made you think of how police investigated murders back in the day and how it's changed today.

Reviewer: Debbie Jane
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: only half way through but loving it. not for those with a weak stomach though. read his other book about the pennsylvania murders, that seem to be link to the cleveland ones. highly recommended.

Reviewer: Zoe
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: It started off great then the written started repeating himself and jumping from date to date but not in order. Got bored.