More examinations of the psychology behind crime and criminals than gory rehashings of the violence involved in the acts; a nice antidote to the CSI craze of the time. The essays also weren’t written to absolve the criminals- while moral ambiguity was discussed when it was present, the reader was left with the impression that the criminals had done wrong and where were society needed them to be. Also nice.

The Silver Thief by Stephen J. Dubner was the most polished; a story about a brilliant cat burglar who only steals sterling silver. He keeps his girlfriends hooked on drugs so they will remain loyal to him. The Terror Web, The Ones That Got Away, and Anatomy of a Foiled Plot (Lawrence Wright, Robert Draper, and Craig Horowitz) deal with Islamic terrorists and paint interesting pictures of the movement. Punch Drunk Love by Jonathan Miles is a funny look at bar fights. Neil Swidley looks at the spectacular downfall of Dr. David Arndt, the orthopedic surgeon who left his patient on the operating table so he could go cash a check. He’s practically an urban legend.

The book has an intro and final essay by James Ellroy, both of which I hated.