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Blood and Ink: An International Guide to Fact-Based Crime Literature

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How many bibliographies are a pleasure to read? How many would you put on your "desert isle" reading list? Astonishingly, long-time crime writer Albert Borowitz has perpetrated a volume that fits both of these rare categories splendidly. An instant true-crime classic and a literate treat, "Blood and Ink" will inform and charm its readers for decades to come.
The bulk of Borowitz's volume is given over to 500+ annotated bibliographic entries, wherein he crisply describes and critiques true-crime classics from around the world (excepting only Africa). As is the case with his own true-crime studies ("The Thurtell-Hunt Murder Case," "The Woman Who Murdered Black Satin" et al.), Borowitz's scholarship is impeccable, his style beguiling and his critical judgment unfailing. Compounding these delights are the author's introductory survey of world crime literature (a graduate course itself for the criminously inclined, plus lesser but worthy contributions by no less than Jacques Barzun and Jonathon Goodman.

How many reference book can be read for pleasure? How many bibliographies would you include in your "desert island" list of indispensable titles? Astonishingly, Cleveland true-crime scholar/enthusiast Albert Borowitz has produced a magisteral volume that splendidly qualifies in both categories.
True crime aficionados take note: this is a book you cannot live without. In almost five hundred pages of crisply perceptive text Borowitz provides a lovingly annotated list of the world's true-crime literature. And, while the bulk of his text is taken up with English language items, the multilingual Borowitz also surveys works from around the world, excepting only Africa.
Erudite, witty and flecked with a dry humor,Borowitz's 654 choice entries will henceforce comprise every crime connoisseur's library or bibliographic lust list. Not the least of the delights herein is Borowitz's 40-page introductory survey of true-crime literature, which is as good a pocket-history of the genre as you will find. It is an additional measure of Borowitz's standing in his field that "Blood and Ink" also boasts prefatory contributions by both Jacques Barzun and Jonathan Goodman. As Sam Spade himself might say, "A toast to Albert Borowitz--and success to crime!"