Murder in the Garden: Famous Crimes of Early Fresno County [Paperback]

Scott Morrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2006

Presenting 15 famous cases from Fresno, California, set in the first part of the 20th century, a long-time detective in the sheriff's office introduces key figures such as a bootlegger, an unfortunate local dubbed Alligator Jack, and a perpetrator known as the Fig Garden Fiend. Featuring local landmarks such as Mussel Slough—the setting for Frank Norris's The Octopus—and offering additional commentary that compares these sensational past cases to current high-profile criminal cases. A consideration of the changing face of crime, this history reveals a modern upswing in child abuse, multiple murders, and kidnapping cases and highlights the extended nature of the current legal process as compared to the open-and-shut character of the early 1900s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Enough drama runs through the pages to keep a soap opera running at full speed for years. Deceit, romatic revenge, vendettas, greed, and some good old fashioned creeps keep things exciting."  —Fresno Bee

About the Author

Scott Morrison is a former detective with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office who served in the homicide, sex crimes, and intelligence units. He lives in Fresno, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 159 pages
• Publisher: Linden Publishing (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941936996
• ISBN-13: 978-0941936996
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,040,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gasp! I cannot believe it! I was so close!, May 20, 2006

By 

Judith L. Justus "jljustus" (Chandler, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Garden: Famous Crimes of Early Fresno County (Paperback)

I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed Scott Morrison's new book, "Murder in the Garden." Who would have guessed, when walking to school as a child near the corner of Cedar and Dakota Avenues, that a grizzly murder had occurred there. Or, riding down Gettysburg Avenue on a family outing passed the site of another murder. Living far away now so many years later, what fun it is to read of events that once shocked Fresno County citizens. Great reading! I hope more stories will follow.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars !!!!!FIVE STARS FOR MORRISON!!!!!, January 10, 2007

By 

Judith K. Sweatt (CORCORAN, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Garden: Famous Crimes of Early Fresno County (Paperback)

This book is of interest to me because I live in the Corcoran, CA area and am impressed with the attention to detail given to these historical crimes. The pictures were superb for being as old as they are and the author worked very hard collecting all this data. I am a fan of mystery/crime novels and was enthralled all the more since it is a true account of actual happenings. Hats off to all who made this publication possible!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars brand new, fast shipping, November 1, 2011

By 

James G. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murder in the Garden: Famous Crimes of Early Fresno County (Paperback)

This item came in perfect condition and within 3 or 4 days of ordering. The item itself is a very interesting read, especially if you're into central valley history.