Customer Reviews

The Playboy Book of True Crime

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How rarely do we hear soundbites about an un-sensational crimes? Crime reporting in the modern day is by definition sensationally overdone, except, apparently, in that world famous men's magazine. You read it for the articles. :)

The Playboy Book of True Crime is comprised of twenty-one essays about organizational crime (the Mafia, biker wars, Russian mobsters), theft, murder, serial murder, and more. Stand-out pieces include an interview with Jimmy Hoffa a month before his disappearance, a 1977 interview piece with unrepentant killer Gary Gilmore, and an in-depth dialog with OJ Simpson insider Lawrence Schiller. I learned new facts about the Simpson case even now, more than a decade after the trial. Also covered are the multi-layered mystery of Run-D.M.C.'s Jam Master Jay, the murder of Gianni Versace at the hands of a gay drifter, and the art heist of Edvard Munch's The Scream.

Fans of the "true crime" genre will find this collection to be hit-and-miss. The essays vary from academic, sociological pieces to down-and-dirty true crime narratives, so fans of either kind of story will have to wade through the opposite material. I recommend picking this one up and reading only those essays which grip you from the start. There is something in here for everyone.

This book is a winner. It's a compilation of several classic articles pulled from the 'True Crime' section of Playboy Magazine which appears from time to time when the crime is worthy. And this truly is the creme de la creme of the true crime archive as I have read many (hehe). I'll write a more in depth review later. Peace.