The Annals of Unsolved Crime Paperback – May 20, 2014

This book covered quite a number of "unsolved" cases. Many will never be solved due to passing of time, lack of evidence or lack of interest. Many were rendered unsolvable by bungled police investigations or police with tunnel vision.I disagreed with quite a few of Mr. Epstein's assessments which appeared to be based on popular consensus rather than facts.The book seemed to lean more toward conspiracies than unsolved crimes. I enjoyed reading the book with the exception of Mr. Epstein's assessments which I thought were rather off the wall.

Edward Epstein does an excellent job of presenting the evidence for each case and reviewing it logically prior to providing his opinion as to what he believes happened. Some of the cases will be well known but some are not and even for those that are, you may find facts you weren't aware of or you may not have heard about before. His research is extensive and he provides a recommendation for further reading for each incident. This is an excellent case study for many mysteries that still stir the imagination..

I looked forward to this book's release for months because it tackles some of my favorite true crime mysteries. As always, Mr Epstein proves to be a talented & engaging writer; and I did enjoy the book very much. I admit that I did pick & choose the chapters that interested me for now, so I truly cannot comment on the entire book. At some point I will go back & read those other cases as well. I have no doubt that the chapters I skipped would be just as well written as the ones I have already considered. For now, I will comment on the cases that I did read ... hopefully without revealing too much.I am in total agreement with Mr Epstein's views on just two of my favorite cases. I believe his solution to the Lindbergh case is absolutely correct; and his assertions regarding the Zodiac mystery feel right to me. Regarding Marilyn Monroe, the Black Dahlia & Jack the Ripper, I would not argue with his conclusions even though I find his theories less convincing than his views on Lindbergh & the Zodiac.Regarding Sam Sheppard, JonBenet Ramsey & Jeffrey MacDonald, I believe Mr Epstein falls victim to revisionist history ... as well as the use of selective evidence ... and misses the mark. This happens with so many cases from the past. As time goes by, writers look at only what has been preserved in written form and the opinions of scholars on the subject & supposed new evidence while failing to consider that they are missing so much crucial information. In other words, juries have the opportunity to use so much more than the trial transcript to render their verdict. They have access to the demeanor of the witnesses & the defendant in addition to other evidence that is excluded, rightly or wrongly, from the record of the trial. Obviously juries do make mistakes; but I tend to believe they usually get it right. Every case is composed of evidence pro & con, Each piece of evidence must be evaluated for what it adds (or not) to the case. Once you omit what is just too far fetched, you are left with the correct answer.This brings us to my favorite all time mystery, the assassination of President Kennedy. I have spent years of my life thinking about this case and reading hundreds of books & articles on the subject. Mr Epstein himself has written, I believe, three excellent books on different facets of the JFK mystery. I haven't always agreed with him; but I have always found his writing fascinating. However, I'm not sure what his epilogue in this book clears up about the JFK assassination. His basic premise is that two assassinations were in play that day. While I can see how they might be related, Mr Epstein doesn't really tie them together. I'm sure that's because he can't. Perhaps he wonders if they might be related. So do I for that matter; but this is a book about crimes that were actually completed. The other assassination was not, so I'm confused as to why it has a place in this volume. Maybe I missed something on this one.

I really enjoyed the book, and it was fascinating to read the information Mr. Epstein was able to discover that wasn't publicly available at the time of the crime. His analysis of each crime was clear and interesting. If you are a mystery or true crime lover I would recommend this book.

There were numerous occasions while reading this book that I wondered if it were written by a teenager for a school project. In particular, I questioned the background and authority of the author when he concludes each chapter with his opinion about 'whodunit'.

I just was not familiar with some of the featured incidents. So these chapters had little significance to me. Even so,the remaining stories held my attention. A few of the conclusions dis seem self-serving.

I enjoyed the author's summations and theories of the various crimes but found his narratives a bit plodding at times. Still, I recommend this book.

I love mysteries and this one is great. Not the crimes but the detectives that solve them.

Lots of fascinating material here fRom a doyen of investigative journalism. The longer pieces - the death of General Zia, the murky background and quite possibly non-murder of Litvinenko stand out, though Epstein's debunking of Jack the Ripper is fun too. The account of the conspiracy around the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was news to me. But the barebones summary style of many of the crimes is occasionally unsatisfactory.

It's ok - didn't learn anything new if anything some details differed from other books/writers

Long and involved cases, almost to much detail, but interesting, ideal for getting you off to sleep!

Great read. Great price.

Quite interesting