Crime Traveller
No Result
View All Result
  
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Research

    Do criminals freely decide to commit offences? How the courts decide

    We might not be able to understand free will with science. Here’s why

    Indian Trafficked Brides: The Stories of Three Women

    Trending Tags

    • Neuroscience
    • Mental Health
    • Criminal Brain
    • Juvenile Crime
  • Psychology
    Image: Shutterstock

    Psychopaths – Born Or Made?

    The Question of Why: Did Ted Bundy have Dissociative Identity Disorder?

    Teenage psychopathy

    What Should We Do With Teenage Psychopaths?

    Trending Tags

    • Narcissism
    • Psychopathy
    • Profiling
    • Mental Health
    • Psychology
  • Family Violence

    Reckless Speculation about Jeffrey MacDonald

    O. J. Simpson Trial: 26 Years Later

    O. J. Simpson: Murder in the First Degree

    Reasonable Doubt: The Hendricks Family Murders

    Melanie McGuire

    A Convicted Killer, Two Criminologists, and One Podcast: Direct Appeal Investigates ‘Suitcase Killer’ Melanie McGuire Case

  • True Crime
    Justice For Helen Book Cover

    Helen’s Law: A Mother’s Long Fight For Justice

    Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 2]

    Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 1]

    Trending Tags

    • Unsolved
    • Serial Murder
    • Documentaries
    • Guest Posts
  • Book Reviews

    Details are Unprintable: Wayne Lonergan and the Sensational Café Society Murder

    Operation Jacknap: A True Story of Kidnapping, Extortion, Ransom and Rescue

    Stephanie Scott

    United in Grief: The Murder of Stephanie Scott

    Book Review: Reckless Speculation About Murder

    David Lazar by Robert Kalich: A Book of Truth Merged With Fiction

    An Interview with Dylan Howard: True Crime Books Release And The Truth Behind The Epstein Scandal

    Psychiatric Killings In The UK: Blood, Voices and Missed Appointments

    New True Crime Book Series from Skyhorse Publishing

    She’s So Cold: Murder, Accusations and the System That Devastated a Family

  • SPECIALS
    • CrimeConUK
    • Crime Spotlight
      Dr Sohom Das is host of the YouTube channel A Psych For Sore Minds

      A Psych For Sore Minds: An Interview with Forensic Psychiatrist Dr Sohom Das

      How Prisons Are Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic

      Don`t Become a Victim: What Info Not To Share About Yourself Online

      How Altering Our Education System Can Help Us Reduce The Crime Level

      What You Should Do When You Become A Victim Of Carjacking

No Result
View All Result
Crime Traveller
  • Home
  • Research

    Do criminals freely decide to commit offences? How the courts decide

    We might not be able to understand free will with science. Here’s why

    Indian Trafficked Brides: The Stories of Three Women

    Trending Tags

    • Neuroscience
    • Mental Health
    • Criminal Brain
    • Juvenile Crime
  • Psychology
    Image: Shutterstock

    Psychopaths – Born Or Made?

    The Question of Why: Did Ted Bundy have Dissociative Identity Disorder?

    Teenage psychopathy

    What Should We Do With Teenage Psychopaths?

    Trending Tags

    • Narcissism
    • Psychopathy
    • Profiling
    • Mental Health
    • Psychology
  • Family Violence

    Reckless Speculation about Jeffrey MacDonald

    O. J. Simpson Trial: 26 Years Later

    O. J. Simpson: Murder in the First Degree

    Reasonable Doubt: The Hendricks Family Murders

    Melanie McGuire

    A Convicted Killer, Two Criminologists, and One Podcast: Direct Appeal Investigates ‘Suitcase Killer’ Melanie McGuire Case

  • True Crime
    Justice For Helen Book Cover

    Helen’s Law: A Mother’s Long Fight For Justice

    Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 2]

    Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 1]

    Trending Tags

    • Unsolved
    • Serial Murder
    • Documentaries
    • Guest Posts
  • Book Reviews

    Details are Unprintable: Wayne Lonergan and the Sensational Café Society Murder

    Operation Jacknap: A True Story of Kidnapping, Extortion, Ransom and Rescue

    Stephanie Scott

    United in Grief: The Murder of Stephanie Scott

    Book Review: Reckless Speculation About Murder

    David Lazar by Robert Kalich: A Book of Truth Merged With Fiction

    An Interview with Dylan Howard: True Crime Books Release And The Truth Behind The Epstein Scandal

    Psychiatric Killings In The UK: Blood, Voices and Missed Appointments

    New True Crime Book Series from Skyhorse Publishing

    She’s So Cold: Murder, Accusations and the System That Devastated a Family

  • SPECIALS
    • CrimeConUK
    • Crime Spotlight
      Dr Sohom Das is host of the YouTube channel A Psych For Sore Minds

      A Psych For Sore Minds: An Interview with Forensic Psychiatrist Dr Sohom Das

      How Prisons Are Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic

      Don`t Become a Victim: What Info Not To Share About Yourself Online

      How Altering Our Education System Can Help Us Reduce The Crime Level

      What You Should Do When You Become A Victim Of Carjacking

Crime Traveller

Notorious San Francisco: True Tales Of Crime, Passion and Murder

Each as enthralling as the next, these true crime stories are hidden tales that have lain unreported in the depths of history until now.

by Fiona Guy
29 May, 2019 - Updated on 14 November, 2020
in Book Reviews
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare

Notorious San Francisco is a fast-paced collection of largely untold true crime tales uncovering the dark secrets of San Francisco’s past.

Written by true crime history expert and Director of Crooks Tour of San Francisco Paul Drexler, each story is a fascinating insight into a criminal world with tales dating back to 1870 and running up to the early 1970s. These are true crime stories that most will never have heard of. Easy to read in a free-flowing narrative, Drexler’s years of research and writing on San Francisco crime history shines through. His skill is telling these historic stories in a way that brings them to life with each and every one being as juicy, lively and engaging as the next with twists and turns fit for any modern day documentary.

Notorious San Francisco

Take Dr. Albert Abrams the so-called ‘Father of Electrical Medicine’. A medical degree at 19-years-old and a Pathology professorship soon after, Abrams was a respected medical man. In the early 1900s, the invention of electricity swept the world with its potential and opportunity and this was not lost on the bright Albert Abrams.

In 1908 he invented Spondylotherapy, claiming that manipulating the spinal column with electricity could diagnose medical issues. He developed various techniques and machines, most using electricity in some form for diagnosis, testing, and cure of diseases and afflictions. Renting out his inventions to practitioners and raking in percentage cuts from profits he became quite a rich man. However, his inventions and claims had shaky foundations and his desire for money outweighed his commitment to medicine. The medical community eventually became very suspicious and rather concerned over his claims and began taking a closer look at his inventions.

Physicist R.A. Millikan examined one machine, Abram’s Oscilloclast, and reported, “It might have been thrown together by a ten-year-old boy who knows a little about electricity to mystify an eight-year-old boy who knows nothing about it.“

When people think of San Francisco and crime, the Zodiac Killer springs to mind and no true crime history book focused on the city would be complete without coverage of this infamous case. The Zodiac serial murders are one of the most notorious crimes in the world that remains unsolved. A serial killer with no identity except this self-assigned moniker.

“San Franciscan criminals are as colorful as the city they inhabit.”

In 1969 a killer began sending letters and cryptograms to the San Francisco Chronicle signing them ‘The Zodiac’. In Notorious San Francisco, Drexler takes a look at the case, the suspects and some of the various theories surrounding the murders. This includes Zodiology with a focus on deciphering the cryptograms the Zodiac sent into newspapers and Radian Theory.

The ‘Dark Strangler’ of San Francisco is also explored, a serial killer later dubbed the ‘Gorilla Killer’ by the press due to his unusually large hands. In 1926 elderly women began to be murdered, in eerily similar ways. In total, 22 women were killed by this man often in quick succession and across numerous cities. When the prime suspect was finally located, the discovery of a rotting corpse under his bed confirmed he was the man police had been hunting. He escaped from custody however by picking the locks of his handcuffs with a nail file while in his cell. Once recaptured his true identity was revealed amongst all the aliases he had been using. He was Earle Nelson from San Francisco.

Earle Nelson
Earle Nelson

“Is there a part of us that is both thrilled and horrified by people who violate our deepest taboos?”

Within each chapter including Dangerous Women, Serial Killers, Con Artists, and Unsolved Mysteries, each story is concise yet brimming with detail which keeps you hooked. Both criminal men and women are included in this fascinating book highlighting that when it comes to crime, passion, and murder, females can indeed be just as deadly as males.

Take the young Dorothy Ellingson, who at just 16-years-old in 1925, shot her mother dead at their home before heading on out to her favorite jazz hall. In 1925 a daughter killing her own mother was unheard of, a most unusual crime and it was one that made headlines as a result. Her act also prompted interesting debate and discussion among psychologists of the time. She should have been picked up and “placed in a like-minded school for degenerates at first hint of her delinquency” wrote one.

The dance halls and jazz venues she regularly attended were raided and sweeping arrests made on the basis that their influence had somehow pushed this young girl into the depths of murdering her own mother. After ongoing debates on the sanity of this teenager not aided by the outlandish attention-seeking behaviors of Dorothy herself, she was eventually brought to trial and faced punishment for her ghastly deed.

Among the many true crime books now available, especially those which feature a collection of true crime stories, Notorious San Francisco stands out. The quality of Drexler’s writing telling these sinister tales of the past provides a unique and exciting book any true crime fan will enjoy reading from cover to cover.

‘Notorious San Francisco’ by Paul Drexler is published by RJ Parker Publishing and available in paperback, kindle and audiobook formats at Amazon


Unlimited reading on any device, try Kindle Unlimited from Amazon for free
Prefer Audiobooks? Audible 30-Day Free Trial with free audiobooks
Tags: Historical Crime Books
Share73Tweet21Pin8
Previous Post

A Convicted Killer, Two Criminologists, and One Podcast: Direct Appeal Investigates ‘Suitcase Killer’ Melanie McGuire Case

Next Post

Jack the Ripper Tours London: An Interview with Founder Richard Jones

Related Posts

Details are Unprintable: Wayne Lonergan and the Sensational Café Society Murder

24 September, 2020 - Updated on 9 November, 2020

In captivating detail this book examines the brutal murder of Patricia Burton Lonergan in 1943 and the criminal trials of her estranged husband Wayne Lonergan.

Read more

Operation Jacknap: A True Story of Kidnapping, Extortion, Ransom and Rescue

22 August, 2020 - Updated on 9 November, 2020

In 1974, Jack Teich was kidnapped at gunpoint outside his home in Long Island by a man calling himself ‘The Keeper’.

Read more

An Interview with Dylan Howard: True Crime Books Release And The Truth Behind The Epstein Scandal

30 December, 2019 - Updated on 9 November, 2020

Dylan Howard has kindly answered my questions about his true crime book series and upcoming sequel transforming what we think we know about the Epstein...

Read more

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Stay Connected

What's New?

True Crime & Justice

Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 2]

14 January, 2021
True Crime & Justice

Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 1]

4 January, 2021 - Updated on 14 January, 2021
True Crime & Justice

Court TV Expands UK Footprint with Launch on Freesat

19 December, 2020
Load More

Search

No Result
View All Result

Categories

#StaySafe

Coronavirus
(COVID-19)


Information & Guidance
World Health Organisation  
US - coronavirus.gov
UK - gov.uk/coronavirus

You Might Also Like

True Crime & Justice

Alexander Pichushkin: The Russian Chessboard Killer

19 December, 2015 - Updated on 30 June, 2018
True Crime & Justice

The Roba Turistas Gang: Armed Robbery Gone Wrong in Puerto Madero

10 February, 2020 - Updated on 26 October, 2020
Crime Spotlight

Serial Killer Nicknames: The Celebrity Status of the Multiple Murderer

10 August, 2015 - Updated on 7 July, 2018
Book Reviews

True Crime Books Best Sellers April 2018

29 April, 2018 - Updated on 13 November, 2020

RECENT

Justice For Helen Book Cover

Helen’s Law: A Mother’s Long Fight For Justice

21 January, 2021

Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 2]

14 January, 2021

Get Rich or Die Hard! The FBI Manhunt for Houston’s Northside “Sniper” [PART 1]

4 January, 2021 - Updated on 14 January, 2021

POPULAR

Alexander Pichushkin: The Russian Chessboard Killer

The Roba Turistas Gang: Armed Robbery Gone Wrong in Puerto Madero

Serial Killer Nicknames: The Celebrity Status of the Multiple Murderer

True Crime Books Best Sellers April 2018

Site Links

  • About Crime Traveller
  • Contact Page
  • Become A Guest Contributor
  • Get Your True Crime Book Reviewed
  • Crime Spotlight
No Result
View All Result
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Disclaimers
  • Cookies
  • DMCA
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2016 - 2021 Crime Traveller, a website owned and operated by Alythium | All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Crime Research
  • Psychology of Murder
  • Family Violence & Homicide
  • True Crime & Justice
  • Crime Spotlight
  • Book Reviews
  • Get Your True Crime Book Reviewed
  • Become A Guest Contributor
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2016 - 2021 Crime Traveller, a website owned and operated by Alythium | All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.