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Great Unsolved Crimes
Learn about crimes that the police have worked so hard to solve and yet have not come up with enough evidence to close the case. 576 pages.
575 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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August 30, 201329 August 2013
San Francisco Chronicle
GOODREADS VOTES HEIST
A daring daylight robbery of thousands of readers’ votes has only now been made public. The heist took place three weeks ago at the head office of Goodreads Inc, the well-known book geek social network site which was recently acquired by Amazon.
This afternoon the FBI issued CCTV images of two men dressed in duck costumes, who escaped with sacks of “likes”, sometimes known as “votes”, from the Goodreads premises in downtown San Francisco on 9th August.
The extent of the heist had been kept secret – users of the site had been told of a “bug” which was preventing the “likes” from being displayed correctly - but police have now disclosed that the votes stolen amount to in excess of 125,000 and have a street value of $650k.
The robbers threatened staff at Goodreads with life-sized cardboard cutouts of Brett Easton Ellis and Salman Rushdie and briefly seized a woman employee as a hostage, warning that she would be forced to read William Gaddis’ difficult novel The Recognitions if their demands were not met.
The two men, who had English and Australian accents, arrived in a taxi at 4.40pm. Posing as Young Adult fans, they were let in through the security doors. They immediately produced the Ellis and Rushdie cutouts and threatened staff. They appeared to know where the bags of votes were kept before they were counted.
The thieves’ escape was nearly foiled when their getaway car crashed into a fire hydrant. The resultant crowd of children playing in the shower of water disrupted their flight. Nearby pedestrians began to give chase but one of the robbers began quoting from David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, apparently from memory, and the pursuing crowd lost heart.
Agent Avril Mondragon of the FBI said: “This was a well planned robbery with a very specific target. These men are extremely literate and should not be approached by normal readers. Their open use of William Gaddis shows how ruthless they are. We would like to warn all reviewers to be on the lookout for anyone offering them cheap votes. A hotline has been set up for anyone to call with information. This was a crime against decent hardworking readers everywhere.”
San Francisco Chronicle
GOODREADS VOTES HEIST
A daring daylight robbery of thousands of readers’ votes has only now been made public. The heist took place three weeks ago at the head office of Goodreads Inc, the well-known book geek social network site which was recently acquired by Amazon.
This afternoon the FBI issued CCTV images of two men dressed in duck costumes, who escaped with sacks of “likes”, sometimes known as “votes”, from the Goodreads premises in downtown San Francisco on 9th August.
The extent of the heist had been kept secret – users of the site had been told of a “bug” which was preventing the “likes” from being displayed correctly - but police have now disclosed that the votes stolen amount to in excess of 125,000 and have a street value of $650k.
The robbers threatened staff at Goodreads with life-sized cardboard cutouts of Brett Easton Ellis and Salman Rushdie and briefly seized a woman employee as a hostage, warning that she would be forced to read William Gaddis’ difficult novel The Recognitions if their demands were not met.
The two men, who had English and Australian accents, arrived in a taxi at 4.40pm. Posing as Young Adult fans, they were let in through the security doors. They immediately produced the Ellis and Rushdie cutouts and threatened staff. They appeared to know where the bags of votes were kept before they were counted.
The thieves’ escape was nearly foiled when their getaway car crashed into a fire hydrant. The resultant crowd of children playing in the shower of water disrupted their flight. Nearby pedestrians began to give chase but one of the robbers began quoting from David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, apparently from memory, and the pursuing crowd lost heart.
Agent Avril Mondragon of the FBI said: “This was a well planned robbery with a very specific target. These men are extremely literate and should not be approached by normal readers. Their open use of William Gaddis shows how ruthless they are. We would like to warn all reviewers to be on the lookout for anyone offering them cheap votes. A hotline has been set up for anyone to call with information. This was a crime against decent hardworking readers everywhere.”
December 23, 2014
We all have those family members who like to lumber you with things once they find out about your interest.
Well this book came from my aunt when she found out about my interest in forensic psychology. Supposedly I need to become an expert in the criminal world – mainly I need to be able to recite the heinous acts of countless individuals across history.
Okay, maybe she did not put it like that but it sort of felt that way when she handed me numerous books on the topic.
Still, despite the fact that such a thing can be viewed as being exceptionally weird, the books she gave me were all interesting reads. This one included. It is educational (even if it is not the kind of topic you would want to teach at school) and an interesting read.
Whilst not my usual I rather enjoyed reading the details of this book.
Well this book came from my aunt when she found out about my interest in forensic psychology. Supposedly I need to become an expert in the criminal world – mainly I need to be able to recite the heinous acts of countless individuals across history.
Okay, maybe she did not put it like that but it sort of felt that way when she handed me numerous books on the topic.
Still, despite the fact that such a thing can be viewed as being exceptionally weird, the books she gave me were all interesting reads. This one included. It is educational (even if it is not the kind of topic you would want to teach at school) and an interesting read.
Whilst not my usual I rather enjoyed reading the details of this book.
February 23, 2019
I found this book hard to follow at times. I think it may have been severly edited down in places (like not all the sentences made sence). I have read about most of the subjects covered in similar books before, so I know there is more to some of the stories than has been covered here. However, there was some different info contained in the book (which is why I thought I'd read it in the first place). Also it covered some new topics, which I found very interesting.
November 23, 2024
What a massive tome. The ultimate book on the topic. It has some major sections: before 1500 (the burning of Rome, Edward II), 1500-1800 (the man in the iron mask), 19th century (Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden). 20th century (the Zodiac killings, O.J. Simpson), 2001 to present. There is a short black and white photo section included. Absolutely page turning stuff on all kind of murder. Highly recommended!
April 7, 2020
Wrong
I don't know about the other cases but he is totally wrong about the prince's in the tower case. If he got this one so incredibly wrong I can't trust him to be right about the rest. The book is also poorly written
I don't know about the other cases but he is totally wrong about the prince's in the tower case. If he got this one so incredibly wrong I can't trust him to be right about the rest. The book is also poorly written
October 4, 2021
I enjoyed this book as quick chapters on each murder, lots I knew but plenty I didn’t. Only one that surprised me was Billie-Jo Jenkins. I remember her murder but didn’t realise her step dad was released from prison and cleared of her murder
February 21, 2019
A so-so book you you can pick up any time and read a chapter,another on to use as a stepping stone for reading more on the crimes written about in this book.
January 7, 2021
A Good Book To Know Much More About The History. Very Skillfully Described The Scenes of A Murder. Hins Good Work
February 11, 2025
Rodney Castleden’s Great Unsolved Crimes is a true crime lover’s dream—and nightmare. This is not a sensationalist retelling, nor is it a dry forensic breakdown. Instead, it’s a chilling, thoughtfully curated collection of mysteries that history has yet to solve. Castleden doesn’t pretend to have answers—he simply lays out the facts, the theories, and the eerie silences where truth should be.
What makes this book so compelling isn’t just the variety of crimes—murders, heists, disappearances—but the scope. It’s global. It’s historical. And it often dives into lesser-known cases alongside the infamous ones, which makes for a refreshing and unsettling experience.
Most Interesting Cases:
• The Disappearance of the Sodder Children (1945)
A haunting mystery from West Virginia. Five of the Sodder children vanished after a fire consumed their home on Christmas Eve. But was it arson? Kidnapping? An inside job? Castleden lays out the bizarre details—phone calls, sightings, the untouched ladder missing from its usual spot—and leaves you with a gnawing sense of unease. It’s one of the few stories that genuinely made me pause and reread.
• The Murder of Jill Dando (1999)
The killing of the beloved British journalist seemed almost professional—one shot, broad daylight, on her doorstep. The book unpacks the tangled theories: was it a deranged fan? A Serbian retaliation? A random act of violence? Castleden doesn’t steer you toward any one conclusion, which makes the uncertainty feel even heavier.
• The Hinterkaifeck Murders (1922)
A German farmstead. A family brutally murdered with a pickaxe. Footprints in the snow that lead into the house, but not out. This one reads like horror fiction. The killer may have lived on the property for days afterward, eating meals, tending livestock. Every paragraph drips with dread. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you—and keeps you up at night.
• The Isdal Woman (1970)
Found badly burned and surrounded by sleeping pills in Norway’s “Ice Valley,” this woman carried no ID, wore a wig, and had her labels removed from clothing. Multiple passports, cryptic notes, and possible links to espionage make this case feel like a Cold War thriller. Castleden covers it with just the right amount of ambiguity and intrigue.
• The Theft of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Art (1990)
This is where Castleden shines—when art, crime, and human error intersect. The audacity of two men impersonating Boston police officers, walking in, and vanishing with $500 million worth of art (including a Vermeer) is so absurd it feels fictional. And yet, decades later, not a single piece has been recovered.
Final Thoughts:
This book isn’t just a collection of cold cases—it’s a meditation on the limits of justice and the human need for resolution. Castleden’s voice is calm, analytical, but never dry. He understands the emotional weight behind these stories—the lost lives, the unanswered questions, the societal echoes.
Whether you’re a veteran of the true crime genre or just someone who’s fascinated by the unknowable, Great Unsolved Crimes delivers both the intellectual stimulation of mystery and the emotional sting of injustice.
Highly recommended for fans of Unsolved Mysteries, Cold Case Files, or simply those drawn to the dark corridors of history where the light never quite reached.
What makes this book so compelling isn’t just the variety of crimes—murders, heists, disappearances—but the scope. It’s global. It’s historical. And it often dives into lesser-known cases alongside the infamous ones, which makes for a refreshing and unsettling experience.
Most Interesting Cases:
• The Disappearance of the Sodder Children (1945)
A haunting mystery from West Virginia. Five of the Sodder children vanished after a fire consumed their home on Christmas Eve. But was it arson? Kidnapping? An inside job? Castleden lays out the bizarre details—phone calls, sightings, the untouched ladder missing from its usual spot—and leaves you with a gnawing sense of unease. It’s one of the few stories that genuinely made me pause and reread.
• The Murder of Jill Dando (1999)
The killing of the beloved British journalist seemed almost professional—one shot, broad daylight, on her doorstep. The book unpacks the tangled theories: was it a deranged fan? A Serbian retaliation? A random act of violence? Castleden doesn’t steer you toward any one conclusion, which makes the uncertainty feel even heavier.
• The Hinterkaifeck Murders (1922)
A German farmstead. A family brutally murdered with a pickaxe. Footprints in the snow that lead into the house, but not out. This one reads like horror fiction. The killer may have lived on the property for days afterward, eating meals, tending livestock. Every paragraph drips with dread. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you—and keeps you up at night.
• The Isdal Woman (1970)
Found badly burned and surrounded by sleeping pills in Norway’s “Ice Valley,” this woman carried no ID, wore a wig, and had her labels removed from clothing. Multiple passports, cryptic notes, and possible links to espionage make this case feel like a Cold War thriller. Castleden covers it with just the right amount of ambiguity and intrigue.
• The Theft of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Art (1990)
This is where Castleden shines—when art, crime, and human error intersect. The audacity of two men impersonating Boston police officers, walking in, and vanishing with $500 million worth of art (including a Vermeer) is so absurd it feels fictional. And yet, decades later, not a single piece has been recovered.
Final Thoughts:
This book isn’t just a collection of cold cases—it’s a meditation on the limits of justice and the human need for resolution. Castleden’s voice is calm, analytical, but never dry. He understands the emotional weight behind these stories—the lost lives, the unanswered questions, the societal echoes.
Whether you’re a veteran of the true crime genre or just someone who’s fascinated by the unknowable, Great Unsolved Crimes delivers both the intellectual stimulation of mystery and the emotional sting of injustice.
Highly recommended for fans of Unsolved Mysteries, Cold Case Files, or simply those drawn to the dark corridors of history where the light never quite reached.
April 26, 2016
I like a good mystery and these unsolved cases throughout history are all very intriguing. However the book itself was full of typos and badly structured sentences - it seems they hadn't heard of a proof reader at the publishers. One of the cases in the book - that of Milly Dowler - was solved 4 years after this book was published, and its very interesting that the book mentions vital clues that lead to the arrest of Levi Bellfield, but they are quickly passed over and more importance is placed on the idea that a totally different suspect was likely to have been her murderer.
August 3, 2010
An interesting collection of cases from the historic case of the Princes in the Tower through Jack the Ripper to O.J Simpson and the cricket coach Bob Woolmer. This includes a number of cases not included in the other books of this type and a few that I've never heard of. A rather interesting read
February 20, 2013
It's ok, alot of it is from a long time ago, and the more recent stories that I did read, had alot of typos and misspellings.
May 18, 2015
I liked the crimes in the 1500's the best.
September 17, 2023
Great book of short accounts of multiple murders and crimes not all unsolved.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews