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Charlotte True Crime Stories: Notorious Cases from Fraud to Serial Killing
A thrilling account of a hundred years of sensational and sinister deeds that marked and shaped one southern town.
Crimes that captivated attention in the Charlotte area over the years run the gamut from missing people to the wrongly accused. This collection of headline stories features violent motorcycle gangs, crusading mothers, a fraudster who claimed a president was poisoned by his wife, a serial killer who broke all the rules and even a man who made Bigfoot. With a mystery novelist's ear for a good tale, Cathy Pickens presents more than a century of sensational sinister deeds that marked this diverse and dynamic city.
Crimes that captivated attention in the Charlotte area over the years run the gamut from missing people to the wrongly accused. This collection of headline stories features violent motorcycle gangs, crusading mothers, a fraudster who claimed a president was poisoned by his wife, a serial killer who broke all the rules and even a man who made Bigfoot. With a mystery novelist's ear for a good tale, Cathy Pickens presents more than a century of sensational sinister deeds that marked this diverse and dynamic city.
- GenresTrue Crime
176 pages, Paperback
Published August 12, 2019
About the author
Cathy Pickens
24 books66 followersCrime writer Cathy Pickens started her writing life as a mystery novelist. The first of five mysteries in the Southern Fried series won St. Martin’s Award for Best New Traditional Mystery.
Her fascination with the power of real crime stories led to a series for History Press, starting with Charleston Mysteries and Charlotte True Crime Stories.
She is a frequent mystery convention panelist, speaking on topics ranging from Southern mysteries to classic true crime stories to the use of poisons. At various times and under various aliases, she’s been a trial attorney specializing in complex civil litigation; a university provost; a business school professor (at Queens University of Charlotte); a church organist and choir director; and a ballroom and clog dance coach.
She has served as national president of Sisters in Crime, on the national board of Mystery Writers of America, and a founding board member of the regional Forensic Medicine Program.
Based on her book CREATE! Develop Your Creative Process, she offers workshops on developing the creative process. She also coaches and teaches new writers through Charlotte Lit, and works with former inmates and those in rehab on starting their own businesses and writing their own stories.
Her fascination with the power of real crime stories led to a series for History Press, starting with Charleston Mysteries and Charlotte True Crime Stories.
She is a frequent mystery convention panelist, speaking on topics ranging from Southern mysteries to classic true crime stories to the use of poisons. At various times and under various aliases, she’s been a trial attorney specializing in complex civil litigation; a university provost; a business school professor (at Queens University of Charlotte); a church organist and choir director; and a ballroom and clog dance coach.
She has served as national president of Sisters in Crime, on the national board of Mystery Writers of America, and a founding board member of the regional Forensic Medicine Program.
Based on her book CREATE! Develop Your Creative Process, she offers workshops on developing the creative process. She also coaches and teaches new writers through Charlotte Lit, and works with former inmates and those in rehab on starting their own businesses and writing their own stories.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 4, 2021
Charlotte has always kept an eye on its place on the national stage while, at the same time, maintaining its sense of humor.
Charlotte may not be as well-known as some of the bigger US cities, but it does have its share of crime. In this book, Cathy Pickens collects some of the notorious, weird, and terrifying crimes that have happened since the founding of the Queen City in 1768. Some of these crimes are ones that people still remember and refer to often, but many have been forgotten by time.
I picked this book up after reading Wicked Charlotte: The Sordid Side of the Queen City since I wanted to know more about the local area. There is some overlap between the two books, but overall most of what was in this book was new to me. The book is a collection of newspaper stories, loosely organized under common themes. Not every crime happens in Charlotte, but most have some connection to the city (even if it is a tenuous one). There isn't much exposition on the part of the author, just more of a reporting of various happenings. It was a quick read and interested me in learning more about some of the crimes.
If you like to read about true crimes and are interested in learning more about Charlotte crimes in particular, then I recommend this book and Wicked Charlotte. They both give a good overview of the happenings around the area.
CW: cult, death, drug addiction, gore, guns, hate groups, incarceration, kidnapping, murder, prostitution, racist language, sexual assault, suicide
Charlotte may not be as well-known as some of the bigger US cities, but it does have its share of crime. In this book, Cathy Pickens collects some of the notorious, weird, and terrifying crimes that have happened since the founding of the Queen City in 1768. Some of these crimes are ones that people still remember and refer to often, but many have been forgotten by time.
I picked this book up after reading Wicked Charlotte: The Sordid Side of the Queen City since I wanted to know more about the local area. There is some overlap between the two books, but overall most of what was in this book was new to me. The book is a collection of newspaper stories, loosely organized under common themes. Not every crime happens in Charlotte, but most have some connection to the city (even if it is a tenuous one). There isn't much exposition on the part of the author, just more of a reporting of various happenings. It was a quick read and interested me in learning more about some of the crimes.
If you like to read about true crimes and are interested in learning more about Charlotte crimes in particular, then I recommend this book and Wicked Charlotte. They both give a good overview of the happenings around the area.
CW: cult, death, drug addiction, gore, guns, hate groups, incarceration, kidnapping, murder, prostitution, racist language, sexual assault, suicide
July 31, 2022
Fascinating true crime!
This book gives detailed accounts of murders in, around and whose victims have ties to Charlotte, North Carolina. It includes crimes other than murder and crimes involving international players. The crimes take place in several different time periods. I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.
This book gives detailed accounts of murders in, around and whose victims have ties to Charlotte, North Carolina. It includes crimes other than murder and crimes involving international players. The crimes take place in several different time periods. I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.
March 29, 2020
I feel like it didn’t end. It just stopped.
Drawings were kinda crude but good synopsis of crime in the Charlotte area. Some I remember some I had not clue about.
Drawings were kinda crude but good synopsis of crime in the Charlotte area. Some I remember some I had not clue about.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews