Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness by William Bernhardt - 3.5 stars

[Ellen]

Cleveland, Ohio, in 1935 was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Mob activity, rum-runners, juvenile crimes and even traffic deaths were common. Cleveland's mayor decided his city needed a thorough cleaning and who better to accomplish this than Eliot Ness. Given the title of Safety Director, Ness set about changing Cleveland to his own standards. Traffic lights were installed bringing the number of traffic deaths down 90%. Boys clubs were begun to help the homeless youngsters have a safe place to gather. Illegal gambling halls were closed along with hidden distilleries. Ness was proud of his accomplishments and relished, as he always had, a friendly rapport with the press. That continued until a dark, shadowy figure began leaving headless and dismembered corpses throughout the city. Dubbed the 'Torso Murderer', the killer managed to elude all efforts to find him. Even though Ness insisted he was not a trained homicide detective the mayor insisted Ness take over the case and solve it. It would prove to be the case that would ultimately bring Ness to his knees and tarnish a spotless reputation for the rest of his life.

Although this book is fiction it is based on true accounts of Ness' time in Cleveland and his investigation of the horrifying case. The ending is speculation on the author's part but I feel it fits with the way people would like to see the case resolved even if it was ultimately unsatisfying for Ness.