The Cincinnati Crime book reviewed
Despite its well-known anti-pornography stand, Cincinnati is hardly a city without sin. The Cincinnati Crime Book by George Stimson consists of thirteen true stories arranged in chronological order, beginning in the late nineteenth century and ending in the late twentieth century. In this collection of murder cases from his native city, Stimson introduces us to a nasty crew of poisoners, stranglers, stabbers, dismemberers, and shooters.
Amongst the victims and villains we meet are Pearl Bryan, a nineteenth century rural immigrant to the big city whose unwed pregnancy ended with her being decapitated by a callous lover and his pal; Anna Marie Hahn, a pretty serial poisoner; Edythe Klumpp, a woman whose dowdy name belied a passionate love life; the fiendishly clever Cincinnati Strangler who, like his better-known Boston counterpart, made a city hostage to terror; and Donald Harvey, the nurse who habitually murdered infirm patients.
Stimson details the ghastly crimes, the investigations, and the ensuing trials (if any). He is even-handed, pointing out any evidentiary problems and unresolved doubts about cases that are officially “solved.” His prose is workmanlike but “just the facts” are gripping enough to make The Cincinnati Crime Book a quick and creepy read.
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