Published by WordWrangler
This is the best piece of investigative journalism I've seen since Watergate. The author takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery. We look over his shoulder during an extended investigation. It's almost an apprenticeship on how to be a detective.
The task William Norris stumbled into is daunting: determining the cause of a spectacular death that had occurred fifty-six years before. The victim was a man notorious in his own times, but forgotten by the public since, a large and colorful character who was loved by very few and hated by many. Just the same, as Norris says, he was a man, and he may have been murdered.
I was immediately captivated when I started to read, for, like Norris, I love a puzzle. The writing is clear, direct and easy to follow, lacking irksome 'literary' affectations. Norris describes people and events vividly and well, and what more is needed?
Personally, I don't like people who make fortunes by preying on others. The world of shares, business dealings and stock market manipulations is foreign territory to me, by choice. However, if such things interest you, this book will be worth more than a read: it'll be worth studying. To me, the detailed description of the various deals and scams was tiresome, and I skipped a few paragraphs, but of course they were essential to the story. Norris could not have written this book without careful attention to these details.
The copy I had may have been an advance 'review' copy. I hope the final version won't have typos. In particular, apostrophes were missing in almost every place one expects to see them.
This is a book that is well worth reading. I am glad I did so. Norris is a fine writer, a competent journalist and a talented investigator.
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