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nikkib5's review against another edition
2.25
The idea of this story was ruined by poor storytelling. Nothing connected and I spent most of the book wondering why certain chapters just ended with little or no connection to an overall point or even the next chapter.
kylepotter's review against another edition
4.0
This was even more depressing than I thought it would be. The book details a surprising number of kidnappings, with the narrative of the Lindbergh kidnapping as the organizing thread.
_karinaiello_'s review against another edition
3.0
Tricky to rate because while this is well-written and there is nothing specifically that I would take out of it, it still felt about 100 pages too long. Idk. I didn't hate it, but it would be hard for me to recommend to anyone. Read this if the subject matter appeals to you. Also, if you want to skim through about 40 different stories of kidnappings and the development of the FBI during the time, but not go deep into anything related (mafia/corrupt cops, J. Edgar Hoover, extreme poverty/class difference during and after the Depression and the Dust Bowl, the beginning of WWII and the anti-Semitism and racism that Lindbergh and Hoover both displayed while both being heralded as some weird heroic figures...) Idk times were different I guess. The author was a reporter for the NYT for 28 years and this definitely feels like 46 newspaper articles tied together with the theme of kidnappings. Lots and lots of facts, dates, names, dollar amounts, etc.
clarbineds's review against another edition
5.0
Interesting book about the large number of kidnappings during the Depression. The author uses the Lindbergh baby's kidnapping as a central story and weaves the tales of numerous other kidnappings around it. If you like true crime, check this one out.
kimmeyer's review against another edition
3.0
The narrative here is wider ranging and less cohesive than I would have liked, but this was a thoroughly readable and really interesting look at some kidnappings and other kidnapping-adjacent true crime events.