Alan Hynd (1903–1974)

Something of a mixed bag of anecdotes regarding famous cases involving the Pinkertons. Cynics might well note that the potted history in the introduction is a complete whitewash of the firm's notorious history of strike-breaking (see: Homestead), and the selection of the cases is somewhat curious. In a handful of cases, the dates of the crimes are obscured, such as the Holmes case (discussed in far more detail in "Devil in the White City," written many years later). The most entertaining show more story in the book involves the long-standing dance between Pinkertons' and a notorious race-track fixer, which in itself inspired Edgar Wallace. But, I think, the choice of a pulp-magazine writer to do this book does the stories, and the Eye, an injustice. show less

This is a recounting of a number of cases that occurred during the first part of the 1900s (sounds like a long time ago, eh?) The crimes are not super complicated and the end results are not surprising, but the characters/people who are involved makes the incidents interesting and amusing. The time period is a much simpler time, so the crimes are simpler. It is interesting to read how crimes are solved without all the high tech resources we have today.

If you enjoy reading about earlier show more periods of time, this is a good choice. show less