The kidnap years The astonishing true history of the forgotten kidnapping epidemic that shook Depression-era America

America in the 1930s was roiling within an unprecedented crime wave. Names such as "Pretty Boy" Floyd and "Machine Gun" Kelly captured the collective imagination as audacious bank robberies and Mob action dominated the news. Equally dominant were the aeronautically audacious feats of Charles Lindbergh, the dashing trans-Atlantic pilot who was America's newest hero. So when Lindbergh's infant son was kidnapped from the family's New Jersey home, and his body was later found in a nearby shallow grave, the country became paralyzed with the fear that if such a tragedy could befall "Lucky Lindy," no one was safe. And in some ways, that was true. From Seattle to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati, the crime of kidnapping was on the rise. Scions of wealthy families were likely targets, but so, too, were ordinary men and women. In this extensively researched and smartly focused true-crime compendium, award-winning Stout delves into the who, what, when, where, and how, if not not necessarily the why, of this most frightening and exploitative of ordeals.

Edgar-winner Stout (Carolina Skeletons) makes his nonfiction debut with a thrilling account that puts the 1932 Lindbergh baby kidnapping case, billed as "the crime of the century," in the context of the thousands of other kidnappings that occurred in the U.S. during the Prohibition and Depression eras. The kidnappers were often gangsters and bootleggers, and relatives sometimes turned to the local mob for help in freeing the victims. Even Charles Lindbergh, early in the investigation into his son's kidnapping, asked gangsters for help. But even after Lindbergh paid the ransom, the baby's body was found by the side of the road with a fractured skull and four years passed Richard Hauptmann was tried and executed for the crime, though he denied any involvement. Other horrific outcomes include the case of a 12-year-old California girl who was kidnapped in 1927 and whose body was returned to her parents in pieces after the ransom was paid. Some kidnappings had much better outcomes, such as that of banker August Luer, who was released unharmed after his kidnappers got tired of taking care of him. Dialogue taken from the printed news reports of the time heightens the drama. This collection of kidnapping stories anchored by the Lindbergh case will enthrall true crime fans. Agent: Deborah Hofmann, David Black Literary. (Apr.)

Journalist and Edgar Award-winning novelist Stout (Carolina Skeletons) brings to light the forgotten history of America's kidnapping epidemic. While Americans suffered with unemployment, poverty, and hunger during the Great Depression, resourceful criminals found kidnapping a lucrative enterprise in an era marked by lawlessness and corruption among law enforcement. Stout presents a deeply researched, perfectly paced history of kidnappings that affected everyone from bank presidents and lumber barons to beer brewers and the children of wealthy families. Interspersed with the nail-biting tales of the kidnappings are details about the trials, the criminals, and the formation of the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover's rise to power. True crime enthusiasts will recognize famous players, such as the Lindberghs and Machine Gun Kelly, but they'll also discover scores of "forgotten" cases. VERDICT At turns fascinating and heartbreaking, this expertly crafted history is a must-read for true crime aficionados.--Mattie Cook, Flat River Community Lib., MI