True Crime Narratives takes the reader on an exploration of this genre,
from the mid-nineteenth century through 1993. The introduction gives the
history of the genre from 15th- and 16th-century English ballads to
later sensationalist broadsheets that reported on the bloody crimes of
the day. Harrison compares the aesthetic approach of reports which
played upon the reader's interest in the intellectual aspects of the
crime to the contemporary approach which emphasizes the psychology of
the murderer. Organized in broad categories to enable the reader to
browse by subject areas, each citation includes complete biographical
information and a brief descriptive annotation. An author/title index as
well as a highly detailed subject index are also included to assist
interested readers in finding books for further reading, and a case name
glossary provides a ready reference guide to popular or tabloid names
used in famous cases.