Part one. "Any truth is better than indefinite doubt" -- Mysterious circumstances: the strange death of a Sherlock Holmes fanatic -- Trial by fire: did Texas execute an innocent man? -- The chameleon: the many lives of Fr�ed�erick Bourdin -- True crime: a postmodern murder mystery -- Which way did he run: the fireman who forgot 9/11 -- Part two. "A strange enigma is man!" -- The squid hunter: chasing the sea's most elusive creature -- City of water: can an antiquated maze of tunnels continue to sustain New York? -- The old man and the gun: the secrets of a legendary stickup man -- Stealing time: why Ricky Henderson won't go home -- Part three. "All that was monstrous and inconceivably wicked in the universe" -- The brand: the rise of the most dangerous prison gang in America -- Crimetown U.S.A.: the city that fell in love with the mob -- Giving the "devil" his due: the death squad real-estate agent.

Read by Mark Deakins.

Collection of the journalist's articles previously published in various periodicals.