CriminalsbinbthebUnitedbStatesbofbAmericabarebmuchbtheb sam
ebasbcriminalsbinbanybotherbplace.bTheyblie,bcheat,bsteal,bcarry
bguns, bbreakbintobhousesb—
band bmurderbpeople.bSometimesbtheybgetbcaught, bsometimesbt
heybdon't. b Andbsomeb ofbthemb haveb badb dreamsb forb theb res
tb ofbtheirb lives.
Theseb sevenb storiesb byb well-
knownb Americanb writersbshowbusbthebmanybfacesbofbcrime.b
Therebarebmurdersbofbpassion,bandbofbrevenge;bmurdersbthatbl
ookblikebsuicidesborbaccidents.b Therebisb robberyb andbmuggi
ng,bfearbandb hate,blovebandblaziness.bTherebarebthebinnocentba
ndbthebguiltyb—
bbutbwhichbarebwhich? bAndbtherebarebthebdetectives:bthebamat
eurbLouise,bwhobwon't b acceptbthatbherbcousin'sbdeathbwasbsui
cide,bandbwhobgoesblookingbforbablipstick;bandbthebcoollyb pro
fessionalb privateb eye,b whob knowsb whoseb handbisb behindb t
heb machineb gunsb andb handb grenadesb onb abstormyb nightbin
b Couffignal.
WebbeginbwithbDeathbWish,bwithbabmanbleaningboverbthebMo
rrisseyb Bridgeblatebatbnight-
b ab manbwithb darkbthoughtsbofbsuicidebinbhisbmind b.b ..
, OXFORD b BOOKWORMS b LIBRARY
Crimeb &b b Mystery
American Crime Stories
b b
Stageb 6b (2500b headwords)
Seriesb Editor:b JenniferbBassettb F
ounder b Editor: b Triciab Hedge
Activitiesb Editors:b Jenniferb Bassettb andb Christineb Lindop
, R E TO L bDb b BY b J O H bNb b E S C O T bT
American Crime Stories
b b
O X F O R bDb b U N I V E R S I T bYb b PRES bS