I'd have to say the second half of this book is more interesting than the first half. Why this is I can't exactly say. Maybe the stories in the second half had more appeal to me for whatever reason. For me, each story including and past Eula Dortch's was excellent. Although I do have to admit to the opinion that the author had a thesaurus sitting next to him while writing. I suppose it's possible he writes and talks like this normally but.... I doubt it. I can't imagine that the Queen of England talks like Bellamy in this book. I had to look up some of the words he used and what struck me wasn't that. What struck me was that it wasn't necessary. A more common word could have been introduced instead 99% of the time. Oh well. I learned a few new words.
I thought this maybe would only interest people who have an invested interest in Cleveland but because I'll read just about anything that catches my eye I thought I'd try it. Most true crime lovers would probably get a kick out of Bellamy and his works. If only because everything is pared down. The reader gets a good grasp of the case and the people involved, including the trials when possible but the "extra" isn't there. The bland filler info that usually comes along is all omitted.
I plan on reading another sometime. I doubt I'll go out of my way to find any but a number of cases included here are intertwined in other cases in his other books so I think I'd like to check at least one or two of them out.
Eula Dortch's case was interesting as hell. So many people rallied around her for her "second chance" which she threw out the window with force. I was astounded by the way reporters described a black man in A Swing for a Swing. Horrified is a better word honestly. I didn't live in the 1870's (don't act surprised) and even as well read as I am I was horrified. The Celia Barger story and the Beverly Jarosz stories were fascinating as well, if very hard to read.

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