Great Lakes Crime: Murder, Mayhem, Booze & Broads

I picked up this book at a store around the Straits (of Mackinac), hoping to find material on mutiny and maybe some bootlegging. I was surprised to find out that the Great Lakes at one time had a culture similar to the Old West! Only rowdier! The subtitle, "Murder, Mayhem, Booze and Broads" surely lives up to its name in this book! The book is broken down by sections, not by chronology; so the book tends to jump from time period to time period. The author blatantly interjects his own personal political/social commentaries on the subject at hand, which I found a little tiresome at times. There are also headings of cities (Fairport, Kingston, Ashland, etc.) with no State with them; so unless the reader is very familiar with cities along the Great Lakes, he might be lost in picturing exactly where these events took place. It would've also helped the author to hire an editor, as there are a significant number of misspelled/misplaced grammatical errors. Fortunatley, there is an abundance of photos, drawings, and vintage ads to paint a vivid picture as to what life was like around the Great Lakes from the late 18th century to the present.

This book was the most enjoyable history lesson I ever had. All that crime on the Great Lakes of Michigan- amazing! The lighthouse murders are fascinating and so are the stories of piracy. And about every other page has a picture. If you like the history channel, you will love this book.