The Big Policeman: The Rise and Fall of America's First, Most Ruthless, and Greatest Detective Paperback - 2019

From the rear cover

"A fascinating, fast-moving account of one of the most polarizing and influential figures of nineteenth-century New York." --Daniel Stashower, author of The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder "An essential read for those interested in police work, detective stories, and New York City history." --Library JournalFrom 1854 to 1895, Thomas Byrnes rose through New York City's police department to become one of the most celebrated detectives in American history, a giant who captured Manhattan's Jack the Ripper copy-cat killer, solved the murder of prostitute Maude Merrill, cracked the largest bank heist in American history, and "shaped not just the New York City Detective Bureau but the template for detective work . . . in every modern American metropolis," according to the New York Times. Byrnes pioneered crime scene investigations, was the first to use mug shots, and perfected the brutal interrogation process called "the third degree," but he was forced to resign amid widespread corruption that had plagued the department for decades. Author J. North Conway narrates in vivid detail the crimes, corruption, and gritty police work associated with the man history has dubbed "the big policeman."