Penology & punishment – The Bell Bookshop

Art Fraud

Emma — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Step inside the astonishing world of art forgery, where masterpieces are faked, fortunes are made, and almost no one is who they seem. Art Fraud reveals the true stories behind some of the greatest scams in art history, where con artists forged their way to fame, fortune or infamy.

Discover the motivations and methods of master forgers, from Eric Hebborn’s faked Old Masters to Han van Meegeren’s deception of the Nazis. Meet eccentric copyists, bitter experts, and insiders who turned against the institutions they once admired. Each chapter tells the story of a different forger, weaving in the investigations that finally unmasked them and the secrets they left behind.

Written by bestselling author and art historian Susie Hodge, this is a fascinating, brilliantly researched collection that blurs the line between genius and fraud. Whether you are an art lover, a true crime reader or simply curious about how the art world really works, this book is full of twists, scandals and unforgettable characters.

Art heist

Emma — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

An intriguing investigation into over 50 elusive artworks that were stolen and never recovered.

Mona Lisa, Starry Night, Birth of Venus. People travel for hundreds of miles to observe these breathtaking paintings with their own eyes. Now discover the artworks that nobody can ever see? and the fascinating stories behind their disappearance.

In this collection of daring heist stories, read about:

Michelangelo’s Mask of a Faun
Caravaggio’s Nativity
Rembrandt’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Cézanne’s View of Auvers-sur-Oise
Van Gogh’sThe Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring

With meticulous research and engaging storytelling, this book uncovers the mysteries surrounding the thefts of these valuable artworks and many more.

Each fated work will be discussed to reveal why it, and the artist who made it, was significant. Gain a deeper appreciation for these artists and the lasting impact they’ve had on the art world.

This book also answers key questions about each missing piece, including:

Why and how was it stolen?
What attempts have been made to recover it?
Leads, red herrings and suspects.

Whether you’re passionate about art or drawn to the thrill of solving mysteries, this book offers a compelling narrative that will keep you engaged from cover to cover. It’s a must-read for anyone curious about the intersection of art, crime and history.

Chain-Gang All-Stars

Emma — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

FIGHT FOR FREEDOM. FIGHT FOR LOVE. WELCOME TO THE KILLING GROUND.

Enter a world where, livestreamed to millions, prisoners fight like gladiators for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

‘America’s new Hunger Games‘ SUNDAY TIMES
‘So good. This one is from the heart’ STEPHEN KING

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD**
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE TIKTOK BOOK AWARDS**

Fan-favourite female stars Loretta Thurwar and Hamara ‘Hurricane Staxxx’ Stacker are teammates and lovers. Thurwar is nearing the end of her time on the circuit, free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. But as protestors clash with the baying crowds and the programme’s corporate owners stack the odds against her – will the price be simply too high?

‘Brutal, thrilling, devastating and beautiful’ THE TIMES

‘So compelling – right up to the final, fatal blow’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

‘Defiant, awe-inspiring’ JESSAMINE CHAN

‘Vividly imaginative and startling’ ELLE

‘The new maestro of dystopian lit’ WIRED

‘A pure fire page turner’ MAX PORTER

Shortlisted for the TikTok Book Awards, International Book of the Year, 2024

Letters for the ages behind bars

Emma — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Letters for the Ages Behind Bars is a history of imprisonment told through the letters of people incarcerated over many centuries, for crimes committed or sometimes even for no reason at all. It is a story that runs from St Paul right up to the present day.The act of depriving someone of their liberty is one of humankind’s most enduring responses to ‘crime’ through history. What society has sought to achieve over the years by doing so has shifted across the centuries and there is now a variety of purposes: to express disapproval; for the purpose of straight-up punishment through the removal of freedom; to protect the general public; to rehabilitate, perhaps even to forget about those with whom we simply cannot cope. The letters assembled here come from all parts of the world, and from time immemorial: Thomas Cromwell, Mary Queen of Scots, Eamon De Valera, Al Capone, Martin Luther King and many more.These letters not only reveal what it is like to be behind bars, but raise issues that are still of pressing interest for us today – such as the death penalty, miscarriages of justice, redemption and social change. They shed light on a system which is primarily one of contradictions – there are letters which inspire, horrify, letters which awe and condemn – even letters which make you laugh or cry.

Executions

Emma — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A fascinating record of how London and Londoners were shaped by nearly 700 years of public executions.More frequent in London than in any other city or town in Britain, these morbid spectacles often attracted tens of thousands of onlookers at locations across the capital and were a major part of Londoners’ lives for centuries. From Smithfield to Kennington, Tyburn to Newgate Prison, public executions became embedded in London’s landscape and people’s lives. Even today, hints of this dark chapter in London’s history can still be seen across the city.Featuring the lives and legacies of those who died or who witnessed public executions first hand from 1196 to 1868, this book tells the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events. It includes a range of fascinating objects, paintings and documents, many from the Museum of London’s collections, such as the vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when he was executed, portraits of ‘celebrity criminals’, and last letters of the condemned. From the sites of execution to the thriving ‘gallows’ economy, the book reveals the role that Londoners played as both spectators and participants in this most public demonstration of state power over the life and death of its citizens.

The Governor

Emma — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

As seen on This Morning

Back in the day, I was Governor of Security and Operations for HMP Wormwood Scrubs. If you’re easily shocked or offended, you best look away now?

Having worked for 16 years in a high-security women’s prison dealing with the likes of Rosemary West and Myra Hindley, Vanessa Frake thought she’d seen it all. That was until she was transferred to the notorious Wormwood Scrubs.

Thrust into a ‘man’s world’, her no-nonsense approach and fearless attitude saw her swiftly rise through the ranks. From dealing with celebrity criminals and busting drug rings, to recruiting informers and being subject to violent attacks, this hard-hitting but often humorous memoir reveals all about life behind bars in unflinching detail.

Now, for one last time, The Gov opens the prison gates. Prepare for the madness and horror of daily life with the UK’s most ruthless criminals.