Outlaws, Spies, and Gangsters: Chasing Notorious Criminals - Softcover

Laura Scandiffio has written many non-fiction books for young readers, including Escapes! in the True Stories from the Edge series and, most recently, the award-winning People Who Said No. She lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario.

Gareth Williams is the illustrator of the Red Maple Award-shortlisted The Adventures of Medical Man. He lives in South Africa.

Though the eight chapters, written in an engaging, nonfiction narrative voice, effectively stand alone, Scandiffio threads the tales with thoughtful reflections on the changing modes of hunting down criminals and exploration of emerging technologies. (Jennifer Barnes Booklist 2014-09-15)

The book is engagingly written, with a minimum of sidebar references, which works well for the fiction-like narrative style. It would be a welcome addition, especially in collections where high-interest, collective biographies are in demand. (Patricia Feriano School Library Journal)

This rogues' gallery of bottom feeders makes an appealing way to bring reluctant readers to history. (Kirkus Reviews 2014-05-28)

In profiling eight criminals and the sometimes extraordinary measures taken to capture them, Scandiffio has authored fast-paced narratives that will appeal to the male readership that the book's marketers anticipate. (Val Ken Lem CM Reviews 2014-04-11)

The book asks more questions than it answers and as such, is an excellent tool to start a discussion about the nature of crime. (Penny Draper Readerly, National Reading Campaign 2014-01-24)

This informational text looks at the pursuit of eight infamous individuals. Each account opens with a file profiling the criminal, crime, involved law enforcement units, location and duration of the case. Covering 1931 to 2011, the cases portray the evolution of technology used in investigation. The crimes range from bank robbery to war crimes, selling out U.S. intelligence agents to international terrorism. Some figures, such as Osama Bin Laden, are familiar. Others, such as Albert Johnson and Aldrich Arnes, will be new to students. An interesting activity for students would be to compare the FBI in John Dillinger's day to the intelligence agencies portrayed in later accounts. Scenes depicting action add visual interest. Recommended. (Sarah Wendorf, LMTC Director, Intermediate School Library Media Connection 2015-05-01)