Tag: nonfiction true crime

Interview with Author Alan Warren

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

  •  After being interviewed on the radio alongside several crime reporters, a few magazines took notice — and that unexpected exposure marked the beginning of my writing journey. About a year later, Toronto publisher RJ Parker approached me with an opportunity to contribute four titles to a 22-book short-read series. One of those books became a hit, and I haven’t stopped writing since.
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2) What inspired you to write your book?

  • I’ve always been a history enthusiast, and my writing tends to focus on specific places and time periods. With Peace, Love, & Murder, that meant immersing myself in the mid-to-late 1960s — a cultural moment unlike any other. Charles Manson’s crimes didn’t happen in a vacuum; they were deeply tied to the atmosphere, attitudes, and social upheaval of that era. To tell the story honestly, the book had to explore the culture and daily life of that time and place, because the setting was as much a part of the story as the people themselves.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

  • There wasn’t an intentional message when I started the book, but one emerged naturally as I wrote. History, especially within our culture, has a way of repeating itself. During my research, I was struck by how many of the social issues people were protesting and debating in the 1960s are still at the center of conversations today. The parallels were impossible to ignore, and that realization quietly shaped the tone of the story.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

  • I tend to immerse myself deeply in the history of a particular place and time, and often a murder or major event rises to the surface — something that left a lasting mark on society and is still felt today. The true crime element isn’t something I force; it’s simply part of the human story, a reflection of what people do and how those actions echo through history.

5) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

  • I am not sure if there is one in particular, as they all seem to capture a different audience. So, books that I have written on cults or conspiracies, such as the JFK Assassination, do really well on YouTube or X, while True Crime or History have a better following on Instagram or Facebook. 

6) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

  • Avoid as much of the noise out there as you can. Today is especially worse than years ago because of social media. There’s always somebody watching you, or so it seems. There will end up being so many comments made about you or what you’re trying to do, and if you get caught up in the noise, it’ll take you off the track and your goals. 
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About the Author

Alan R. Warren is a Canadian bestselling true crime author, producer, and lead host of the internationally syndicated radio show and podcast House of Mystery. The show airs across North America on multiple stations, including Los Angeles, Riverside, Palm Springs, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma, and Phoenix, reaching a wide audience of mystery and true crime listeners.

A respected authority in true crime nonfiction, Warren has authored 38 books covering serial killers, cults, human trafficking, history, and memoir. His work is published by major true crime publishers including RJ Parker/Vronksy Publishing (Canada) and WildBlue Press (USA). He has been a contributor to True Case Files Magazine since 2013 and continues to write for Serial Killer Magazine.

Warren’s bestselling titles have been featured on major television networks, including CNN, Oxygen, Reelz, Vice TV, and Sundance Channel documentaries. Notable works include Beyond Suspicion: The True Story of Colonel Russell Williams, The Killing Game: Serial Killer Rodney Alcala, and Doomsday Cults: The Devil’s Hostages. In 2024, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Writing from Reader’s House in London, UK.

Alan R. Warren is frequently sought out by media outlets for expert commentary on true crime cases, serial killers, cult behavior, and criminal psychology.

Death, Taxes, and Turduckens by Jens Heycke Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Jens Heycke shares the details of one of the most significant tax fraud crimes in history in the book “Death, Taxes, and Turduckens.”

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The Synopsis

Amazon #1 Bestseller in Personal Taxes

They say nothing is certain except death and taxes… unless you’re a billionaire.

Death, Taxes, and Turduckens reveals the world’s wildest offshore tax evasion scheme, where the ultra-wealthy hide billions inside complex “Trust Turduckens.”

It tells the true story of Robert Brockman, a secretive billionaire indicted for allegedly orchestrating the largest tax fraud in history. Based on exclusive interviews with IRS and DOJ insiders, the book follows investigators as they decrypt covert messages, launch undercover stings, and take on elite legal teams in a billion-dollar showdown.

Tax evasion siphons off enough each year to buy six months of groceries for every household in America. Death, Taxes, and Turduckens not only exposes how the ultra-rich hide over $1 trillion offshore, it also offers practical steps to recover that money for American taxpayers.

The Review

To start, while math and finances have never been and never will be one of my strong points in life, true crime has always fascinated me as a subject. Even stories like those found in films like Catch Me If You Can (based on a true story) have been so engaging to me, so this novel’s premise immediately caught my eye. The author did incredible work in cataloguing and detailing the intricacies of this case, delving into court documents, investigation notes, and so much more to bring this case to life on the page. 

The revelations and details that the author laid out felt like something out of a thriller, with many people connected to the case ending up either taking their own lives or passing under suspicious circumstances, and coded messages being found hidden in photographs and codenames given to lawyers in other countries who handled offshore accounts. What stood out in this book was the author’s ability to balance narrative-style writing with educational input on both financial crime investigations and legislation related to finances, with a particular focus on tax evasion. While readers need to pick up this book to get all the gritty details, the author’s work did a fantastic job of making the individuals of this case feel visceral and within reach of the reader. It informed the reader of the laws and loopholes that exist that need to be amended or fixed to prevent these crimes from persisting.

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, engaging, and insightful, author Jens Heycke’s “Death, Taxes, and Turduckens” is a must-read nonfiction actual crime book. The twists and turns in the narrative and case, and the examination of how billionaires act and manipulate finances in general, a subject that has been the cause of great debate in recent years in politics, will stay with readers long after the book’s final pages. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

JENS KURT HEYCKE was educated in Economics and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, the London School of Economics, and Princeton University. He worked as an executive in several successful technology startups, including one that pioneered the mobile Internet and produced software installed in more than a billion mobile phones.

Since retiring from the high-tech industry, he has worked as a writer and independent researcher, conducting field research around the world, from Bosnia to Panama. Heycke has investigated global tax evasion schemes firsthand, interviewing top IRS agents, federal prosecutors, and financial insiders. His work brings a rare combination of analytical rigor and global perspective to the hidden world of offshore finance.

He is an internationally competitive masters cyclist, winning a bronze medal at the World Masters Games and top-ten places in other world championship events.