"A gripping read. . . . Obsessives get themselves into some interesting places. Grann is the perfect guide to take you there."
--The Miami Herald

"A dozen intricately crafted accounts. . . . Like the best of stories, each carries the spice of intrigue and the momentum of a search. . . . [They] will make your heart race and, at times, ache. They're stories to share with friends, even if Grann can't be there himself."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Grann's obsession with how narratives are told is complex and compelling. . . . But it's the basic stories themselves--bizarre and fascinating, bolstered by exhaustive research--that make the book so gripping."
--Time Out New York

"Titillating. . . . Evidence of Grann's abundant talent as a writer."
--Providence Journal

"The most powerful essay I read this year was David Grann's 'Trial by Fire.'"
--David Brooks, The New York Times

"The truth is always stranger than fiction, even when it comes to murder mysteries. That's the take-home lesson of Grann's latest collection, which brings together 12 stories of real-life mysteries, each one stranger and more gripping than the last."
--The Daily Beast

"A gifted storyteller, Grann has a Sherlock Holmesian gift for unearthing facts that are hidden in plain sight, presenting a crystal-clear narrative and letting his compelling cast of characters speak for themselves. . . . Easily worth the price of admission, a visit to Grann's rogue's gallery is likely to leave you with a sense, at once awful and awesome, of the profound desire we all have for recognition."
--The Oregonian

"Beautifully constructed, highly improbably real life reports."
--GQ (UK)

"Eclectic. . . . Haunting. . . . Skilfully crafted. . . . [Grann] does not just tell these bizarre tales, he meets, interviews, gets to know and seems to understand many of his strange subjects."
--The Irish Times

"There is humanity in the writing, and it's all the more impressive that Grann manages to evoke it without drawing any attention to himself; his tales are first-person ones, but they don't foreground the writer in that manner so popular among magazine editors today. Indeed, his selflessness as a writer, along with his gentle rectitude, cause him to bear a resemblance to another hero who never hogs the spotlight: Holmes's assistant, Watson. Rarely does modesty produce such stunning results."
--Bookforum

"Thoroughly documented, well written and full of surprises."
--Toronto Star

"Grann's in-depth reporting and vivid writing make this worthwhile reading for lovers of good journalism."
--Booklist

"Chilling. . . . Poignant. . . . Haunting and gripping. . . . Gets into worlds that are otherwise invisible to us."
--Daily Mail (London)

"Grann is a worthy heir to Truman Capote."
--Le Monde (Paris)