"In this engrossing collection, David Grann sets out to unravel the truth of twelve great, real-life mysteries. Each of these mesmerising stories is true; the protagonists are mortal and pieces of the puzzle often elude them. Some of the characters are driven by deception and murder. Others go mad. After all, as Holmes puts it, ‘Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.’"--Publisher's website.