By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
Ortonville —Sophie Lyons was dubbed the “Queen of Crime.” Uneducated she was taught shoplifting and pickpocketing as a child. From cleaver clever heists to crafty blackmail schemes—her life of crime traveled to Sing Sing prison and finally in Detroit.
From 6:30-7:30 p.m., March 21 the Brandon Township Public Library, 304 South St. will host Tobin Buhk as he discusses his program “Michigan’s Most Dangerous Women,” featuring women like Lyons.
“The program will focus on women whose crimes led to a life sentence in Michigan during the period 1860-1930, including differences in how the legal system handled male and female prisoners during the same era,” he said.
Buhk has several books, mostly focused on crime, including Wicked Women of Detroit, which was adapted into the “Michigan’s Most Dangerous Women” presentation.
“Once upon a time, I co-authored two books with the Kent County Medical Examiner,” said Buhk. “To research those books, I became a morgue assistant and helped with autopsies”
Buhk has written 14 books, all of which focus on crime and many of it in Michigan.
“There are patterns in criminal behavior, so even though these are crimes from yesterday, they are instructive of future crimes and cautionary tales for tomorrow,” he said.
Buhk’s books will be available at the presentation for purchase as well. Register for the presentation at brandonlibrary.org or by calling 248-627-1460.