Michael Thomas Barry was born on May 7, 1963 in Chicago and grew-up in Wheeling, Illinois. He is a graduate of Wheeling High School and Cal State Fullerton with degrees in both criminal justice and history. Michael is the critically acclaimed author of seven nonfiction books that include Murder & Mayhem 52 Crimes that Shocked Early California, 1849-1949 (2012) and In the Company of Evil Thirty Years of California Crime, 1950-1980 (2016). He is a columnist for CrimeMagazine.com, where he pens the weekly column "This Week in Crime History" and is distinguished reviewer for The New York Journal of Books. The author is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, American Society of Journalists & Authors, The Authors Guild, and The Crime Writers Association. He resides in Orange, California with his wife, Christyn and their golden retriever, Jake. Show less «