The Plot of Shame Us Military Executions in Europe During WW2

The Plot of Shame Us Military Executions in Europe During WW2 written

by Paul Johnson and published by Frontline Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery is the last resting place of 6,012 American

soldiers who died fighting in a small portion of Northern France during the First

World War. The impressive cemetery is divided into four plots marked A to D.

However, few visitors are aware that across the road, behind the immaculate façade of the superintendent’s office, unmarked and completely surrounded by impassable shrubbery, is Plot E, a semi-secret fifth plot that contains the bodies of ninety-six American soldiers. These were men who were executed for crimes committed in the European Theatre of Operations during and just after the Second World War.

Originally, the men whose death sentences were carried out were buried near the sites of their executions in locations as far afield as England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Algeria. A number of the men were executed in the grounds of Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset – the majority of whom were hanged in the execution block, with two being shot by a firing squad in the prison yard. The executioner at most of the hangings was Thomas William Pierrepoint, assisted mainly by his more-famous nephew Albert Pierrepoint.

Then, in 1949, under a veil of secrecy, the ‘plot of shame’, as it has become known, was established in France. The site does not exist on maps of the cemetery and it is not mentioned on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s website. Visits to Plot E are not encouraged. Indeed, public access is difficult because the area is concealed, surrounded by bushes, and is closed to visitors.

No US flag is permitted to fly over the plot and the graves themselves have no names, just small, simple stones the size of index cards that are differentiated only by reference numbers. Even underground the dishonoured are set apart, with each body being positioned with its back to the main cemetery.

In The Plot of Shame, the historian Paul Johnson uncovers the history of Plot E and the terrible stories of wartime crime linked to it.

A really fascinating book that tells the tales of a group of American men, you would very rarely her about as these are the tales of US servicemen sentenced to death for crimes at the time were seen as heinous even during a time of war. The book is good in that it starts out with the Articles of War, the executioners and the plot where the majority of these men were buried in uncelebrated graves. The book then goes through the various stories on a year-by-year basis. The stories are explained in great detail and a really good amount of research has gone into this book, a very well informed book. Certainly a great book for those true crime fans.

Victorian Murderesses

Victorian Murderesses written by Debbie Blake was published by

Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 222

The Victorian belief that women were the ‘weaker sex’ who were expected to devote

themselves entirely to family life, made it almost inconceivable that they could ever

be capable of committing murder. What drove a woman to murder her husband, lover

or even her own child? Were they tragic, mad or just plain evil?

Using various sources including court records, newspaper accounts and letters, this book explores some of the most notorious murder cases committed by seven women in nineteenth century Britain and America. It delves into each of the women’s lives, the circumstances that led to their crimes, their committal and trial and the various reasons why they resorted to murder: the fear of destitution led Mary Ann Brough to murder her own children; desperation to keep her job drove Sarah Drake to her crime. Money was the motive in the case of Mary Ann Cotton, who is believed to have poisoned as many as twenty-one people. Kate Bender lured her unsuspecting victims to their death in ‘The Slaughter Pen’ before stripping them of their valuables; Kate Webster’s temper got the better of her when she brutally murdered and decapitated her employer; nurse Jane Toppan admitted she derived sexual pleasure from watching her victims die slowly and Lizzie Borden was suspected of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe, so that she could live on the affluent area known as ‘the hill’ in Fall River, Massachusetts.

I love a book full of crime stories and this one looking at women who murder from the Victorian era doesn’t fail to entertain. I don’t know what it is about Victorian era crime, maybe it’s the black and white photos or the fact that people didn’t exactly live in the best places or conditions, but things always come across grim or in an unfortunate way. Victorian Murderesses looks at seven separate case from Lizzie Borden, Mary Ann Cotton to the Boston Borgia. The book tries to look at reasons for the murders such as insanity, pleasure, abuse or just the impossible. The chapters look at these reasons through newspaper accounts, court records, diaries and letters. There are some great stories here and they all fit together in this great book nicely. A good book if you enjoy true crime books involving women who murder.

The New Millennium Serial Killer - Examining the Crimes of Christopher Halliwell

The New Millennium Serial Killer - Examining the Crimes of Christopher Halliwell

written by Bethan Trueman & Chris Clark and published by Pen & Sword Books

- £20 - Hardback - Pages 216

In March 2011, a major police investigation was opened in the search for missing

Swindon local, Sian O'Callaghan. When taxi driver Christopher Halliwell was

arrested, Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher didn't expect what happened

next.

After the body of another missing girl, Becky Godden-Edwards, was uncovered, the police had two murders on their hands and one suspect, but how many more unsolved murders could Christopher Halliwell be responsible for? The hidden cache of around 60 pieces of women's clothing and accessories that he led police to suggests that the number could be much higher than the two murders he has been convicted of.

In The New Millennium Serial Killer, former police intelligence officer Chris Clark and true crime podcast host Bethan Trueman use their in-depth research to present a comprehensive study into convicted killer Christopher Halliwell. Discussing the crimes for which he was convicted but presenting them alongside the unsolved cases of missing and murdered women who fit with his victim type, and who went missing in the areas where he was familiar, from the 1980s to the time of his arrest in 2011. With many jobs over the years which allowed Halliwell to travel to different areas of the UK, along with a passion for fishing and narrow boating, including Yorkshire, East Lancashire, and the Midlands.

With a foreword by former Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher, The New Millennium Serial Killer presents a fascinating account of this cruel killer and tells the heartbreaking stories of over twenty women whose cases remain unsolved today, seeking to find justice for their loved ones who are still waiting for answers. Do they remain with Christopher Halliwell and the collection of women's items?

This is a fantastic book that would be widely approved by many true crime fans, following the trail of Christopher Halliwell. The book follows the trail of Haliwell, a man that had the chance to travel around the country doing lots of different jobs. So for this reason, it gave him the chance to avoid detection as he wasn’t in one area, but also gave us the chance to wonder whether all the crimes he committed were actually ALL of the crimes he should be punished for. A really good book that is easy to read, but keeps the reader gripped with fascination, I thought it was very well written by the author’s Bethan Trueman and Chris Clark. I really enjoyed this true crime book and would happily recommend it to other true crime fans.

Killers, Kidnappers, Gangsters and Grasses

Killers, Kidnappers, Gangsters and Grasses - On the Frontline with the Metropolitan

Police written by DIck Kirby and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback -

Pages 240

In his latest thrilling book, much-published crime author Dick Kirby draws on his fast

moving policing service, much of which was with Scotland Yard’s Serious Crime

Squad and the Flying Squad. As if that was not enough he brings in accounts of fellow

coppers during the final decades of the 20th century to add a fresh dimension.

It quickly becomes clear to the reader that Kirby and his colleagues practised their art in a markedly different style than that prevailing today. Corners were cut, regulations ignored and pettifogging rules trampled on in the wider public interest of bringing criminals to justice and preserving law and order. Above all the best senior detectives led fearlessly.

Kirby describes front-line policing where the public came first and the criminals a poor second. There are great stories of arrests, ambushes, fights and meeting informants in unlikely places.

Eyebrows may be raised at the book’s contents but many will feel that there is no place in the fight against serious crime for ‘woke-ness’ and political correctness and regret the passing of no-nonsense law enforcement.

This is the latest instalment of True Crime stories and thoughts from the remarkable Dick Kirby, a former serving police officer in the Scotland Yard Serious Crime Squad. I might be wrong but, I felt that this book was a bit more personal than his usual books, it is the same kind of book about gangs, villains and gangsters taking part in crimes he had been working on. But I felt like I was getting more opinions and thoughts from him, rather than an official line, which was nice to read. I enjoy Kirby books because you get the opinions of those on the front line, sometimes warts and all. Although things were done differently in those days, than they are in today’s policing. I would say most people would enjoy that mainly because it seemed people got things done and crimes solved, although we now know not all officers could be trusted. An easy to read book in a relaxed but written in an informed manner.

On the Trail of Jack the Ripper

On the Trail of Jack the Ripper written by Richard Charles Cobb & Mark Davis

published by Pen & Sword Books - £14.99 - Softcover - Pages 160

For 132 years, the ghastly and horrific murders committed in London’s East End by the

infamous ‘Jack the Ripper’ have gripped and baffled the world. The Ripper commenced

his series of atrocities at the end of August and continued freely until the beginning of

November 1888 when inexplicably the murders stopped…In all, five women were brutally

murdered and savagely mutilated in the most unimaginable way. The killing spree centred

in and around the impoverished rabbit warren of alleys and rookeries of Whitechapel. The

invisible killer was never caught despite the very best intentions of the police and

thousands of would-be detectives following the grim proceedings.

Since those dark days of murder committed by gaslight, the mystery of Jack the Ripper has

become the ultimate cold case amongst crime historians and armchair researchers

worldwide, with a multitude of books, plays and dramas all hoping to solve what London’s

finest Victorian detectives failed to do.

True crime and social historian Richard C Cobb returns to the Whitechapel of 1888 to see

what remains from this dark time in London’s history and to take the reader on a step-by-step

tour of the modern world of Jack the Ripper, giving a detailed history of the victims, the

crimes and the police investigation. We also look at other victims (outside the accepted five)

which may have been killed by the same man.

Using the original police reports, state of the art photographs, unseen images and diagrams,

he presents the truth about what actually happened in the autumn of 1888 and what remains

of Jack the Ripper’s London today. He also focuses on the ever-changing face of London’s

End End, giving the reader a real sense of how the past meets the present in arguably

London’s most vibrant and cultural quarter…where the shadow of the Ripper is never too far

away.

On the Trail of Jack the Ripper does exactly that in that the book takes the reader on a journey

around the Whitechapel area of London, or prominent places and explains the story of the Jack

the Ripper crimes, with present-day photos of the various areas. This is in my opinion very

good in that not only does it explain the tragedy in real terms, but it also gives an updated

feel to the crimes as it feels more like a documentary-style presentation. It felt really good to me

and made it feel a bit like a modern crime rather than a Victorian crime, I think this will entice

younger true crime fans to the story with this updated style.

Although I have read a good number of Jack the Ripper books, I found this one to be clear,

interesting and still very informative even though it is about an old crime, ideal especially for

a younger market.

IRA Terror on Britain’s Streets 1939–1940

IRA Terror on Britain’s Streets 1939–1940 written by Dick Kirby written by

Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Softcover - Pages 240

It is little known today that, in January 1939, the IRA launched a bombing campaign,

codenamed The S - or Sabotage - Plan on mainland England. With cynical self-

justification, they announced that it was not their intention to harm human life but in

just over a year, 265 explosive devices resulted in the deaths of seven innocent

people, with 117 injuries and widespread devastation. London, Birmingham,

Manchester, Liverpool and many other towns and cities were targeted.

On 25 August 1939, detectives in London defused three devices set to detonate that afternoon at 2.30 and arrested four terrorists. At the same time an identical bomb exploded in Coventry city centre killing five civilians and injuring 72, the highest body count of the campaign.

Numerous arrests were made nationwide but ill-trained personnel and additional national security resulting from the threat of Nazi invasion caused the campaign to falter and fade away in early 1940. The author, a former detective, is well qualified to write this book, having spent 18 months in Northern Ireland combatting terrorism, for which he was commended by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Lord Imbert, for displaying ‘courage, dedication and detective ability’.

I think this is the second Dick Kirby book that I have reviewed, and I’ve had further confirmation that he is a really good writer, very informative, descriptive and actually quite often to the point. Dick Kirby. Kirby concentrates of real criminal cases mostly British but not exclusively, being a former policeman gives him a background and experience in what people want to know and how to tell that story. This book focuses in particular on the the IRA campaigns on the mainland but in the early days of the 30/40’s, and in a way it’s a kind of a book that looks at the early days of criminal behaviour by the IRA in Britian, where the UK police are having to work at a national level in order to defeat what we call today the terrorists. The book focuses on mainly the London trials but also a number of attacks in the north of England. This book is fascinating in that it looks closely at the early skills and tactics used by the police to detect and solve these kinds of crimes. Overall a thoroughly good book and very comprehensive, certainly a good book for anyone who love true crime.

The Kennedy Assassinations - JFK & Bobby Kennedy - Debunking the Conspiracy Theories

The Kennedy Assassinations - JFK & Bobby Kennedy - Debunking the

Conspiracy Theories written by Mel Ayton and published by Frontline

Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 248

Few events have been the subject of more conspiracy theories than the assassinations

of the two Kennedy brothers. Indeed, a great many people consider that there were other

individuals than Lee Harvey Oswald and Sirhan Sirhan involved in both murders. Was a

shot fired from Dealey Plaza’s grassy knoll? Why did Jack Ruby shoot Oswald? Was it

the CIA, the Soviets, Cuban nationalists or the Mafia that arranged John Kennedy’s

assassination? Was Robert Kennedy shot from in front and behind, and who had the

most to gain from his death?

These are just a few of the questions that have been put forward by a myriad of conspiracy theorists and it is those people and their ideas that Mel Ayton has tackled head-on. Over many years, Mel Ayton has examined all the more substantial conspiracy theories and, through careful analysis of documents and eyewitness statements, he has demolished each one.

In each case, Mel Ayton presented the results of his detailed investigations in periodicals as he worked through the various theories. These have now been brought together to provide a comprehensive analysis of all the main theories as to who, how and why the two Kennedy brothers met their deaths in such unusual circumstances.

Though wild ideas will continue to be proposed and efforts will still be made to demonstrate that Oswald could not have fired off three shots with great accuracy in the few seconds available to him as the presidential cavalcade passed beneath the window where he crouched, or that there were sinister reasons why three CIA men were allegedly present on the night of Robert Kennedy’s assassination, the harsh reality is that the Kennedy brothers were each killed by lone gunmen.

This is an absorbing read, brought up to date with the addition of new material as it has been uncovered. Maybe, just maybe, this book will persuade people that the official accounts of both murders, although flawed, are not cover-ups but simply statements of fact.

Whenever you talk about the Kennedy Brothers now, you’re rarely going to talk about

their presidency or political life. Your sadly and usually going to be talking about their

assassinations. Both of these took place at a time of social and political turmoil in America,

there is a lot of conspiracy debate, conflict and myth-making. This is a really good book

as the author Mel Ayton takes the two presidents separately and goes through the differing

conspiracy theories one by one, ranging from the CIA, to a lone gunman, the Mafia and so

on and so on. Having read a good number of books on this subject previously I would
say that it is a well set out book and Mel Ayton argues each point very well. Certainly, an

excellent book if you are new to the subject and even if you’ve had a passing interest

previously. A book even I enjoyed and I quite like the author and his writing style having

read his previous book Protecting the Presidential Candidates.

Jack the Ripper - The Policeman - A New Suspect

Jack the Ripper - The Policeman - A New Suspect written by Rod Beattie and

published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 130

Imagine you were a police officer and had been dominated as a child by an abusive

mother who didn’t really want you and as an adult had been served bastardy orders

twice, firstly by a woman in whose house you lived and then by a woman you had a

relationship with.

Then, to top it all after you had become a police officer in another city you arrested a woman you thought was a prostitute, whose subsequent actions caused you to be accused of perjury and you ended up in court at the Old Bailey. Although you were found not guilty, it ruined your career and left you seriously in debt and though you were still a policeman you were taken off the streets and assigned to a menial job guarding a museum.

As a police officer you were in a perfect position to take revenge on those people you thought had ruined you, prostitutes.

This book contains the complete reason Jack the Ripper came to be. It sheds new light on the mystery of the killer. After all, who is going to suspect a policeman going about his daily duties of being one of the world’s most infamous serial killers.

This book revolves around the long-lasting story of Jack the Ripper and ‘Who dunnit’, with the prime suspect being suggested this time as Bowden Endacott a Metropolitan Policeman. After all, as in Victorian Britain, it was a time when police officers were starting to be recognised as reliable people you could trust. I should add that this did take a while as is usual there were dodgy officers around as there always have been. The author Rod Beattie does put across some good points that would be very plausible, but then after all I have read some points of his arguments I might argue with. But as you would have to say there has been some good research put into this book and it’s a very enjoyable read, certainly a good one to put against all the other books that try to identify the ripper suspect.

Broadmoor Women

Broadmoor Women: Tales from Britain’s First Criminal Lunatic Asylum written

by Kim Thomas and published by Pen & Sword Books - £14.99 - Softcover - Pages 192

Broadmoor, Britain’s first asylum for criminal lunatics, was founded in 1863. In the first years

of its existence, one in five patients was female. Most had been tried for terrible crimes and

sent to Broadmoor after being found not guilty by virtue of insanity. Many had murdered their

own children, while others had killed husbands or other family members.

Drawing on Broadmoor’s rich archive, this book tells the story of seven of those women, ranging from a farmer’s daughter in her 20s who shot dead her own mother to a middle-class housewife who drowned her baby daughter. Their moving stories give a glimpse into what nineteenth-century life was like for ordinary women, often struggling with poverty, domestic abuse and repeated childbearing. For some, Broadmoor, with its regime of plain food, fresh air and garden walks, was a respite from the hardships of their previous life. Others were desperate to return to their families.

All but one of the women whose stories are recounted in this book recovered and were released. Their bout of insanity was temporary. Yet the causes of their condition were poorly understood and the treatment rudimentary. As well as providing an in-depth look at the lives of women in Victorian England, the book offers a fascinating insight into the medical profession’s emerging understanding of the causes and treatment of mental illness.

This is both a fascinating book and a sad one because it is basically a book about women who have fallen on hard times physically, mentally and in terms of income. In most cases are women who are having to live in desperate situations with no or little support from anyone, which is why they have reached this conclusion in that they haven’t been able to cope and so have now committed terrible crimes. The author Kim Thomas has done a great job of writing this book and has shown in her writing sympathy and understanding of the positions of these women.

The book tells the story of eight women all have committed serious crimes against people and children, but when you read the stories they have had no help or support from society, families or partners. If it was in today’s lifetime, these women would surely be seen as being mentally ill and needing help not cast into the hard life of a Broadmoor prison where they still wouldn’t get the help they needed. A really good book in how it was written but like I said at the start a very sad one.

Scotland Yard's Murder Squad

Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad written by Dick Kirby and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 264

In 1906 the Metropolitan Police Commissioner was asked by the Home Office to make available skilled investigators for murder enquiries nationwide as few constabularies had sufficiently skilled – or indeed, any - detectives.

Thus was born the Reserve Squad, or Murder Squad, as it later became known. Despite a reluctance by some forces to call upon The Met, the Murder Squad has proved its effectiveness on countless occasions with its remit extended to British territories overseas. A particularly sensitive case was the murder of a local superintendent on St Kitts and Nevis.

A former Scotland Yard detective, the Author uses his contacts and experiences to get the inside track on a gruesome collection of infamous cases. Child murderers, a Peer’s butler, a King’s housekeeper, gangsters, jealous spouses and the notorious mass murderer Dr Bodkin Adams compete for space in this spine-chilling and gripping book which is a testament to the Murder Squad’s skills and ingenuity - and the evil of the perpetrators.

Brimming with gruesome killings, this highly readable book proves that there is no substitute for old fashioned footwork and instinct.

In another Dick Kirby book, I’m certainly not complaining as I’m becoming to love a good Dick Kirby book about true crime. The good thing about a Dick Kirby book is that he as the author has been there and done it, which I would say is one of the main things that come through the book/s and we have great books to read. The book covers 14 chapters looking at various murders of different types, such as murdering of children, deadly doctors, affairs of the heart and female killers to name a few of the cases. 

The cases always come across as informed, direct and very well written and this is probably due to the experience and history of the writer having been a former police officer. It is my belief that Dick Kirby is fast becoming an excellent crime writer, I can only recommend his books as I have never read a poor book. As it seems that True Crime never seems to end I really do look forward to reviewing his next book.

The Moors Murderers

The Moors Murderers written by Chris Cook and published by Pen & Sword Books

- £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 304

Meticulously researched by C.G.C. Cook, The Moors Murderers gives readers a rare and fascinating look into the lives of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley – often referred to as the most evil couple in British history. After a torture and killing spree that lasted two years and left five innocent children dead, many aspects of their lives have been kept hidden from the public. Cook’s new release changes that – making unseen photographs, letters and accounts public for the first time. In the mid 1960s, the serenity of Saddleworth Moor was forever interrupted, even if people didn’t yet know it, as the area became a grave for the innocent child victims of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.

The couple’s vile torture and killings have shaken up British history ever since, with the couple often considered two of the most evil people to have lived. However, the public still have many questions about who they were and how their dysfunctional relationship operated.

In this book, many artefacts become public for the first time, including photographs from Ian Brady’s ‘Tartan album’, police interviews and witness statements, which shed vital new light on Brady, Hindley and the dangerous cocktail their union became.

You would have to think that the vast majority of people have heard about Brady & Hindley and their sickening crimes, but I suppose the younger generation might not have heard of them and how their crimes affected a generation in the 60’s. Whilst this is a harrowing and upsetting story about two deranged individuals the story from a true crime perspective is fascinating. The book looks at the crimes from the very beginning, looking at these two growing up and their family background and then how they met up with each other. As experts will often say that you can predict what is to come from looking at someone’s character and upbringing and says how that individual will turn out. 

Although it is sickening to read about the crimes, torture and abuse which must have been terrifying for the victim. For the living, it’s also the way they buried their victims anonymously on the Saddleworth moors and then gave false hopes to victims' parents and relatives claiming to reveal where they were buried, but then never did. Denying parents’ the chance to bury their loved ones. The book is a really good book in that it is well written and balanced in its evidence and facts. A really good book that I would recommend especially for true crime fans or for people who have never heard of the case.

Scotland Yard's Casebook of Serious Crime

Scotland Yard’s Casebook of Serious Crime written by Dick Kirby published by Pen & Sword Books - £19.99 - Hardback - Pages 256

Times change and not always for the better. Dick Kirby, a former experienced Met detective and now best-selling author, maintains that the current politically correct culture coupled with an inept Crown Prosecution Service and aided and abetted by the Police & Criminal Evidence Act, has slowed the pursuit of criminals and justice to a snail’s pace.

As this gripping book clearly demonstrates it was not always so. During the 20th Century, uniformed officers were visibly part of the community, patrolling their beats and protecting the public’s property. Detectives detected, cultivated informants and, like their uniform counterparts, knew the characters on their manor. What’s more, they were backed by their senior officers, who had on-the-job experience.

Drawing on both celebrated and lesser known cases, the author vividly describes crime fighting against merciless gangsters, desperate gunmen, inept kidnappers, vicious robbers, daring burglars and ruthless blackmailers. Using his first-hand knowledge he highlights the often unconventional methods used to frustrate and outwit hardened criminals and the satisfaction gained from successful operations.

One chapter – “An Old Master” – accurately describes the theft of Goya’s portrait, The Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in 1961. This audacious heist was recently adapted into film: “The Duke” starring Jim Broadbent as the thief and Helen Mirren as his long-suffering wife.

Written by Dick Kirby, probably the third book of his I have read and I have to say what a brilliant writer he is and his background in the police probably makes him an even better writer due to knowing the system inside and out. He has an informative style that in my opinion helps grip the reader because I read this book in just a couple of nights and I really wanted to read more.

The book covers serious crimes over the second half of the 20th century and being serious crimes, your looking at crimes such as jewellery theft, robberies, blackmail, bank heists, forgery etc. The book is split into 28 chapters with each chapter covering a different crime and we see how crimes were solved, how evidence came about and often how the police were hampered by the system that was in theory supposed to help tackle crime. I enjoyed the punishment terms at the back of the book, quite enlightening. A really detailed and informative book certainly a book I would recommend and true crime fans would love this book.

Investigating the Almost Perfect Murders

Investigating the Almost Perfect Murders written by Anthony Nott and published by 

Pen & Sword Books - £14.99 - Softcover - Pages 197

Anthony Nott joined the Metropolitan Police in 1971, which was a very different world from that of today. He describes his early experiences in the Met, including the arrest of a man for murdering a prostitute in Kings Cross. He was present when a fellow police officer was almost stabbed to death and witnessed an act of police brutality when he interrupted the beating of a petty criminal in a cell by the CID.

He transferred to the county force of Dorset in 1976 where, not long after his promotion to detective sergeant, he engaged in what would be a ten-year long investigation into the disappearance of Monica Taylor and the eventual conviction of her husband, Peter, for what was almost the perfect murder – Monica’s remains were never found. He then recounts a series of murder cases in which he was involved from the murder and decapitation of a woman in Bournemouth and the random killing of another, to the extremely violent killing of a gay man in Boscombe Gardens, Bournemouth, in which it took two years to bring the killers to justice.

While a detective chief inspector in Bournemouth in 1994, the chance visit of a detective sergeant from Guernsey, who was investigating a life insurance fraud, led to the re-opening of a missing person enquiry from eight years earlier, and resulted in the conviction of Russell Causley for murder, despite his wife’s body never being recovered.

This book provides an insight into the methodical and transparent way in which the police investigate complicated crimes from riots to the almost perfect murders.

Well, this book was a fascinating read indeed, both meticulous and detailed which I suppose comes from the author as the book follows his life in the police force in which he endeavours to work and succeed on some tricky cases. The book follows a good number of different cases ranging from riots and crowd control all the way up to almost getting away with the perfect murder. The book was very interesting and it was nice to read a good number of different crimes that were British rather than from the US. A good book very well worth reading if you're into crime especially true British crime.

London Serial Killers

London Serial Killers written by Jonathan Oates and published by Pen & Sword

Books - £20.00 - Hardback - Pages 224

Murders and murderers fascinate us – and perhaps serial killers fascinate us most of all. In the twentieth century the term came to be used to describe murders committed by the same person, often with similar methods. But, as Jonathan Oates demonstrates in this selection of cases from London, this category of crime has existed for centuries, though it may have become more common in modern times. Using police and pathologists’ reports, Home Office and prison files, trial transcripts and lurid accounts in contemporary newspapers, he reconstructs these cases in order to explain how they took place, who the killers were, what motivated them, and how for a while they got away with their crimes. He does not neglect the victims and provides a revealing analysis of the killers, their circumstances and their actions.

Among the nineteenth-century cases are the infamous killings of Jack the Ripper and the less-well-known but terrifying crimes of the only female killer, the Deptford Poisoner. Twentieth-century cases covered in forensic detail include the Black-out Ripper of 1942, the Thames Nude Murders of the 1960s and the multiple killings of Joseph Smith, John Christie and John George Haigh. There is also one especially troubling unsolved case – the notorious Soho prostitute killings of the 1930s and 1940s, which may be the work of one man.

This book looks at about 10 cases through recent times starting off with the Jack the Ripper case, through the various stories or events the writer Jonathan Oates takes us through the event, then looks at the investigation, mistakes, evidence and the various court reports, readings and records. Oates actually does a really good job, and a lot of research and writing has gone on. So it is a very good book in my opinion, certainly for any true crime buffs. The only downside I found was I had heard and read about 90% of the cases in this book so although it was an enjoyable book, I didn’t learn a great deal from it.