Scotland Yard’s First Cases In 1842 Scotland Yard set up the first detective branch. With very little to help in their pursuit of villains, the group was faced with a difficult task. Fingerprinting and DNA didn’t exist and there was no efficient means of communicating between one officer and another – let alone between different…
Category: Crime
‘The Michigan Murders’ by Edward Keyes
The Michigan Murders In 1967, a 19-year-old EMU student was last seen walking home to her apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan. A few weeks later, her violated, naked body was found on an abandoned farm. Over the next few years, six more bodies were discovered, leading the police into a murder investigation that would taunt them…
‘The Invisible Man’ by HG Wells
The Invisible Man (Audiobook) An impetuous scientist manages to make himself invisible by interfering with his body’s refractive index. However, on discovering the impossibility of reversing the process, he begins to consider how this new characteristic might have unexpected benefits. Turning to crime, he becomes obsessed with making the most of his invisibility and gradually…
‘A Ticket to Tewkesbury’ by Neal James
A Ticket to Tewkesbury On discovering a fifty-year-old love letter, Julie Martin uncovers a series of events leading back to Nazi Germany. Secret files from MI5 and the mysterious ‘Organisation’, brings to light documents that have remained hidden for half a century. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and the premise…
‘Pictures of Deceit’ by SC Richmond
Pictures of Deceit Celebrated art dealer Michael Masters comes home to stage a long-awaited exhibition, but when he disappears, local journalist Alexandra Price turns out to be the last person to have seen him alive. As the mystery deepens and a body is washed up, Alex wonders if she is the victim of a set-up.…
‘Last Word’ by Mark Lane
Last Word (Audiobook) Mark Lane’s final book on the JFK assassination explores the role of the CIA in the murder, gathering together fifty years of research, court appearances, witness statements and testimonies. Anyone who still thinks Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman, should read this book now. To be fair, Lane is repeating himself…
‘London Large: Blood on the Streets’ by G & R Robson
London Large: Blood on the Streets Top cop DI Harry Hawkins finds himself stuck in the middle of on an international gang war in central London, but his past and the media conspire to get in the way of catching the bad guys. With a possible conspiracy in the offing and a level of violence…
‘Mr Briggs’ Hat’ by Kate Colquhoun
Mr Briggs’ Hat (Audiobook) When Thomas Briggs got into a first-class carriage to travel home after visiting relatives, he couldn’t have known he’d never reach his destination. The discovery of bloodied seat cushions, a bloodstained hat and a broken watch chain, signalled what was to become known as Britain’s first railway murder. Would police be…
‘One Punch’ by Keith Dixon
One Punch When former cop Paul Storey takes a job with ex-boxer Bran Doyle, it’s obvious nothing is going to be straightforward. But as Storey begins to dissect the politics and relationships within his new employer’s household, he also learns that Doyle is of interest to the police. Working out what’s really happening, and why,…
‘The Wicked Boy’ by Kate Summerscale
The Wicked Boy (Audio Book) In July 1895, 13-year-old Robert Coombes and his younger brother travel to Lord’s to watch a cricket match. The trip heralds the start of a spending spree for the two boys who are soon observed pawning items from their family home and taking jaunts to the seaside in the company…
