London Serial Killers is a true-crime biography of historical murderers from London and its environs curated and written by Dr. Jonathan Oates. Due out 12th May from Pen & Sword on their True Crime imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
The author writes accessibly and well, without resorting to overly lurid detail. The chapters are arranged chronologically by subject, starting with the perennial (Jack the Ripper), and including both well and lesser known killers, both male and female down through the 20th century. The author examines both motives and methods along with the biography and historical highlights. There are a number of fascinating transcripts from the trials of the murderers.
The text is meticulously annotated and written in accessible and easy to understand language. The chapter notes and bibliography will provide hours of further reading for students of true-crime history. The text is enhanced with an appendix which contains historical and modern photos of the environs and some of the sites where the murders occurred as well as facsimile documents. There are no lurid crime scene photographs.
Four stars. Well written and absorbing. Recommended for readers of true crime history.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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