Scotland Yard A history of the London police force's most infamous murder cases

The London Metropolitan Police was formed in 1829 in response to a series of ghastly murders which shocked the public and inflamed hysterical media headlines. The local police forces were ill-equipped to tackle cases involving multiple homicides, and there was an outcry for an overhaul in policing. The name of these policemen would become inextricably linked to their location at Scotland Yard. These men hunted down criminals varying from jilted-lovers-turned-murderers to men who killed in order to sell the bodies to scientific researchers. The force experienced growing pains along the way, from bungled investigations to corruption charges, and saw innovations in crime detection, from using dogs for sniffing out clues to the building of criminal profiles, as would be done in the famous "Jack the Ripper" case. Scotland Yard recalls the highs and lows of a premier law enforcement agency in brilliant detail from its inception until the mid-20th century. Author Simon Read (The Iron Sea, 2020) proficiently provides the backstory of the crimes, victims, villains, and determined policemen who factored into the development of Scotland Yard.

Journalist Read (Human Game) shrewdly synthesizes a wealth of material in this insightful survey of London's Scotland Yard police force from its 1829 founding to the 1930s. Utilizing court transcripts, investigative files, and other sources, Read traces how the force evolved into a world-renowned pioneer in forensic science and criminal investigation. He begins the account with the 1811 Ratcliffe Highway murders, in which two East London families were slaughtered within days of each other; the attack spurred public interest in better policing and resulted in the establishment of the London Metropolitan Police (which took the nickname "Scotland Yard" from the street where its headquarters were located). From there, he documents Londoners' initial worries about police interference in their lives, and then recounts the department's most consequential cases, including the Jack the Ripper murders, which led to major advancements in fingerprinting and ballistics analysis. He doesn't shy away from controversy, memorably highlighting 1877's "Trial of the Detectives," which uncovered corruption in the Yard's upper ranks. Marrying rigorous research and smooth storytelling, this is a must-read for fans of true crime. Photos. Agent: Jonathan Lyons, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)

The story of Scotland Yard told through some of its most famous cases. Read, author of The Iron Seas, Human Game, and Winston Churchill Reporting, begins this entertaining, atmospheric history in 1811, with London's gruesome Radcliffe Highway Murders, then quickly backtracks to 1753 and the establishment of Henry Fielding's Bow Street Runners, a small, private constabulary force. In 1829, Scotland Yard, London's first established police force with a new power--to investigate crimes--was born amid the heyday of sensational murders, lurid newspaper coverage, and later, some infamous criminals' wax appearances at Madame Tussauds. After their successful investigation into a grave-robbing scheme, the organization gained praise and publicity. The 1840 murder of Lord William Russell drew Queen Victoria's attention, and Scotland Yard took heat for not solving it initially; but then they did--the butler did it. Dickens and Thackeray attended the hanging, "both repulsed at what they saw." In 1842, the Yard added a "plainclothes Detective Branch--the first of its kind," and the group quickly solved the infamous Bermondsey murders. The Yard's reputation was tarnished in 1872 when four chief inspectors were bribed by two con men, resulting in a significant shakeup in the force and the creation of the Criminal Investigation Department in 1878. Just over a decade later, the Yard took on the case of the Thames Torso Murderer, a serial killer case that remained unsolved. In 1890, the New Scotland Yard got a new home, a granite building "notable for its use of electricity." Along with forensic pathology, they began to incorporate fingerprinting in their investigations. In 1910, the Yard successfully pursued a killer across the Atlantic. These crimes and others, Read notes near the end of this surprisingly lively narrative, "defined modern detective work and still resonate today." True-crime enthusiasts will relish these many murders most foul. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.