Classic Crimes

Now regarded one of the fathers of the true crime genre, Roughead began his career as a Scottish lawyer before turning his hand to amateur criminology. Spending much of his life within the courtroom, he witnessed many of trials first hand, allowing him to grasp a precise and detailed perspective on the frequently savage circumstances. The tales of cold-blooded murder in this edition feature some of the highly sensational true crimes of the past, and often provide a psychological insight to those on trial. Trials of the likes of Burke and Hare and Deacon Brody are joined with other, lesser known accounts of equally horrific felonies – all told in Roughead’s scintillating manner. An engaging collection of classic crime stories, this atmospheric read will appeal to those particularly interested in the notorious murders and trials of the Victorian period, and any with a penchant for true crime.