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IN THE DARK
by Simon Read
Berkley, November 2006
304 pages
$7.99
ISBN: 0425212831


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

In 1942 the US had only recently entered the war, but England had been suffering from destruction and privation for over two years. Almost every night there was an air raid and almost every night people died. Perhaps some didn't die from bombs but when a body was found in or near a bomb site, it was decided that foul play was probably not involved. But four murders, occurring during the nights of February 9-13 were caused by foul play.

On the morning of February 10. the body of a woman was found in an air raid shelter near Marble Arch. It was determined that she had been strangled. The next day, a women's body was found in Wardour Street. Her throat had been slashed and she had been raped with a flashlight. There were two more similar murders on the next two nights.

Scotland Yard Chief Superintendent Fred Cherrill, world famous fingerprint expert, was on the case with his fingerprint powder and magnifying glass. As the science of fingerprinting advanced, the Chief Supt refined the Yard's collection and methods.

A concise history of Scotland Yard is integrated into the story of the RAF flight cadet who murdered four women in four nights, as well as a portrait of blacked-out wartime London. The author also briefly touches on Inspector Dew, who was the first constable at one of the Ripper murders in Whitechapel as well as the one to capture Crippen in Canada. Chief Supt Cherrill had briefly worked with him. Dr Benjamin Spilsbury, the famed coroner, was also involved in the case of the 'Blackout Ripper.'

If you have an aversion to blood and gore, then don't read this book. The murders are explicitly detailed, as is the life of the murderer. We also get a picture of London in wartime, especially the nightlife of the young military men and the women who kept them company.

Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, February 2007

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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