Britain's Unsolved Murders

Book excerpt: This true crime history spans a century of murder, exploring 13 of the UK’s most notorious cold cases from the Victorian Era to the 1950s. This book examines some of the most horrifying, mystifying, and fascinating murder cases in British history. Expertly researched by true crime author Kevin Turton, these stories have endured and confounded both police and law courts alike. With a chapter devoted to each story, Turton examines the circumstances surrounding the crime, the people caught up in the investigation, and the impact it had on their lives. Though they span a century—from 1857 to 1957—these murders share one chilling fact in common: despite various accusations, arrests, and trials, no one has ever been proven guilty. The volume begins with notorious cases from the Victorian Era, such as the questionable trial of Scotland’s accused murderess Madeleine Smith, and the failed investigation into the murder of John Gill—possibly by Jack the Ripper. It then moves into the 20th century with the murders of Caroline Luard, Florence Nightingale Shore, and others. In each case, Turton sifts the facts and poses the questions that mattered at the time of each murder.