I am a massive true crime fan so this book was right up my street – I do love an unsolved murder!

I knew a few of the stories that are featured in the book but in the main, the majority of the cases that were mentioned in the book were new to me, or the author has added details I was not aware of and that made it all the more enjoyable.

I thought that the length of the chapters was great, there was plenty of detail and it allowed me to find out more if I wanted to outside of the book – I think it would be a great introduction to the different crimes if people wanted to go off and read more around the different murders.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed the layout and the length of the book as perfect for me! I loved being able to dip in and out of the different cases - Highly recommended!!

This is a very interesting book starting with an unsolved case from 1857 and moving through the next one hundred years to the final investigation in 1957. With the gift of hindsight and the huge advances in forensic science and policing methods it is easy to scoff at some of the decisions made by the investigating officers but without these improvements it is clear there would be far more of these unsolved killings across the world.

In each case the author ends the chapter with his opinion as to what really happened and this gives a more modern interpretation of the crime committed and why those who were suspected of murder weren't convicted. In some instances the cases made it all the way to trial and the onus was transferred to the members of the general public who had been sworn in as the jury to make the final decision.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about unsolved true crime stories where, by the end, you don't know whodunnit, which in this  book happens not once but thirteen times!

A good solid book for the true crime fan.
It was well researched and written.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

For this mystery and true-crime buff gal, this book is excellent at detailing and explaining some of Britain's most notorious murders, specifically Jack the Ripper, and dating back as early as 1857 to 1957. Some of these murders I've never heard of, as I'm an American citizen, and not native to London. Each chapter is dedicated to a notorious murder that was never solved, detailing the victim's early beginnings to their unfortunate demise. It's not a quick read, but gives immense detail and insight into victim's, their murder, and why it may have come about. Let us know your thoughts, and thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Swords for the ARC.

The publisher, Pen & Sword, kindly offered me an advanced reader copy (ARC) of Britain’s Unsolved Murders by Kevin Turton via NetGalley. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my humble opinion.

The book summary is very accurate in this case. "Spanning 100 years between 1857-1957, this book re-examines thirteen of these murder cases and retells the stories that have endured and confounded both police and law courts alike. Each chapter provides an account of the circumstances surrounding the killing, of the people caught up in the subsequent investigation and the impact it had on some of their lives."

I found this book very informative regarding the details surrounding each crime but also regarding the people involved and their backstory. I got a very clear sense of place and time as well as the murder victims. The author provided with the backstory of each victim and in some cases the main murder suspects, which I valued greatly. Knowing the victim is essential in murder investigations, and I felt like the author accomplished that. I also liked that after each murder case presentation, the author offered his opinion and thoughts about how the case was handled. He was objective and offered good arguments that neither favored or condemned the main suspects. He raised important questions whose answers we still don't know, and it's probably why these cases are still open.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cold cases (unsolved murders) and crime, in general. In fact, I loved this idea for a book, and I wish more books are published in the same vein. Show light over the cases that were neglected and mishandled. I applaud the author and publisher for writing and publishing this book. The victims need justice, and if that is not possible, the least we can do is remember them and have their voices heard.

Overall, what stood out to me in this book was the author's objectivity and keen mind to raise questions the police at the time hadn't bothered to ask. I'm looking forward to more books from this author, hoping for a sequel to this book perhaps. It'd be especially interesting to read about unsolved murders outside the UK.

*Spoiler following as I list which crimes the author presented in this book.*
!!The cases with (*) contain content warnings regarding sexual assault or murder of a child.

1. The Poisoning of Emile L'Angelier, 1857
2. The murder of John Gill, 1888
3. The murder of Windsor Dudley Cecil Hambrough, 1893
4. The murder of Rees Thomas Yells Brandish, 1897 *
5. The murder of Rose Harsent, 1902
6. The murder of Emily Dimmock, 1907
7. The murder of Caroline Mary Luard, 1908
8. The murder of Mabel Greenwood, 1919
9. The murder of Florence Nightingale Shore, 1920
10. The murder of Evelyn Foster, 1931 *
11. The murder of Doctor Angelos Zemenides, 1933
12. The murder of George and Lillian Peach, 1952
13. The murder of Ann Noblett *

5 stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Kevin Turton
Publisher: Pen & Sword/Pen & Sword True Crime

Fabulous and interesting book for true crime lovers. This book is really fascinating and well written.

When one thinks of unsolved murders in Ritalin, the Jack the Ripper case comes to mind
This book reexamines this famous case again, and gives you pause for thought who the real killer was
It also examines the Madeline Smith case and eleven other infamous murders
The book delves into the crime itself, the motives, and possible suspects.
I used to think Britain was very safe, but after reading this book, I realize that murder is lurking around e dry corner.
This is a great book for true crime fanatics

A short, yet surprising comprehensive look at a number of unsolved murders throughout Britain over the ages. These murders range from arsenic poisonings, shootings, and even to a descendant of Florence Nightingale’s supposed ‘train robbery’ beating. I didn’t know anything about a lot of the murders described, and the author goes into a decent amount of detail about what happens for each of them. If anything, I would have liked a deeper level of analysis on what the author thought really happened, or who was really responsible for the crimes, as often this was left as a short paragraph at the end, almost as an afterthought, and at times meant the various crimes feel ‘unfinished’.

I also found the writing a little dry at times, with a lot of the mystery and atmosphere taken out of the storytelling, leaving a simple presentation of the facts. As a result, my attention did slip on a few occasions while reading, as I felt I needed to concentrate rather than enjoy the retelling aspects. A bit more drama would not have gone amiss, although the short chapters made this easy to put done and pick back up at my leisure.

That said, this was a pretty decent attempt at pooling together a lot of information into a short and concise book, with a lot of facts that I didn’t know. Recommend for anyone interested in British true crime in bite sized chunks.

This was an interesting bind-up of true crime with a lot of the cases I've never heard of before. This could have been developed and pushed much further as it felt weak and under-explained in places. This could have been a much bigger book and that is the only real criticism I have against this. Overall it's definitely a book that doesn't take long to get through and explores cases from all over the country.

A short and at times interesting read about 13 unsolved murders between 1857-1957 in Britain. Each case is presented with backstory, description of the murder itself and the following investigation. One wonders how many of these murders would have been solved if the forensic science we have today was available to the police back then.