This book is filled with historic cases starting from over 100 years ago.
The cases were fascinating. And showed an amazing insight into how criminals were caught without the forensics
This is perfect for fans of true crime.

Sadly, I was unable to download this book in time before it was archived and this I was not able to either read or review it. My apologies.

I really enjoyed this book and have read a few by this author now and I really enjoy his writing style.

The book was broken down in to short stories that covered some of the cases that the Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad would have been involved in and there is a real mix!

The chapter length is perfect and the writing is really punchy to bring them to life too. This was a book I read over a few evenings and on my lunches to take a break – the perfect distraction for me!

There was just the right amount of details and I loved that it was a mix of detectives from all levels that were focussed on and not just the more senior serving officials. It was fascinating to see how far they had to travel and how long some of the investigations took too.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, great for fans of true crime!

**If you have a weak stomach, some of these cases may bother you**

Absolutely ONE OF THE BEST books that I have read this year! I absolutely loved the detail that went into each of the cases, as well as the development of the police officers who formed the murder squad. Scotland Yard helped to mold the development of how cases, evidence, and many other facets of each investigation would proceed in the future. While some of the tactics used by officers would raise eyebrows today, it was the norm at the time.

Each of the cases was laid out so that even those who are not familiar with the criminal justice system could follow the information that was presented here. I did not want this book to end! I found it fabulous and interesting. There were a few cases that shocked me to my core, but the justice that was meted out was somewhat of a consolation.

Grab this book now - its perfect for summer reading (okay, any time of year reading).

I enjoyed reading this book and found the history behind the old cases fascinating. Thank you to netgalley and the author and publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest opinion

Princess Fuzzypants here: This is a quick read and a fascinating one. It tells a number of stories from the Yard’s Murder Squad from it’s very beginnings when detective work was less than a science. The stories are all fascinating and I liked how the author told the tales in great detail, much like the officers did in their investigations. I liked as well it told of successes and of failures. Even when the detective painstakingly put together a case in excruciating detail, something or someone could throw a monkey wrench into it and the killer was set free. It is frustrating to read the stories so one can only imagine how it must have felt to the men who worked so hard on the case.
Obviously the stories that were either set in London or the UK were fascinating but I also found the ones where for one reason or another Scotland Yard got involved because British Justice took precedence. The ones who went abroad certainly led far more colourful careers than the ones who stayed at home. And they too had lots of colour.
If you, like me, are a fan of true crime and like self contained units, you will enjoy this book. Four purrs and two paws up.

This was an interesting read but definitely not a quick one. There were many interesting cases highlighted over the history of the Murder Squad detailing different investigative techniques. Lots of history pertaining to when fingerprinting came into court as evidence etc. but could be quite dry at times. Overall, if you really like true crime and history, this is a worthy read.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

As a true-crime writer myself specialising in Victorian crime. I found this book informative and interesting. This book includes highlights of some notable cases solved by the murder squad. Recommended.

Are you a true crime lover. Then here is a book for you to read. A variety of various cases that have been investigated my Scotland Yard.
Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book

There are, of course, more serious crimes committed in this country than most people can ever imagine. Books like this give an insight into some of them and how, over the decades, the investigative process has changed.

Written with the benefit of hindsight some of the more dubious practices are given short shrift and the successes are highlighted. The reputation of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad preceded it and the book includes cases not only from the Uk but also from across the world where it was only regional differences which changed the way the detective teams operated.

I enjoy reading about true crime and enjoyed this very much. It was written in a concise, informative manner by an author who clearly knows and understands his subject matter. While books which concentrate on only one case can obviously show a great deal of detail I didn't feel the stories here lacked any of the important facts or atmosphere of the time due to the number included. The tools at the disposal of the detectives in the earliest of these cases were basic to say the least but there was never any doubt the detectives would do their best to get the job done.

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 the history of murder deduction.

This book covers many interesting cases from Scotland Yard's Murder Squad. It is fascinating to read how these cases, starting in the early 1900's, were investigated & solved. It is extensively researched, but I found it confusing at times - with so much detail, I found it hard to keep track of who people were & what they had done.

This book is a collection of infamous cases of the Scotland Yard's Murder Squad from its early days, where investigations tools were limited and fingerprinting method was new. Cases solved were largely due to the diligence and intelligence of the skilled detectives in the squad. There are fourteen cases in this book, ranging from murders to ransom.

My thoughts: You know that the author has done extensive research for this book as it is replete with information. I enjoyed learning about the early history of how investigations is done by the police (e.g: The Bertillon system of measurement in 1877; Galton's system of fingerprint in 1892). Did you know that the first case convicted based on fingerprinting evidence in UK was in 1902?

The cases discussed in this book were interesting and heartbreaking as well. The Blackburn Baby Murder was the one that affected me the most emotionally. This case baffled the police for the longest time and became the biggest fingerprint hunt in history. Bodkin Adams' case took the largest chunk in this book. While it was an intriguing case, I find it to be too detailed and felt like I was reading a textbook.

I appreciate how the author gives like an update on the detectives who were involved in the cases discussed in this book. Some were promoted and some went on to explore other fields.

Overall, this is an interesting read and I recommend it to true crime aficionados, especially those who enjoy police procedural and forensics topics. However, this is a book to be devoured slowly, bit by bit, since it is jam-packed with information.

Pub. Date: 30 June, 2020

***Thank you Pen & Sword and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***

Kirby - through his vast experience and network of contacts from his Flying Squad days - is able to present an eclectic range of cases from the annals of Scotland Yard. After presenting us with a brief history, representing a nostalgic view of bygone times, we are launched into our first case, taking place at the turn of the 20th century. As with many of the earlier cases, forensics was in its infancy, and detectives were still expected to put in the hard slog and discover or reveal the evidence for themselves. Fingerprinting was in use as was the traditional "line up", but it was the sharp-eye witness and the sifting through the circumstantial evidence that aided in a conviction. Only one case presented featured the "court room confession" and a number of cases are still unsolved; and not all our suspects paid the ultimate price. We meet along the way a mixed bag of detectives - a "suspicion" of detectives if you like - and I enjoyed the "what happened to ..." at the end.

For those interested in true crime and / or police methods, this will prove an enjoyable read.

This book is filled with fascinating short stories of the Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad from back in the day, when the tools at hand for investigators were few, mostly just the new fingerprinting and smarts. The cases held my interest and were varied, with different investigators handling them. This was at a time when many murderers could find themselves with hanging as a punishment if found guilty! So follow back in time and read about these cases and see how serious investigations were done back then, if they were lucky enough to still have evidence available by the time they were notified and then had time to get to the scene. Recommended for true crime lovers. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Dick Kirby, and the publisher.

I first heard of Scotland Yard from Sherlock Holmes stories. This is a book of short stories of interesting cases that Scotland Yard, specifically its Murder Squad, have dealt with through its history. For example, we hear about the first time fingerprint evidence is used in court. We also read about various investigative techniques used through the years. It's also informative, like finding out that Scotland Yard have helped investigate crimes abroad, mostly in Commonwealth countries. I thought they're confined to just Britain. Reading this book is like having a retired cop uncle tell you stories of the olden days. Overall, an interesting read for those with an interest in police history.

**Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!**

Scotland Yard's Murder Squad is the latest book True Crime author Dick Kirby, who saved as a Policeman in a variety of elite units.

The book is a collection of stories,each featuring a notable case solved by the Murder Squad, these stories range from the early days of early days of squad up the 1990's and included cases involving child murderers to gangster's with locations from London to the crime ridden Islands of St.Kitts and Nevis islands.

The book also gives the reader an interesting insight into how the police used their instincts to get their man before the development and use of forensic evidence/ technology.

The author writes is an easy flowing manner making it a enjoyable read.

This book is incredibly well researched and has some super fun. Everything you need for an armchair adventure. I really enjoyed all the stories in here and the writing is really lovely.

A true crime and history lover's DREAM

In 1906 the Metropolitan Police Commissioner was asked by the Home Office to make available skilled investigators for murder enquiries nationwide. This was firstly called the reserve Squad and they later became known as the Murder Squad.

There is a lot of infamous cases included in this book. It ranges from child murderers to gangsters with everything inbetween. I love true crime and the investigation into it so I was pleased when I saw this book up for request. This is an interesting insight into how the police used their instincts to get their man as they didn't have the forensic evidence technology they have today.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Pen & Sword and the author Dick Kirby for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This title piqued my interest as a lover of both true crime and history. I found the early history of the flying squad the most fascinating, particularly the early forensic developments. Equally fascinating is the description of people’s day to day lives. I lost interest slightly by the story of Bodkin Adams which takes up a large part of the middle of the book. The writing style is fast paced and hard hitting.

Scotland Yard's Murder Squad is the latest book from my favourite True Crime author Dick Kirby. Kirby had a very distinguished career as a Policeman in a variety of elite units and his first-hand experience of many of the events and people he writes about give his books the benefit of being fact rather than the semi-fiction peddled by a couple of well-known "True Crime "writers , you know who you are Gents.
The book is a collection of episodes,each featuring a notable case solved by the Murder Squad, even if in some cases the Courts didn't see it that way, in fact the failure of our legal system at times to convict very obviously guilty people is disturbingly apparent throughout the book.
The stories range from the early days of the first Detectives until the 1990's with locations from London to the crime ridden St Kitts and Nevis islands , which has been turned into a virtual war-zone as a hub for drug dealing and double dealing..
As always with Kirby's books the tales are full of "characters" on both sides of the law, old lags who were back into a life of crime almost within hours of ending their latest sentence and Policemen who rolled up their sleeves and took on violent criminals toe to toe. The latter,as Kirby says,wouldn't be welcome in today's Police force,neither would my Great Grandfather who as a Constable in London's Dockland early last century told my Dad,as a boy,that he'd dealt with more criminals in alleyways than via the courts!
I really enjoyed this book, up to Mr Kirby's usual high standard, and as soon as I'd finished it I ordered 2 of his early books online..
Thanks to Dick Kirby, Pen and Sword Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.