The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer
Ratings5
Average rating3.6
The chilling true crime story of the Victorian era's deadliest doctor "When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals," Sherlock Holmes observed during one of his most puzzling murder investigations. Incredibly, at the time the words of the world's most famous fictional detective appeared in print in the Strand Magazine, a real-life Canadian doctor was stalking and murdering women in London's downtrodden Lambeth neighbourhood. Dr. Thomas Neill Cream had been a suspect in the deaths of two women in Canada, and had killed as many as four people in Chicago before he arrived in London in 1891 and began using pills laced with strychnine to kill prostitutes. The Lambeth Poisoner, as he was dubbed in the press, became one of the most prolific serial killers in history. In this fascinating book, Dean Jobb reveals how bungled investigations, corrupt officials and failed prosecutions allowed Cream to evade detection or freed him to kill, again and again. The first complete account of Dr. Cream's crimes and his many victims explores how the stifling morality and hypocrisy of the Victorian era allowed this monster to poison vulnerable and desperate women, many of whom had turned to him for medical help. It offers an inside account of Scotland Yard's desperate search for a killer as brazen and efficient as Jack the Ripper.
Reviews with the most likes.
Everyone has heard of Jack the Ripper, and most people know about H. H. Holmes and the Bender family. But few have heard of Dr. Cream - who was a serial killer, hiding behind a doctor's license. Dr. Cream started out life with a bright future, a loving family, and prospects ahead of him - but that changed after the death of his mother. He seemed to become a bit unhinged after that happened, and after attending medical school, he began killing women, mostly prostitutes, with poison.
Not content with letting the crimes lag, he began sending blackmail notes, even getting his fiance at the time to write some of the notes, hoping that he would not be discovered. However, after two murder convictions, being released on parole, and then standing trial in England, he was finally given the sentence he deserved for his horrid crimes - death.
I really enjoyed this book! I had not heard of Dr. Cream before, but now I have a new research topic to dive into! This held my attention and was well-researched. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime!