Crimebuster

by Bob Taylor

Detective Chief Superintendent Bob Taylor has an unprecedented 100% detection and conviction record. He has seen human evil at first hand - the devoted husband who became a terrifying serial killer, a respectable suburban dweller with a deadly shoe fetish, and the cunning and resourceful murderer Michael Sams who engaged his pursuers in a testing game of cat and mouse. In Crimebuster Bob Taylor tells the stories behind some of his most intriguing and gruesome cases and gives powerful insights into the twisted minds of Britain's most notorious murderers.Bob Taylor joined the West Yorkshire police force in 1970 and rose to become the head of operations in the elite National Crime Squad, England's answer to the FBI. He has often appeared on Crimewatch and has received numerous commendations for outstanding detective work, including seven higher court commendations by judges.

Genres: True Crime, Crime

328 pages, Hardcover

First published April 25, 2002

Reviews

[Noctvrnal · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I bought this book this is exactly the content I looked for and expected. The only problem is - half of the book was about cases that held no interest to me. Especially difficult to get through was the first half - the crime and perpetrator was presented for the reader through multiple chapters while other cases got only one each. And the crime itself was truly outside of what I sought and getting to more interesting cases became a tedious task I had to push myself to complete. Still, I did finish it and I can firmly say I thoroughly enjoyed this book, boring cases and all. Not because of the cases that did interest me, but because how openly, clearly and with no-bullshit attitude this book was written. Taylor didn't shy away from details (or at least most of them) which always gave the picture he was putting together a more thorough feel. He admitted his mistakes and his frustrations, didn't hide his criticism to himself or his colleagues when it was needed and overall - another perfect example why I will always prefer books written by law enforcement compared to books written by journalists or just fame seekers.
This book should be talked about more and read more; it's a prime example of British crime writing coming straight from one of the people who worked, and eventually managed, the cases that left their marks in UK's history.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, if gruelling, read. CRIME BUSTER follows the various homicide and rape cases investigated by a leading detective in Leeds over a 30-odd year period. The first half of this true crime story is entirely taken up with the case of kidnapper/murderer Michael Sams; the complexity and long-running nature of the case is more than enough to make this a gripping chronicle of a cat and mouse game between the police and a guy who enjoyed communicating with them.

The second half of the book is a more mixed bag as Taylor goes after many low-lifes and murderers in the West Yorkshire area. The account of the Yorkshire Ripper's crimes will be familiar to many, but there's an excellent case involving a murderous Hell's Angel. Later there's a lot of stuff about rape cases, interspersed with the author's forthright opinions of Britain's justice system.

This is a lively, fact-based read that will have instant appeal for anybody with an interest in true crime. No facts of any of the cases are skipped over, sometimes to the book's detriment; be warned, the descriptions of the rapes committed are extremely explicit, too explicit if I'm honest. But that's Taylor's way: this is a warts-and-all account of what it's really like to be one of the country's leading detectives, a guy with a 100% conviction rate to boot.