The Law Killers

by Alexander McGregor

True crime from Dundee, covering the most fascinating and chilling cases from the last century Every town has its monsters. But only when their rage explodes and unspeakable crimes are committed do we realise we hold them in our midst. Some are unpredictable psychopaths, others achieve notoriety after a moment of madness when a single out-of-character act changes their lives forever. One thing is for certain, homicide comes in many guises - the only thing most have in common is a corpse. In The Law Killers, journalist Alexander McGregor examines some of the people and deeds, which have terrorised Dundonian communities. Having reported on many of them first-hand, he has unique insight into the cases and they are as chilling as they are compelling. The father who wanted to go one better than his double-killer son...and did. The groom who promised to love, honour and cherish both his brides...before he strangled them. The thirteen-year-old who was almost as much a victim as the child she killed. The trail of slaughter that started with a break-in and ended hundreds of miles away after an escaped convict killed again...and again and again. The unsolved murder of the wealthy spinster who led a secret life. The trail of dead women in the life of a social worker who thought he could outwit the police...and nearly did

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2009

Reviews

[Lylia Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A World We Live In

Well being from Dundee I had to read this ..Well well well this has been written very well and has you hooked from the first page .

[Hayley]

I’ve not rated this book. It’s difficult to rate true crime as it seems wrong to say I enjoyed it. It was interesting, thought provoking and easy to follow. The chapters were short enough to be able to dip in and out of it.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read! A collection of true stories from Dundee. There are some gruesome murders that make your blood run cold, knowing that you aren't reading fiction & the possibility of a very famous London killer ending his days in the area.

[Alex Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book would normally read but I was recommended this by a family member. We live in Dundee so this obviously creates an interest - although gruesome - and I was surprised at how many of these I hadn't heard about.

[Archie Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who doesn't really know Dundee this was a good overview of infamous murders in the city. Not particularly detailed on any of the case's but an entertaining read for lovers of true crime.

[Ian Pruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this on a visit to Dundee. It enhanced the visit.

[MRS EMMA MITCHELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent tales of Dundee's dark and murderous side

[Kaydensaunders]

it was really sad but good

[laura.B · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing book into the depth of killers.

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written. Read this in about a day I was that interested.

[M Devlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short interesting stories,some very sad.

Some sad tales and some horrific murders.....I would hate to be a policeman. Feel sorry for families where there were no arrests.

[Noits · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst I found this book fascinating, I also found it frustrating. There is no fresh insight into any of the already fairly well documented cases that McGregor focuses on, which is disappointing. There are attempts to titillate and stimulate readers' imaginations in the narrative style the author adopts, but there is little to get one's teeth into (which given the evidence in some of the cases may be rather crass phrasing!). I had expected at least detailed accounts and also possibly a few fresh insights or discoveries, especially in the instances of unsolved cases.
The one or two instances where descriptors such as "perverted" or "depraved" or "brutal" we're used, there was little by way of explanation, leaving the reader wondering what on earth the author is referring to? I'm not suggesting that graphic detail should be included but something along the lines of background/evidence/ history to clarify rather ambiguous labels.
Of course this book is 7 years old now and may well have been superseded by others. It's a decent read but offers nothing extra to what can be gleaned from thorough google searches.

[Callum Soukup-Croy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I've read more than once. In fact I enjoyed this book so much I've read it at least three times and it never fails to fascinate me.

Perhaps it feeds a morbid curiosity or because it focuses on my home town but there is something deeply intriguing about this book. The writing is not going to win any awards, it's sensationalist and you get the sense MacGregor is using some artistic license but it's gripping all the same.

This definitely won't be for everyone. Some of the description is graphic and the tales are often uncomfortable to read of but if true crime intrigues you then this is a great example of the genre.

[Meghann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I live in Dundee so found this book very interesting. I could relate to and picture the murder scenes and as my dad is ex-police, he remembers many of the cases first-hand. The writing however is not going to win any awards and when looking up some of the cases online for more info, I discovered that some of the stories contain chunks simply copied from other sources. I wouldn't rush to read this book again but would recommend it to anyone from the area looking for a bit of Dundee's dark history.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read very few true crime books. The reason I read this one is because I was staying in a flat in Carnoustie for a week and this was one of the few books on the book shelf.

I found the book very informative and not sensational.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this even though it's non-fiction because all the places are in my home town! Nice, I know! :D