Britain's Unsolved Murders

by Kevin Turton

Britain has its fair share of unsolved murders. Crimes that have both fascinated and horrified in equal measure, with many as baffling today as they were when the stories first hit the headlines in the national press. 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. It also explores the question of guilt and to whom it should, or should not, be attached. Each of these murders poses an undeniable truth; no-one was ever proven to have committed the killing despite, in some cases, accusing fingers being pointed, arrests being made and show trials taking place. Consequently, notoriety, deserved or otherwise, was often attached to both victim and accused. But was it ever merited?

From the questionable court case surrounding Scotland's now famous Madeleine Smith, and the failed police investigation into Bradford's Jack the Ripper case of 1888, to the mysterious deaths of Caroline Luard and Florence Nightingale Shore at the start of the twentieth century, this book disturbs the dust, sifts the facts and poses the questions that mattered at the time of each murder. Did Harold Greenwood poison his wife in Kidwelly? Who was responsible for the Ripper-like killing of Emily Dimmock and Rose Harsent? Why did Evelyn Foster die on the moor near Otterburn in what became known as the Blazing car murder and who strangled Ann Noblett to death in 1957?

These are just some of the cases examined and the stories behind them. Each and every one, no matter how appalling the crime, still deserving of justice.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Historical, Mystery

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

True crime author who has been writing for over twenty years. Generally I write historical crime, 1850-1965 tends to be the period I cover, and I have also done a couple of history books re WW1 and WW2.

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about 13 murders in Britain that went unsolved between the mid 1857 and 1957, each laid out in separate chapters. These murders were all ones I hadn’t already read about, so that was even more interesting to me. I dived right in and found them enjoyable reading, starting with Chapter 1. The Poisoning of Emile L’Angelier - The Madeline Smith mystery, 1857. Chapter 2. Bradford’s Jack the Ripper - The murder of John Gill 1888. Chapter 3. The Country House Shooting - The murder of Windsor Dudley Cecil Hambrough, 1893. Chapter 4. The Baby Killer- The murder of Rees Thomas Yells Brandish, 1897. Chapter 5. The Peasenhall Mystery - The murder of Rose Harsent; Chapter 6. The Camden Town Murder- The murder of Emily Dimmock. Chapter 7. The Summer House Shooting – The murder of Caroline Mary Luard 1908. Chapter 8. The Kidwelly Poisoning- The murder of Mabel Greenwood 1919. Chapter 9. The Railway Murder -The murder of Florence Nightingale Shore, 1920. Chapter 10. The Burning Car Mystery – The murder of Evelyn Foster, 1931. Chapter 11. A Case of Ballistics – The murder of Doctor Angelos Zemenides, 1933. Chapter 12. The Country Estate Murders – The murder of George and Lillian Peach, 1952. Chapter 13. The Freezer Murder – The murder of Anne Noblett, 1957.

This is a good read for true crime lovers who enjoy a mystery and like cold cases. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Kevin Turton, and the publisher.

This review was first posted on my WordPress blog seen here:
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[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

[France-Andrée · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crimes that I had not heard of, not a surprise since they happened in another country and the most recent is from 1957. I was surprised to have strong emotions like anger and sadness, I think it had to do with how it was written. Some of these should have been solved at the time, but others you know would be solve with today’s technology if it had existed at the time (or if the exhibits has survived). I liked how the author speculated briefly on what he thought had happened. A very good read, I will be looking for other books by this author if he writes more in the future.

[Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an interesting read and peak into the world of society and criminal investigations in previous generations. The cases were presented with lots of facts while being written in the manner of a short story. This made for an easy read. It was particularly sad to read of crimes that were somewhat obvious who the killer was, but without modern technology justice was never served. I recommend this for history and true crime buffs.

This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

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!!

[Beth Younge · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by Pen & Sword True Crime via NetGalley.

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.

[Athena Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Proforma · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNSOLVED.... That one word brings armchair detectives like me running, every time. I am never disappointed by a book about a single unsolved murder (where a great author takes us as deep as the bottom of the abyss) or a book about multiple unsolved murders, like this one.
There is something undone, unfinished about an unsolved murder. Nothing is a mystery in this world anymore, there is an explanation for everything, so how can a murder go unsolved?
Well, there can be a number of reasons, starting with the age of the murder. Even a case like Jack the Ripper which has been obsessed about by numerous people for the last century cannot conclusively point to Suspect A - and determine - He is definitely your man.
For a long time police were on the back foot, science, forensics and TV have only recently caught up and now things are on a more equal footing where if the suspect is gone, died or doesn’t confess – the physical, forensic evidence speaks for him or her.
I suspect KEVIN TURTON is an armchair detective – one of our tribe and he does offer an opinion based on in depth knowledge of each case as to why the investigation failed or the murderer was never caught.
TURTON’s offering consists of thirteen old, unsolved murders. The youngest being the freezer murder of Anne Noblett in 1957 and the oldest being the poisoning of Emile L’Angelier in 1857. He does throw in a Ripper, however it is not Jack, it is the murder of John Gill in 1888.
Some interesting details from a few of the cases:
In the murder of George and Lillian Peach (1952), George was found inside a locked bedroom. The killer smashed his head in, then locked him inside one bedroom and killed his wife in another. Lillian surprised the killer, possibly by calling out or switching on a light when she heard a noise. For whatever reason, the killer chose to kill her as well, instead of leaving before she saw him. Nobody ever found the key the killer took.
Police and the coroner in the Evelyn Foster murder, concluded she had driven herself onto the moors and set her own car alight, setting herself alight accidentally, in the process (they claimed insurance as motive). The jury came to a different conclusion and unanimously gave a verdict of murder.
The terribly tragic story of little Rees Brandish, does not sit well with me. He was two years old when he was murdered. By his mother. Who was found not guilty.
Rose Harsent had had her throat slit as she was coming down from her room above the kitchen, presumably to start a fire in the stove because she was expecting someone (and she was expecting, and not married – so there is motive already). William Gardiner was prosecuted twice for her murder, the second time he was prosecuted by Henry Dickens, son of the famous author Charles.
Last but not least is the mysterious murder of Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of the lady with the lamp, she followed her godmother into the nursing profession and was a nurse in the Second Anglo Boer war and World War One. She was one of the nurses who accompanied German wounded on trains to Cologne at the end of the war.
She was killed between two stations in a railway carriage. Three blows to the head from behind with the butt of a revolver. A young man (about 25 – so just the right age to have fought in the war) was seen getting in and out her carriage, but never found. Whoever he was, he was following her and he knew her travelling plans and he knew the rail system and how to disappear. Perhaps he thought she shouldn’t have been nursing German soldiers when their own soldiers were dying terrible deaths on barbed wire in no-man’s-land. Perhaps it was a robbery as the police supposed.
I enjoyed this book very much, it’s an interesting read, yet it doesn’t cause you to debate major social issues of today or yesterday. This is one I would definitely take on holiday with me, instead of a boring romance novel. I rate this book 5 stars and thank Pen and Sword publishers for the copy.

[Robert Neil Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Britain’s Unsolved Murders, Kevin Turton presents a selection of thirteen crimes committed between 1857 and 1957. Turton sets the scene, provides a narrative of the murder and trial if there was one, then gives his verdict.
Some of the unsolved murders in Turton’s book are more famous than others; for example, the infamous Scottish verdict of ‘Not Proven’ delivered to Madeleine Smith in 1857 and the atrocious desecration of the young Bradford boy John Gill in 1888. While all of the murders contain a central mystery – who did it – a couple are truly baffling, namely the murders of Florence Nightingale Shore in 1920 and Evelyn Foster on a lonely moor in 1931. Others appear to have a more ready explanation to hand and only an investigative or trial error prevented the murderer being unmasked. In one case a jury member refused to convict the apparent murderer through his own conviction against Capital Punishment.
Turton narrates these stories in an engaging style, laying out the events in a straightforward manner. They are a good jumping off point for further reading, but some of the murders already have their own historian, most notably Diane Janes’ Death at Wolf’s Nick which is a brilliant forensic examination of an unsolved murder. A frustrating lack of footnotes and references, however, blunt further investigation by the reader into other cases. Turton also does not make it clear why he chose these murders across that particular century while leaving out many others and not including more modern cases. Given his personal edge to his verdicts, perhaps the title might be better read as Kevin Turton’s Casebook of Unsolved Crimes? Nevertheless, this works as a true crime book within that genre, but as an appetizer rather than a main course.

[Caitlyn Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the thirteen cases in this book only get one chapter each, it’s obvious in most cases that there really isn’t much more information than the author carefully summarizes for us, especially with the older cases. From 1857 to 1957, thirteen murder cases are presented, absolutely none of which I’d ever heard of before. In at least a couple of cases, there is an obvious suspect and motive, but in none of them were the prosecutors able to obtain a conviction. In several, the police were never even able to identify a viable suspect.

One of the things I found fascinating when reading this book was the progression of forensic science through the 100 years of murders. In one of the cases, a conviction couldn’t be brought because the victim could not be identified, something which seems ridiculous today with DNA identification readily available, but which was normal only a few decades ago. Handwriting analysis, blood typing, body decay and forensic bullet analysis are all used in investigating these crimes, in many cases pioneering the use of these technologies, but to no avail. In every case, the perpetrator literally got away with murder.

True crimes stories often focus on the psyche of the murderers, but the very nature of these particular crimes mean the focus is on the victims, and it makes for a refreshing change. I really enjoyed reading about these thirteen fascinating cases, all of which are likely to remain unsolved for all time. Five stars for an intriguingly different read and a spotlight beautifully shone at these thirteen cases of murder.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Tracy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: This is a fascinating collection of unsolved murders that will have you scratching your head. Some of the murders were brought to trial but the defendants were either exonerated or not proven guilty. The author has examined the evidence and comes to conclusions as to whether justice was or was not served by the acquittals.
Some of the murderers were never brought to trial. There was insufficient evidence in some and in others, the police bungled the investigation by focusing on the easy answer and never wavering. In all the cases, it must have been horribly frustrating tor those who loved the victims. Often times, it was their reputations that were most sullied. In others, despite an escape from the noose, the lives of those accused were ruined beyond repair. In all cases, it is a sad story with no resolution.
It is however interesting reading. It could be dipped into as each chapter stands alone or it could be read in one fell swoop as I did. Either way, it certainly provides insight into some of the darker corners of British history. Four purrs and two paws up.

[Eva Müller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The majority of the cases are 'truly' unsolved, in that today you can't even say that person X probably did it but got away with it because police incompetence and/or politics. No, they are cases where 'It was a random attack' is an actual possibility, or cases where it might well have been a friend or family member but the police focussed early on a certain suspect, didn't bother investigating further and then lost the case in court because there wasn't enough evidence after all. But because they didn't do much investigating there are also no further clues that suggest a different killer. So...I did get exactly what it said on the tin but I guess I had hoped for at least some cases that would make me curious and want to check out further information on them but if all that is going to lead to "yeah, we'll probably never know" I'm not that curious

[Eunice Coorlas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contained theories and conjecture of murders that took place in Great Britain. Full of information the book did however point out these murders took place prior to modern day forensics and the outcome of being Unsolved was in Inevitable.

An interesting read although not as in depth is some true crime books I’ve read. You can pick up this book and read about a couple cases sent down to pick up at a later time to continue your foray into these unsolved murders.

An interesting read but bear in mind these murders are unsolved and it’s frustrating when you read about the police procedures that take place. The murders have taken place over 100 year span and their outcomes are the same - unsolved.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Britains Unsolved Murders by Kevin Turton was a well written and well researched book.

It investigated 13 murders from 1857-1957. The majority of them I had not heard of so this sparked my interest. The book was easy to read and kept my interest thoughout. A fascinating look at life before forensics. Made me wonder if they would be unsolved if done in modern Britain.

Thanks to Netgally and Pen and Sword for the ARC. My review is my own opinion.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are tales of crimes that have gone unsolved for many years.
The detail of research that has gone in is evident in the writing and each tale is interesting. I liked the way the tales travelled in historical time and the more recent cases are at the end of the book.
Although no answers are given to crimes, suggestions are given that are, again well thought out and detailed.
A very interesting read.
Thanks you to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read for an honest review.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

It investigated 13 murders from 1857-1957.I had not heard of so this sparked my interest. The book was easy to read,well researched and kept my interest. A fascinating look at life before forensics. I know that with all the technology they can be solved today.

[Graham J Wall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Opportunity Missed.

I did not like this book. The title and contents were appealing to my taste but I found it heavy going. My interest was diminished by its plodding style.
The errors in style and writing could easily have been sorted by a good editor. I feel with a little polish this opus has the makings of a good book.

[Hunter Blair · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to both the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't finish this book. I suppose I didn't think any of the cases were interesting? To be honest, it was a bit boring for me.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well researched and gripping book, perfect for true crime lovers.
I liked the style of writing and how the book was organized.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive and surprising study of 13 unsolved murders that occurred in Britain between 1857 and 1957. An interesting peek into the world of historic criminal investigations. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

[Paula Corregan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book!

This book gives accounts of unsolved murders in England from the 1800s to 1957. The crimes happened all over England. The author has done extensive research on his subjects. I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers.

[Patricia Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book

These are cases that I am sure very few people have heard about, they have never been solved to this day, and the mystery surrounding them is enthralling. A must read.

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received in return for an honest review

Short, fairly comprehensive and even-handed account of thirteen murders that took place between 1857 and 1957 and are still unsolved.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable history of some of Britain’s most notorious unsolved crimes. An easy read, and fascinating.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy (ARC) of Britain’s Unsolved Murders by Kevin Turton via NetGalley. In exchange for a fair and honest review.

A interesting read about 13 unsolved murders between 1857-1957 in Great Britain.I had already read about a few of cases mentioned in the book but still the book held my interest.

Two cases I found most intriguing were the murders of George and Lillian Peach in 1952 a case I had never come across before and the murder of Evelyn Foster in 1931. Overall the book is very informativy and gives the reader all details he or she needs to know the circumstances surrounding each of the crimes and always useful but not always include the author gives information regarding the people involved in each case (some cases books briefly outline the case then move on to the next).

Definitely recommended to true crime readers.