In this comprehensive work, familiar Dickensian themes of grisly murders and ragged street urchins are joined by other dramatic cases, which show patterns of crime and illustrate the causes and effects of changes in criminal law. The author shows how both pure greed and genuine mental illness were responsible for unpleasant cases - such as the murder of an elderly aristocrat in his bed or the poisoning of a series of 'working girls'. Changes in the law are charted, showing how new offences were created from old customs, and how the law was updated to deal with modern problems such as motor cars.In a book that covers the complete range of crime, the reader will meet many colourful characters including Courvoisier, a murderous butler. With many gruesome details and excellent illustrations, this book will appeal to London and Victorian historians as well as the macabre-minded.
- ISBN10 1860773923
- ISBN13 9781860773921
- Publish Date 1 September 2006
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 4 May 2017
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher The History Press Ltd
- Imprint Phillimore & Co Ltd
- Format Paperback
- Pages 160
- Language English
- URL http://thehistorypress.co.uk/products/Crime-and-Criminals-in-Victorian-London.aspx