Facebook X YouTube Instagram TikTok NetGalley
Google Books previews are unavailable because you have chosen to turn off third party cookies for enhanced content. Visit our cookies page to review your cookie settings.

Crime Scene London (Paperback)

Murder, Violence and Sexual Scandal on the Streets

P&S History > Social History P&S History > True Crime World History > UK & Ireland > England > London

By Mike Hutton
Imprint: Pen & Sword True Crime
Pages: 224
Illustrations: 32 mono illustrations
ISBN: 9781399039475
Published: 30th January 2025

in_stock

£11.99 Introductory Offer

RRP £14.99

Note: If you have previously requested any release reminder emails for this product to the email address entered above, then the choice you make now about which format(s) of the product you wish to be reminded about will replace the choice you made last time.
You'll be £11.99 closer to your next £10.00 credit when you purchase Crime Scene London. What's this?
+£4.99 UK Delivery or free UK delivery if order is over £40
(click here for international delivery rates)

Order within the next 5 hours, 26 minutes to get your order processed the next working day!

Need a currency converter? Check XE.com for live rates



London has a history that emerges from the mist of time some 1500 years ago and is one that evolves yet never ends. It has always been a breeding ground for crime as people from around the world are drawn by its numerous attractions and opportunities. Each generation has produced its own colourful cast of robbers, murderers and fraudsters. Much of the crime was prompted by poverty and foul living conditions, but the main driver has always been the desire or need for money by whatever means and the risks involved. Until the eighteenth century this often involved a trip to perform ‘the Tyburn jig’ in front of a baying crowd of thousands.

For a time Londoners staggered around in a gin-induced haze. Mothers often abandoned or even sold their children, just for a chance to block out the horrors of a seething London. The lanes and alleys around Covent Garden were lined with prostitutes, many still children. Famous beauties were kept by aristocrats and royalty and referred to as courtesans, although in many cases the dividing line between them and their less fortunate sisters lining the streets was thin indeed.

The ending of the Great War saw the appearance of drugs, although at this stage they were mainly confined to the rich and influential as London entered the ‘jazz age’. The second world war and the Blitz was not all about the spirit and bravery of Londoners, as gangs plundered wrecked houses and even stole from corpses. After the war the likes of the violent Jack Spot and Billy Hill were superseded by the Kray twins and the sadistic Richardson brothers, as they fought for control of London’s drinking clubs. A little light relief was offered throughout the years by a succession of sexual scandals. Those particularly welcome involved senior politicians.

A heady brew indeed covering centuries of crimes and indiscretions brought together this very readable account by author and social historian Mike Hutton.

There are no reviews for this book. Register or Login now and you can be the first to post a review!

About Mike Hutton

Mike Hutton is a social historian and novelist. His particular emphasis on the first half of the 20th century reflects a period of unprecedented change. His interests include British art and a wide range of sports. He lives with his wife in the heart of rural England.

More titles by Mike Hutton

Other titles in Pen & Sword True Crime...