MURDER IN COLD BLOOD

Hardback. Murder, the ultimate crime, has always been fascinating. In the modern era, with the media providing saturation coverage of their exploits, murderers have acquired a kind of celebrity status. Television programmes about murder draw millions of viewers, while real-life murders not only outrage members of the public, but also grip their imagination. This volume brings together the stories of some of the most famous murderers of the modern era. In the 1960s, London businessman John George Haigh made himself wealthy with a series of meticulously planned murders and frauds. In a reign of terror lasting nearly 6yrs, the Yorkshire Ripper - Bradford lorry driver Peter Sutcliffe - bludgeoned 13 women to death and savagely attacked 7 more. The Kray twins, with their gang the Firm, were the undisputed rulers of London's gangland during the 1960s. Combining prostitution, gambling and protection rackets with other, legitimate business activities, they ruled with the threat of violence - killing at least 2 men and seriously injuring several more. Christopher Craig was only 16yrs old when he shot dead a policeman during an armed robbery. He was too young to hang for his crime but his accomplice, Derek Bentley, went to the gallows in what became to be seen as a gross miscarriage of justice. This book investigates these four cases in detail, explaining the circumstances of the murders, how the killers were caught and what happened at their trials. It also takes a look at the psychological makeup of each of the murderers, examining their childhood and adult relationships, tracing their motives and examining the thin line which divides the sane from the insane. Profusely Illus. + Index. 128pp. 4to. h/back. F. pictorial glazed covers in Nr. F. dw. A fairly heavy book which may require additional postage if shipped overseas.