I enjoy mysteries, but I don't normally choose true crime books. I prefer my villains to be imaginary. But the description of this book and its subject - a killer who seems to have been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde and as deadly as Jack the Ripper - was intriguing. Why had I never heard of this case until now?
Dr. Cream was a criminal who managed to divert suspicion through a variety of means. He also spread his crimes over 3 countries and multiple cities so that authorities had a hard time linking them all together. The amazing amount of travel and cross referencing that the detective of Scotland Yard had to do seems nearly impossible in a time when there were no airlines, Internet, or modern forensic amenities.
The author does an incredible job of telling the story of Cream, his victims, his pursuers, his trials (yes, plural), and final fate. The list of sources is extensive and the book includes archival images of people and places. He also explains the means of each murder and the methods used to identify each one by the police and experts like toxicologists of the day.
Anyone looking for a true crime book should check out the tale of Dr. Cream, due to hit shelves on July 13th.
I'm also not a true crime kind of girl, but I can't turn down a good read.
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