Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much.

The author has thoughly researched the cases mentioned within the book and give a interesting insight into just how difficult it was for the Police in the '20's and '30's to solve murders without the scientific advantages of today. The chapters are short and easy to dip in and out of easily.

Recommended to true crime readers

NetGalley, S Ballinger

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This book is exactly as described.

The author takes you through 20 unsolved murders in London, talking you through what happened, who the victim was, and the suspects. Then they explain what the police did to try and catch the killer, and what made the cases unsolvable.

I enjoyed this book, learning about what happened back then and how some of the murders shaped London as we know it.

NetGalley, Emilly Edwards

I found this book really interesting, especially for those who like to read about true crime. It was of course devastating but also showed a side of London that I hadn't really explored till I picked this up. Highly recommended!

NetGalley, Carmen Jimenez

This was well researched and a good, easy read. As you know, I am huge fan of true crime, which is why this appealed to me. Ste asked if I was frustrated by the fact that each murder was left unsolved, but that didn't bother me.

Most of the murders had almost certainly been solved, but lack of evidence meant the police were unable to prosecute people. I think knowing how we have much more powerful tools at our disposal now - for instance DNA testing - shows how very important these developments are when reading something like this.

I found this an easy read and I think other true crime fans will enjoy it too.

NetGalley, Natalie Gardner

Interesting accounts of little known murders. Dr. Oates includes only truly unsolved crimes and gives a brief overview of the details of each. This is a quick read and I will recommend it to my true crime loving friends.

NetGalley, Michele Lawrence

In spite of the serious content, I always find these books entertaining and easy to read. There are lots of places where the reader could dip in or out and not lose the plot since they are individual cases that remain unsolved to this day. That is not to say the authorities did not know who committed the crime. Often they had a very good idea of the villain. What they lacked was sufficient concrete evidence that would hold up in court. It must have been so frustrating to work on one of those crimes.

A number of the stories involved prostitutes who sadly have often been easy fodder for those who would harm them. But there is the story of a young schoolgirl and an elderly landlady and so many in between. Some like the murder on the railway read like a closed door mystery. Others are caused by people in the process of committing a crime where the victims have been both innocent and not. An interesting tidbit is where in London most of these crimes were committed. Rather than the rough and tough East End, it is the west-end of London including The West End and Kensington.

Always fascinating, this book, like similar ones, give the reader an insight into what life must have been like for these poor souls in the early part of the last century. Four purrs and two paws up.

NetGalley, Susan Johnston

This was a good book. As a true crime fan, I really enjoyed reading about unsolved murders. The book was researched really well, and I learned about some new cold cases. Definitely would recommend for any true crime buff.

NetGalley, Linde Boon

The author includes plenty of detail on the victims' lives but it is not sensationalist. Some people may find that the lack of resolution is frustrating, but I didn't find that a problem. In fact I finished reading it in under 2 days. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes true crime.

NetGalley, Gayle Noble

An interesting read about unsolved murders between the worlds. I liked how well researched this book is and the style of writing.
Recommended.

NetGalley, Anna Maria Giacomasso

An interesting collection of the unsolved murders or questionable deaths in London in the years between the wars. Sadly these murders will not be solved but it was interesting to read about the police procedures at the time.

NetGalley, Pam Chantrell

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable reading about 20 unsolved cases from long ago. The author includes reference to the source files used to gather the information contained in the book. The narrative flows well and is well written.

NetGalley, Brenda Yeager

I'm always happy when true crime covers things I've never heard of. And this covered all crimes I wasn't familiar with! The author is very correct in saying that most people know the famous Victorian and even Edwardian crimes, but not this era. It's a really quick read with short chapters dedicated to an unsolved crime. I wish that some had gone into more depth, but it's a great collection of unsolved London murders!

NetGalley, Caidyn Young

"All great cities are magnets for crooks, gamblers, dope pedlars, prostitutes, pimps and perverts and general riff raff." - Chief Superintendent Thorp


What It's About: This true crime book is a collection of twenty haunting and shocking unsolved cases that happened in London from the 1920s and 1930s:- railway murder, fatal shooting of a police officer, IRA killings, serial killer in Soho and so forth.

My thoughts: Unsolved cases are like an itch in the brain and you can't scratch it. But I enjoy reading about them to find out what went wrong with these cases and how they ended up being cold cases. So, naturally this book caught my attention especially when they are cases from the 1920s and 1930s.

I enjoy reading old cases because they give us a glimpse of the society's way of life back then and how the investigations were conducted despite the limited technology and knowledge in forensics we have today.

I appreciate that the author indicated his sources for these cases in the introduction page. Why is this important? Well, I personally think it will affect your expectations when reading this book. Ok, these are really old cases and the sources is pretty limited to case files, newspaper reports, memoirs of serving officers, and so forth. So, this book is written like case file, "stick to the facts" style of writing without any sensationalism which may be dry and dull for some readers.

Overall, this is a pretty good read and the cases are interesting. It is not a book to be read in one sitting since there are a lot of information and can be overwhelming. I think the author did a great job in sharing these cases.

NetGalley, Elvina Ulrich

The book is good. There are a lot of facts present in the book which means there was a lot of research done while getting the book together.

NetGalley, Krupali Trivedi

The author outlines the facts of 20 unsolved murders in London between 1920 and 1940. I liked that these facts were often given in the voice of those involved (police, doctors, witnesses, etc) through reports and statements. One thing I found very interesting was how often people wrote in to the police (sometimes anonymously; sometimes falsely). It was more often than I realized. I also really enjoyed when the author made connections to Agatha Christie or used quotations from her books. Christie wrote many books in the 20's & 30's and juxtaposing her fictional murders with actual ones was interesting.

NetGalley, Janelle Hoos

I think this would be an excellent choice for anyone with an in depth interest in crime content.

NetGalley, Georgia F

This is a highly specialized book written for true crime buffs. The information included within is gleaned from police reports, newspaper articles, and such. There is quite a bit of historical information which is useful in knowing the context of the stories.

NetGalley, Elizabeth Lee

Unsolved London Murders is a compendium of 20 true crime stories of ALL unsolved murders across London in the 20s and 30s in all of their macabre horror, mystery and real-life barbarism.

Meticulously researched, the prose is strong, readable, and incredibly descriptive. All cases are unsolved and the murders described vary in modus operandi, reasoning, and at times, brutality. From prostitutes, a heinous child murderer, the murder of London landlady, and a potential serial killer, the 20 cases featured also include post mortems, witness statements, police procedurals of the time, and a selection of location images. Overall this is an enjoyable look at murders committed during those brief intermittent war years.

Often delving into London’s seedy underbelly it is interesting to note that crimes of this nature did happen during the (often professed) more innocent times, and it’s an easy and fascinating read overall.

NetGalley, VivaLa Books

A short introduction into policing in the 1920s and 1930s is followed by a chapter on crime between the wars. We are next treated to a nice little selection of vignettes of some of the unsolved cases from 1920s and 1930s London. They are not overly long - covering the who (victim), what (the murder), how (was it committed), and though some credible suspects lurk just off page and potential reasons given for the crimes, no-one has yet been brought to justice.

Definitely one for the fans of true crime - easily readable, and very accessible for a broader range of reader.

NetGalley, Melisende d'Outremer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This book is exactly as described.

The author takes you through 20 unsolved murders in London, talking you through what happened, who the victim was, and the suspects. Then they explain what the police did to try and catch the killer, and what made the cases unsolvable.

I enjoyed this book, learning about what happened back then and how some of the murders shaped London as we know it.

NetGalley, Kyle Waldney

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Unsolved murders are nothing new in the world. There are some that boggle the imagination, and one wonders how some managed to remain unsolved. In the Unsolved London Murders by Dr. Jonathan Oates, there are twenty cases that have remained unsolved. Although these have happened over 100 years ago, there are some that could be solvable today, if Scotland Yard would reopen the cases.

I was intrigued with this book, as unsolved crimes always peak my interest. I was not disappointed! It was amazing and once I started, I could not put the book down! I read it in one sitting!

Put this book on your watch list, and get ready for a journey through some of the most puzzling and horrific unsolved murders in London!

NetGalley, LiberianGirl Readers

I enjoyed this book, I discovered lesser known cases that I’d never previously heard of, made all the more tragic that a killer was never caught, and that the victims to this day have no justice.
We are left to ponder on the idea that we have so many resources to hand now; forensics and sciences, not to mention criminal psychology play such a part in our modern policing and investigations, 100 years on we are in a much better position to bring murderers to justice.

I will definitely be looking at this author more in the future, and I’m very grateful to have been introduced to his work.

NetGalley, Catherine Leonard

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Unsolved murders are nothing new in the world. There are some that boggle the imagination, and one wonders how some managed to remain unsolved. In the Unsolved London Murders by Dr. Jonathan Oates, there are twenty cases that have remained unsolved. Although these have happened over 100 years ago, there are some that could be solvable today, if Scotland Yard would reopen the cases.

I was intrigued with this book, as unsolved crimes always peak my interest. I was not disappointed! It was amazing and once I started, I could not put the book down! I read it in one sitting!

Put this book on your watch list, and get ready for a journey through some of the most puzzling and horrific unsolved murders in London!

NetGalley, Rebecca Hill