The Invention of Murder

How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime

By: Judith Flanders

Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon

In this fascinating exploration of murder in 19th-century England, Judith Flanders examines some of the most gripping cases that captivated the Victorians and gave rise to the first detective fiction.

Murder in the 19th century was rare. But murder as sensation and entertainment became ubiquitous, with cold-blooded killings transformed into novels, broadsides, ballads, opera, and melodrama - even into puppet shows and performing-dog acts. Detective fiction and the new police force developed in parallel, each imitating the other - the founders of Scotland Yard gave rise to Dickens's Inspector Bucket, the first fictional police detective, who in turn influenced Sherlock Holmes and, ultimately, even P. D. James and Patricia Cornwell.

In this meticulously researched and engrossing book, Judith Flanders retells the gruesome stories of many different types of murder in Great Britain, both famous and obscure: from Greenacre, who transported his dismembered fiancee around town by omnibus, to Burke and Hare's bodysnatching business in Edinburgh; from the crimes (and myths) of Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper, to the tragedy of the murdered Marr family in London's East End. Through these stories of murder - from the brutal to the pathetic - Flanders builds a rich and multi-faceted portrait of Victorian society in Great Britain.

©2011 Judith Flanders (P)2019 Tantor

Really informative

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. if you like historical true crime you'll enjoy it too

Info Dump

It was very interesting, but it felt like A LOT of info written plainly and a bit repetitive.

Excellent, awesome and educational!

I love true crime and history so this book was perfect for me. They do have true crime stories throughout this book, but they also have great stories about the history of England’s criminal system. From the first police who walked the beach to Scotland yard this is an education and crime. If you like historical true crime and history you will love this book. If you were just looking for gory details that is not this book. I am so glad I bought this book and now I will be reading it again in the futur.

It goes on and on

Though the subject is very interesting, the constant retelling of the basic same stories and her long wordiness can leave you extremely bored and have a very hard time to get through this by chapter 9 it was like pulling teeth you just wanna get it over with

Excellent

if you like historical true crime, focused on the victorian era, this is the book for you.