Review: In The Dark: The True Story of the Blackout Ripper by Simon Read

In 1942, a RAF soldier went on a spree killing over the course of several days. His attacks were vicious and brutal. Killing and attacking primarily prostitutes in London's west end, he was quickly caught and stopped. Gordon Cummings was thought pretentious by his fellow soldiers and he was known for arrogant boasts of his female conquests.  None of them had any idea thought that he was violently attacking and murdering women during the blackout nights of wartime London.

The media attention was dimmed by the German bombings of the city, which is probably why I had never heard of the case. 

The fingerprint analysis evidence was fascinating and what convicted him. The story of the cops and how they developed and used their fingerprinting system was one of my favorite parts of the book actually.

An intense and interesting read.

Terri