Introduction
Victims
Suspects
Witnesses
Ripper Letters
Police Officials
Official Documents
Press Reports
Victorian London
Message Boards
Ripper Media
Authors
Dissertations
Timelines
Games & Diversions
Photo Archive
Ripper Wiki
Casebook Examiner
Ripper Podcast
About the Casebook


Most Recent Posts:
General Discussion: Any known pubs on Chicksand Street in 1888? Old Pewter Pub Tankard from Whitechapel - by Inspector-Abberline 27 minutes ago.
General Discussion: Any known pubs on Chicksand Street in 1888? Old Pewter Pub Tankard from Whitechapel - by Inspector-Abberline 30 minutes ago.
Ripperologist: Ripperologist #172 - by jmenges 1 hour ago.
General Suspect Discussion: Favoured Suspect... - by Mike J. G. 1 hour ago.
General Suspect Discussion: Favoured Suspect... - by Mike J. G. 1 hour ago.
General Suspect Discussion: Favoured Suspect... - by Mike J. G. 1 hour ago.
General Suspect Discussion: Favoured Suspect... - by Mike J. G. 1 hour ago.
Other Mysteries: Lucan - by Herlock Sholmes 2 hours ago.

Most Popular Threads:
Scene of the Crimes: Broad Shoulders, Elizabeth's Killer ? - (27 posts)
General Suspect Discussion: Favoured Suspect... - (12 posts)
General Discussion: Any known pubs on Chicksand Street in 1888? Old Pewter Pub Tankard from Whitechapel - (7 posts)
Pub Talk: Texas Weighs Use of Bible Teachings in School Lessons - (5 posts)
General Suspect Discussion: Robert Paul, Jack the Ripper? - (3 posts)
Ripperologist: Ripperologist #172 - (2 posts)


Jack the Ripper: Crime Scene Investigation
Dr. David J. Speare
Xlibris, July 2003.
ISBN: 1-4134-0984-9 (Trade Paperback)
ISBN: 1-4134-0985-7 (eBook)
214 pp. Softcover

Casebook Review:

An independently-published book by veterinary pathologist Dr. David J. Speare which purports to look at the Ripper crimes from a modern CSI perspective. There are no new findings or suspects here, but rather a re-telling of the five canonical murders, coverage of social conditions in London at the time, glimpses of modern serial killer behavior, and a review of several suspects. Dr. Speare doesn't attach much favor to any suspect, though he believes the Ripper diary is "worth a look."

Unfortunately, the book is in need of an editor. A few too many spelling and grammar mistakes break up the flow of reading, and a fair number of factual errors creep into the text. Perhaps most glaring was the inclusion of an entire chapter on George Chapman (instead of Michael Ostrog) as "the second suspect cited by Macnaughten (Sic)".

Nevertheless its a generally well-written book which covers all the bases and adheres to no particular theory. Recommended for novices as a general overview, with the caveat that there are some important errors peppered throughout the text.