Get hooked

If we’ve whetted your appetite for the history of crime and punishment, why not explore the topic further with our pick of books, films, podcasts and TV and radio programmes?

Sister Sleuths: Female Detectives in Britain By Dr Nell Darby (Pen & Sword History, 2021) Dr Nell Darby sheds light on the female detectives who have worked over the past century and a half to uncover wrongdoing and solve crimes – from adopting different roles and disguises, to owning their own detective agencies.

A Short History of Police and Policing By Professor Clive Emsley (OUP, 2021) This book – written by the late Professor Clive Emsley before his death in 2020 – explores the idea and reality of policing, and traces the evolution of the multiple forms of law enforcement that existed in the past.

By Neil RA Bell, Trevor Bond, Kate Clarke and MW Oldridge (Amberley Publishing, 2016) Four historians delve into the stories behind some of Victorian Britain’s most notorious crimes – from the Road Hill Murder to the Balham Mystery – alongside several longforgotten, neglected cases.

By Lucy Worsley (BBC Books, 2013)

Dr Lucy Worsley explores the 19thcentury fascination with murder, looking at how such crimes became a form of national entertainment, inspiring novels and plays, puppet shows and paintings, poetry and true-crime journalism.

E The Macabre Tale of John Horwood bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09kbz5x Explore a Bristolian true crime story of execution, dissection and a book bound in human skin in this programme narrated by actor Jack Ashton.

E Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0016pq3 Historian Dr Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.

E For podcasts, features, quizzes, interviews and

E A murder mystery in 19th-century Dublin Thomas Morris recounts a strange historical cold case revolving around a body found in a railway office that was locked from the inside. Listen at bit.ly/3MYOW2b E Crime and punishment: everything you wanted to know Dr Nell Darby responds to common questions and popular search engine queries about the history of crime and punishment. Listen at historyextra.com/podcasts E Murder: a legal history In this podcast from June 2021, Kate Morgan chronicles the legal history of murder, discussing the cases that helped shape UK law today. Listen at bit.ly/3FrWnMM

E Voices from the Old Bailey bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012stwb Professor Amanda Vickery presents dramatised extracts from Old Bailey court cases of the 18th century and discusses with fellow historians what they reveal about the period.

(now streaming on BBC iPlayer) Using modern technology, Emilia Fox and Professor David Wilson revisit the crimes of Jack the Ripper. Watch at bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003wdk

Legend (2015) (now streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google Play) Explore the rise and fall of London’s most notorious gangsters, twins Reggie and Ronnie Kray, who are both portrayed by Tom Hardy.