Welcome to Litsy!

This book is unique and probably always will be…

For a history lover this was a great find. Goddard tells of 34 cases he worked on from the 1820s - 1860s and gives some insight into what it was like to be one of the earliest detectives in London. Editors notes after each case explain some of the historical oddities that might confuse a modern reader. Really enjoyed it but it‘s definitely for history buffs rather than true crime readers

Went looking for this book after the Bow Street Runners were referenced in a book I read last year. Found this on Abebooks - a 1956 printing of a memoir written in 1875. I‘ve only read the introduction so far but it‘s fascinating - who knew that the novelist Henry Fielding was the one who brought together this first group of ‘constables‘ to deal with gangs in London - and they were the beginning of England‘s first police force