At the dawn of the Victorian age there was effectively no police detective force in Britain and detecting methods were rudimentary; by the end of Victoria’s reign the Criminal Investigation Department had been established and basic forensic tests were in use. This book explores the development of the professional detective during the nineteenth century, giving examples of the methods he used to track down criminals and to convict them of offences ranging from petty theft to brutal murder. It also explains the development of forensics, from fingerprinting to tests that could identify whether or not blood was human. Mysteries such as the Jack the Ripper murders are examined, as well as the work of famous sleuths like the ‘Prince of Detectives’ Jonathan Whicher – the real-life counterpart of the legendary Sherlock Holmes.

Alan Moss served thirty years in the Metropolitan Police, retiring as Chief Superintendent. He is the author, with Keith Skinner, of ‘The Scotland Yard Files’ (National Archives, 2006).

Keith Skinner is a historical researcher who has co-authored several successful books, including ‘The Jack the Ripper A-Z’ (Headline), ‘The Official Encyclopedia of Scotland Yard’ (Virgin) and ‘Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell’ (Sutton). He is an advisor and historical consultant to the Crime Museum in New Scotland Yard.