Short description
Patricia Cornwell uses the demanding methods of modern forensic investigation to re-examine the evidence in the Jack the Ripper murders. Naming the killer as the artist, Walter Sickert, Cornwell details the evidence for this conclusion and reveals the reaction from a senior police officer.
Long description
Using the firsthand expertise she has gained through writing the bestselling Dr Kay Scarpetta novels, Patricia Cornwell utilizes the demanding methods of modern forensic investigation to re-examine the evidence in the Jack the Ripper murders. These include state-of-the-art DNA testing on various materials, computer enhancement of watermarks and expert examinations of hand-writing, paper, inks and other relics. She also uses her knowledge of profiling on the possible suspects, as well as consulting experts in the field. On presenting her conclusions to a very senior Metropolitan Police officer she learns that had the investigators of the time been presented with the facts she has unearthed, her suspect would definitely have been arrested and would probably have faced trial. Naming the killer as the artist, Walter Sickert, Cornwell details the reasons and evidence for this conclusion.
Review
'An excellent criminal case-study and a fine account of Victorian life.' Big Issue 'She has brought so much circumstantial evidence to bear that only a genuine posthumous confession by someone else will now be enough to clear Sickert's name.' Daily Mail 'The resultant book is absorbing ... Cornwell has written a great account of the Ripper era.' Time Out