Classic Crimes

First published in 1951, this fascinating collection of true crime stories offers a tantalizing peek into some of the most disturbed minds of 18th & 19th century Scotland. Recounting the murders and trials of the period, William Roughead's biting commentary and witty narrative - combined with his precise detail and legal know-how, will have you hooked from cover to cover.

"To my mind, one cannot have too much of a good murder."

Now regarded one of the fathers of the true crime genre, Roughead began his career as a Scottish lawyer before turning his hand to amateur criminology. Spending much of his life within the courtroom, he witnessed many of trials first hand, allowing him to grasp a precise and detailed perspective on the frequently savage circumstances.

The tales of cold-blooded murder in this edition feature some of the highly sensational true crimes of the past, and often provide a psychological insight to those on trial. Trials of the likes of Burke and Hare and Deacon Brody are joined with other, lesser known accounts of equally horrific felonies - all told in Roughead's scintillating manner.

An engaging collection of classic crime stories, this atmospheric read will appeal to those particularly interested in the notorious murders and trials of the Victorian period, and any with a penchant for true crime.

William Roughead (1870-1952) was born in Edinburgh, where he studied law and became an expert on criminology. Between 1889 and 1949 he attended every murder trial of significance held in the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh, publishing his accounts of them in a series of best-selling books. He held the legal title of Writer to His Majesty’s Signet and was an editor of the Notable British Trials Series.

Luc Sante is the author of Low Life, Evidence, The Factory of Facts, Kill All Your Darlings, Folk Photography, and, most recently The Other Paris. He translated Félix Fénéon’s Novels in Three Lines and has written introductions to several other NYRB Classics, including Classic Crimes by William Roug­head and Pedigree by Georges Simenon. A frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books, he teaches writing and the history of photography at Bard College.