Scottish Murders: 25 Stories of Scotland's bloodstained past 

Scottish Murders: 25 Stories of Scotland’s bloodstained past  ISBN 9781849342056

Available early January 2025

Author: Judy Hamilton

An anthology of Scotland’s worst and most infamous murders, this new edition contains 25 stories from Scotland’s bloodstained past. 

Dating back to the fifteenth century, the book contains the story of the gruesome Bean family, who terrorised and cannibalised victims in Galloway; the grim account of David Rizzio’s death; the murder of Marion Gilchrist, and trials of Oscar Slater, the crimes of the never-traced Bible John, and the World’s End Murders.

These, and other chapters, make up the compelling accounts of some horrible murders. Capital punishment, abolished in 1969 in Britain, is also discussed. Details of Scotland’s last execution for murder, in 1963 in Aberdeen, and last public execution in 1868 in Dumfries, highlight the much-changed attitudes in British society today. 

The author also explains how it was commonplace until the early 1830s for bodies of executed murderers to begiven up for dissection. Such was the fate of William Burke’s corpse – the last body that he provided for Edinburgh’s surgeons was his own. And this detail is expanded upon in an excellent chapter on Burke and Hare.

The author’s tone is reassuring with its matter-of-fact descriptions, and gives background detail that place the murders firmly in the context of their time. The book is now in its twelfth printing, and second edition. Judy Hamilton is a pseudonym, and the author has written several Scottish bestselling titles.

The book contains the following 25 chapters:

Contents:
The Bean Family
David Rizzio and Lord Darnley
Burke and Hare
The Dead Pedlar’s Tale: Hugh McLeod
Madeleine Smith
Jessie McLachlan
Dr Pritchard
Eugene Marie Chantrelle
Jessie King
Death on Goatfell
The Mystery of Ardlamont
The Murder of Marion Gilchrist and the Trials of Oscar Slater
The Dalkeith Poisoner
Death in Broughty Ferry
Patrick Higgins
John Donald Merret
Stanislav Myszka
Peter Manuel
Bible John
Thomas Ross Young
The Case of Sheila Garvie
The World’s End Murders
Peter Tobin
Renee and Andrew MacRae


Trimmed Page Size: 194 x 124mm; Paperback: 208pp; spine: 14mm; Weight: 160g. Date of publication: January 2025

last edition ISBN 9781902407838 noiw made Out of Print (OP)