Over a century ago a series of mutilation murders took place in a squalid district of Victorian London. Five women fell victim. The newspapers of the day gave him a chilling nickname – Jack the Ripper. From the long list of candidates the author reveals his prime suspect for the role of the world’s most infamous serial killer.
Over a century ago a series of shocking mutilation murders took place in a squalid, overcrowded district of Victorian London. Five women fell victim to a man driven by rage and violent fantasy. The newspapers of the day gave him a chilling nickname, a name that evokes images of gas-lit foggy streets and a top-hatted sinister figure carrying a Gladstone bag. From the outset, the murderer attained almost mythical status merely by virtue of his name and his uncanny ability to avoid detection.
The legend of Jack the Ripper was born.
Peter Hodgson’s detailed and entertaining overview of Ripper lore in fact, film and fiction analyses the fiend’s awesome legacy. He explores the institutions and the individuals: the Jewish community and their rituals with meat, the scandal-prone royal family, the Victorian police and their simplistic methods of investigation, the streetwalkers and their trade.
This book compares the fiction with the reality of those ghastly events, and clearly shows how the real killer has been transformed into a creature of the mind–the ‘other’ Jack the Ripper. Examination of the victims’ mutilations reveals the true nature of ‘Jack’s’ grotesque fantasies. This aspect–coupled with his elementary anatomical knowledge–is used in conjunction with the FBI’s appraisal of the case to construct a unique psychological profile.
From the long list of candidates the author reveals his prime suspect for the role of the world’s most infamous serial killer.
Peter Hodgson was born in Preston, Lancashire. From an early age he felt the desire to write detective stories. After reading Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, he produced a novel and a series of short stories based on a Victorian detective whose methods were similar to those of the great Sherlock. The stories were written for fun – but at least it was a start. During his years at secondary school Peter taught himself to play rock and roll/country piano, and he eventually formed a band called ‘Great Balls of Fire.’ He played and sang on the clubland circuit for thirty years, and during this time he recorded several albums and a CD called Rockin’ Daddy, which was featured on Radio 2. The 1970s saw a stint at Poulton Teacher Training College where he earned a Certificate in Education. His chosen subjects were ecology and humanities. Peter’s dreams of becoming a teacher were never fulfilled. For the last thirty years he has worked as an energy analyst at a major industrial site in the north-west of England. Now retired from music – but still working as an analyst – Peter has returned to his love of writing, though he admits it is difficult to find the time to do it. However, he has had two books published by Pneuma Springs, and has ideas for a third book which he hopes to develop and complete in the fullness of time. [...]
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