‘Yorkshire Ripper – The Secret Murders’ by Chris Clark and Tim Tate

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

Known as the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe was convicted in 1981 of killing thirteen women. Though it’s long been understood that West Yorkshire police might’ve caught him earlier if they hadn’t only focused on murdered prostitutes, what is generally not known about are all the other murders that may have also been Ripper victims.

Chris Clark and Tim Tate’s book reveals the horrendous litany of mistakes, errors of judgment and downright stupidity that held back the Ripper inquiry for years. The book details the investigation’s obsession with hoaxer ‘Wearside Jack’, despite being assured by victims that the recording was not the killer’s voice.  It tells of the arrests and imprisonment of three men whose lives were destroyed because the police mistakenly identified them as killers. It also shows how the two officers who highlighted evidence that could have brought Peter Sutcliffe to justice, were ignored by their superiors. This thoroughly researched book shines a probing light on one of the worst serial killers Britain has ever known and lists the many additional murders, some of which were acknowledged by Sutcliffe himself as being his victims, that could have been prevented if the police force had taken the time to conduct a proper investigation.

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