True Crime seems to be captivating TV audiences these days, and like never before. A good barometer of UK TV Drama, ITV has given us about a year worth of true crime dramas in as many months. This blog has been utterly inspired by DES, White House Farm, and now The Pembrokeshire Murders. These books, based on true life UK murders, have galvanised UK audiences, but I wonder how many have read all the books as we have?
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| Serial Killer John Cooper (R) on TV show Bullseye |
Our latest true-crime TV favourite meant devouring The Pembrokeshire Murders (original book published 2013) in about a week, and as good as the TV drama was, I think the book is better! It took Steve Wilkins and his team 6 years to nail serial killer John Cooper and bizarrely classic 1980s TV show 'Bullseye' helped identify him, but that is the tip of the iceberg, in this fascinating and compelling true crime story. Steve Wilkins lead the team to a successful conviction and dives deep into the case, which gives the book a personal edge and a compassionate narrative.
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| main images - TV show cast / Small Images - Real Life |
The police procedural has you on the edge of your seat, and the intricate DNA and evidence details shared, really give this book an individual edge. By the end of the book, you are cheering on the time as John Cooper is sent down on a 'life means life' sentence.
Very highly recommended. As Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen would've said 'super, smashing, great!
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co 2020
(First published in 2013 by Seren Books)
ISBN: 9781841884509
Number of pages: 352