Criminal London: A Sightseer’s Guide to the Capital of Crime – review

"With the Vigilance Committee in the East End: A Suspicious Character" from The Illustrated London News, 13 October 1888

London is home to an embarrassment of criminal riches according to Criminal London: A Sightseer’s Guide to the Capital of Crime, published by East London-based husband and wife team Kris and Nina Hollington.

Organised geographically, with crime hotspots dotted across an illustrated map that opens each section, the book confirms the crime-soaked nature of our East End (with a whopping 32 crime spots).

It makes North London look safe as houses.

The East End can proudly claim two of the most famous names in London crime – the godfather, of course, Jack the Ripper, and his kissing cousins, the Krays.

It may also be disturbing for Hackney residents to note that of the three original crime walks listed in the book, two skirt dangerously close to our borders.

This is a comprehensive look at the capital of crime that lets readers follow in the footsteps of not only the criminals themselves but also those who made a living on their murky coat tails – the thief-takers and police who pursued them, the journalists who paid for their lurid tales and the courts and executioners who did away with them in a bloody, public fashion.

London’s buildings play a starring role as the sites of notorious crimes throughout the ages – from the Ripper’s favourites haunts to muggings outside The Bank of England, smash and grabs by teenage scooter gangs at The Royal Exchange and a notable white collar crime at Leadenhall Market.

It is interesting to note that Smithfield’s bloody history doesn’t just start with the swinging carcasses of the meat market but extends back to a 400-year stint as a place of particularly gruesome execution where Scottish hero William Wallace was drawn and quartered.

Made for urban exploring, the compact, purse-size book is printed on heavy paper that seems tough enough to take a bit of abuse and even a little rain while you’re out discovering the city’s underbelly. It also might prove a good weapon, too, if you find yourself in danger of falling victim to your very own crime while you’re out and about.

Criminal London is published by Aurum Press ISBN: 1845137787. RRP R10.99