Investigating a Chilling Case: The True Story of a Serial Killer in 'Death in the Air'

Ema: Libro molto completo sulla narrazione dell'evento della grande nebbia londinese degli anni 50. Lettura da non perdere.

Italy on Nov 21, 2023

Lisa M. Doig: Fascinating read. I read reviews that criticized the book because it wove together different stories but don't let that deter you. This chronicles important events in history that I knew nothing about and one that led to positive changes in Air Quality Control. I love fact-based books like this, with more than one story line and lots of detail. I learned of at least two major events that I'd not heard of before, although they are less than 100 years old. One reviewer said they couldn't figure out what "Rosemary Sargent had to do with anything" but she was a first person account of the smog event, someone who lost a loved one to it, and I found her character in the book compelling as well as a meaningful contributor. If you love well researched books, true crime, behind the scenes views regarding how politics and media shape the information we receive, as well as books that reveal almost unknown but fascinating information, this book is for you. I admire the research that Dawson put into this book as well as her character and plot formation. It was a bit repetitive in parts but only when a point was significant enough to be stressed. Highly recommend.

Canada on Mar 12, 2022

Amazon Customer: I really enjoyed reading about this piece of forgotten history. I had never even heard of the 1952 fog and its devastating results before reading this book. The book toggles between the fog with it's aftermath & causes and a serial killer doing his killing during the time period of the fog. If you like true crime/20th century history and are perhaps are an Anglophile then this is the book for you.

United States on May 30, 2020

TC-Cbus: Fascinating period in British history. The overlapping of the two stories in the publicity forced the coincidence a little. They were near in time but not simultaneous. Good read still.

United States on Sep 29, 2019

Jacob Matikainen: Good well written book, not as much character driven as I expected but very interesting none the less. Very telling of human short sightedness and where we are headed.

Canada on Nov 01, 2018

Becky B.: An account of two killers who struck London in December of 1952. One was front page news and readily discussed in Parliament. An unassuming man, John Reginald Christie, seemingly an invalid but who still managed to kill and dispose of several women over a period of years. The second wiped out thousands, but was largely ignored in Parliament except for by the dogged insistence of MP Norman Dodds. The weather plus the pollution of December 1952 turned the ordinary London fog into a mixture that killed many thousands. This is the story of how one made more news than the other, and how both impacted English laws.

This was a fascinating read. It is a bit horrifying how the government turned a blind eye to how horrible coal was for the environment for so long because it wasn't convenient for their economic plans. Yikes! But there is ultimately hope in that people like Dodds can force the government to do what is right by refusing to give up championing a cause. This story is the start of the story of bettering the air quality of England. Change didn't happen quickly at all, but it eventually did start. I liked that the author chose to tell this story mostly through the stories of...

United States on Jul 26, 2018

Erin of Texas: Excellent true story about the strangling of thousands of people from air pollution and a serial killer in the 1940s and 1950s in the UK. Kate Winkler Dawson weaves these two stories that occurred at the same time together well. She humanizes the victims and pays extra attention to the details of their lives in a way that makes the reader/listener care about them. Graeme Malcom is a gem to listen to and having a Brit narrate a British story was an important choice. It was also interesting to see the parallels of the British government debating the cause of the London Smog and minimizing the effect of it for years with current government officials minimizing similar atrocities. The book is well worth a read or listen as you learn about John Reginald Christie and the Great London Smog. I have both the Kindle and Audible versions.

United States on Feb 08, 2018

Bernard MacKinnon: This is an excellent book. Beautifully written, Kate Winkler Dawson keeps your interest piqued throughout the fascinating stories of a killer fog and a serial killer. Highly recommended.

Canada on Jan 18, 2018

JONAH8208: Strange mixture of two unrelated stories but interesting and well carried off.

United Kingdom on Dec 16, 2017

Kindle Customer: This book is so well researched, but truly comes alive through the words of people who lived through these events. Although the serial killer aspect is creepy, the main character, to me, is the fog! It's unbelievable how the people lived with the terrible air quality as their normal. The details are so vivid.

This book reads like a novel, but you will be amazed at how much you never knew about life in England. I learned so much! Death in the Air is a fascinating read.

United States on Dec 02, 2017