Roughead, William

Dorothy Sayers called William Roughead "the best showman who ever stood before the door of the chamber of horrors," and in Classic Crimes he combines his professional expertise as a lawyer with his interest as a criminologist to discuss the true crimes of Katherine Ogilvie, Deacon Brodie, Burke & Hare, Madeleine Smith, Constance and several others.

Author, William Roughead, was an Edinburgh court reporter circa 1890-1930. By avocation, Roughead was a master of the true-crime genre presenting his own front-row view of Victorian-era British crimes. His accounts are highly detailed, with credibility lent from his access to complete court transcripts, forensic pathology results, police interrogation notes, and coroner's reports. His wry wit adds readability as well explaining the great popularity of his works during his lifetime.