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.