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Under Cover of Darkness: Murders in Blackout London
A gripping new history of London during the Blackout—revealing the violent crime that spread across the capital under the cover of darkness
Fear was the unacknowledged spectre haunting the streets of London during the Second World War; fear not only of death from the German bombers circling above, but of violence at the hands of fellow Londoners in the streets below. Mass displacement, the anonymity of shelters, and the bomb-scarred landscape offered unprecedented opportunities for violent crime.
In this absorbing, sometimes shocking account, Amy Helen Bell uncovers the hidden stories of murder and violence that were rife in wartime London. Bell moves through the city, examining the crimes in their various locations, from domestic violence in the home to robberies in the blacked-out streets and fights in pubs and clubs. She reveals the experiences of women, children, and the elderly, and focuses on the lives of the victims, as well as their deaths.
This groundbreaking study transforms our understanding of the ways in which war made people vulnerable—not just to the enemy, but to each other.
Fear was the unacknowledged spectre haunting the streets of London during the Second World War; fear not only of death from the German bombers circling above, but of violence at the hands of fellow Londoners in the streets below. Mass displacement, the anonymity of shelters, and the bomb-scarred landscape offered unprecedented opportunities for violent crime.
In this absorbing, sometimes shocking account, Amy Helen Bell uncovers the hidden stories of murder and violence that were rife in wartime London. Bell moves through the city, examining the crimes in their various locations, from domestic violence in the home to robberies in the blacked-out streets and fights in pubs and clubs. She reveals the experiences of women, children, and the elderly, and focuses on the lives of the victims, as well as their deaths.
This groundbreaking study transforms our understanding of the ways in which war made people vulnerable—not just to the enemy, but to each other.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2024
13 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Amy Helen Bell
4 books4 followersAmy Bell is a Full Professor of History at Huron University College in London, Ontario. Born in Fredericton, NB, she studied at Dalhousie and Queens University, graduating with a PhD in 2002. Her research focuses on the history of crime and forensics, Britain during the Second World War, and histories of the emotions. This is her third book. She lives in London with her two children.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 14, 2024
Turns out the Nazis were just one of many people to be afraid of during the Blitz. Amy Helen Bell take a look at the murderous intentions of Londoners in her book Under the Cover of Darkness. Bell looks at numerous murders in London during World War II with a wide variety of reasons at their center.
Sure, you have your garden variety psychopathic serial killers (at least 2!), but the more interesting stories focus on events driven by the pressures of the war. Immigrant suicide pacts, out of control soldiers, and knife wielding gangsters make up just some of Bell's murderous tapestry. Bell makes each chapter about two different crimes but, more importantly, she identifies the location or background of each crime to give a better understanding of wartime London. Bomb shelters and darkened streets are their own characters. I think this is a great book to give another viewpoint in which to understand World War II.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by the author and publisher.)
Sure, you have your garden variety psychopathic serial killers (at least 2!), but the more interesting stories focus on events driven by the pressures of the war. Immigrant suicide pacts, out of control soldiers, and knife wielding gangsters make up just some of Bell's murderous tapestry. Bell makes each chapter about two different crimes but, more importantly, she identifies the location or background of each crime to give a better understanding of wartime London. Bomb shelters and darkened streets are their own characters. I think this is a great book to give another viewpoint in which to understand World War II.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by the author and publisher.)
July 3, 2025
Pretty superb this. Well structured and some really shocking crimes that seem to be really well researched and explained by Bell. I also really liked that the author kept a strong focus on the victims of each crime, rather than the perpetrators. The structure of starting with crimes at the start of the war and progressing to crimes that occurred at the end of the war also keeps the book flowing and prevents the book become a collection of short stories.
My reason for only 4 stars: like all things in the UK, it’s all about London. As someone born in Coventry which was bombed to submission during the Blitz, I really wanted this book to go outside London, even though I knew it wouldn’t. The author mentions that the wartime experience in London was unique, but I find this difficult to agree with. Other cities had blackouts, the whole country faced the threat of invasion at multiple points in the war, and multiple were bombed to a similar degree as London- this book is made weaker by limiting its scope to omit events that happened elsewhere.
My reason for only 4 stars: like all things in the UK, it’s all about London. As someone born in Coventry which was bombed to submission during the Blitz, I really wanted this book to go outside London, even though I knew it wouldn’t. The author mentions that the wartime experience in London was unique, but I find this difficult to agree with. Other cities had blackouts, the whole country faced the threat of invasion at multiple points in the war, and multiple were bombed to a similar degree as London- this book is made weaker by limiting its scope to omit events that happened elsewhere.
November 23, 2024
The author points out from the start of our fascination with true crime. Broadsheets covering sensational murders were sold for a penny back in the seventeenth century. In our current century, if it bleeds it leads still is the rule of the day.
During the bombings of London, the stress resulted in several murder-suicides and also provided cover for numerous homicides. In one case, a man named Harry Dobkin lived with his wife Rachel on and off for a period of twenty years. They lived in the predominantly Jewish East End of London and were brought together via an arranged marriage. Rachel vanished and her body was discovered one year later. Although surrounded by bombed out ruins, a coroner ruled her death to be caused by strangulation. Harry was convicted and hanged.
Soho was a notorious section of London run by opposing gangs. Harry Distleman ran the Yiddishers, a Jewish gang and he battled Tony Mancini and his Italian crew. They ruled over black-market stock, gambling and prostitution. Canadian, and later American soldiers made for expanding profits. Tony stabbed Harry to death in a bar brawl.
The "Blackout Ripper, " Gordon Cummins killed four women and a gas mask linked him to one of the murders. Some of the victims were prostitutes and they had doubled in numbers in the war years. American soldiers were particularly vicious with gang rapes and other sexual assaults being covered up by the self-policing U. S. military.
Britain recruited men an women from Jamaica during the war but it did not lessen the overt racism of the time. Aloysius Abbott was a volunteer of the RAF who, while having dinner, was shot and killed by a white man, Fred Westbrook who was convicted of manslaughter. It only worsened with the Notting Hill riots twelve years later in 1958.
The final chapter recounts the "10 Rillington Place" murders by Reginald Christie. A possibly innocent man, Timothy Evans was hanged first, only to be followed up by the serial killer Christie.
Ms. Bell has done exhaustive research of the war period and I highly recommend this book.
During the bombings of London, the stress resulted in several murder-suicides and also provided cover for numerous homicides. In one case, a man named Harry Dobkin lived with his wife Rachel on and off for a period of twenty years. They lived in the predominantly Jewish East End of London and were brought together via an arranged marriage. Rachel vanished and her body was discovered one year later. Although surrounded by bombed out ruins, a coroner ruled her death to be caused by strangulation. Harry was convicted and hanged.
Soho was a notorious section of London run by opposing gangs. Harry Distleman ran the Yiddishers, a Jewish gang and he battled Tony Mancini and his Italian crew. They ruled over black-market stock, gambling and prostitution. Canadian, and later American soldiers made for expanding profits. Tony stabbed Harry to death in a bar brawl.
The "Blackout Ripper, " Gordon Cummins killed four women and a gas mask linked him to one of the murders. Some of the victims were prostitutes and they had doubled in numbers in the war years. American soldiers were particularly vicious with gang rapes and other sexual assaults being covered up by the self-policing U. S. military.
Britain recruited men an women from Jamaica during the war but it did not lessen the overt racism of the time. Aloysius Abbott was a volunteer of the RAF who, while having dinner, was shot and killed by a white man, Fred Westbrook who was convicted of manslaughter. It only worsened with the Notting Hill riots twelve years later in 1958.
The final chapter recounts the "10 Rillington Place" murders by Reginald Christie. A possibly innocent man, Timothy Evans was hanged first, only to be followed up by the serial killer Christie.
Ms. Bell has done exhaustive research of the war period and I highly recommend this book.
March 30, 2025
Started very disjointed. The introduction was as long as a chapter and went into detail on one of the victims of the crimes which was out of place so editing could have been better. Eventually found it's flow and quite interesting with interlacing the crimes with the social disorder and unique circumstances in place at the time.
February 9, 2025
A book which details how criminals took advantage of the horrific effects of world war 2. Not everyone was ' in this together'. It was an easy read, and I shall pass the book on to a friend who is interested in murder stories.
July 18, 2025
Who needs an enemy nation in wartime(?)
January 3, 2025
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews