Nipper Read: The man who nicked the Krays

by Leonard Read, James Morton

Just after 7p.m. on Tuesday 4 March, 1969, the jurors filed back into the Old Bailey courtroom to give their verdict on Ronald Kray. The word ‘guilty’ brought to a triumphant conclusion the months of hard work put in by Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read and his team. In 1964 Read was invited to put together a team to ‘have a go’ at the Krays. Here he charts his extraordinary investigation, from the first time he saw Ronald in a pub on the Whitechapel Road – where he turned up flanked by minders – to the brothers’ eventual arrest in May 1968 and their sensational trial. Nipper Read is the enthralling story of the life of a London detective. It is a tale teeming with the names that defined the Billy Hill, Jack Spot, Frank Mitchell and ‘Mad’ Frankie Fraser; porn dealers like James Humphries; and police officers such as Ernie ‘Hooter’ Millen. Praise for Nipper A tasty dish … a tribute to the author’s frankness and his co-author’s skill - Independent ‘Vividly described’ - Daily Telegraph A former criminal lawyer, James Morton is the author of more than twenty books including the Gangland series. He has also co-written books with the police officer responsible for the conviction of the Krays, Leonard Read (Nipper); and the gangster Frankie Fraser (Mad Frank’s Britain).

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2020

Reviews

[David Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Crime.

This is a very interesting Book. Nipper Read led the Team that got the Dispicable Krays.. But He did a lot more than that. And. It shows what an important role He had in Helping the Police force to Go Forward.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catching the Krays

My interest in true crime led me to read quite a lot about the activities of the Kray twins and their older brother. It was probably inevitable that I would read this book, about the detective who finally brought the Krays to justice.

Here’s the blurb for the book:

‘Just after 7p.m. on Tuesday 4 March, 1969, the jurors filed back into the Old Bailey courtroom to give their verdict on Ronald Kray. The word ‘guilty’ brought to a triumphant conclusion the months of hard work put in by Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read and his team. In 1964 Read was invited to put together a team to ‘have a go’ at the Krays. Here he charts his extraordinary investigation, from the first time he saw Ronald in a pub on the Whitechapel Road – where he turned up flanked by minders – to the brothers’ eventual arrest in May 1968 and their sensational trial. Nipper Read is the enthralling story of the life of a London detective.’

While my focus was on the Krays, I found Mr Read’s account of his life as a police officer interesting rather than enthralling.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Joe Stafura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was right, they should have went to the case because his story was not at all engaging or terribly interesting.

[Kristopher Cyrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did the job and took them down for 30 plus years

[jacqui feehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I am an avid crime book reader. I couldn't out this book down its one of the best books ever