Murder Investigation Team

by Steven Keogh

Why are Scotland Yard murder detectives considered among the finest in the world? And why is so little known about how they truly work? Take a look at what lies behind that success with someone who knows.

DI Steven Keogh spent over half of his 30-year police career as a Scotland Yard detective, helping to hunt down terrorists and some of the worst murderers in London.

Step inside the mind of an investigator in a never-before-seen look into what it takes to catch killers and bring them to justice. In a journey from crime scene to trial, you will witness the emotional highs and lows of cracking real-life murder cases and discover why people kill, while debunking the myths that surround this detective work.

Are you ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about the world of murder investigations?

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2022

Reviews

[Petra X]

Sounds like a UK crime documentary in print! I hope it is, I like those shows.

[Ruthy lavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an insightful book written by a long serving ex Metropolitan policeman, and giving unprecedented information stage by stage of what happens during a murder enquiry.
My only criticisms would be that it occasionally read more like a police training handbook, and it could have benefited from more case studies.
An interesting read for anyone with an interest in policing and crime.
3 stars ⭐️

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

More akin to a police training handbook or textbook for students than a dive into real crime stories, the author discusses a multitude of issues from crime scene photography, fingerprinting, the arrest process, jury selection and more. I found myself skimming over the 'who, what, why, how' sections because much of this I already knew from my lifelong (see: borderline obsession) fascination with true crime. I enjoyed the case study passages the best, although they were short and didn't go into as much detail as I would have liked.

The author clearly knows his job inside out and back to front, it just would have been more enjoyable to read from his vast array of experiences as opposed to feeling like I was reading from a sociology A-Level textbook.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: murder, blood, violence, stabbing, fire, death of a child, mentions of terrorism, gang-related crimes

I thought this might be dry, given that it breaks the investigation process down into every single step. But it was surprisingly engaging and I absolutely FLEW through it. I appreciated the way that Keogh used cases that he'd worked on without sensationalising them or without naming the victims or the perpetrators.

I'm really glad I picked this up, in part because it was a fascinating insight into the differences between TV and reality.

[Robert Craven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear and concise step-by-step guide to life as a murder detective.

As a writer dipping his toes into crime fiction, I can thoroughly recommend this book. Keogh takes the reader through the processes of a murder investigation, questioning and eventually to trial.

His style is a no-nonsense, factual approach, using examples of his own investigations as case studies.

If there is one issue I have is counter-terrorism. He explains in depth one such interview with a terrorist suspect, but never seems to ask why this person is sitting there? You get the impression he's just trying to 'break' (albeit it in a very clever, quiet manner) the bad guy, without exploring the suspects motivations.

But that's a minor quibble

Murder Investigation Team is a very useful tool in a crime writer's tool kit and one I will be referring to in many years to come.

[cp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting. A welcome antidote to the ubiquitous tv dramas.

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This differed substantially in style from several of the other police/forensics memoirs I have read - far less autobiographical and far more structured (it read like a textbook at times) - but for the high level of clarity, the use of well-chosen example case studies, and the insights provided.. this was objectively a very admirable and worthwhile book. My only criticism is a highly subjective one - that a fair amount was not new to me having read/seen true crime documentaries in the past - but this would serve as a very useful read for many fans of crime fiction who maybe would like to know more about the real-world equivalents of their TV/novel characters.

[Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this one.
It reads like a training manual for new police officers.
I finished it because I hate to leave unfinished books.

[Christian M. T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent insight and practical overview into the actual procedures of a MET police murder investigation.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I think the short space of time it took me to read it proves this. As an avid fan of crime programmes, both fact and fiction, it was interesting to hear about what really happens during the course of a murder investigation. Former Scotland Yard Detective Steven Keogh talks through the chronological process of solving a murder, from the scene of the crime right through the various avenues of investigation and ending on the trial process. He uses his own experiences as well as facts, giving us an insight into the emotions he felt during the cases he was involved in while also providing case studies to provide context to each element. The DI COP method for decision-making that Keogh came up with and mentions frequently throughout the book really got me thinking and is actually a process I am considering adapting and adopting for my own career in the ambulance service. I would have loved to have more myth busters as these were really fascinating in knowing where fictional crime dramas tend to go wrong/be inaccurate. Overall, this was an extremely interesting insight into the work of Murder Investigation Teams within Scotland Yard. I will definitely be paying more attention to the factually incorrect components of crime dramas.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a lot of books that are in a similar vein to this but I don't think I've ever read one from someone who worked for Scotland Yard for most of their career. So that was really interesting to learn about his career and what he wanted to say. I do wish this was longer though. I think there is a lot more to say. The case studies that were chosen are very interesting. And I'm glad it talked about budget cuts to the police. A lot of people miss this fact or don't know what has been happening. Which is one of the reasons we are getting such poor service from them a lot of the time. I do reccomend this if you're interested in the subject matter.

[Charlie Medcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Investigation Team by Steven Keogh is a book taking you on a journey right through the criminal justice system from when the murder first took place, flowing the investigation phase all the way to court. The book covers the law of murder, the basics of a murder investigation team (MIT), the crime scene and types of evidence, the arrest and questioning of suspects and the trial. Alongside the theoretical explanations, this book is full of interesting facts and case studies from Keogh's own career.

For my full review please visit: https://cembookportal.blogspot.com/20...

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, if slightly dry, insight into how murders are actually investigated with the rationale behind each activity and decision fully explained just as they have to be accounted for within the investigation.

Although much of what happens is perhaps better known than the author realises, it is definitely helpful and educational. Many of the sacred totems of crime fiction are exploded - no murder board, no quick results on anything, no rogue detectives going off to do their own thing "on a hunch"

Very helpful.

[RichardGreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the way murders are investigated by Scotland Yard. If it does nothing else it shows how far from reality most TV crime dramas are and how much of the work is the unglamorous collection and analysis of evidence. For me, the highlights were the case studies, and I believe more could have been made of these, and the ‘myth busting’ sections which sorted fact from fiction. Some gruesome crimes are used as case studies, but they are never detailed or sensationalised - a difficult balance to strike but which has been successfully achieved.

[Cath Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well organised and easy to read explanation of the processes Murder Investigation Teams go through in order to get convictions - it definitely exposed the methods used in TV dramas for often being misleading!
Somehow I felt that I wanted more detail from this book - perhaps I was being greedy! The case studies were fascinating as were the facts and figures. Anyone interested in ‘true crime’ would enjoy this.

[Lisa Billingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesesting read. I read and watch a lot of crime drama so it was good to read something through a former policeman's eyes. Some of the stories seen on TV or in books are beyond belief, but I know from speaking with ex-criminals that bizarre events happen. It was fascinating reading about the whole process and I loved the explanations at the beginning as the descriptions of manslaughter and murder weren't as I expected them to be.

[Sean Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great non fiction book on the Met Police MIT

This book is truly amazing to read and it has opened my eyes to this amazing organisation who will work around the clock to securing evidence to a successful conviction to a murder case. The author has lay it out in an easy to understand manner and it's recommended by anyone who works or looking to join a law enforcement agencies.
Overall a great read of a book. Best wishes Sean

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift, this was a superb addition to my 'research' shelf of books to help with writing crime fiction. Written by Steven Keogh, who spent fifteen or more years as a Scotland Yard detective investigating murders, this is well organised, very readable and packed with information, illustrated with examples of case studies, Keogh remaining passionate throughout about finding justice for the victims.

[Josie Scammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was AMAZING. I would highly highly recommend. Steve takes you through every stage of an investigation & to hear it from someone who has worked in many positions in the front line is amazing. I really loved learning and hearing about the different cases and how the MIT team work. I never knew we had one tbh.
I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read crime, it really had me hooked.

[Emma Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, fascinating read. If you interested in police work, CSI type shows, crime novels, court room drama, forensics then this is the book for you. It explored many different aspects of murder investigations and gave real life case studies.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

that would be the blind leading the blind. given their own tainted statistics they don't catch many. and from those caught most of them are identified by a survivor, identified by the security camera, and other cases grandma next door could solve between two episodes of her favorite soap.

[Guri Lotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vanskelig å gi en vurdering på denne. En god bok som går i dybden på det tekniske rundt etterforskning. Ikke en bok for de som allerede er godt kjent i True Crime-sjangeren, slik den hevder, men for nye nysgjerrige. Helt okei bok.

[Biggus · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wore a little thin after a while, but it was interesting enough, even though it really didn't tell me much. He adopts a lecturing tone, more than an engaging read. Training manual stuff rather than a 'story'.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for true crime fans. I loved it. Highly recommend

[M.K. Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for anyone interested in true crime and police procedures - recommended

[Mr T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read


Great read
Obviously an excellent officer and caring human being
Thanks
Hope to see another book from this author in the future

[R.K.J. Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be insightful and a real help in ensuring my current writing of a crime novel is more accurate.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Informative and entertaining.

[Diella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy watching true crime so I thought I'd try reading this book and I did enjoy it.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5