Product Description

November 2005 marks the tenth anniversary of the conviction of Rose West, currently serving ten life sentences for her part in the Cromwell Street murders. This book tells for the first time the story from a police perspective. For ten years, the officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Superintendent John Bennett QPM, has refused to tell his story. Now, together with BBC journalist Graham Gardner, he reveals the full story of how the West's were caught, how the case was prepared and how it nearly failed to come to court. This book chronicles the roles of those who brought down two of Britain's most infamous killers, shedding light on the real heroes of one of the saddest chapters of criminal history. It explores the court processes, the complications of Rose West's trial, her unsuccessful appeal and the difficulty of dealing with witnesses in such a traumatic case. On one level, this is a story of the triumph of good over evil; on another it is a detailed documentation of how a murder investigation really works - the pressures, the commitment and the physical and emotional drain on those who carry out this work.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #120844 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 520 pages

About the Author
John Bennett is a retired detective superintendent and a holder of the Queen's Police Medal. He was the officer in charge of the Cromwell St investigation from beginning to end. Graham Gardner is a BBC news journalist, based in Bristol. He covered the West investigation and Rose West's trial for BBC local and national news.

Customer Reviews

An authoritative account of this horrific case
Much has been written before about the Cromwell Street murders, and their perptrators Fred and Rosemary West. Never before, though, has the point of view of the Senior Investigating Officer John Bennett, been detailed so thoroughly as in this book. Graham Gardner has written an excellent account of Bennett's experiences of the Cromwell investigation which is well worth a read for true crime buffs out there.

The investigation is detailed from the start of Bennett's involvement, and takes it right through to the end of Rose West's court case. Perhaps the best reason to read this account over others is that it provides a unique perspective on how a major police investigation is run and the frustrations, anxieties and difficulties faced by them, particularly the at times shocking behaviour of the media in the case.

Bennett and Gardner stick to the areas of Bennett's expertise only, so anyone interested in the psychology behind these crimes needs to look elsewhere. Bennett does not pretend to understand in the slightest what motivated these people to committ such horrific crimes. However, an authoritative account of their reactions to being arrested and questioned is discussed.

Overall, this is a fascinating book, which is well worth a read. Some of the detail is unpleasant reading, but it is never gratuitous and the story is told with the utmost respect the victims and their families. It is impossible not to be moved by the horrific events and helps the reader to understand how these two got away with their crimes for so long.

The Cromwell Street Murders
A really informative book on the most horrific crimes by the Wests. How the remains were found and removed - the identification process, with only photos to to by - press intervention - the unfailing dedication of officers in the case.

A truly remarkable account of an the Senior Investigation Officer.

Well worth a read

An Informative Read
Just finished this, very well written and very interesting. As a former Gloucestershire resident I remember this horrific case unfolding on our tv and papers every day and it is fascinating to read about what was going on back at the station and behind the scenes. Thoroughly reccomended.