The Anatomy Murders
Being the True and Spectacular History of Edinburgh's Notorious Burke and Hare and of the Man of Science Who Abetted Them in the Commission of Their Most Heinous Crimes
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The Anatomy Murders
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Narrated by:
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Kirsten Potter
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By:
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Lisa Rosner
About this listen
On Halloween night, 1828, in the West Port district of Edinburgh, Scotland, a woman sometimes known as Madgy Docherty was last seen in the company of William Burke and William Hare. Days later, police discovered her remains in the surgery of the prominent anatomist Dr. Robert Knox. Docherty was the final victim of the most atrocious murder spree of the century, outflanking even Jack the Ripper's.
Together with their accomplices, Burke and Hare would be accused of killing 16 people over the course of 12 months in order to sell the corpses as "subjects" for dissection. The ensuing criminal investigation into the "Anatomy Murders" raised troubling questions about the common practices by which medical men obtained cadavers, the lives of the poor in Edinburgh's back alleys, and the ability of the police to protect the public from cold-blooded murder.
Famous among true crime aficionados, Burke and Hare were the first serial killers to capture media attention, yet The Anatomy Murders is the first book to situate their story against the social and cultural forces that were bringing early 19th-century Britain into modernity. In Lisa Rosner's deft treatment, each of the murder victims, from the beautiful, doomed Mary Paterson to the unfortunate "Daft Jamie", opens a window on a different aspect of this world in transition.
©2010 University of Pennsylvania Press (P)2022 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Anatomy Murders
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Tait
- 27-11-22
A new insight into the Burke and Hare murders
An interesting book well worth reading if like myself, you find the subject intriguing! Lisa Rosner uncovers details about some of the murder victims not described in other books on the subject that I’ve read. Would definitely recommend this book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martin G.
- 18-07-23
Burke and Hare
A great insight into the Burke and Hare story but why O why could they not get a Scottish narrator?
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J M Brown
- 18-12-23
I enjoyed the book.
I enjoyed the book, it added more depth to the people involved and was impressed with it's added background information.
It does make you think, why were Burke and Hare et al all punished when the 'recipients of the bodies' were not?
I also wonder why an American, rather than a Scottish person narrated?
At the very least, an English person would have better delivered the local vernacular; place names and words like 'tuppence and ha'penny' etc.
Despite the mispronunciations (you can't blame someone who's never heard these words or pronunciations before), I think the Narrator was excellent and I finished the book so all in all, great job!
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Bethpaws
- 17-06-24
Muddled and unfocused
Having listened to this book, I do not feel I know much more than I did before. It was a meandering, unfocused book, telling too many stories without a clear focus. Whilst I understand the author wanted to place the story within the social setting so as to give the murders context, I feel this objective was not met. I struggled to remain engaged and focused.
I did not enjoy the narration, it felt lackluster and she REALLY cannot do other accents and so it was very jarring when she tried
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