Posts Categorized: Real-Life Detectives and Law Enforcement
Sometimes the best way to understand a historical period is to take a close look at its challenges and how they were addressed. Fighting crime may be the biggest challenge of all. As those of you who regularly follow my site already know, my favorite historical period is the 19th century. And because I’m a…
I have a new series coming out, and I wanted you all to be the first to know about it! Chronicles of a Lady Detective The series is centered upon a character many of you know from the Concordia Wells mysteries: Penelope Hamilton. You may recall that she served as lady principal of Hartford Women’s College…
Hi everyone! I’m pleased to be hosting mystery author Kassandra Lamb today, who has some fascinating info about the FBI to share with you today. Enjoy! Criminal Minds and the History of the FBI by Kassandra Lamb Criminal Minds is a favorite TV show in our household. My husband likes it because the interaction of…
Most of my post topics relate to mystery fiction, historical pop culture, or general “coziness.” From time to time, though, I’ll post something more public safety-oriented, such as the one this past June about recognizing the real signs of drowning. In that spirit, here’s an informational video from the City of Houston Office of Public Safety and Homeland…
While I’m bouncing back from my previous week of R&R (hint: fridge re-stocking and massive laundry are involved), here’s a re-post about bank robbers and counterfeiters in the 19th century that you may find interesting. Enjoy! *************************** Some 19th century criminals weren’t as smooth and polished as the “Sting” style con-men (and women), or the…
We have a real treat today for you mystery and history lovers: an exploration of one of the most famous fictional villains, Professor Moriarty. He’s the nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, and bad boy of stage and screen, most recently rendered in the film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. It’s particularly appropriate that Victorian scholar…
How far back do we need to go to find the first detective novel? There are lots of examples of early stories from cultures around the world. My post on Judge Dee, for example, discusses how Van Gulik based his work on fictional stories from the Ming Dynasty about magistrate Gong An. But in terms of…
Ever wonder how the police came into existence? Of course, it differs with each country, so I’ll focus on England, my area of concentration in grad school. In England, the year 1829 was key. The Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 Sir Robert Peel, Home Secretary in the British Cabinet and a Tory, brought about…
