Force of Darkness : Confronting Blackout Killer Gordon Cummins

In 1942 Gordon Cummins attacked six women, killing four, the biggest challenge to Scotland Yard since Jack the Ripper. During the London Blackout, in February 1942, RAF cadet Gordon Cummins unleashed a brutal killing spree, attacking six women in five days and murdering four. His victims ranged from a chemist to sex workers, leaving a trail of horror across darkened streets. Detective Chief Inspector Edward Greeno, aided by fingerprint pioneer Fred Cherrill, meticulously tracked Cummins down. Evidence piled up and despite his family's pleas of innocence, Cummins was convicted and hanged. Loved by his wife, popular with his superior officers, Cummins was a multi-layered enigma. However, crucial statements given by one woman who fought him off and another who survived his attack give chilling insight into the monstrous side of this affable, well-liked young psychopath. Robin Jarossi explores this extraordinary, frequently shocking and disturbing narrative, encompassing the harrowing stories of victims, survivors and the police work of the time, to offer insights into a society facing wartime upheaval and under siege, as gender roles and societal norms were cast aside. AUTHOR: Robin Jarossi is a journalist and author. His first job was a crime reporter at the Hackney Gazette, before moving into magazines. At Daily Mirror Special Projects, he researched the 1960s Hammersmith Nude Murders case, which became his first book and a BBC documentary. This led to appearances on five series of Murder by the Sea, Voice of a Killer, The Real Prime Suspect and Dark Land (CBS Reality, now CBS Real Crime). He acted as researcher on the Brighton Trunk Murders for Dark Land, and co-authored the book for Murder by the Sea with director David Howard. He has also written The Real Ted Hastings, which looks at the corruption cases that inspired Line of Duty. 12 b/w illusrations