The Italian Boy: Sarah Wise

At the end of 1831, authorities unearthed a series of crimes at 3 Novia Scotia Gardens that appeared to be a copycat of the infamous Burke and Hare killings in Edinburgh only three years earlier. Soon three body-snatchers were on trial for providing the anatomy schools of London with suspiciously fresh bodies for dissection. They became famous as the London Burkers and their story was dubbed "The Italian Boy" case. The ensuing uproar forced legislation to end body-snatching in Britain. As well as covering the actual case, this book is a fascinating window on the lives of the poor of 1830s London.