Babes in the Wood: Two girls murdered. A guilty man walks free. Can the police get justice

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Babes in the Wood by Graham Bartlett with Peter James takes us to the heart of a murder case that shocked the nation. Both gripping police procedural and an insight into the motivations of a truly evil man, it is a unique account of what became a thirty-two year fight for justice. On 9 October 1986, nine-year-olds Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway went out to play on their Brighton estate. They would never return home; their bodies discovered the next day concealed in a small clearing in a local park. This devastating crime rocked their close-knit community and the whole country. Following the investigation moment by moment, drawing on exclusive interviews with officers charged with catching the killer, former senior detective Graham Bartlett and bestselling author Peter James tell the compelling inside story of the murder hunt and the arrest of local man Russell Bishop. The trial that followed was one of the most infamous in the history of Brighton policing - a shock result sees Bishop walk free. 'Not guilty.' Three years later, Graham is working as a junior detective in Brighton CID. A seven year old girl is kidnapped and found wandering naked on the freezing South Downs. When Bishop's name comes up as a suspect, it's clear history had come close to repeating itself. With the law and science against them, the police are frustrated that, still, he would escape justice for the double murder. Decades later detectives are handed a surprise second chance. Can Bishop finally be made to answer for his horrendous crimes

Reviews

This book is an extremely well-written and detailed account of the thirty year journey from the tragedy of the murder of two loved young girls, through a failed prosecution, and a families tireless pursuit to see justice done, culminating in the complex and challenging Sussex Police investigating leading to the rightful conviction of Russell Bishop. It is a testament to what a families determination and Police investigative skills can achieve in bringing justice to these two innocent young girls. -- Superintendent Adam Hibbert, former head of Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team

When appointed to set up a Cold Case Review system in Sussex in 1999 this case above all others cried out to be solved.
Unfortunately at that time the law did not allow a further prosecution of the suspect. Once the law had changed the dedication of a number of Sussex Police officers with forensic support and the unflinching commitment of the victims' families resulted in the successful prosecution of Bishop after thirty-two years. Babes in the Wood tells this harrowing and tragic story with great accuracy and sensitivity, revealing for the first time the inside story of how the police eventually brought justice for the two little girls. It is a story that needs to be told.

-- David Gaylor, Retired Detective Chief Superintendent, Sussex Police and 'the real life Roy Grace'
Make no mistake, a criminal trial is not about finding the truth, it is only ever about the question of proof. Babes in the Wood highlights the painstaking and frustrating, slow and, on occasion, ponderous route to achieving the goals of both proof and truth. It is an excellent observation of professionalism and downright persistence, working within the strict framework of relatively new legislation, achieving the successful prosecution of one of Britains most dangerous, paedophilic psychopaths. A triumph, this book is not just a testament to the police officers, but also to the parents and families of the victims, who had not only to endure so many years of distress and monumental grief, but also the lingering distrust and antipathy from their own community and neighbours, which thankfully was, eventually dismissed. The authenticity of this book, the honesty, professionalism and persistent investigation displayed, the array of characters, frustrations and procedures all these are a shining example of both the truth and accuracy of an investigation, leading to one of the most dramatic re-trials seen within the United Kingdom to date. Babes in the Wood should be required reading for all budding detectives. -- Former DI Malcolm Bacon, investigating officer who saw Bishop jailed for life in 1990

Author Bio

Graham Bartlett was a Sussex police officer for thirty years. In 1989 he was posted to Brighton and Hove, becoming a detective the following year. Quite uniquely he served the city through every rank, rising to become a homicide senior investigating officer and Detective Superintendent for Public Protection as well as a strategic firearms and public order commander. He then achieved his life's ambition, as Chief Superintendent, to become the city's Police Commander. He lives in Sussex. Peter James has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career - which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over forty awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer.