"Do you think we are poisoned?" Shrivell had asked.
They were foolish, Vogt had told them, to take pills from a stranger.
"He is not a stranger," one of the women had protested. "He was a doctor."

In the late 19th century, while the public was obsessed with murder and crime, Thomas Neill Cream poisoned victims in London, Chicago, and Canada. The doctor was convicted of a murder in Illinois, sending him to the penitentiary in Joliet, but in truth he had killed at least six in Canada and the Chicago area by that time, including his wife. After his release, his time in prison shortened when the governor commuted his sentence, Cream soon moved across the ocean to England. A decade before, he had completed some studies at a hospital in Lambeth - he now moved back into this area of London, and a spate of deaths followed, along with blackmail accusing prominent people of the poisonings.

This true crime narrative looks not only at Dr. Cream's killings in London for which he has been called the Lambeth Poisoner, but also his eventual trial and, through the eyes of Inspector Frederick Smith Jarvis of Scotland Yard, Dr. Cream's beginnings in North America. A note at the beginning of the book informs the reader that anything written in quotation marks is directly quoted from a police or court file, memoir, newspaper, letter, or something else of the sort. Following the main content of the book, there is a cast of characters - this would have been more useful for me personally at the front of the book. Although there is a table of contents, I didn't look through it and therefore didn't know this resource existed while I was reading. Photos and illustrations, both of individuals and locations, are inserted throughout. Some of the chapters focusing on public sentiment, advances in policework, etc. felt a little jarring to me, bringing me out of the narrative. I think some of this information might have done better integrated throughout other chapters, rather than, for example, a chapter on Sherlock Holmes sandwiched between a chapter on Dr. Cream's return to London and one of his first murders there.

I would recommend this one for those who like The Devil in the White City or otherwise have interest in true crime or serial killers.

Thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the eARC. The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer was published last week, July 13 2021.

I'd never heard of Dr. Cream, a wealthy Canadian who literally got away with murder during the Victorian era. Dean Jobb's book, The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream, will give you shivers when you read about how this monstrous man escaped justice while hiding in plain sight.

This is a diligently researched true crime book that reads like a novel, and it's filled with fascinating details about 19th century London and the police who sought to capture him--only to have him escape. Recommended for all true crime fans.

I picked up this book because I enjoy history and true crime, and I also found it fascinating that this was the first book that really explored one of the most notorious serial killers of the nineteenth century (well, the label "serial killer" didn't exist back then, but that's beside the point). Like many true crime stories, it centers around an elusive criminal who carries out his murders while continuing to evade the law and the public eye. What I found captivating about this story was that the author goes into the history of the medical profession in the late nineteenth century, and how being a doctor served as an effective cover for Dr. Cream's crimes. I also found it interesting that Dr. Cream somehow managed to stay under the radar, at least for so many years, moving around from Canada to the U.S., to England, and back again, leaving a trail of unsolved murders in his tracks. If you love history, true crime, and colorful characters, you'll definitely enjoy this book. There is a lot of historical background in the first few chapters before the story of Dr. Cream actually begins, so just bear with it if you find the book to be a slow start. This book is mostly narrative nonfiction, so, for the most part, it's a quick and easy read.

As a big fan of true crime books, I don't know how I had never heard of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream who poisoned many people throughout the United States, Canada and Great Britain. He mostly chose to prey on Prostitutes and desperate women who came to him for help. I really enjoyed this book especially the photos and illustrations. It was very well researched.

Thank you to @algonquinbooks; @deanjobb for the #gifted copy of the book.
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Who’s up for a chilling tale of a Victorian Era serial killer? I love how Sherlock Holmes and Watson could so expertly piece together the clues to solve crimes. But in reality, and especially in the 1800s, the field of forensics was in its genesis, so solving crimes was a tricky business.

Between 1876 and 1892, Dr. Thomas Neill Cream used the guise of a trusted doctor to kill his victims. His victims being women in Canada, Chicago, and London. And He almost got away with it!

Dean Jobb takes you on a well-researched journey of Dr. Cream’s murderous exploits. If you enjoy true crime, historical pieces, or solving mysteries, this one is for you!

Thank you to @algonquinbooks for an invitation to this tour and an advanced digital copy.

Running around at the same time as Jack the Ripper, the lesser known Thomas Neill Cream was also attracted to women of the "lower classes", preferring to use his knowledge of pharmacopoeia to overtake and subdue women instead of his more violent counterpart's use of a knife. Leaving a trail of dead women wherever he went, embarrassing Scotland Yard, and causing local law enforcement to scratch their heads, Cream's past finally catches up to him in a tantalizing trial that packed the gallery.

Jobb has a gift of bringing all these characters back to life and creating a compelling retelling of this intriguing case.

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own.

"When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge" ~ Sherlock Holmes, in The Adventure of the Speckled Band, 1892
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The moral of this tale is never accept a pill from a cross-eyed man, wearing a top hat even when he assures you that he Is a doctor


I find it baffling that I’ve heard of Jack the Ripper, but not about Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, otherwise known as the Lambeth Poisoner. Cream murdered his way across two continents and three countries in the late nineteenth century, with most of his victims being women and his preferred method of dispatch…..poison


Born into a wealthy family, it seems to have been a curious mixture of blind faith in a medical professional, deference to Cream’s class and sex as well as police error that allowed his killing spree to continue unchecked until he finally came to justice in 1892


One for fan’s of true crime, The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream is meticulously researched and what I particularly liked, were the maps, newspaper articles and photographs that illustrated the story and gave it context. This was one I dipped in and out of over a couple weeks (there’s only so much psychopathy I can take in a day) and I’m so grateful to the publisher and netgallet for my eArc and including me on the blog tour

This book contains two of my favorite genres: history and true crime. I had never heard of Dr. Cream or his crimes (not sure if it’s more well-known in England), so I was interested in learning more about this Jack-the-Ripper-esque killer.

Dr. Cream was an actual practicing doctor during the later half of the 19th century who poisoned (mostly) women in the guise of providing them with medical treatment. His crimes spanned several countries (the US, Canada, and the UK). It’s only because of his own hubris that he was eventually caught and put on trial. This book had all the makings of an intriguing story – especially the inclusion of a main character that is truly nuts. However, I felt that this book suffered from a structure that just didn’t work. The book jumps around from different time periods for no discernible reason. I think it would have benefitted from a more chronological telling. It would have made the book so much easier to follow along with. I found myself confused with which part of Dr. Cream’s story I was reading and how all of the events of his life connected together. The book starts with his crimes in the UK only to go back and forth between his past and previous crimes. There were also some parts of the story that felt rather dry even though the story is rife with dramatic moments (especially when one of the poisonings is described).

Obviously, you can tell that the author spent a ton of time researching this case and this period in history. The book is well-supported by facts and insights into that time period. However, I most likely won’t be recommending this to anyone because I just couldn’t get past the hard-to-follow structure. Perhaps this was just a miss for me – maybe other readers won’t be bothered by this storytelling technique.

This has been a fascinating read, watching as fumble after fumble allows Cream to reign terror disguised as medical aid. Dean Jobb's thorough research of the topic is clear throughout. Brilliant.

I was never so relieved as when the deed was done. That man was overconfident, but the fact that he had gotten away with it for so long allowed him to be so.

I haven’t taken part in a blog tour in years because I hate scheduling posts (and this tour is on Instagram!), but I made an exception for The Case of the Murderous Dr Cream because it’s historical true crime and I’ve never heard of Dr Cream before.

Thomas Neill Cream was a Canadian born in Scotland who, like Jack the Ripper, targeted random prostitutes. Unlike Jack the Ripper (as far as we know), Cream had not one but two killing sprees. He started in Canada, as an abortionist with a suspiciously high fatality rate, and after being released from prison, travelled to London and continued killing. The Case of the Murderous Dr Cream is the story of all these murders.

The Case of the Murderous Dr Cream is a meticulously researched book that closely follows Cream through various historical records. It’s honestly horrifying how the London police managed to overlook all the poisonings even though Cream also engaged in blackmail, which raised his profile. I wonder whether, if they had been more alert, if more deaths could be prevented.

In terms of the structure, the book starts with the release of Cream from the Canadian prisons and how he travels to London to immediately start killing again. We only get to hear about his criminal beginnings later on in the book, when the British police are looking into Cream’s past. I understand why this structure was taken, but I personally wasn’t a huge fan of it because that meant that Cream’s past was sandwiched between his London murders and his trial, and with the number of victims in this book, I needed a refresher when the trial started.

For those of you who like illustrations, this book has many pictures and drawings that are relevant to the section (vs being in the middle of the book as a separate section of pictures) and I thought that it helped in adding context to the case.

Overall, this was a fascinating look into a Victorian serial killer and I have to say that given the time period and number of victims, I’m surprised that Cream has not achieved the same notoriety as Jack the Ripper.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but all thoughts in this review are my own.

I am always here for a book about a serial killer, so I jumped at the chance to read The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream by Dean Jobb. It definitely gave me some Devil in the White City vibes, but I loved that book.

This book covers the London murder trial of 1892, and it exposes the "blind trust" given to male medical practitioners during that time - a legacy that somewhat endures. The predatory behavior is both enraging and fascinating to read how it unfolds.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

"Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes creator)...was beginning to think about crime and punishment. Some men, he concluded, were so dangerous-and so likely to commit more crimes- that they should never be set free."

The above is the gist of the incredulous true crime story of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer by Dean Jobb. Authorities had this killer imprisoned and they let him go thanks to corruption, blackmail, class privilege and very poor investigations.

I had never heard of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream who killed at least 10 people while hiding in plain sight in Canada, the U.S. and Victorian era England. Perhaps because his method of killing was poison, less sensational than Jack the Ripper's slashing knives at the time or maybe it is because the bungling of his capture was an embarrassment to police, politicians and the justice system.

Dr. Cream was from a wealthy Canadian family but even his sister said he was "not right in his mind." He was guilty of the ultimate betrayal for a doctor in not only breaking his vow of "do no harm" but of purposely using his appearance of a trusted physician to kill just because he could get away with it.

This author has written one of the most meticulously researched true crime books I have ever read. It is up there with, in my opinion, the best true crime story In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Using court transcripts, newspaper articles, and actual police files we get a very visual story of this murderer, the grittiness of 19 century London and the frustrations of tracking a criminal without modern day forensics and technology. You may not know him now but once you read Dr. Cream's crimes you will never forget him.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via #Netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the only book you will need to read about the murders of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream. Extreme detail and numerous photos. The author also puts the murders in historical context.

This book gives a comprehensive account of a doctor in the late 1800s who poisoned women across continents for 15 years before being caught. It is rich with detail on the backstory, investigation, and trial of this disturbing man. Plus it includes photos and maps which transport you into the Victorian Era (note: the narrative and photos are NOT graphic.)

The most unsettling part is how prejudice and corruption allowed Cream to get away with murdering women seeking his help for far too long. The harmful attitudes and investigative mistakes are devastating.

My main critique is that the bouncing through time and place negatively impacted the flow. Also I appreciate the immense detail, but some of the passages felt a bit too tangential.

I definitely recommend this for true crime fans, especially those interested in early forensic and investigative techniques.

True crime readers will find The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream an interesting but very chilling and compelling read. The investigative techniques used back then verses how it is now is also interesting and informative. This was definitely a page turner.

“The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream” by Dean Jobb is the story of the Victorian age serial killer Dr. Cream. Cream used his position as a doctor to gain his patients trust, and to gain the poison he needed to kill his victims. Victimizing marginalized groups of people, primarily poor women, Cream was able to go untraced for much longer than expected.

This book was brimming with interesting details and facts. The Victorian age was a time of medical advances and criminology advances. The combination created more cunning killers, but also a growing police force to attempt to trace these killers. People were fascinated by killers, so the newspapers give details and opinions on any and every case, but even the death sentence drew a crowd of onlookers.

Cream’s story feels like a “Criminal Minds” case just waiting to be cracked. At this time, the technology was on his side. As he was suspected, his job position and social standing counted him out. Even traceable things like handwriting and appearance were easily changed. Or worst case, he could always move (which he did). Different cases weren’t connected until much later and by then his count was higher.

Ultimately, this book was an interesting study into a cunning killer who was able to evade the law time and time again. I gave the book 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

It’s an interesting story/piece of criminal history that I had no idea of. It was fun reading and learning about true crime. It was pretty easy to read and follow. I enjoyed the lay out with pictures throughout the book.

What is “Dr. Cream” About?
Dean Jobb’s The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream is a non-fiction book exploring the life and crimes of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream. During the mid-to-late 1800s, Cream committed a series of heinous murders, mostly against low-class women, which shocked and confused the world yet evaded solving. With the help of his medical knowledge and general fearlessness, Cream managed to avoid capture for many years and murder up to 10 people in Canada, the U.S., and London. In this book, Jobb delves deep into Cream’s crimes and his convoluted downfall. He not only explores Cream’s perspective, but also those of his victims, acquaintances, and the men who desperately tried to stop him.

Dr. Cream is a book full of thrills, violence, and mystery. It has many twists and turns that will keep you constantly guessing. If you’re a fan of Devil in the White City by Erik Larson or the story of Jack the Ripper, then this book will definitely pique your interest. ***Trigger warnings include: murder, violence against women, abortion, sexual content.

The Review
Overall, I enjoyed The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream! I found the case to be intriguing and it definitely had elements that felt relevant to today’s issues, making it both a piece of history and a question about our society. However, this book wasn’t a perfect five stars for me. While reading I did notice some issues which tripped me up and slowed down my reading process. All in all though, this is a non-fiction read that I would for sure recommend to those who enjoy thrilling crime stories.

Pros
First, let’s discuss the pros of this book. As I mentioned before, Jobb does a great job in pulling out the problematic parts of this case. I won’t say too much, but the issues that occur due to Scotland Yard’s lack of diligence made me think very hard about the responsibilities of law enforcement, no matter the time period. Additionally, Jobb explores many of the biases which led to missteps in the case, which I thought was very thoughtful and well done. Aside from the parallels to today, Dr. Cream is generally just a good story. His relationship to Jack the Ripper is incredibly intriguing and his own crimes are equally as grotesque and terrible. The fact that Dr. Cream isn’t well-remembered only adds to the significance of this book. All in all, Jobb succeeds in crafting this convoluted, detail-oriented case.

Cons
Now in a similar vein, because the facts of Dr. Cream’s case are so confusing and wide-spanning, this book often felt heavy with information. There was a seemingly endless assortment of characters, many of whom were completely useless after the paragraph they were mentioned in. Although I enjoyed the thoughtfulness of Jobb’s storytelling, I often felt like I was being taken off on tangents when really I wanted to get back into the storyline. Additionally, I would’ve liked to see more intimacy with the characters. Personally, it was very difficult to try and get into the heads of the characters because this book really hinges on facts more than narrative/imagination. But of course, that’s my own reading preference and isn’t a significant issue.

Conclusion on “Dr. Cream”
The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream is a book that I would certainly recommend. It tackles a story that is relevant to our time but also reminds us of our sinful, dangerous pasts. With true crime becoming more and more popular among our society, this book will fit right in with our weird lusts for murder and evil. But hopefully, more than intriguing us it can be a reminder to speak up when something seems suspicious and a call for justice against terrible people like Dr. Cream. Therefore, let us not forget Dr. Cream but keep him an example of someone who must face the consequences of his actions.

This review is also available on itsmegblog.com

Being a true crime fanatic, and I am saying it lightly, because I LIVE FOR TRUE CRIME, this book was actually awesome. I love reading true crime books, but this one reads like a documentary, which makes it even better. Being that I know about Jack the Ripper and his crimes, the cross reference between Jack and Cream was amazing.

The mystery still lingers, why did Cream do it? Why did he kill why did he kill women?? Prostitutes at that?? There are a lot of other speculations, but not anything from Cream himself. This is what I love about true crime, this book is worth the read.

I love that this book has references in the back so you can look up everything if you wanted to, loved that. Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book, cant wait until its out in stores. True Crime lovers will love this.

Book Review- no spoilers

This is the true story of a Victorian serial killer (before the term was invented) named Dr Thomas Neill Cream. Cream poisoned his victims, mostly female prostitutes in London and some of them were pregnant. He allegedly began his killing spree before the famous murderer HH Holmes as well as within the same time frame as Jack the Ripper, and he went to medical school around the same time as Sherlock Holmes.

The book is very thoroughly researched and the author used records, some completely original, that were found across a couple provinces of Canada to the State or Illinois to the City of London. The level of detail is amazing and is a result partially of luck to be able to have all these records remaining intact and mostly due to the excellent detective work of the author that researched this book.

After I received my advanced release ebook copy, I read all to the end before realizing there was a “Cast of Characters” list for this narrative nonfiction novel. I LOVE character lists and I wish I saw it sooner. I did my best to keep up with the names of characters. There were several minor characters named Joseph, and a fair number with similar “H” last names. G.F. Harvey is the medicinal company, and Haynes is the American acquaintance and Harper is the falsely accused medical student. There’s also inspector Harvey and of course, Louisa Harvey, a target of Cream’s, unrelated to the inspector or the medicinal company.

Despite the heavy and gruesome subject matter, the book was also a look back into history and the way society lived, and the prevalent viewpoints of the majority. There was an interesting discussion of abortion practices; a topic that is taboo to this day.

The story was set in different points of Cream’s life. I personally prefer a more linear story. The story starts at a particular point in Cream’s criminal history, moves forward, and then goes back. For me, it would have worked better if rather than putting months and years at the start of each chapter, if the author wrote “two years earlier” or “one month later”, etc.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This book gets released July 13th from Algonquin publishers. 4 stars and I would read more by the author. Releases on July 13th