Force of Darkness

In 1942 Gordon Cummins attacked six women, killing four, the biggest challenge to Scotland Yard since Jack the Ripper

During the Blitz in 1942, one British serviceman begins his own private killing campaign – against London’s women. This is the story of the women who fought back, the family and victims who fell for his easy manner, and the hunt to stop him.

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.