Burke and Hare in fiction – Map Monday

Submitted: 17th November 2025

Burke and Hare in fiction

One of the most infamous true crimes of the 19th century involves two men – Burke and Hare – who were responsible for digging up dead bodies and selling them to the medical establishments in Edinburgh. At the time, medical students were desperate for real bodies to practice on and study. So, these two men found a way of making money from it.

It was a gruesome and sickening crime in so many ways but today the two are immortalised in many books and tours of the Scottish capital.

Edinburgh with Burke and Hare:

1 Burke and hare booktrail

Mrs Burke & Mrs Hare Michelle Sloan

Burke and Mrs Hare

This novel looks at Burke and Hare who stole numerous bodies for Dr Robert Knox. Burke and Hare’s wives were also said to be involved but only Burke hung for the crimes. The women go on the run and years later…someone spots them in a crowd. Revenge and justice are on the cards…..

The Specimens Mairi Kidd

The Specimens

“A bold retelling of Burke and Hare’s crimes from the women closest to the gruesome truth”

This book looks at Burke’s lover and Knox’s wife and what they did or did not know about the crimes going on beneath their noses. A fascinating insight into the women behind such infamous figures in history and a dark one at that. So this might be fiction, but there’s more than grains of truth in it and even if a smidge of this book is real….

Keep in touch with The BookTrail