The Rayo Original Podcast called Beware Book revisits a series of brutal murders of eight women in Glasgow between 1991 and 2005. According to the Daily Record, the victims were involved in prostitution and were vulnerable, living on the fringes of society. The murders occurred during a period of high unemployment, high crime rates, and heroin addiction in Glasgow.
At least four of the eight murder cases remain unsolved today: Diane McInally's, Karen McGregor's, Leona McGovern's, and Jacqueline Gallagher's. The women documented warnings about violent or suspicious clients in a leather journal known as the 'Beware Book'. Journalists Collette McGonigle and Callum McQuade of Clyde 1 are revisiting these cases in the podcast.
At its heart, Beware Book is about restoring dignity to women whose lives were often reduced to headlines. It's about amplifying the voices of families who feel forgotten by the justice system.
The podcast questions whether the investigations were thorough and unbiased, and if opportunities to apprehend Emma Caldwell's killer sooner were overlooked. The murder of Emma Caldwell was resolved in 2024 when Iain Packer was convicted, 19 years after her death. The podcast includes interviews with victims' families, a former investigating officer, Iain Packer's earliest known victim, and former officers.
The series underscores challenges faced by marginalized women and failures of the justice system. Journalists Collette McGonigle and Callum McQuade said, "At its heart, Beware Book is about restoring dignity to women whose lives were often reduced to headlines. " The first two episodes of Beware Book will be available from 23 March, with new episodes weekly for five weeks.
The podcast is available on the Rayo app, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and other platforms from 23 March. Why at least four of the murder cases remain unsolved despite investigations is unknown. Whether prejudice influenced how the cases were handled by authorities at the time is also unclear.