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The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher
 
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The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher (Paperback)

by Kate Summerscale (Author)
3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (237 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (26 July 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 074759922X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0747599227
  • Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (237 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 11,017 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #48 in  Books > Biography > True Crime
    #85 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > True Accounts

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Product Description

Review

'It is a beautiful piece, written with great lucidity and respect for the reader, and with immaculate restraint. A classic, to my mind, of the finest documentary writing.' John Le Carre 'A pacy analysis of a true British murder case from 1860, the unravelling of which involved one of the earliest Scotland Yard detectives and inspired sensation novelists such as Dickens and Wilkie Collins Absolutely riveting' Sarah Waters, Guardian 'Summerscale has constructed nothing less than a masterpiece My shelves are stacked with books about crime, but none more satisfying than this' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday 'Sparse, melancholy, beautifully written the year's most beguiling biography' Independent

The Daily Mail

A tour de force. It sweeps us irresistibly into the investigation, turning us into armchair detectives... Under the spell of [her] scrupulous intelligence and mesmerizing research'
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Customer Reviews

237 Reviews
5 star:
 (61)
4 star:
 (44)
3 star:
 (40)
2 star:
 (42)
1 star:
 (50)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.1 out of 5 stars (237 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
306 of 345 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The birth of detective fiction and the death of a child, 11 April 2008
By Icy (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House (Hardcover)
This book is as much a history of Victorian social values and the emerging field of detective fiction in the nineteenth century as it is a book about a hideous country house murder in 1860. Researched using original police papers from the National Archives, books on the crime and many more sources, the book tells the story of the Road Hill House murder of 1860, when a three year old boy was brutally slain by another occupant of his home. The book sets out to detail the case, from the original event to the investigation by Scotland Yard detective Jack Whicher, to the aftermath suffered by the entire family.

It's extremely well written and well researched, and even though there is little to add suspense considering anyone with an Internet connection can discover the identity of the murderer, Summerscale still manages to inject a certain air of tension into proceedings, drawing things out as they must have unfolded at the time. With a peculiar ability to grab your attention and hold it firmly, the book is difficult to put down, and a thoroughly fascinating read for anyone with an interest in detective fiction, real life crime or a historical period that throws up as many questions as it answers.

Highly recommended.
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117 of 145 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly researched and completely engrossing, 1 May 2008
By Snapdragon (London) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House (Hardcover)
The murder of a young child which took place at Road Hill House, Wiltshire in 1860 captured the imagination of the public and turned everyone into amateur detectives. The perfect example of a country house murder with a finite amount of suspects also inspired writers of the time such as Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

'The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher' is structured so that first, we learn the details of the crime, then we learn about the investigation which leads on to what happened next and the author's own theory based on the evidence. To say this book is well-researched in something of an understatement; if someone goes through a toll road, we know how much they pay; if someone moves to London we find out who they lived next door to; if someone left a will, we find out exactly what they left and to whom. I'm sure this level of detail would be irritating to some, but I found it absolutely incredible!

The book is also interesting in giving us a taste of the time, the attitudes of the people, the ways in which the Police force was growing and how events were shaping literature.

This is an extraordinary achievement and engrossing throughout. I can't wait to see what she will come up with next!
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28 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars the facts of the murder, 21 Jan 2009
By Susan Belcher "Su B" (St Helens, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House (Hardcover)
This is a fantastic example of what a true crime book should be.

I have read many reviews that say there is far too much information about the sociological history of the time, from my point of view (as a lecturer in Forensic and Criminal Psychology and Crime History) it is the understanding of the sociology of the time that makes understanding the crime clearer. You should not apply the sociological standards of today to 150 years ago, nor should you apply them to 10 years ago. If you truly want to understand the crime then you need to understand the historical context - this is one of the most difficult concepts to get a student of the genre to understand.

It is a very well researched, well written book, accurate to the known facts.

The author deserves the prizes that she has been awarded for this wonderful piece of work.

The murder of three year old Saville Kent in 1860 and it's investigation by Scotland Yard detective Jonathan Whicher (of the title) was the first "country house" murder and set the standard for fictionalised versions to come.

I cannot recommend this highly enough. Superb.


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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Suspicions of Mr Whicher
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well-researched and went off at tangents I had not expected, which very much fleshed out the sequence of events: the English Victorian... Read more
Published 28 days ago by A. Neill

2.0 out of 5 stars What is all the fuss about?
Having heard great things about this book, I bought it anticipating a thrilling read that would engross me all the way. I was bitterly disappointed. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Mr. C. M. J. Hyde

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder in Deepest, Darkest Wiltshire.
This is a very easy, yet slightly unsettling read about the murder of a young boy in Victorian Wiltshire. Read more
Published 28 days ago by J. Cook

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep 'em Peeled
I cannot find any flaw in this book, which revolved around the murder of a young boy in 1860 Wiltshire. Read more
Published 29 days ago by ianrmillard

3.0 out of 5 stars Victorian Insight
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House is the story of a true murder mystery, which formed the basis of inspiration for many of the great detective stories... Read more
Published 1 month ago by J. Cronin

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling!
The best of both worlds - a fantastic who-dun-it style read that's true! Well researched,it intrigues and excites the reader in turn - I couldn't put it down.
Published 1 month ago by Palindrome

3.0 out of 5 stars Mr Whicher: Fascinating subject matter but possibly not the best approach
I had mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that gripped me but other parts that dragged, and I finished it wondering whether it was a whodunnit, a biography of a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by J. Hills

3.0 out of 5 stars Not so much a muder mystery . . .
This book is not what I thought I would be. I thought this would just be about a child murder which happens to be true and the Mr Whicher of the title is the detective who solves... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nicola Hepworth

4.0 out of 5 stars Facinating facts behind the fictional detective.
I have put off reading this book for some time but finally decided that, as it really seemed to be a book that some people loved, whilst others hated, I should make my own mind... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Manda Moo

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing - don't bother buying
Like many of the other reviewers giving this one-star I was extremely disappointed with the book. There is layer upon layer of superfluous detail, presumably added in the hope... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Harriet James

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