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The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House
 
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The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House (Hardcover)

by Kate Summerscale (Author)
3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (177 customer reviews)
RRP: £16.99
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; First Edition edition (7 April 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0747582157
  • ISBN-13: 978-0747582151
  • Product Dimensions: 21 x 14.4 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (177 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 19,318 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #37 in  Books > History > Cultural History > Local & Urban History
    #68 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Law & Disorder > Criminology

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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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The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House
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Customer Reviews

177 Reviews
5 star:
 (48)
4 star:
 (28)
3 star:
 (27)
2 star:
 (33)
1 star:
 (41)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.1 out of 5 stars (177 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
270 of 285 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 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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98 of 107 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)   
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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75 of 89 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating true crime story , 8 April 2008
This is a brilliantly well-written account of a the first ever murder case to take the nation by storm and spark a whole genre of writing. It is totally gripping from the start, building up all of the tiny facts of the case so you become totally absorbed by it and end up as an armchair detective in the reading of it. The ending is fantastic too - it crescendos to a amazing revelation that doesn't fail to deliver, I was totally hooked to the very end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so great afterall
I was looking forward to getting a copy of this book. It had great reviews which compared it to one of my favourite authors 'Wilkie Collins'. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Ms. A. Bhandari

2.0 out of 5 stars Lacking
Could have been gripping given the horrific nature of the case on which it is based. This is not writing but a series of newspaper articles and quotes clunkily segued by reportage... Read more
Published 4 days ago by Thomas J. Curtis

5.0 out of 5 stars WHO DONE IT?...
This is a beautifully written, well-researched book that dissects the murder investigation that surrounded an appalling murder that occurred in England in 1860. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Lawyeraau

2.0 out of 5 stars A Forgotten Murder Mystery Purportedly Revealed
Suspicions of Mr. Whicher is one of those books that makes me very sad, because of what it could have been. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Graceann Macleod

3.0 out of 5 stars The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House
I enjoyed this book very much and Kate Summerscale writes well. However, I did not like the continual references to Dickens', Wilkie Collins' novels and thought they were... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Mrs. V. J. Low

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, even for those who don't like non-fiction
I've never been a big fan of non-fiction, only occasionally getting excited about certain subjects enough to want to read a whole book about them, WWII being one. Read more
Published 15 days ago by ceb 123

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr Whicher
I have just started to read this book. So far well written. The murder is particularly gruesome, or rather hideous. Read more
Published 15 days ago by K. C. Towers

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly original and an extraordinary achievement
Kate Summerscale has produced something quite original and exciting here, and has deservedly won awards for this book. Read more
Published 15 days ago by hiljean

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the hype - boring as all get-out
I cannot understand why this book is so acclaimed, it bored me senseless and managed to make a potentially interesting tale dull as ditchwater. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Ms. C. L. Scott

4.0 out of 5 stars An accomplished piece of detection
The reviews so far posted are sharply divided between those who recognise 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' for what it is, a social history of mid-Victorian Britain with reference... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Mondoro

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