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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 (Paperback)

by Kate Summerscale (Author)
3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (213 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (5 Jan 2009)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0747596484
  • ISBN-13: 978-0747596486
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (213 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 183 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Biography > True Crime
    #2 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > True Accounts
    #10 in  Books > History

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Product Description

Review

'I can't think of another book which takes you so fast into the smells, tastes and atmosphere of that time.' --Doris Lessing


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' --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews

213 Reviews
5 star:
 (56)
4 star:
 (40)
3 star:
 (32)
2 star:
 (37)
1 star:
 (48)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.1 out of 5 stars (213 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
296 of 332 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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109 of 135 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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78 of 105 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating true crime story , 8 April 2008
This review is from: The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House (Hardcover)
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

1.0 out of 5 stars Rubbish
This book reads like a bad Ph.D. thesis - a decent editor would have cut it to a third of the length and published it as a 'whodunnit', but this is a whodunnit interspersed with... Read more
Published 6 days ago by H Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars Well, I liked it!
Having recently finished this book, and having subsequently read some of the many negative reviews here on Amazon (as well as positive), I have to say I don't agree with the... Read more
Published 11 days ago by N. Byrne

4.0 out of 5 stars Love a good true crime fiction book!
I'm a sucker for a good murder mystery and also all things Victorian, so this book delivered both. I know this is set in the UK, but I couldn't help thinking SS Van Dine here... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Rose Wood

3.0 out of 5 stars early detection
The main drawback of the book is its lack of candour about the investigation, especially the poor forensic standards used at the murder scene and elsewhere. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Dr. P. R. Lewis

1.0 out of 5 stars The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
God this is a dreadful book! The only reason it has been in the top ten is because Richard and Judy have recommended it and like all their recommendations its total rubbish! Read more
Published 27 days ago by Jackie

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good suspicions
Very enjoyable read. Most peoples' familiarity with 19th century crime will have been via Sherlock Holmes. Read more
Published 1 month ago by P. A. LYSTER

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this murder mystery...
I am not usually a fan of detective fiction, that was until I read Arthur and George, which is based on a real case and then this book was reccomended to me and I am glad I read... Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Croft

4.0 out of 5 stars The murder of three-year-old Savile Kent
The story of the murder of three-year-old Savile Kent is truly horrific and aroused the general populace of southern England to a degree where it might be termed the cause of one... Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Shaw

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
I read some of the reviews to see what was being said, and I'm sorry to say the 1 star reviews are both accurate and innacurate. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ms. M. Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite fascinating

Brilliantly narrated, interesting piece of work, shot through with all sorts of useful titbits re 19th century society, the culture and norms of a world emerging from... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gargantua Pantaloon

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