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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

By: Kate Summerscale
Narrated by: Jessica Ball
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Summary

 Bloomsbury presents this Unabridged version of The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale, read by Jessica Ball.

FROM BRITAIN’S TOP-SELLING TRUE CRIME WRITER

WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE
WINNER OF THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER
A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK
GALAXY BOOK OF THE YEAR, BRITISH BOOK AWARDS

'A classic' JOHN LE CARRÉ

'Terrific' IAN RANKIN

It is midnight on 30 June 1860 and all is quiet in the Kent family’s elegant house in Road, Wiltshire. The next morning, however, they wake to find that their youngest son has been murdered. Even worse, the guilty party is surely one of their number – the house was bolted from the inside.

As Jack Whicher, the most celebrated detective of his day, arrives to track down the killer, the murder provokes national hysteria at the thought of what might be festering behind the doors of respectable middle-class homes.

A body, a detective, a country house steeped in secrets and a whole family of suspects – this true story is the original Victorian whodunnit.

'Gripping, unputdownable' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'Absolutely riveting' SARAH WATERS, GUARDIAN

'Nothing less than a masterpiece' CRAIG BROWN, MAIL ON SUNDAY©2008 Kate Summerscale (P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 19th Century Europe Great Britain Literary History & Criticism Modern Murder True Crime Crime England Thought-Provoking
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Most relevant
PDF with audio book mentioned multiple times but not included with purchase - why not? Can it be got separately?

No pdf included!!

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The book seems well researched. It was performed excellently and it felt like listening to a good fiction rather than a non-fiction. It was interesting to see how not only Whicher but other people came to their conclusions, and the mystery that still surrounds the case to this day.

A thrilling listen

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Investigative retelling of this real life murder mystery was what I expected. It’s not a thriller in the sense of some detective fiction if that is what some are expecting, though it is suspenseful. Also full of fascinating asides about the history of detectives and other developments of the time. Many of these piqued my interest and lead me into whole other areas and connections. Living in Sydney I was also fascinated by the later references to Australia (no spoilers).
TIP the referenced PDF is unfortunately not available on the audible phone app, but is on your Audible library on your PC.
Also very good narration (though horrible mispronunciation of Wagga Wagga, but it’s a common one so I’ll forgive her).
The writer mentions at the end how at one point she is reminded of the child at the centre of this tragedy. I never forgot him. I had his image in my mind at the start and throughout; the horror and immense sadness of the family, and the cruelty and finger pointing of the general public and media. Little has changed on that front.

Lots of fascinating info. PDF only viewable on PC

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An interesting crime which is explored from all angles and reveals fascinating insights into Victorian Society and notions of class. As well as chronicling the dawn of the detective.

Fascinating case study

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Not read anything like this before but really thoroughly enjoyed it. A combination of mystery story and non fiction detailed research historical information about the genre and the times. Fascinating! Also this narrator is incredible

Perfect narration, excellent research

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