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The Case of the Priory Murder
John Kerr
Robert Hale
30 June 2012 (US 1 October 2012) / ISBN-13: 9780709098386
Historical Mystery 1870s London
Amazon
US
- UK
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
Beautiful young
Cecilia Castello is an unhappy woman. Her husband appears to be
trying to drink himself into an early grave and he beats her. When
she turns to her father, he is not keen for the marriage to dissolve;
instead he sends her to Malvern to try the fashionable new water
cure. There she meets the inventor of this popular innovation, Dr
Gully, and has an affaire with him. When her husband dies, she is
left a wealthy widow, but it is then her troubles begin once again.
This is a novel based on a celebrated Victorian murder case, although
the names have been changed. I don't know the true story, so cannot
say how closely this novel resembles it, but it doesn't matter as
what there is makes for a good yarn. The story seems to tick most
of the boxes as it involves a glamorous leading lady, scandal, a
frisson of the bizarre, and elements of both the classic murder
mystery and the unexpected. I didn't guess the entire outcome. and
this is a pacy, well-written book that hits the ground running and
gathers momentum. If you like historical crime, then this ought
to appeal, doubly so because it has the ring of authenticity as
presumably most of it actually happened. It would be good if this
author could do another similar reworking of another true case.
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