The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

by Kate Summerscale

A true story about the murder of a small child in 1860. The author unpacks the hidden lives of a hitherto very private middle class family - the Kents as does the detective Mr Whicher. It is with great pathos that the mystery is unravelled and the killer revealed.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
"I wouldn't normally read a 'murder' story but I found the historical aspects extremely evocative and fascinating - they include the seminal beginnings of the British Police, detection and a whole genre of authors". Recommended ****

"Many well know literary names of the day express their opinions, in fact they are said to have based much of their writing on true murders. After reading the evidence, I was left with a gut feeling that that the convicted person was shielding someone else. An excellent narrative of true crime"
Recommended ***

"Detection in the 19th century would seem to be a long drawn out process if this story is an example. I found the constant references to a missing nightgown and comparisons to other well known authors' works quite tedious. A shorter but faster moving story would have held my attention for longer"
Probably wouldn't recommend **

"A well researched book (a social history of the time as well as the crime) I found the section describing the later lives of the Kent children remarkable telling of their achievements and their travels abroad"
Not Recommended ***

"The very meticulous research becomes repetitious and moves sluggishly at times. However the author gave a wonderful portrait of Victorian England with it's hypocrisy and suffocating class structure and yet the people so vibrant and hard working."
Recommended - if interested in history as well as crime ****