The Invention of Murder With its subtitle – ‘How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime’, this book traces the British public’s interest in murder as a sort of national entertainment. Though the book’s title clearly suggests we’re talking about the Victorian period (1837-1901), Ms Flanders begins her romp through the…
Category: History
Killer Pottery
Without the benefits of 20th-century technology, the faces of Victorian villains couldn’t be plastered all over the media, so how were their images and stories relayed to the general public? These days when a murder is discovered, the news hits the media in text, photos and on film, not to mention Facebook and Twitter. However,…
‘The Five’ by Hallie Rubenhold
The Five Famous for nothing more than being victims of Jack the Ripper, the reputations of five women have for years been tarnished by claims that they were simply prostitutes, sex workers who led selfish, pointless lives. But in truth, their stories have never been told. Now, Hallie Rubenhold uncovers the real lives of Polly,…
‘While the Bombs Fell’ by Robbie Cheadle and Elsie Hancy Eaton
While the Bombs Fell Growing up in rural Suffolk during World War Two, Elsie and her family live their lives amid the rumble of German bomber planes and the whine of air-raid sirens. But daily life must continue, and the children and their parents make the most of restricted amenities during wartime. Along with Elsie…
‘Biggles and the Black Peril’ by Captain WE Johns
Biggles and the Black Peril After a clammy white mist makes visibility impossible, flying ace James Bigglesworth and his pal Algy are forced to land their Vandal amphibian somewhere in Norfolk. The apparently desolate landscape prompts the pair to do a spot of exploring with a view to finding somewhere to eat. However, on discovering…
‘Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World’ by Niall Ferguson
Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World For years the imperial red of the British was splattered over vast areas of the world, including America, Asia and Africa. But how did a tiny island manage to take on almost the entire planet? I bought both the hardback and audio versions of this fabulous book so…
‘The Colditz Story’ by Major PR Reid
The Colditz Story During World War Two, Colditz Castle was the last stop for soldiers who had been caught escaping from other Prisoner of War camps. Its location, towering over a rocky crag above the River Mulde, was thought to make escape impossible, yet many men did breakout of the seemingly impenetrable fortress, including the…
‘The Dillen Doll’ by Jez Lowe
The Dillen Doll Set at the turn of the nineteenth century, Jez Lowe’s first novel brings together characters from folk songs of the period, including the central figure of Dolly Coxon from the Tyneside song, “Do Li A”. The story attempts to explain why an impoverished woman from the Tyne quayside should have been celebrated…
‘The Battered Body Beneath the Flagstones’ by Michelle Morgan
The Battered Body Beneath the Flagstones, and Other Victorian Scandals (Audiobook) Aside from Jack the Ripper, grisly murders don’t usually spring to mind when we think of the Victorian era, but hundreds of downright horrible crimes regularly hit the headlines at the time. While most of these have sunk without trace, Michelle Morgan has delved…
‘Crimson Rose’ by MJ Trow
Crimson Rose (Audiobook) London, 1587. A new play entitled Tamburlaine opens at the Rose Theatre, but when a member of the audience is murdered, young actor Will Shakespeare is the prime suspect and is thrown into jail. Playwright and part-time spy, Kit Marlowe, knows his friend is innocent and sets out to investigate. But when…
