Welcome to Litsy!

30th June 1860, 3 yr old Seville is found dead on his family‘s estate. That such a grotesque murder could happen in a middle class family shocked the nation and would take up a lot of space in the newspapers. Both the press and the detective (a new thing of the day) wanted to know: Who was the murder?

This murder would also be the inspiration for novels like The Woman in White and Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and Bleak House by Charles Dickens.

Here‘s my #LastFirst, @BookNAround !

Daniil and Vanya will be my last read of the year and I‘m starting off 2023 with the tagged book (one that‘s been sitting on my shelves for several years 😆).

Happy New Year! 🌟

#scarathlondailyprompts #murder #teammonstermash

Found this title from a list of true crime books not to be missed. It was equally focused on the setting of the crime (Victorian England), as the crime itself. And the crime is horrific: a three year old child is murdered, found in the privy. The detective in the case, Mr. Whicher, is considered one of the first in the profession. This case gripped Britain at the time and it‘s also considered one of the first that was widely reported on.

This looks like a mystery but really it is a history book. The Road Hill murder in 1860 England was perhaps the first time that a whole nation became obsessed with a crime, and the first time that the role of a detective inquiring into the privacy of a middle class family caused controversy. Summerscale lays out the mystery in great detail and the police and detective proceedings following but she also looks at the reporting ⬇️

This is about 3 types of books rolled into one. An observation of life in English Victorian times, a real true crime drama of a very tragic and strange murder and a commentary on the development of the Scotland Yard Detectives. I came to it thinking it would be just the puzzle of the murder and I had to realign my expectations but was suitably drawn in, informed and entertained.

Catching up on the Olympics (we finally have a 🏅🇬🇧medal!) and looking at my new charity shop haul… I‘ve just leaned into it now. If I‘m going to give money to charity I may as well get books at the same time!! The tagged book has been on my TBR for ages and the other just looked good!

True account of a murder that shocked and rocked respectable Victorian England in 1860, the killing of a 3-year-old boy. Summerscale takes this crime as the starting point for an exploration of the relatively novel figure of the detective (Mr Whicher was one of the original eight Scotland Yard detectives at its founding in 1842), as well as a myriad of other themes. Enjoyable and informative.

2009

An interesting book. I‘d never heard of this particular crime before and was surprised to learn how often it came up in England, especially in the couple decades after it‘s occurrence. At times, especially at the beginning, the writing seems to include unnecessary facts (like the price Whicher paid for a carriage ride) or big claims about how influential Whicher was, but it got better and painted quite a picture of late 19th C England! 6/10

The Woodchuck in the backyard does NOT want his picture taken.

A little bit of #audiogardening during this heatwave. With a few lovely friends.

I‘ve been chipping away at this non-fiction. I have no idea why, but I‘m really digging historical crime non-fiction right now. Also makes me glad to be alive now 😬

Detecting the detective- where did the real and the literary detectives come from?

Shot day for the puppies, so while they are passed out, I can get a chance to read!

This Victorian true crime had many
#carelesswhispers amongst the townspeople as Mr. Whicher tried to find out which household member killed a little sleeping boy and left him in the privy. No one would believe a member of an upperclass family could do something so heinous.

#Rose&Jack #anglophileapril

Starting a new vacation read today that comes highly recommended by @Reviewsbylola and it has character lists AND a floor plan of the house! 💙💙💙

One of the Victorian era's most intriguing murder mysteries.

Meh - I enjoy Victorian Era detective stories, but I found this to be incredibly boring. 😐

True crime story of a case in 1860 which heavily influenced the public perception of detectives in Victorian fiction and down to our own day. Agatha Christie would have had a field day with this case.

#coffeeandabook #mycover

A little slow moving but interesting in how this true crime case went on to inspire Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens in their writing about detectives and crime.

Searching through Prime Video seeing what was there and if I wanted to watch anything I came across this one. Based on the book which is based on true events. So far not bad. The book was good, so 🤞🏽

While I thought aspects of this book fascinating like the mystery of the crime and the incorporation of famous literary authors. My attention definitely waned a few times. I think this happened because the author would bounce around a bit and not always just focus on the murder and Mr Whicher. However, I'm still planning to check out the movie that I saw on Amazon streaming based on this book.

This one‘s still languishing on my TBR piles..😬

#litsyclassics #maylovesclassics #truecrime

An interesting look at a murder investigation in Victorian England — this book meanders and rambles in most enjoyable ways through detecting, court cases, the workings of Victorian households, the lives of suspects and victims... I truly enjoyed it! Thanks, @WanderingBookaneer for the rec!

Outstanding non fiction! A gruesome unsolved murder in Victorian England? The first sensational murder in a “locked English country estate”? Yes, yes and YES! Countless writers from Dickens to Wilkie Collins were directly influenced by this crime. The author also traces the evolution of the mystery novel, and our obsession with them. (ok maybe just my obsession lol) @HardcoverHearts you would love this! Highly, highly recommend! 5/5

Sometimes you wait long enough to read something that a swanky new edition comes out. Bought this in a bogo deal at Dubray‘s and read it within about 36 hours.

Thanks to @Christine11 for my #2018NFBE box. Puts my own lack of wrapping to shame, too. But it's all about the books. And thanks to @inwhichHeikereadsharder for organising the exchange!

Finally get around to my review. Well written and interesting true crime. Scotland Yard‘s best detective is sent out to solve the murder of a small boy. Jonathan Whicher was the inspiration for many literary detectives. Very interesting book, you could make 2 separate books really but the interweaving is excellent. I would recommend this one 👍🏼
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I‘m diggin this one. The real life detective that inspired many literary detectives and the case that inspired many literary “who dunits”

Very interesting

Nonfiction account of the murder of a three year old boy in 1860 England. It was a little overly researched and the author pretty much alludes to every single fictional detective ever. But it was okay.

“Perhaps this is the purpose of detective investigations, real and fictional -- to transform sensation, horror and grief into a #puzzle, and then to solve the puzzle, to make it go away.”

#QuotsyNov17

Meh. I feel like this book should have been so much shorter. There was so much extra stuff thrown in - it was not pertinent to the story at hand and muddled the story and made it so boring! Too bad- could have been an interesting story. I also didn't think that there was very much characterization, which was also a shame (50)

#Rocktober #day7 #SuspiciousMinds This is a NF story about the murder of Saville Kent in June 1860. Found at the bottom of the outdoor "privy" with his throat cut, Scotland Yard sends detective Jonathan Whicher, to find the killer. Problem was, Inspector Whicher believed a member of this prominent family was the culprit which of course went down like a lead balloon amongst his superiors. Sent home in disgrace, he was proved right 5yrs later.

#BookMail time! Today was these two hunks of gorgeousness.The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher in the Bloomsbury Modern Classics edition,which I'm loving! It has a textured paper finish to it & I love the colours. I'm definitely buying the rest of the books in this edition. The other is the new Rowly Sinclair novel from Sulari Gentill. Set in late 30s Sydney, Rowly is a trust fund boy, who prefers to be with painters & bohemians & leads an exciting life.

Great on audio. While the story was interesting and I loved the facts about the rise of the detective, I'm not sure I would have wadding through the whole thing if Simon Vance hadn't been speaking so wonderfully into my ear.

This was a #blameitonlitsy read but I can't find the original post so if you mentioned it in the past few months, thank you!

I just started using Hoopla for audiobooks. In the past I've been lucky enough to get them on Overdrive/Libby or OneClick. I got pretty spoiled with those platforms, I guess, because I had some expectations. For one, there is no chapter list? Or even track list? Am I missing it? I use the sleep timer at night and the chapter list is particularly helpful in getting myself back on track the next day. Any Hoopla regulars have tips or tricks?

I had not heard of this book until I saw it in an Audible sale. Glad I picked it up! Interesting history and seeing how things have, and haven't, changed over the years. Warning, this does depict the murder of a child so if that is hard for you, skip this. Simon Vance is an amazing narrator who did Audible's "The Complete Sherlock Holmes." He is a narrator to look for. Definitely recommend this book to those who love True Crime books!

Well this was an interesting book. The true tale of a child murder in a British country house in the early days of the detective. A detective from Scotland Yard is dispatched, his investigation and the ramifications arising from his accusation. A tale of the hidden pain within families, class prejudices of the time (the detective is working class, the family middle class) the impact this case had on detective tales in general.

Well who knew that the origins of the words detection came from Latin and specifically refers to removing the roof of a premise so that you can look and uncover what is happening within? Etymology can be fascinating.

#TBRtemptation post! Who likes a good #truecrime account based in Victorian England? Yeah, exactly 😁👏🏻. June, 1860. 3-year-old Saville Kent was found with a slit throat. A national obsession overtook the country to find the killer. Scotland Yard's Jon Whicher was 1 of only 8 detectives in England, & he was assigned. He blamed a family member but it didn't hold for insufficient evidence. His career suffered. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Current read: Murder, a detective's downfall, public scandal.

Victorians, it would seem, half-assed nothing. 😛

The beginning was interesting; the middle drags a bit, and then, bam, the ending gets really interesting.

Of course, the end is full of conjecture, but the author supports her suppositions quite well with the use of hindsight applied to historical documents.

For lovers of mystery and non fiction alike, may I offer up this gem? Set in Victorian England and centered around the real life grisly death of a child, the author digs into The Who-dunnit and the Why-dunnits of the case. Fascinating look into the beginnings of detective fiction are a bonus!

Not quite to the last page because I'm savoring it. Summerscale writes some AMAZING stuff!

Just started this and not sure what to think yet! I like the cover though 😊