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Conan Doyle for the Defence
Conan Doyle for the Defence: A Sensational Murder, the Quest for Justice and the World's Greatest Detective Writer | Margalit Fox
24 posts | 18 read | 31 to read
Just before Christmas 1908, Marion Gilchrist, a wealthy 82-year-old spinster, was found bludgeoned to death in her Glasgow home. A valuable diamond brooch was missing, and police soon fastened on a suspect - Oscar Slater, a Jewish immigrant who was rumoured to have a disreputable character. Slater had an alibi, but was nonetheless convicted and sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment in the notorious Peterhead Prison. Seventeen years later, a convict called William Gordon was released from Peterhead. Concealed in a false tooth was a message, addressed to the only man Slater thought could help him - Arthur Conan Doyle. Always a champion of the downtrodden, Conan Doyle turned his formidable talents to freeing Slater, deploying a forensic mind worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Drawing from original sources including Oscar Slater's prison letters, this is Margalit Fox's vivid and compelling account of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in Scottish history.
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CaramelLunacy
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Pickpick

A look at the unjust conviction of Jewish German immigrant Oscar Slater of a sensational murder he did not commit. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was sometimes consulted to use his character's unique observational and reasoning skills to help with real world mysteries - and he campaigned to get Slater released.
A lot of tangents into bios and inspirations and such and I enjoyed all of it.

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jessinikkip
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Pickpick

This was a really interesting book about a time that Arthur Conan Doyle helped on a real case and freed a man from prison after 18 years

#Book7of100 #LitsyAtoZ #C #Booked2020 #LiveAndLearn
@Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage

Cinfhen Sounds interesting 🧐 5y
42 likes1 comment
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shanaqui
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In some ways, here Fox uses Conan Doyle and Oscar Slater to take the temperature of the times in which they lived; it's not just about either of them, though there's a fair bit of biography; it's not just, even, about Conan Doyle's method of detection -- it's also about the social climate that found Oscar Slater so terrifying, as a Jew and a socially slippery person, that he had to be blamed for a crime he had no actual link with.

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shanaqui

Starting on this properly for today, since I've been meaning to for a while! I know a little about Conan Doyle, but mostly his fiction writing and his interest in spiritualism, so this is fascinating.

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shanaqui
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A small birthday book haul so far. I've been joking I need 30, one for each year, but... I don't think we'll get there!

Eyelit I think you‘ve got a pretty solid argument 😄 5y
shanaqui @Eyelit Alas, my wife stuck to three, my sister managed two, and another two friends got me four between them... That seems to be it. I guess I'm 9 now! 5y
15 likes2 comments
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jenniferw88
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4th book completed and 17 hours so far @24in48 . I don't think I'll get 24 but if I can finish The Portrait on audio I'll be happy.

4 🌟

gradcat You‘re really doing well, imho. 👏🏻♥️ 5y
DebinHawaii I am with you--at 17 hours & not sure I'll get to 24 but yea us! 🎉📚🎉 5y
81 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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jenniferw88
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This has to be one of the best opening lines I've ever read! 😂😂😂

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BookishMarginalia
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Another one of the books I‘m #CurrentlyReading — fascinating so far!

Ericalambbrown This sounds fascinating! 5y
114 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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CoffeeK8
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Pickpick

A really fascinating look at how Conan Doyle used his skill in detection to free an innocent man. #audiobook

Leelee08 I just finished reading this. I really liked it!🤓 6y
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Leelee08
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This is awesome—Edwardian lingo for “pimp.”😂 This true-crime book about a 1908 Glasgow murder that Conan Doyle help solve is turning out to be a great read.🖤🕵🏻‍♂️🎩 🔍

MayJasper 😂 I like it 6y
Suet624 😂😂😂 6y
38 likes2 comments
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Leelee08
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Hooray for book mail!📚🥳📫

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NotCool
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Conan Doyle always seemed a little dull to me, not as clever as Sherlock, or the man the character was based on, Dr Bell, and deeply into spiritualism. But this redeems him. It shows an imperfect man who was concerned with justice and honor. It‘s also a Victorian true crime that shows how issues of class and bias affect attempts at justice.

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Niki_Todaro
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Totally engrossed in this book.... and this taco so far. 🌮🍺📚

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Lea
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This was interesting. I love Sherlock Holmes but haven‘t read a lot on ACD. I didn‘t realize he solved real crimes as well as writing crime fiction. It was well written and researched. I enjoyed it. #readwomen

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TheBookDream
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This is good so far, but wordy. Waiting for the lock picking class to start. #underemployedadventures

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BrainyHeroine
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"The true story of a sensational British murder, a quest for justice, and the worlds most famous detective writer." Starting one of my birthday books and enjoying the nonfiction kick. Also enjoying my pumpkin spice coffee from my #covertocover mug

Christine I‘m already thinking about pumpkin spice myself... 6y
39 likes1 comment
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crazyspine
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Nothing says a beach vacay like a book and seafood. Just need a glass of wine.

BookBridget Yum! 6y
71 likes1 comment
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crazyspine
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Mehso-so

I loved the idea behind the story, and it was obvious that Fox put a painstaking amount of research into the story. My only criticism is that it's written as a traditional nonfiction text. I'm so used to narrative nonfiction that it was difficult for me to read this writing style for so long. I would recommend to any ACD fans as well as historical nonfiction lovers.

DrexEdit This is one book I've been eyeing for a while. Ever since I watched a documentary about New York Times obituary writers. Margalit Fox is one and she intrigued me. Been wanting to try out her writing! 😊 6y
crazyspine @DrexEdit Definitely try it. She's a great writer; it's just a style that was a little too high brow for me personally. 6y
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

For those who like historical true crime and/or Sherlock Holmes, this is a good book. You may also like it if you liked Arthur & George, which also features real-life detection by Conan Doyle.

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rabbitprincess
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I laughed way too hard at the "quotidian gossip" Oscar Slater's mum included in her letters to him: "Yes! It is quite correct Mrs. Lechtenstein has a big wart with long hair on her face". I think it's the "Yes!" at the beginning that really sells it ?

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crazyspine
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Reading this on a cloudy day while wearing my Sherlock Holmes socks. Really interesting so far

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Jen2
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Really good!

rabbitprincess Yay, I have this one out from the library 😊 6y
JazzFeathers This sounds interesting. 6y
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crazyspine
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This sounds really interesting, but it's not getting any Litsy love. Anybody else hear good things or anything at all about this one?

vivastory I thought it sounded intriguing 6y
jmofo I might give it a go...if my library had it or a favorite reader does the audio book. 6y
OutsmartYourShelf I read an ARC of this one. My review is now posted to this version. 6y
Librarybelle I checked it out recently from the library - maybe I‘ll bump it up on my reading list! 6y
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OutsmartYourShelf
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What a fascinating book about a true crime investigation that went shockingly awry. The book is a thorough examination of the case within the culture of late Victorian/early twentieth century Scotland. Recommended to anyone who liked true crime reads.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Serpent‘s Tail/Profile Books, for the opportunity to review an ARC. Rating: 4 🌟