A horrible child murder took place in the summer of 1860 at Road Hill House in a small English village. One of the first Scotland Yard detective inspectors was sent to solve the mystery of who might be cruel enough to kill a sleeping three year old boy and cast his body in the servants’ privy. Countless lurid, highly opinionated newspaper articles and average, everyday gossip made this case a national sensation.
Kate Summerscale does a wonderful job of interweaving the history of detective novels with the events and personae of this real life case. The basic facts of the case will capture your interest and the individual characters intrigue you with their layers of deep, dark secrets that may well have laid the groundwork for a violent death. - Reviewed by Nancy
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