Author Kate Colquhoun very kindly sent me a US paperback
copy of her last book – Mr Brigg's Hat (or Murder in the First Class Carriage
as it is known across the pond). It was an incredibly exciting read and one
I can't stop recommending.
The book tells the extraordinary tale of a crime, the
pursuit of a suspect and the ensuing path through the justice system.
The particularly violent crime takes place in a railway
carriage (for the first time in this country) and it shakes the middle classes,
who realise their vulnerability in travelling in this way. The trains may
be fast and convenient, but there is no way of alerting the driver should they
find themselves in difficulty. The carriages at this time were all separate so
the only way in or out was through the doors on either side when they
were unlocked during station stops. So when an empty
blood-soaked carriage is discovered the puzzle begins.
Whilst highlighting the changes that have taken
effect since the crime took place, it also makes plain the things that really
haven't changed – the fervour of the press, the public's appetite for details
and the urgency for a perpetrator to be found. It also reveals the early
changes in attitude that were starting to emerge regarding public hanging and
capital punishment.
I really don't want to give away the conclusion
and spoil the journey that this book takes you on. The insights you get into
Victorian society really are fascinating; attitudes to crime and punishment;
the excitement of the press; our keen interest in murder and the great leaps in
progress that took place during this period are enthralling.
After reading books like this it always gets
me thinking about how many more incredible stories are lurking
in the archives of our history waiting for someone to unearth. Let's
hope great writers like Kate keep digging for them.
