1895, a blistering summer, Robert, 13, (addicted to penny-dreadfuls like today's young to their phones) and Nattie, 12, treat themselves to days at Lord's, trips to the seaside and to the theatre; father is at sea, mother in Liverpool - or is she? Suspicions are aroused, there's a strange smell - step-by-step with immense skill Summerscale unfurls the crime, the trial and the redemption beginning in Broadmoor's enlightened regime, continuing through WW I and ending in Australia. Fascinating.
(Jenny Baker - bwl 81 Summer 2016 ) |
