A Review By Keith Smith

In July 1864, Thomas Briggs was travelling home after visiting his niece and her husband for dinner. He entered a First Class carriage on the 9.45pm Hackney service of the North London railway. At Hackney, two bank clerks entered the carriage and discovered blood on the seat cushions and also on the floor, windows and sides of the carriage. A bloodstained hat was found on the seat along with a broken link from a watch chain. The race to identify the killer and catch him as he flees on a boat to America was eagerly followed by citizens both sides of the Atlantic. Kate Colquhoun tells a gripping tale of a crime that shocked the nation.

This will definitely appeal to those who like myself really enjoyed ‘The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher’. Full of detail, much gleaned from newspapers of the time, we quickly come to see why the Victorians regarded this murder as so horrific. And when we realise that the main culprit is indeed guilty, the pace doesn’t slow as we follow the Transatlantic chase to capture him. It’s a very good read, teaches us a lot about the Victorians, and we end up thinking large thoughts about whether capital punishment is justified. Recommended….