The Poisonous Solicitor

Written by Stephen Bates

Narrated by Toby Longworth

A brilliant narrative investigation into the 1920s case that inspired Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham.

In 1922, Major Herbert Armstrong, a Hay-on-Wye solicitor, was found guilty of, and executed for, poisoning his wife, Katharine, with arsenic.

Armstrong's case has all the ingredients of a classic murder mystery, from a plot by Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers (indeed some aspects of his story appear in Sayers' Unnatural Death). It is a near-perfect whodunnit.

One hundred years later, Agatha Award-shortlisted Stephen Bates examines and retells the story of the case, evoking the period and atmosphere of the early 1920s, a time of newspaper sensationalism, hypocrisy and sanctimonious morality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
• Release date: May 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781004072347

Stephen Bates

Stephen Bates is an award-winning author and journalist, with over 45 years’ experience on various national titles. Most recently, he was Royalty and Religious Affairs correspondent for The Guardian. His previous books include The Poisonous Solicitor and Royalty, Inc. – Britain’s Best-Known Brand.