Pretty Jane and the Viper of Kidbrooke Lane

By Paul Thomas Murphy

In April 1871, a constable walking a beat near Greenwich found a girl dying in the mud – her face cruelly slashed and her brains protruding from her skull.

The girl was Maria Jane Clouson, a maid for the respectable Pook family, and who was pregnant at the time of her death. When the blood-spattered clothes of the 20-year-old Edmund Pook, alleged father of the dead girl's unborn child, were discovered, the matter seemed open and shut. Yet there followed a remarkable legal odyssey full of unexpected twists as the police struggled to build a case.

Paul Thomas Murphy recreated the drama of an extraordinary murder case and conclusively identifies the killer's true identity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Release date: Jul 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781784081881

Paul Thomas Murphy

Paul Thomas Murphy is the author of Shooting Victoria, a New York Times Notable Book, and Pretty Jane and the Viper of Kidbrooke Lane, a finalist for the Edgar Award for Fact Crime. He holds advanced degrees in Victorian Studies from Oxford and McGill Universities and the University of Colorado, where he taught both English and writing on interdisciplinary topics. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Reviews for Pretty Jane and the Viper of Kidbrooke Lane

[flippinpages-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well written and researched. Also dry and boring. I would say 90% of book is litigation. One lawsuit sparks another and on and on it goes. Closed the book (finally) with no sense of who Jane really was, other than a maid who was murdered in 1871. I think some that are into law and it's early beginnings might enjoy this.

[irregularreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 1871, a young, pretty servant girl was found ruthlessly beaten in a country lane. Jane Clouson died a few days later without regaining consciousness. When the son of her employer falls under suspicion for her murder, the subsequent police investigation and trial spark unrest between the working class and the middle class residents of London. Jane, unremarkable and overlooked in life, became a powerful symbol of the suffering of working class girls, and the easy power of their “betters.”Pretty Jane is an engagingly written book that straddles the true crime and history genres. Murphy’s style of writing is engaging and flows well, allowing the book to read more like a novel than a history book. Murphy takes the reader along for the ride in an investigation and trial that, in the modern day, would be up there with the OJ Simpson or Casey Anthony trials. Each side bitterly fought for their desired outcome, and the legal push-pull dynamic adds to the story’s suspense. Murphy is more than willing to unwind this suspense out slowly, leaving you to tensely wait to see if there will ever be any justice for poor Jane.Any history buff will enjoy this book. The narrative style of the writing makes this book accessible and fun for casual readers as well. If you’re a fan of Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, this book should be next on your TBR.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[jessicareadsthings · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Based on a copy from NetGalley.

Fantastic historical fiction and great writing.