Death at the priory : love, sex, and murder in Victorian England by James Ruddick
Charles Bravo was murdered by poisoning five months after his marriage to Florence Ricardo. Florence, a very wealthy widow tarnished by a scandalous affair with her doctor, 25 years her senior, is the prime suspect. That physician, the famous Dr. Gully, physician to Darwin, and the queen herself, is also a prime suspect. Florence’s companion, Mrs. Cox, is also a prime suspect. George Griffiths, the sacked coachman, was also a prime suspect. In fact, nearly everyone who ever met Charles Bravo was a prime suspect. No one was charged.
Riddick, a BBC documentary producer, returns to primary sources to try to figure out what happened in one of the most sensational events of Victorian England. Even Agatha Christie herself weighed in on who she through the murder was (she pegged the doctor). He travels to the four corners of the globe in search of descendants of the primary players in Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. Convincing them into talking to him and viewing family papers and official records, Riddick makes an excellent case for who dun it.
An excellent read and quite the page turner for a non-fiction book.
