The murder sent shockwaves throughout London, with everyone – including Queen Victoria herself – following the news and voicing their opinions. Who could possibly have wanted him dead – and why? Russell, an elderly widower, had been leading a quiet, unremarkable life, living alone (apart from his servants) in a respectable Mayfair street. Suicide was suspected at first, but with his head almost severed from his body, this theory was dismissed and a murder investigation began. The book begins by describing the events of 6th May 1840, when Lord William Russell’s housemaid found her master in bed with his throat slit. Murder by the Book, an account of a true crime which took place in Victorian London, sounded appealing to me because it promised to explore the possible links between the crime and some of the bestselling novels of the day. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but I’ve been reading more of it than usual over the last few weeks in preparation for Nonfiction November.
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