Publisher: Dundurn
Pages: 272
Format: eArc
ISBN-10: 1459730771
ISBN-13: 9781459730779
Publisher: various formats
Dan Buchanan tells us about a specific situation in his family history. One of his ancestors murdered his wife. Dr. King was the only person ever to receive the death penalty. Based on historical material Dan reconstructs the story.
This was a fun read. There is a lot of reference material and even copies of original newspapers and letters. It is clear the book has been based on extensive research and a lot of material.
This shows that the authorities in Brighton where not prepared for a crime like this. Forensics done the McGyver way made me laugh. There where two characters besides King that caught my interest. Reuben DeCourcey a good friend who wrote a lot about the trial and Alexander Stewart the constable assigned to live with King in his cell. They both gave a lot of information about his character. The book is written in a very business like factional way but managed to stay clear from reading like a bullet list. Emotions of the crowds are discussed though mostly as mentioned in newspaper clippings.
I would advice to read a paper copy though. There is a character list and a map in the book which might need some going back to for getting the characters and places right. I also found I was not always patient enough to try and read the clippings on my e reader with all the running ink. I figure the images are better to read on real paper.
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