Death at the Priory

Love, Sex and Murder in Victorian England

De: James Ruddick

Narrado por: Alistair Petrie

It took three tortured days in 1876 for Charles Bravo to die from the poison that burned its way through his body. The subsequent investigation revealed many people with a grudge against the young barrister. The dramatic inquest was covered in sensational detail by the press, but no one was convicted of his murder. Over a century later, James Ruddick draws on new evidence to solve one of the most famous murders in criminal history.©2009 James Ruddick (P)2009 Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Good fun

Death, adultry and the sex lives of the victorians - wicked fun.

Very Engaging!!!

Well researched, intriguing mystery! Though it was a sad story and I felt really bad for all involved, it was very interesting and really well laid out. The author gave thorough but not tedious histories of the key people involved. I really felt for all of them as in the end, they were all victims. I do agree with the author’s conclusions but appreciated how he laid out evidence for and against. The narrator was phenomenal. Highly recommend for anyone interested in this genre.

Death at the Priory - 04/28/09

This was a wonderful non-fiction murder mystery. Great book to take along when you are going on a long walk.

One missing theory

This is a good theory, the most obvious one and could possibly be true. We will never know. There is one theory not mentioned that is more likely the truth but I don’t see it mentioned anywhere.

Fantastic true story read by fantastic narrator

I just loved this book. As with The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, this true story (of the murder of a husband by his wife,) is set in late Victorian England. Although both books are very good reads, this is the better of the two. It's more succinct and to the point. The story is riveting and holds your attention. You feel you are right there with the principal players, especially Florence Bravo. It provides great insight into the social hierarchy, expectations surrounding marriage and the role and rights of women at the time. I have selected this book as the one for my next Bookclub, and it is one which women, in particular, will find most interesting.

Worth purchasing and reading again

I had bought this title as a physical book years ago and had enjoyed it tremendously. I did not hesitate to purchase it again when I noticed it being available as an audio book here. I had the added pleasure this time to savor it on another level: Mr. Alistair Petrie's performance. It was a lovely experience and I will no doubt recommend it to others.

A feminist book by a man - who knew!

The story of this century-old unsolved murder serves a framework (jumping off point) for an examination of the status (or lack thereof) of British Victorian women, though members of that sex elsewhere weren't faring all that much better.
Ruddick has managed to put his extensive research together as an interesting conjecture as to how Charles Bravo met his end. I suspect the audio version might prove more interesting than the print book; the narrator conveys the author's enthusiasm well.

Intriguing true crime story

This story, about a murder that occurred in England more than 100 years ago, was well told and interesting. The author reviewed the case material from the original investigation and then looked for additional information related to the families involved and their descendants. The case had been investigated by Scotland Yard and written about by such crime-writing stars as Agatha Christie. James Ruddick presents a credible case for his "choice" of murderer.

I selected this title because my book club had decided to read it. I'm glad they did! As a lover of good detective fiction, this one met my expectations for being both a good story and a well-written narrative. And the bonus: it wasn't fiction!

The narrator did a fine job with the audio book.

Good story but ...

The underlying story behind Death at the Priory has everything that a good mystery needs -- sex, love, and murder. The first part of this book definitely draws you in. However, toward the middle to end, the focus shifts from the story of the murder to a first person account of the author's investigation and details about how he ultimately "solved" the murder! It ruined the whole book for me, and the author comes off sounding quite pompous! It is as if the book is no longer about the intriguing murder, but suddenly about the author! Particularly if you are a fan of these sorts of books and may have listened to The Suspicions of Mr. Wicher first, this book will disappoint.