Bethany, in the Library, with a Hardcover book

Ever play Clue?

As I read The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale I feel like I'm playing a game of Clue. This is a true-crime nonfiction book. In 1860, a 3 year-old boy was snatched from his bed and murdered at a large country estate outside of London. A detective - Mr. Whicher - is sent to investigate the parents, step-siblings, maids, gardener, cook and other household staff. The book comes complete with a map of the home and grounds. You can follow the investigation through the carriage drive, into the drawing room, library, pantry, passages and spare rooms.

This book does what all good nonfiction should do: it teaches while it entertains. Summerscale does a admirable job of explaining currency in 1880's England, the origins of detective work, what work was like for policemen; and brings in Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Edgar Allen Poe and other writers of the time. There are a number of suspects: family members, townspeople, servants as well as other players: police, detectives, other villagers. Summerscale writes clearly and keeps the many names easy to remember. There is also a family tree and list of characters if you forget someone.

I have not finished the book yet but I cannot wait to find out who committed this dastardly deed!

As this rainy fall weather turns to snow, don't pull out the board games - take a book out of your local library!