On 7th November 1843,Harriet Monckton,23 years old and a woman of respectable parentage and religious habits,is found murdered in the privy behind the chapel she regularly attended in Bromley,Kent.
The community is appalled by her death,apparently as a result of swallowing a fatal dose of prussic acid,and even more so when the surgeon reports that Harriet was around six months pregnant.
Drawing on the coroner's reports and witness testimonies,Elizabeth Haynes builds a compelling picture of Harriet's final hours through the eyes of those closest to her and the last people to see her alive. Her fellow teacher and companion,her would-be fiance,her seducer,her former lover-all are suspects; each has a reason to want her dead.
Brimming with lust,mistrust and guilt,The Murder of Harriet Monckton is a masterclass of suspense from one of our greatest crime writers.
Publisher: Myriad EditionsISBN: 9781912408238Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A thoroughly absorbing whodunnit,with an unexpected conclusion. Haynes'novel is also a touching portrait of a young woman unjustly stigmatised by the prejudices of her day.'- The Sunday Times
'An expertly crafted slow burn of a novel,immersing you in the double standards of Victorian Bromley... Perfect autumn sofa fodder for an empty weekend.'- The Pool
'Fans of The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher will also like this novelisation of a real-life murder that shocked the inhabitants of a small Kentish town.'- Red Magazine
'The writing is exceptional: I spent much of the book in a state of visceral terror for Harriet... Haynes captures the age perfectly and she's particularly good on the precarious life of the unmarried woman,virtuous or not... the plot has a sense of completeness about it and the ending blew me away: it just seemed so right. In real life the murder might remain unsolved,but Haynes'solution is neat,realistic and entirely plausible. Perhaps the highest praise that I can give this book is to say that it won't be too long before I reread to see how it was all done.'- The Bookbag
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