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Devon Murders - John Van Der Kiste

Description: ISBN 0750944080 / Author: John Van der Kiste / Genre: Crime / Thriller / Since the brutal slaying of the Rev. John Hay, vicar of South ... more

Devon Murders - John Van Der Kiste ... Brent, dragged from his church and slaughtered in 1436, Devon has had its fair share of 'murder most foul'. This book recounts several notable cases, from the killing of Sarah and Edward Glass at Wadland Down in 1827, and the poisonings of Samuel Wescombe in Exeter in 1829 and William Ashford at Honiton Clyst in 1866, both by wives whose affections had gone elsewhere; to the horrific murder of Emma Doidge and her boyfriend William Rowe by the former's jilted suitor at Peter Tavey in 1892, the strangling of schoolgirl Alice Gregory in 1916, and the triple murder of Emily Maye and her daughters at West Charleton, Kingsbridge, in 1936, which remains unsolved to this day. Above all, there is an account of Devon's most famous case, the murder of Emma Keyse at Babbacombe and the convicted servant John Lee - the man they couldn't hang. John Van der Kiste's carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to anyone interested in the shady side of Devon's history.

Newest Review: ... in 1436, was not as complete as it was at the time of the latest in 1952. There are a large number of crimes of passion ... more

... committed and in the County of Devon, although possibly no more than anywhere else, so the focus does seem to be on these. As with any crime, the more people there are, the more likely there is to be a crime committed. This does mean the murders focus quite heavily on Devon’s major cities of Plymouth and Torquay. Noticeably, there is very little from Exeter, possibly due to that being the base of the county’s gallows. Proof perhaps that capital punishment is a deterrent? John writes with a lightness of touch that tur...more

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Devon Murders - John Van Der Kiste: Murder Most Foul; Reading Most Pleasant (789 words)
by IainWear - written on 16.03.07 (Very useful, 369 readings)
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In his publishing career, John Van Der Kiste has written more than twenty biographies of various royal families, both British and European. Whilst this may not spare him from dealings with the common murderer, it is unusual that such people should be the focus of his endeavours. Usually, you’d have to worry about the kind of person who spends their time delving into a bunch of murders, especially when they’re on your own doorstep. That’s not the case here, as I do know the author and can vouch for him being a decent bloke. Although I may not be able to claim the same of the person who chooses to read the book. John takes us on a tour of the ages ...

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