Description

The Murder of Harriet Monckton is based on an unsolved true crime. On 7th November 1843, 23 year-old Harriet Monckton is found murdered in the privy behind the dissenting chapel she regularly attended in Bromley, Kent. The townsfolk are appalled by her death, apparently as a result of swallowing a fatal dose of prussic acid, and even more so when the autopsy reveals that Harriet was almost six months pregnant. Drawing on the original coroner's reports and witness testimonies, Elizabeth Haynes builds a compelling picture of Harriet Monckton's final days through the eyes of those closest to her: her fellow teacher and companion, her would-be fiancé, her seducer, and her former landlord and 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.