Overview

'The greatest villain who ever stood trial at the Old Bailey,' as Charles Dickens described him William Palmer was convicted in 1856 of murdering his best friend, but was suspected of poisoning more than a dozen other people, including his wife and children. He was a new kind of murderer - respectable, middle class, and consequently more terrifying, Britain's most infamous WC

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9780715649572

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Reviews

'This rollercoaster read really stands out - fabulously readable' Lucy Worsley BBC History Magazine 'Through clearly exhaustive research - and the occasional wry turn of phrase - he not only draws you into the scandalous and bewildering tale but also manages to make many aspects feel truly contemporary.' New Scientist 'vivid and dramatic account of [Palmer's] life and crimes' Literary Review 'Meticulously researched, cleverly written and, even better, a wonderfully entertaining read' Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder 'A fascinating retelling. Stephen Bates returns to a crime that shocked the Victorian nation and created the blackest of myths' Peter Moore, author of Damn His Blood Compulsively readable, replete with gruesome detail and Dickensian characters... I couldn't put it down!' Catharine Arnold, author of Underworld London

This rollercoaster read really stands out ... fabulously readable -- Lucy Worsley * BBC History Magazine * Through clearly exhaustive research and the occasional wry turn of phrase - he not only draws you into the scandalous and bewildering tale but also manages to make many aspects feel truly contemporary * New Scientist * vivid and dramatic account of [Palmer's] life and crimes * Literary Review *

Author Information

Stephen Bates is a journalist whose career has included spells at the BBC, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and, for the last 22 years, the Guardian, during which time he has reported from more than 40 countries. He is the author of God's Own Country: Religion and Politics in the USA and A Church at War: Anglicans and Homosexuality. He lives in Kent.

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