Author: Paul Thomas Murphy
Genre: Nonfiction
Format: Audiobook
Hours Listen: 8 Hours
Pretty Jane, the Viper of Kidbrooke Lane, was a library find when I was looking through their audiobook collection for a list of things to listen to at work. What caught my attention first was the cover, and second was the fact that I'd never heard of the case before. While I don't listen to as many podcasts these days, I used to when my commute to work was longer, I still feel like I've taken in a lot of true crime information. So when I find a case I haven't heard anything about, not even a footnote in another person's story, I usually jump into the book. Another bonus for me was that it was a relatively short audiobook, just a little over eight hours. I'm not a fan of long true crime books; it usually means I'll lose interest at some point.
So this hit all the buttons for me, and I added it to the list. I snatched this one up last week because I needed a quick listen that could pass the time while I waited for my next book in a series. Plus, I thought a new case would keep my interest and make those long days not feel so wrong.
What I wasn't expecting was how wild the case itself was; I just jumped in with both feet. The first few pages snatched my attention as I learned about the brutal murder of Jane and how she was found, still alive. Mostly.
Having read so many of these, the second that Edmund was mentioned, I knew he was our bad guy. Personally, I think it was just how is family acted as a whole that made me realize someone in this family was going to be charged with Jane's murder, and instinct told me it was Edmund. I was right, but also maybe wrong. Because this case was rather confusing, and I'm not sure if Edmund had anything to do with Jane's murder at all. I believe it's possible and that he had the most motive; he was, without a doubt, a horrid little man, and his family was the worst, but I'm not sure he did it.
I do believe the police involved in this case did the best they could with their investigation, given the period allowed. They followed the leads as best they could, but a lack of knowledge and technology meant they could only go so far. However, the system still did Jane dirty and quite possibly allowed her murderer to go free. Because the evidence led to Edmund, but with DNA tests, it was a hearsay case. But, still, the courts did Jane dirty.
While the court system of the Victorian era does my head in, I still don't fully understand it. Still, this case fell apart in the courts. The protection played up the middle class card, constantly saying how could someone of this class do something like this? They played Jane as lowly because she was a Maid of All Work. They be little evidence that the police could not connect to the crime by saying they withheld evidence. Though the protection was clearly known. Their witness were nothing more than trained monkeys, and the person meant to defend Jane. Well, they didn't really.
All around, it's a very sad case, and I don't know how to feel about it. Even after listening to all the evidence, I still cannot say he did. Just that he would have the motives if the baby were his, but we'll never know. And, while the working class did what they could for Jane, in the end, she became a footnote after Jack the Ripper took to the streets.
As for the book itself, it's well written and well researched. In fact, I really enjoyed the first three quarters of this book. I even liked that we got a little update on everyone involved in the case. It was this update that led me to my own theory of the case that maybe Edmund didn't do it, but his Uncle and Father weren't off the hook. This book proved how crazy those two were, and if they thought she was carrying Edmund's baby. Well...
The downside was that a little after the seven-hour mark, I realized why I was tired. This book had reached the point where I felt like we'd talked this case into the ground, and then I was talked out, not talked to. So I actually, technically, didn't finish this book because I stopped the audiobook there and called it. The rest of the book was great and held my attention
So if you're a true crime fan, this is a book to look into. It's not just about Jane and what happened to her, but the system that let her down.
HAPPY READING!!
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