... examination and cross-examination of witnesses given in intriguing and dramatic detail ... The author relies on a wide range of documents, including pamphlets, court reports, the prosecution brief and dozens of Irish and UK newspapers, in what he says is 'intended to be a detailed retelling of a truly tragic story and an attempt to honestly examine an extraordinary chapter in Ireland’s criminal history'. He succeeds admirably in both endeavours, while honestly acknowledging that 'a key to unlock a more complete truth about what happened' died in obscurity with William Kirwan.
Ruxton is aware that writing historical non-fiction has its own questions and constraints: do you stick faithfully with documented facts and avoid speculation about an individual’s thoughts or feelings? To do so is admirably accurate yet can create an exhaustingly rigid story. The Irish Times journalist has instead used his research to give voices and emotions to the humans behind the facts (which can be far more difficult with unpredictable real people than malleable fictional ones). The light touch evident in chapter titles has a podcast-like conversational quality, yet he also treats the subject of domestic abuse with care and sensitivity ... Ruxton’s painstaking and fair examination of this scandalous Victorian murder trial brings not only a fresh pair of eyes to the evidence of the day, but also a fresh approach to this tragic story.
Dean Ruxton has written an authoritative and very readable account of a case which, were it to have happened today, would likely cause just as sensational a scandal now as it did in 1852.
... admirably detailed ... a work of two halves. The first is an exhaustive retelling of the 'captivating tragedy', and the second analyses “arguments surrounding the validity of certain pieces of evidence” that were crucial in William’s trial for murder ... Unsurprisingly, the former is the more satisfying section, and what follows can feel at times like a gratuitous add-on. Riddled with lists, the second half will mainly appeal to criminal history buffs, the highlight being the modern analysis supplied by Dr Linda Mulligan, the chief state pathologist who pitches in with a contemporary interpretation of the medical evidence ... a television drama might do more justice to Ruxton’s intricate story and intertwined cast of characters than this text version, which sometimes suffers from information overload ... A triumph of research.
