This sensational case from 1860 ignited a wave of detective fever that we still haven't recovered from.
Thanks to my guest Robin Stevens — you can hear her on two previous episodes of the show, Back to School and Death Sets Sail on the Nile, and her new collection of short stories about schoolgirl detectives Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells is called Once Upon A Crime and comes out in August 2021.
We do discuss the outcome of the Road Hill House case, so if you want to read The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or any other account without knowing what happens at the end, do that before you listen to this.
My new map and guide, Agatha Christie's England, is available for pre order now in physical form at shedunnitshow.com/map or as an audiobook at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap.
Books mentioned and sources used:
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
— "The Adventure of Silver Blaze" from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
— Bleak House by Charles Dickens
— The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers
— "Constance Kent" by John Rhode in The Anatomy of Murder
— "Miss Kent and Major Street: The Case of Constance Kent" by The Passing Tramp
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsors: — Best Fiends, you can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. — Girlfriend Collective, get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/themurderatroadhillhousetranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices