Book Review: "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" by Kate Summerscale

I love Kate Summerscale's books. I've so far read The Wicked Boy, The Haunting of Alma Fielding and The Peepshow. I was so happy to learn there were still some books by her to read. After being captivated by The Peepshow I was trying to find something just like it in atmosphere. And of course, one of the books recommended to me was The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - another Kate Summerscale book. I think what makes her books so brilliant is her ability to create a sequence of events in which we can follow exactly what is happening and then, providing us with a back story for everything we need to create this extremely immersive picture in our minds. It is fantastic.

The story begins on the night of June 29–30, 1860, at Road Hill House in the village of Rode, Wiltshire. Three-year-old Saville Kent disappears from his nursery during the night. His nursemaid Elizabeth Gough is the first to discover he is missing. A search ensues, and by mid-morning, Saville’s lifeless body is found in the house’s outdoor privy. His throat has been slit, and he has been wrapped in a blanket from the nursery. The gruesome nature of the murder, combined with the fact that it occurred within a locked house, shocks Victorian England and draws massive public attention. It almost seems like something out of a detective story, but to think that this was real is something else entirely. Summerscale tells the story bit by bit - looking at the way in which the maids go around locking the house up before bed.

Samuel Kent, the father, is a middle-class government factory inspector who married his second wife, Mary Pratt, after the death of his first wife, Mary Ann. The household includes Samuel’s children from his first marriage—Constance (16) and William (15)—as well as the children from his second marriage, including Saville. The family dynamic is fraught with tensions. Samuel is distant from his older children and deeply favours the younger children. Constance and William feel alienated, and whispers of resentment run through the house. Mary Kent, the second wife, is seen as controlling and protective of her children, particularly Saville, whom she views as her golden child. I loved learning about this family, because immediately there is a strange family dynamic in which there are children and step-children.

Scotland Yard sends Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher, one of its most skilled and experienced investigators, to Road Hill House. Whicher is a pioneer of modern policing, known for his logical reasoning and meticulous attention to detail. His presence signals the dawn of professional detective work in an era that still distrusts the idea of surveillance and inquiry into private lives. Whicher arrives at a household under siege. The family resents the intrusion, and the servants are defensive. Whicher must navigate these tensions to uncover the truth. Of course, when it comes to Victorian England they would believe it to be anyone else except for the middle class people who live within the house. Many people thinking it was probably the maids or servants, others probably thinking it was an intruder. But, due to the family dynamics being strained at best, you and me both know it was probably someone within the house.

Whicher begins by examining the physical evidence. He notes the peculiarities of the crime scene, including the fact that the killer must have had intimate knowledge of the house’s layout. He interviews the household members and servants, looking for inconsistencies in their accounts. Suspicion falls on several individuals, including Elizabeth Gough, the nursemaid, who claims she heard nothing during the night. Whicher’s attention is eventually drawn to Constance Kent, Samuel’s 16-year-old daughter, whose behaviour he finds suspicious. As we begin to uncover the story of Constance Kent, we begin to realise that perhaps Whicher is right about his suspicions. As the book moves on, we get to see the sheer level of public outcry at the very suggestion of a middle class young lady as a murderer. But, being the inspiration behind storylines found in Lady Audley's Secret and other dark Victorian Novels, it seems that many people did actually believe it was her even if they didn't want to.

All in all, Summerscale uses the case to explore the contradictions of Victorian society, including its emphasis on family respectability and its darker undercurrents of secrecy and repression. The book examines the cultural impact of the Road Hill House murder, from its influence on detective fiction to its role in shaping public perceptions of crime and justice. Whicher becomes the tragic hero of the book, coming under massive fire for the very suggestion of a young middle class lady as a murderer. It unfolds fantastically to the point where Whicher must make a decision for himself, and his sanity.