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Conan Doyle for the Defence

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About this listen

Just before Christmas 1908, wealthy 82-year-old spinster Marion Gilchrist was found bludgeoned to death in her Glasgow home. A diamond brooch was missing, and police arrested Oscar Slater, a Jewish immigrant and gambler.

Despite having an alibi, Slater was convicted and imprisoned in Peterhead Prison.

Seventeen years later, convict William Gordon was released from Peterhead. Concealed in a false tooth was a message addressed to Arthur Conan Doyle, who turned his formidable talents to freeing Slater....

Drawing on original sources including Oscar Slater's prison letters, this is a compelling account of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in Scottish history.

©2018 Margalit Fox (P)2019 Oakhill Publishing True Crime
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I knew a little of this infamous miscarriage of justice, but I had never understood the role played by Conan Doyle. Fox here writes a wonderful short text on these terrible events which left an innocent man in prison, an innocent police offer dismissed and a murder victim without justice. The story paints a vivid picture of the Scottish criminal justice system at the turn of the 20th Century. This is the story of a Jewish immigrant, convicted of the murder of a lady he had never heard of, the Scottish establishment covered up the inconsistencies, and ordinary people all too willing to believe the stereotype. It reminds us not to reach conclusions before coherent and deductive evidence is adduced; and that all the evidence, every single adminicle should be available to both prosecution and defence.

The narration is superb - probably of the best I have heard. Accents aren't forced, pronunciation is perfect. The book is worth listening to just to hear every diphthong and rhotic twist Crawford Logan has to offer.

The writing is also superb - a real proper page turner - I desperately want to see this book as movie. the writer recreates Edwardian Glasgow, the chill of Peterhead prison and the intellectual curiosity of Conan Doyle.

I can't commend this book highly enough. I loved it. And I hope you love it too - everyone involved should be congratulated.

This is the Scottish Dreyfus Case

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