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  • Ruxton

  • The First Modern Murder
  • By: Tom Wood
  • Narrated by: Steve Worsley
  • Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (2 ratings)
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Ruxton

By: Tom Wood
Narrated by: Steve Worsley
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Summary

Two dismembered bodies discarded in the borderlands of Scotland, hideously mutilated to avoid identification. Forty-three pieces of rotten flesh and bone wrapped in rags and newspaper. A jigsaw puzzle of decomposing human remains. A glamorous young wife and her dutiful nursemaid missing. A handsome, mild-mannered town doctor insanely jealous of his wife’s friendships with other men. 

It is 1935, and the deaths of Isabella Ruxton and Mary Rogerson would result in one of the most complex investigations the world had ever seen. The gruesome murders captured worldwide attention, with newspapers keeping the public enthralled with all the gory details. But behind the headlines was a different, more important story: the groundbreaking work of Scottish forensic scientists who developed new techniques to solve the case and shape the future of scientific criminal investigation. With access to previously unseen documents, this book re-examines the case and reveals for the first time the incredible inside story of the investigation and its legacy. This is the first modern murder.

©2020 Tom Wood (P)2023 Tom Wood

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Reasonable

This is a fascinating case and it did lead to huge advances in forensic science.

In my opinion, there is too little talk of the people, however - Ruxton and Bella's backgrounds are barely mentioned. The night of the murder is skipped over.

instead, the author waxes lyrical about how brilliant the police were, how brilliant the solicitors were, how brilliant the scientists were.

Again and again, we hear about the authorities. This is important of course but largely, I was reading this to hear about Ruxton, Bella, Mary Rogers and what led to this terrible murder. You don't get that in this book.

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