Inside The Detective’s Notebook
Monthly briefing for founding members
July got off to a great start with a fantastic trip on Seabourn Ovation from Dover, England to Greencastle in Ireland, stopping in Wales, Scotland and Norther Ireland along the way. I gave three crime history lectures onboard to a fabulous audience! I also had the opportunity for some ‘dark’ tourism’, visiting Elizabeth Fort in Cork, and Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast.
After my sea journey, I settled back at my desk in my summer home on the Isle of Wight, punctuated by a brief visit to Lancaster for my son’s graduation. I’ve made regular visits to the northern city over the last four years and I’ve enjoyed exploring its dark past, including Lancaster Castle, where the Pendle witches were hanged, and the house where Isabella Ruxton and Mary Jane Rogerson were tragically murdered in 1936. I’ve also been to the Lancashire Police Museum.
In between travelling, I’ve been investigating the history and development of the ‘crime scene’ and its examination, and studying new primary sources for the next book in The Historical Murder Cases, which will be a new edition of Amelia Dyer and the Baby Farm Murders. I’ve also been revisiting the murder of PC Nicholas Cock, which took place 150 years ago, and I’m delighted to offer my founding members a complimentary copy…