The Notting Hill Mystery

By: Charles Warren Adams

Narrated by: Peter Wickham

Widely acknowledged as the first detective novel, this story is narrated by insurance investigator Ralph Henderson, who is building a case against the sinister Baron “R**”, suspected of murdering his wife in order to obtain significant life insurance payments.

Henderson descends into a maze of intrigue including a diabolical mesmerist, kidnapping by gypsies, slow-poisoners, a rich uncle’s will and three murders. Presented in the form of diary entries, family letters, chemical analysis reports and interviews with witnesses, the novel displays innovative techniques that would not become common features of detective fiction until the 1920s.

©1865 Charles Warren Adams (P)2018 Soundings

Repetitive

We know that in the era this book was written, verbosity was often the norm. Even so, the repetition of the unpleasant details of the illnesses described was excessive. There are no twists to this plot. The story is repeated from every angle,but in the end (spoiler alert) we don't know if the murderer was caught or the insurance money awarded.