jjares reviewed on 5/7/2019 + 3316 more book reviews

Perhaps the mistake I made was in reading this item as a talking book. There were no footnotes included and perhaps that would have made a difference in my enjoyment of the story. There were some firsts with this case; the court used forensic evidence because there were no witnesses (the victim's false teeth that were left after burning). Also, the presiding judge gave a definition of 'reasonable doubt' (for the juror's instructions) that was used repeatedly in other cases for years.

Maybe it was because the case happened in 1849 and happened in an insular college campus that made the case seem stilted. Dr. George Parkman, a graduate of Harvard and a landlord with extensive holdings, wasn't a very heart-warming victim. He was killed, his body cut up and partly burned. The man accused was Harvard's professor of chemistry. John W Webster wasn't a charmer, either. He seemed to be more concerned with his next meal rather than his future.

The writing was excellent and the author really knew the time and the cities of Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details