Murder at Shandy Hall - Tapa blanda

'An absolutely extraordinary tale ... a great tale ... a fascinating tale.' --Today with Pat Kenny, RTE Radio 1

'This is a scholarly and meticulous piece of historical journalism that will be sought out by aficionados of true crime.' --Irish Independent

'Michael Sheridan has unearthed another absorbing scandal ... meticulously researched.' --The Sunday Times

Cork, May 1887. Murder stalks the countryside. Against a tranquil rural backdrop the sleepy County Cork village of Dripsey near Coachford a sensational Victorian murder is played out with a potent mix of love, lust, betrayal, and ultimately naked hatred. The entry of a young and beautiful governess into Shandy Hall, the home of a retired British Army surgeon Dr Philip Cross, acts as a catalyst for an act of horror that prompts suspicion, an exhumation, an inquest, and a charged courtroom drama that grabs newspaper headlines all over the world. The nation is transfixed by details of a murder which shatters the Victorian ideal of the home as a safe haven of privacy and comfort, and besmirches the blue-blooded reputation of an aristocratic line. The cast of real characters includes a cruel killer, cloaked in respectability; a beautiful and naïve governess; a blameless wife; a brilliant young pathologist; a canny and clever murder detective; two accomplished courtroom adversaries; a caring and emotional judge; and a notorious hangman. The unravelling of this true-life murder mystery will send a chill through your bones.