The Murder of Harriet Monckton - Tapa dura

'Fans of The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher will also like this novelisation of a real-life murder that shocked the inhabitants of a small Kentish town. . . This novel follows Harriet's final days as seen by the people closest to her, who may also have wanted her dead.' (Red)

'I loved The Murder of Harriet Monckton; what a tour de force! I'm blown away. Elizabeth Haynes completely transported me to that time and place. I also found the novel incredibly moving and I'm so glad to know Harriet's story. The novel is an absolute triumph.' (Elly Griffiths)

'Elizabeth Haynes evokes the language and world of the 1840s, and lifts Harriet from obscurity with a damn fine tale. In these #MeToo days, her rich and magnificent imagining of a longforgotten murder connects the past to the present as if it were yesterday.' (Lesley Thomson)

'Elizabeth Haynes is one of the top storytellers in a genre bursting with the best tale-spinners in the world. The Murder of Harriet Monckton is a page-turning mystery, charged with compassion, wisdom and a modern understanding of human nature and psychology. It is both a humane defence of women of all eras who choose not to conform and a celebration of their trailblazing. This is an important book, one which I just could not put down. If spirits exist, Harriet's will take some comfort knowing that Elizabeth Haynes has set her trained, empathetic, forensic eye to vindicate her.' (Julia Crouch)

'A historical whodunnit with heart; a story that was begging to be told. I can't get poor Harriet out of my mind. Wonderful!' (SJI Holliday)

'Elizabeth Haynes's real-life story of a young Victorian woman who was systematically wronged by those around her resonates powerfully in the current climate. Moving and brilliantly written, this is a must-read from one of the most talented crime writers out there.' (Cass Green)

'The writing is exceptional: I spent much of the book in a state of visceral terror for Harriet... Haynes captures the age perfectly and she's particularly good on the precarious life of the unmarried woman, virtuous or not... The plot has a sense of completeness about it and the ending blew me away: it just seemed so right. In real life the murder might remain unsolved, but Haynes' solution is neat, realistic and entirely plausible. Perhaps the highest praise that I can give this book is to say that it won't be too long before I reread to see how it was all done.' (The Bookbag)

'Absolutely brilliant! Elizabeth Haynes has brought to life a wonderful array of characters, recreated a truly authentic Bromley and given a voice to an intriguing mystery surrounding the death of a youNg woman. Highly recommended.' (Tracy Fenton, Compulsive Readers)

'This page-turning whodunnit based in compelling historical reality reads like a modern psychological thriller, with all the resonance of the #MeToo movement. Haynes is a can't-miss author for me.' (Alexandra Sokoloff)

'Intricate and evocative, with such resonance for the age we are living through. Harriet will haunt you in the best possible way.' (Sarah Hilary)

'A poignant and gripping reimagining of a real-life case from 1843 which skilfully evokes Victorian England in all its petty conventions and dark hypocrisy. Brava, Elizabeth Haynes.' (Rachel Rhys)

'What a fascinating and deftly created novel. Drawing on real reports and statements from the time, Elizabeth Haynes recreates the final hours of a young woman murdered in Bromley in 1843. Authentic and intriguing.' (Anna Mazzola)

'Dark, troubling and richly evocative. Elizabeth Haynes has reimagined the case of Harriet Monckton to startling effect.' --(Colette McBeth)

On 7th November 1843, Harriet Monckton, 23 years old and a woman of respectable parentage and religious habits, is found murdered in the privy behind the chapel she regularly attended in Bromley, Kent. The community is appalled by her death, apparently as a result of swallowing a fatal dose of prussic acid, and even more so when the surgeon reports that Harriet was around six months pregnant. Drawing on the coroner's reports and witness testimonies, Elizabeth Haynes builds a compelling picture of Harriet's final hours through the eyes of those closest to her and the last people to see her alive. Her fellow teacher and companion, her would-be fiance, her seducer, her former lover-all are suspects; each has a reason to want her dead. Brimming with lust, mistrust and guilt, The Murder of Harriet Monckton is a masterclass of suspense from one of our greatest crime writers.