Ruddick, James : Death at the Priory - Love, Sex and Murder in Victorian England

In 1875, the beautiful and vivacious widow Florence Ricardo wedded Charles Bravo, a daring barrister. The marriage seemed a happy one, although society gossips whispered that Bravo had married Florence for her fortune. Yet behind this charming public persona, Charles Bravo was a brutal and vindictive man, who dismissed Florence's steadfast companion Mrs Cox, and who regularly subjected his wife to violent abuse. One night, four months after the wedding, Bravo collapsed. For the next 55 hours, with some of London's most distinguished physicians in attendance, Charles suffered a slow and agonizing death. All the doctors agreed: Charles Bravo had been poisoned. The dramatic investigation that followed was covered in sensational detail by the press. It eclipsed coverage of the prime minister's negotiations with Egypt, the Prince of Wales' Indian tour and the conflict in the Balkans. The finger of suspicion pointed at various times at suicide, at Mrs Cox, at George Griffiths, a stableman with a grudge against Bravo, and at the remarkable figure of Florence Bravo herself. This work provides a meticulous recreation of the case, bringing its main characters and their times to vivid life. The conclusion draws on new evidence unearthed by the author himself to demonstrate for the first time who really murdered Charles Bravo.