Small-town solicitor Robert Blair is reluctantly drawn into a criminal investigation when two local women, Marion Sharpe and her elderly mother, are accused of kidnapping and assaulting a teenage schoolgirl named Betty Kane. Kane claims she was held prisoner in the Sharpes’ isolated attic and forced to perform domestic labor. While Inspector Alan Grant investigates the conflicting accounts, Blair hunts for physical inconsistencies in the girl’s detailed testimony. Success depends on cross-referencing regional bus timetables and architectural details of the Sharpes' home, The Franchise, to disprove a seemingly airtight accusation.
Readers who enjoy forensic examination of witness testimony and psychological deconstructions of truth will find value in this narrative. It appeals to those interested in how public opinion can dictate legal outcomes before a trial begins. The book demonstrates the difficulty of proving an alibi against a victim who appears modest and reliable to the general public. A reader walks away with a technical understanding of how investigators identify flaws in fabricated narratives and the specific ways circumstantial evidence can be manipulated to frame the innocent.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1948
- Language
- EN
