A great, well-reasearched and engaging look into Minnie Dean's story. Lynley has taken nothing at face value, looking beyond Minnie's sometimes untrue statements and the sensationalised reporting of the time in order to find the truth.

The picture that emerges is far more complex and tragic than legend would have us believe.

Lynley tells what could be a very depressing story in an engaging way, often speaking directly to the reader or interspersing the story with excerpts from newspapers or Minnie's own statement. ( )