No glamorous blond, no wicked conspiracy. We’re so used to the theatrical crimes served up nightly on TV that we forget most police blotters in real life are records of mindless violence, domestic arguments gone out of control, the desperate overreaching of the not-too-bright.
Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China by Paul French (Penguin PressBooks)Ī good murder is harder to find than you think. NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu Paul FrenchA very well written book about a dark episode in a fascinating period – highly recommended.
French gives a clear account of the political picture of the time as the Japanese surrounded the city prior to invasion, as the ideas of fascism and communism were spreading throughout the world, as war seemed an ever more likely prospect.
He shows the contrast between life within the gated foreign quarter, with its dances and tea parties, and life outside in the Badlands, a place where vice of all kinds was available for a price, a place where some of the ultra-respectable foreigners led a very different life. He is scathing about the diplomatic cover-ups and corruption that hampered the investigation as the British Legation tried to stamp out any word of scandal that might reflect on their community. While the story of the murder is intriguing enough in itself, the added interest of the book comes from the light French sheds on the city of Peking at this time of fear and change. And French’s solution, when it comes, is as convincing as it is horrifying. Was Pamela an innocent schoolgirl or an independent and rebellious young woman bent on sampling some of the excitements Peking could offer? Was she murdered by a maniac or by someone closer to home? French shows how the investigation developed, first through official channels of the Chinese police and the British Legation, then when that led to nothing, through a private investigation funded by Pamela’s father. This is a fascinating story of a true-life crime committed in the last days of old Peking as the threat of invasion, war and revolution spread fear amongst the Chinese and foreign inhabitants of the city.Īuthor Paul French has researched the murder of 19-year-old Pamela Werner thoroughly and tells the tale well.
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