The Musical Milkman Murder - In the idyllic country village used to film Midsomer Murders, it was the real-life murder story that shocked 1920 Britain

by Quentin Falk

Long before the picturesque village of Little Marlow became a well-known location for filming episodes of popular television crime shows such as Inspector Morse, Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders, the tranquil Thameside hamlet was the site of a real-life murder that would have taxed the imagination of even the most inventive TV screenwriter. In the immediate aftermath of the Great War, Little Marlow was thrown into a state of great excitement by the discovery of the body of a young married woman named Kate Lilian Bailey. The scene of the tragedy was Barn Cottage, a pretty countryside residence; the weapon of choice was poison, and the man accused of the murder was local milkman, George Bailey - Kate's husband. Who was George Arthur Bailey? What drove this seemingly harmless milkman to murder his wife? Who, or what, sealed his fate? Almost a century later, through exhaustive research, author Quentin Falk brings to light the extraordinary and colourful facts of this strangely under-reported crime to reveal not just one astonishing story, but an intriguing crime and compelling weave of several stories. The Musical Milkman Murder paints a vivid picture of rural society in early 20th century England, reveals the grisly tale of a star-crossed couple torn apart by poison - that subsequently lead to an execution and the suicides of a judge and a hangman - and the tragic story of a daughter who would take half a lifetime to discover the terrible truth behind her parentage.

Genres: True Crime, History, Nonfiction, Crime

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2012

Reviews

[Deanne]

Do feel that this would have been better if it was a chapter in a book on crimes of the time, far too long and padded out with chapters on the hangman and others involved in the trial.

[Amelia]

While the case is certainly interesting the book itself sometimes adds irrelevant anecdotes, for instance on the suicide of the Judge and the Hangman or the information regarding the first female jurors. I assume this was to increase the page count, as, without it, the story certainly turns into an open-and-shut case.

[Michael Linton]

True crime fans note this is a rarely mentioned story. Very interesting. Recommended.

[Ellen]

Well written piece of true crime writing. However some areas needed expanding ie why was there so little mention of the fact the victim was heavily pregnant both at the time and as a current talking point. While other areas had too much padding about juries, hangmen and judges.

[Penny]

Well written book about a true crime poisoning back in the 1920s. The author once lived in the property where the murder took place. Sad, seedy in places, tragic in others. Good for its genre.