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Deadly Affair
It could only end in death ... when two beautiful young women entered the shadows of Drumkeeragh Forest in Northern Ireland.
Nobody could have ever imagined that only one of them would emerge alive. Minutes later, one woman lay dying, with her throat so savagely slashed that her head was almost severed. The other was covered in blood, screaming that a maniac had attacked them.
But all was not as it seemed. The gruesome killing was the result of a strange love triangle, and its horror shattered the very core of the British army.
This is a terrible tale of a love so passionate it could only end in death.
NB: The strap line on the cover is 'The Electrifying True Story of a Deadly Love Triangle' but this is not part of the title on the title page, which is simply 'Deadly Affair'.
Nobody could have ever imagined that only one of them would emerge alive. Minutes later, one woman lay dying, with her throat so savagely slashed that her head was almost severed. The other was covered in blood, screaming that a maniac had attacked them.
But all was not as it seemed. The gruesome killing was the result of a strange love triangle, and its horror shattered the very core of the British army.
This is a terrible tale of a love so passionate it could only end in death.
NB: The strap line on the cover is 'The Electrifying True Story of a Deadly Love Triangle' but this is not part of the title on the title page, which is simply 'Deadly Affair'.
- GenresTrue Crime
369 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 1, 2014
Duncan McAllister was happily married to Penny, enjoying a career in the Army when he was posted to Northern Ireland. While there he set up a diving club as both he and his wife were well qualified divers. This fateful decision was to be the first step on the road to disaster.
The club took off very quickly and one of the members was an Ulster Defence Regiment soldier named Susan Christie. She very soon developed a liking for Duncan McAllister and, as often apparently happens in such circumstances, the liking became mutual, even though McAllister's wife was there to see what was going on. Penny immediately became concerned about the friendliness between her husband and Christie but he assured her that there was nothing going on.
And to begin with there wasn't. But that state of affairs (so to speak) did not last too long. McAllister could not resist the temptation and was flattered by the attention of a young lady. And so a passionate affair began.
The longer it went on the more intense it became but McAllister stressed that he was still in love with his wife and had no intention of leaving her. That did not deter Christie who persisted with her attentions and, in fairness, her endearments were returned two-fold.
There were diving trips away, when his wife realised that there was something going on, secret weekend trysts and many lunch-time meetings. Christie tried on occasion to be friendly with McAllister's wife and they did dine together and have the occasional dog-walking trips.
It was a dog-walking trip that led to the final outcome for Penny ended up dead with an injured Christie claiming that they had been attacked by a mystery man in the forest where they were walking. Police investigations followed and, despite a desire to keep their affair under wraps, it eventually came out that McAllister and Christie were seeing each other. Obviously this led police to reconsider the crime and it was after intense questioning of Christie that they decided that she had committed the crime.
A trial followed and Christie, whose evidence more often than not comes across as false, was eventually found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
Nicholas Davies tells the harrowing tale in dramatic fashion and ends the book with an assessment of the trial, the verdict and the sentence. His compelling evidence, complete with what was not done and what witnesses were not called, coupled with the understanding of the case, certainly makes the reader think that an injustice has been done and it was no surprise that Penny McAllister's mother screamed out in court when the sentence was announced. The sentence was later re-considered, the judge was 'found to be wanting' and a nine-year sentence was substituted. But even that meant that Christie was to be free within 18 months of its announcement and, of course, it did not bring back Penny McAllister.
Finally the book presents a sobering thought for anyone who is thinking of entering into a three-way relationship ... if this book were to be read first, it probably would not happen!
The club took off very quickly and one of the members was an Ulster Defence Regiment soldier named Susan Christie. She very soon developed a liking for Duncan McAllister and, as often apparently happens in such circumstances, the liking became mutual, even though McAllister's wife was there to see what was going on. Penny immediately became concerned about the friendliness between her husband and Christie but he assured her that there was nothing going on.
And to begin with there wasn't. But that state of affairs (so to speak) did not last too long. McAllister could not resist the temptation and was flattered by the attention of a young lady. And so a passionate affair began.
The longer it went on the more intense it became but McAllister stressed that he was still in love with his wife and had no intention of leaving her. That did not deter Christie who persisted with her attentions and, in fairness, her endearments were returned two-fold.
There were diving trips away, when his wife realised that there was something going on, secret weekend trysts and many lunch-time meetings. Christie tried on occasion to be friendly with McAllister's wife and they did dine together and have the occasional dog-walking trips.
It was a dog-walking trip that led to the final outcome for Penny ended up dead with an injured Christie claiming that they had been attacked by a mystery man in the forest where they were walking. Police investigations followed and, despite a desire to keep their affair under wraps, it eventually came out that McAllister and Christie were seeing each other. Obviously this led police to reconsider the crime and it was after intense questioning of Christie that they decided that she had committed the crime.
A trial followed and Christie, whose evidence more often than not comes across as false, was eventually found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
Nicholas Davies tells the harrowing tale in dramatic fashion and ends the book with an assessment of the trial, the verdict and the sentence. His compelling evidence, complete with what was not done and what witnesses were not called, coupled with the understanding of the case, certainly makes the reader think that an injustice has been done and it was no surprise that Penny McAllister's mother screamed out in court when the sentence was announced. The sentence was later re-considered, the judge was 'found to be wanting' and a nine-year sentence was substituted. But even that meant that Christie was to be free within 18 months of its announcement and, of course, it did not bring back Penny McAllister.
Finally the book presents a sobering thought for anyone who is thinking of entering into a three-way relationship ... if this book were to be read first, it probably would not happen!
Displaying 1 of 1 review