The Drummond Affair: Murder and Mystery in Provence

by Stephanie Matthews, Daniel Smith

'A serious reinvestigation full of revealing background information that sheds additional light on what was then and now remains a shocking crime' Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking'This riveting, eye-opening investigation of a 70-year-old murder mystery reads like a whodunit ... A true crime must-read' Dean Jobb, author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream'As much social history as it is gripping true crime' Jeremy Craddock, author of The Jigsaw Murders 'A meticulously researched re-examination' Caitlin Davies, author of Private The Secret History of Female Sleuths1950s France. A British establishment figure. A shocking crime. A miscarriage of justice. The search for truth. In 1952, in a peaceful corner of Provence, a farmer's son stumbled upon a terrible scene. Three a husband and wife shot dead, their ten-year-old daughter savagely beaten to death. They were all British. So begins one of the most notorious murder cases in French history. Sir Jack Drummond was a senior advisor to the British government, a household name who was respected and admired. His fame made the case a cause celebre in France and resulted in the swift conviction of a local farmer, but questions about Drummond's life and death remain unanswered. In this bold new investigation, Stephanie Matthews and Daniel Smith strip away the prejudice and propaganda to reveal a grave miscarriage of justice. A light is shone on Drummond's secret life in the shadows of the Cold War, painting a portrait of an enigmatic man who may not have been the innocent holidaymaker he appeared to be, and recasting one of the twentieth century's most notorious murders in a fascinating and important new light.

Genres: True Crime

288 pages, Hardcover

Published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe too much background material but intriguing stuff. (One of the authors doesn’t know the difference between discrete and discreet - which was annoying!)

[Biggus · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a hard one. I basically think there's just not enough here for a book of this length. So much speculation, so many maybes, and what do we conclude? Not sure. It was mildly interesting, but that's about it.

[Dobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t come to this book expecting a traditional ‘true crime’ - the authors are on a mission to put the characters and the events into a social context and to right wrongs along the way.
Stephanie Matthew’s & Daniel Smith announce on the front cover that The Drummond Affair is ‘Murder and Mystery in Provence’ and continues to recount that in 1952, a farmer’s son discovers 3 bodies; a husband & wife shot dead and their 10 year old daughter savagely beaten to death. The Drummonds were British and appeared to be tourists in the region and their tragic discovery sparks off one of the most notorious murder cases in French legal history.
In real terms I consider the book to be a biography masquerading as true crime! And this is because the
authors see it as an injustice that ‘the story of their lives has all too often been superseded by their victim hood’
They do record the arrest and trial and the ineptitude of the French investigation and procedures - and they do offer possible explanations of what happened and a likely perpetrator.
But the authors seek to reinstate the importance of the Drummonds’ scientific work as well as their mysterious dealings with the Rockefellers whilst unable to determine with any certainty that they had involvement with eugenics or chemical weapons.
But they conclude that the trip which the family embarked upon was likely to have been more than a holiday and that a meeting was arranged for an industrial espionage reason.
Jack and Anne Drummond shared an altruistic career path as scientists who wished to ensure all people were fed nourishing and safe foods initially based on the discovery of vitamins and the importance of these in the development of healthy children and adults.
The books research is extensive and detailed and in order to give credit to the Drummonds’ background and the society in which they operated, a huge proportion of the book is allocated to these considerations - a detailed view of the way Jack saved countless lives threatened by hunger in Britain, Netherlands, Germany & Malta. Thanks to the system of rationing to which he was integral, millions had the opportunity to grow & thrive shielded from malnutrition.
But there are corners of their lives hidden from sight. Clues which point to an existence beyond the public record. One which spanned from Europe to America working in realms of state secrecy.
Despite this, the authors want to emphasise Sir Jack Drummond was a hero long overdue recognition and that his murder should not define him.

[Lord Bathcanoe of Snark · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the endorsements on the dust cover describes this book as 'a riveting eye-opening reinvestigation of a 70 year old murder mystery that reads like a whodunnit '.
Maybe if the book was scaled down to a third of it's 250 pages this would be true. Much of the content deals with the background and career of Sir Jack Drummond, and this at times is a long way from 'riveting'.
Not in any way a true crime classic...

[Kavya · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting, i didn’t actually know a lot about the protagonist before picking this book up. as somebody with no background on this topic, it was difficult to follow the names and facts and organisations and secrets shown in this book. also made me think long after i finished it