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Stalemate
Summer 1930 and Walter Bruce is told he has a terminal disease. With nursing care and an easier job he could have five more years. With neither he may not see out the year. But he's got a wife to keep - one too selfish and idle to be his nurse. When he finds out she's been deceiving him about her past for years he comes to a stark decision; if she won't take care of him he'll have to take care of her - for good. He plans her removal like one of the chess problems he loves. It will be the perfect murder; he'll get away with it and enjoy his last few years in comfort. But his carefully laid plans unravel, entangling him in a slowly closing trap where truth and lies become confused... Set in between-the-wars Liverpool, 'Stalemate' is a gripping tale of moral choices and terrible punishment.
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First published June 19, 2014
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About the author
Alan Hamilton
20 books10 followersI learned to write doing well at English and History at school, then at University - writing that got an assessor's interest and therefore high marks
Later, working in commercial organisations, I was taught to write clearly and persuasively in support of my objectives - 'when you write, do it as though your reader is a moron with five minutes to spare.' So though I've never done a creative writing course my training has always been to tell a story that gets the reader's attention, then acceptance.
I've read widely. Fiction, biography, history, economics, politics, religion, psychology - I'm rarely without a book (or its e-version) in my hands.
I've lived in three different countries: Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, and now I'm settled by the Severn Sea in north Somerset.
Later, working in commercial organisations, I was taught to write clearly and persuasively in support of my objectives - 'when you write, do it as though your reader is a moron with five minutes to spare.' So though I've never done a creative writing course my training has always been to tell a story that gets the reader's attention, then acceptance.
I've read widely. Fiction, biography, history, economics, politics, religion, psychology - I'm rarely without a book (or its e-version) in my hands.
I've lived in three different countries: Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, and now I'm settled by the Severn Sea in north Somerset.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 14, 2014
4.5 stars
This novel is woven intricately around facts based on an actual, seemingly senseless and violent unsolved murder case from the 1930’s. Walter Bruce is an insurance salesman in a loveless marriage. He is diagnosed with a terminal illness and at the same time acquires evidence his wife has not only deceived him about her past all the years he’s known her, but has also been unfaithful. He formulates a plan to allow him to live out his remaining years in comfort, with the nursing and care he knows will not be forthcoming from his wife. There is no turning back. Bruce’s chess player’s mind devises the details of a plan and as that plan slowly unravels he must accept the terrible consequences of his actions.
The main protagonist is very difficult to like, yet at the same time, given his lifestyle and home life, there is a small amount of pity mixed in with the aversion. There are many restrictions in the between-the-wars world of lower to middle class Liverpool, but to dispassionately plot his wife’s murder and involve two other, equally distasteful characters, shows quite a calculating and cold nature.
The courtroom scenes are described in detail and, although at times I was overwhelmed with the specifics and technicalities, I appreciate the painstaking research and work that has gone into, not only this aspect, but the whole. Bruce’s feelings throughout are defined so vividly I almost felt I was the one in court. How very frightening to be in that position, especially knowing the evidence was being manipulated. Bruce thought he had orchestrated the ‘perfect murder’ and was totally unprepared for the final verdict, actually believing himself innocent of the specific charge of murder.
This fictional reconstruction of a classic, unsolved mystery is revised to reflect the possible scenario of Bruce plotting his wife’s murder and written with much of the original events and evidence, as the author states in his note at the end of the book…..’Much in the preceding pages follows the details of that case very closely, to the point that some of the dialogue is lifted directly from what was reported as having been said during the events, and, in particular from the then Liverpool City Police Force, and transcripts of the committal, trial and appeal court proceedings in the real Wallace case.’
As in the original case, there seems to all outside intents and purposes, no motive for the crime and only circumstantial evidence against the accused. As for the real-life murder, only William Herbert Wallace would be able to tell the truth of what happened in Anfield, Liverpool in 1931.
This novel is woven intricately around facts based on an actual, seemingly senseless and violent unsolved murder case from the 1930’s. Walter Bruce is an insurance salesman in a loveless marriage. He is diagnosed with a terminal illness and at the same time acquires evidence his wife has not only deceived him about her past all the years he’s known her, but has also been unfaithful. He formulates a plan to allow him to live out his remaining years in comfort, with the nursing and care he knows will not be forthcoming from his wife. There is no turning back. Bruce’s chess player’s mind devises the details of a plan and as that plan slowly unravels he must accept the terrible consequences of his actions.
The main protagonist is very difficult to like, yet at the same time, given his lifestyle and home life, there is a small amount of pity mixed in with the aversion. There are many restrictions in the between-the-wars world of lower to middle class Liverpool, but to dispassionately plot his wife’s murder and involve two other, equally distasteful characters, shows quite a calculating and cold nature.
The courtroom scenes are described in detail and, although at times I was overwhelmed with the specifics and technicalities, I appreciate the painstaking research and work that has gone into, not only this aspect, but the whole. Bruce’s feelings throughout are defined so vividly I almost felt I was the one in court. How very frightening to be in that position, especially knowing the evidence was being manipulated. Bruce thought he had orchestrated the ‘perfect murder’ and was totally unprepared for the final verdict, actually believing himself innocent of the specific charge of murder.
This fictional reconstruction of a classic, unsolved mystery is revised to reflect the possible scenario of Bruce plotting his wife’s murder and written with much of the original events and evidence, as the author states in his note at the end of the book…..’Much in the preceding pages follows the details of that case very closely, to the point that some of the dialogue is lifted directly from what was reported as having been said during the events, and, in particular from the then Liverpool City Police Force, and transcripts of the committal, trial and appeal court proceedings in the real Wallace case.’
As in the original case, there seems to all outside intents and purposes, no motive for the crime and only circumstantial evidence against the accused. As for the real-life murder, only William Herbert Wallace would be able to tell the truth of what happened in Anfield, Liverpool in 1931.
November 4, 2014
Set in the early 1930s, this intriguing novel, based on a real-life case, follows the progress of Walter Bruce, a door-to-door insurance saleman, as he tries to stage the perfect murder of his wife. His motive? The diagnosis of a terminal illness that will kill him sooner if he does not escape the stress of living with her.
Discovering dark secrets about this wife steels his determination to be rid of her, and he blackmails two others into helping him commit the crime. Despite strategic thinking powers nurtured by his passion for chess, Bruce’s plan misfires, and he must face the consequences.
While it’s difficult to warm to any of the characters, the omniscient narrator makes it easy to understand Bruce’s motivation and actions. At times the story reads like journalism, telling rather than showing, particularly during the courtroom scenes, but although that approach is often decried in fiction, it actually worked rather well here.
Although I disliked Bruce, I also felt very sorry for him, constrained in the narrow world of his time and class. His dreary world of lower-middle-class suburbia offers no real hope of betterment, and he only deludes himself when he tries to improve his lot.
Hamilton evokes the era very well, weaving the atmosphere and practical details seamlessly into the narrative. At every turn one is struck by the contrast of between the 1930s and the present day, especially in terms of communication technology and social mobility. Although phone calls were traceable from public call boxes, detectives had little other than their wits and circumstantial evidence to help them solve crimes. The essential story, however, is timeless.
Incidentally, I particularly liked the production values and cover design of this book – the chess board in a subdued, slightly sinister colourway, with an outline of a dead body and a splash of blood, is very effective.
(Reviewed for the Historical Novel Association Indie Reviews)
Discovering dark secrets about this wife steels his determination to be rid of her, and he blackmails two others into helping him commit the crime. Despite strategic thinking powers nurtured by his passion for chess, Bruce’s plan misfires, and he must face the consequences.
While it’s difficult to warm to any of the characters, the omniscient narrator makes it easy to understand Bruce’s motivation and actions. At times the story reads like journalism, telling rather than showing, particularly during the courtroom scenes, but although that approach is often decried in fiction, it actually worked rather well here.
Although I disliked Bruce, I also felt very sorry for him, constrained in the narrow world of his time and class. His dreary world of lower-middle-class suburbia offers no real hope of betterment, and he only deludes himself when he tries to improve his lot.
Hamilton evokes the era very well, weaving the atmosphere and practical details seamlessly into the narrative. At every turn one is struck by the contrast of between the 1930s and the present day, especially in terms of communication technology and social mobility. Although phone calls were traceable from public call boxes, detectives had little other than their wits and circumstantial evidence to help them solve crimes. The essential story, however, is timeless.
Incidentally, I particularly liked the production values and cover design of this book – the chess board in a subdued, slightly sinister colourway, with an outline of a dead body and a splash of blood, is very effective.
(Reviewed for the Historical Novel Association Indie Reviews)
August 13, 2016
This is a well-researched fictional account of an unsolved murder from the 1930s.
Some might know the case as ‘The Man from the Pru’, a TV drama which depicted the murder of Janet Bruce in Liverpool. The main suspect is her husband Walter Bruce an insurance man, but this was never proved. As Hamilton notes at the end of his book, there have been a number of journalistic accounts of the crime but Hamilton skilfully weaves the known facts of the case into a believable set of circumstances.
The novel starts with Bruce’s diagnoses of a terminal disease and the evidence that his wife is not only having an affair but has lied to him about her age. She has also had a child which Bruce knew nothing about – a scandalous business in the 1930s. Bruce is infuriated. It is already a loveless marriage. With her to provide for how can he possibly afford a nurse when his illness requires such care? A plan is formed. There is no going back.
Bruce is a ruthless cold hearted man whose mind works logically like a player of chess, a game he is fond of. As he draws other equally unpleasant characters into his strategy for revenge, he finds himself more embroiled in his own downfall. Hamilton creates the court scenes with unnerving reality. Chills of fear for a man facing the noose ran down my spine. But don’t be fooled. This isn’t the end, though perhaps many lawyers from that time would have wished this to be the case. The freezing weather of a pre-global warming era is equally depicted as is the general social atmosphere of that period. I was so immersed in the pages, when I had finished the novel, I was surprised to look around me at the relative comforts of 21st century living.
This book is a must read, particularly for anyone interested in unsolved murders of a historical nature.
April 6, 2015
Review by Kathryn Gauci
If there’s one thing I thoroughly enjoy, it’s a good crime novel, especially one based on real events. Alan Hamilton’s Stalemate is just that kind of book. Well written and well-researched, it is a story based on a murder committed in 1930’s Liverpool. The crime was never solved and public opinion remained divided on the case. Was the seemingly upstanding and rather conservative door-to-door salesman, Walter Bruce, the perpetrator of his wife’s grisly murder or not? Adhering to the known facts and court transcripts of the time, the author breathes life into a set of characters as only fiction can do.
Immersing myself into this compelling drama and the bleak landscape of 1930’s Liverpool, I could not help but make comparisons with two other intriguing crimes. In many ways, Walter Bruce appeared to have suffered the same mental anguish over the death of his wife as Raskolnikov in Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Did his wife deserve to die? How did he justify right from wrong? In the end, the mind plays tricks and fact and fiction become blurred until he is left a tormented soul. And then there’s the deeply flawed trial of 10 Rillington Place. Did the Liverpool police tamper with the evidence much as the London police did just to get the desired outcome regardless of the fact that an innocent man was hanged before justice prevailed? Certainly, today’s police procedures and forensics would be much better equipped to deal with such a crime.
Whatever the truth, Stalemate was a book I could not put down and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to lose themselves in a good murder mystery.
*****
July 9, 2014
Hamilton skilfully weaves the known facts of the case into a believable set of circumstances.
The novel starts with Bruce’s diagnoses of a terminal disease and the evidence that his wife is not only having an affair but has lied to him about her age. She has also had a child which Bruce knew nothing about – a scandalous business in the 1930s. Bruce is infuriated. It is already a loveless marriage. With her to provide for how can he possibly afford a nurse when his illness requires such care? A plan is formed. There is no going back.
Bruce is a ruthless cold hearted man whose mind works logically like a player of chess, a game he is fond of. As he draws other equally unpleasant characters into his strategy for revenge, he finds himself more embroiled in his own downfall. Hamilton creates the court scenes with unnerving reality. Chills of fear for a man facing the noose ran down my spine. But don’t be fooled. This isn’t the end, though perhaps many lawyers from that time would have wished this to be the case. The freezing weather of a pre-global warming era is equally depicted as is the general social atmosphere of that period. I was so immersed in the pages, when I had finished the novel, I was surprised to look around me at the relative comforts of 21st century living.
The novel starts with Bruce’s diagnoses of a terminal disease and the evidence that his wife is not only having an affair but has lied to him about her age. She has also had a child which Bruce knew nothing about – a scandalous business in the 1930s. Bruce is infuriated. It is already a loveless marriage. With her to provide for how can he possibly afford a nurse when his illness requires such care? A plan is formed. There is no going back.
Bruce is a ruthless cold hearted man whose mind works logically like a player of chess, a game he is fond of. As he draws other equally unpleasant characters into his strategy for revenge, he finds himself more embroiled in his own downfall. Hamilton creates the court scenes with unnerving reality. Chills of fear for a man facing the noose ran down my spine. But don’t be fooled. This isn’t the end, though perhaps many lawyers from that time would have wished this to be the case. The freezing weather of a pre-global warming era is equally depicted as is the general social atmosphere of that period. I was so immersed in the pages, when I had finished the novel, I was surprised to look around me at the relative comforts of 21st century living.
November 28, 2014
Stalemate is one of those excellently written books that perks your interest immediately and keeps you totally immersed from start to finish. Based on a true story, I found that I simply could not put this book down. It was intriguing and so engrossing that I lost all track of time when reading it. Following the story of Bruce, a door to door salesman in 1930's Liverpool, we are introduced to a rather downtrodden and ill individual with an un-supportive wife who is cold and constantly showing disappointment in Bruce. However, when Bruce discovers that his wife Janet has some surprising secrets of her own, he puts a chain of events in motion that will have consequences for his unsuspecting wife that will ultimately end in murder! Although Bruce is portrayed as calculating and a little cold, I have to say I loved the character. I thought he was interesting and complex and I felt a little sorry for him. Stalemate is an expertly written piece of fiction based on a real crime. It is clear that Alan Hamilton has done his research around the crime in order to write this book. Highly recommended! If you love crime fiction then this is the book for you!
November 24, 2014
This book was an enjoyable read about a fictionalised tale of a real-life crime. Alan has done well to put his imagination as well as the true facts together and it works well. It is set in the 1930's in Liverpool and it follows Bruce who is a door to door salesman who is trying to stage a perfect murder for his wife. This is a book that is mysterious and intriguing. Alan Hamilton is one to look out for in the future.
December 11, 2014
Stalemate is a gripping work of fiction based on an actual murder from that area. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it was difficult to put down at night. I love Alan’s writing style and hope to read more of his books in the future.
A ☆☆☆☆☆ read!
A ☆☆☆☆☆ read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews