Airing in a Closed Carriage

by Joseph Shearing (Pseudonym), Marjorie Bowen

May Tyler's trial for the arsenic murder of her senile, drug-addicted English husband was the sensation of Manchester. Shocking stories circulated through the city, and newspapers screamed with lurid headlines condemning the frail American widow. Stubbornly refusing to explain herself to anyone--not even to her lawyers--she faced a hostile court, alone and friendless, with no defense stronger than a simple: "I didn't do it."

Joseph Shearing's tale is based on a much-debated murder trial that took place in late 19th-century England, and retains the contradictions, lies, and mystery which confused the Victorian court.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Pseudonym for English author Gabrielle Margaret Vere Campbell (1886-1952), who also wrote as George Preedy, Margaret Campbell and Marjorie Bowen.
She was born in Hampshire and married Zefferino Constanzo in 1912 and Arthur L Long in 1917.

Reviews

[Justine Shenton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusually I didn’t really enjoy this book

[Éowyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The British Library Crime Classics have been pretty much winners with me. Not many that I'm not that keen on and several that I've reread. I enjoy the mystery/golden age detective genre - puzzling out what went on, the victim often unlikable, and seeing things work out and the balance of life restored. We don't always get that in real life, but it gives a sense of satisfaction for things to be tied up neatly and feel that all is right with the world.

This was a very different novel. It was based on a real life case, with the author giving what they believed was the only possible interpretation of what must have happened. It was well written, but I just didn't enjoy it. Most of the characters were unlikable and you wanted the protagonist to have a bit of Vim! I don't want to say much, as I don't want to spoil it, but I read with disbelief at some things (apparently the unlikeliest things were the things that were proven to be true! I almost wanted to shout at the book 'how could you this happen'!) and frustration at the sheer number of lies and the fact that no one seemed worried about the truth.

Not a bad book by any means, but just one that I needed to finish and find out if the worst really did happen, but I read it was frustration rather than enjoyment, so it won't be staying on my shelf.

[Jon Nadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Where to begin? I won’t give anything away bc I don’t want to have to click the “spoilers” switch.

The writing is top notch. It can seem, no, it is repetitive at times, but is so for a purpose.

Bowen eerily nails human hypocrisy, especially male hypocrisy. I see this as early feminist writing. (I’m not a feminist scholar, only a reader of women’s studies.) The hero is the victim of the double standard of prudish morals. And she is framed for the murder of her husband. Who is a complete ass.

I often got very upset with our hero for putting up with so much $&it from her husband. Why did she not walk out?? I had flashbacks from my own childhood and the same big question, why did you not walk out??

I know the answer now, as the reader learns the answer in the novel. Who does a woman live in a male-dominated society divorced?? In the 1970s when my mom finally did divorce she had a HELL of a time making ends meet and getting her children raised. I still do not know how she did it.

This is a long book. But it is very much worth the time to read it. And as you do, think of all the women who have been (still are) trapped in situations of pure hell. How do they do it?? I do not know. I write this on Mothers Day. All I can say is that mothers are pretty special.