Belladonna

Alfred Swain #1

by Donald Serrell Thomas, Sara Martínez de Juan (Translator)

El escándalo y la desgracia amenazaban a Lewis Carroll (el reverendo C. L. Dodgson), autor de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas. Amigo de muchas niñas, era también el mejor fotógrafo de Inglaterra. Durante varios años, pequeñas amigas posaron ante su cámara. Según sus propias palabras, las prefería «en su vestido favorito de no llevar nada puesto». Surgieron rumores de su creciente indiscreción y excesiva «afición» a sus modelos, que tambalearon los colegios de Oxford. El solterón de media edad parecía un blanco perfecto para el chantaje, al que se suman el asesinato y una gran labor investigadora, desarrollándose toda la acción en el Oxford Victoriano.

274 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 1983

About the author

aka Francis Selwyn

Donald Serrell Thomas is an English author of (primarily) Victorian-era historical, crime and detective fiction, as well as books on factual crime and criminals, in particular several academic books on the history of crime in London. He has written a number of biographies, two volumes of poetry, and has also edited volumes of poetry by John Dryden and the Pre-Raphaelites.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my book journal in 1997:

Charles Dodgson, the Victorian photographer, has a favorite model named Jane Ashimole. When he is blackmailed with pictures of nude young Jane and him embracing, Dodgson refuses to meet Dicky Tiptoe. Tiptoe is found dead along the river the next day with a picture of naked Jane changing along the opposite bank. The main suspects are: Dodgson, who walked along the river earlier that night and has no alibi; Tiptoe's partner Howell, who fought with him publicly earlier; and Mrs. Ashimole's border and enemy of Dodgson, Thomas Godwin.