BRITAIN'S GREATEST PRIVATE DETECTIVE

BRITAIN'S GREATEST PRIVATE DETECTIVE 
by Nell Darby.

During the 1890's Henry Slater is running a highly successful Detective Agency in the City of London. 
Inside leading newspapers, his Agency's advert offered assistance in many delicate situations that included finding missing people, investigating personal or family matters and  stopping blackmail and fraud.
The majority of business came via divorce cases, which usually included following a suspected unfaithful husband or wife to gather evidence of infidelity. This was legally required for the divorce courts.
Many agencies around the world were also now employing female detectives to assist in gathering evidence and Henry's was no different. 

Yet it would be his Agency's handling of one investigation for a client's divorce case that would all but destroy the Agency and Henry's name. It would see both his friends and employees turn against him and eventually put Henry himself, in the dock at the Old Bailey!

The intrigue doesn't end there, dear readers. 
Stood in that dock was the man known as Henry Slater, but this wasn't his real name. In fact it was just one of several names!
So who was Henry Slater, Britain's Greatest Private Detective?

Hats off to the author for not only telling this fascinating story with a flowing and highly readable narrative, but she deserves great credit for the incredible amount of research she has put in to find the background stories of so many individuals involved in this story.
As she states at the end of the book, one final piece took two years to discover!

I believe I have been successful in hopefully both intriguing and tempting you, without offering too much in the way of spoilers. 
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Not just to learn about Henry Slater, but also more about the social history of that time, how the courts and the legal system operated and how Private Detectives went about their business during this period.
Highly recommended. 

The paperback edition is available now, published by Pen and Sword Books. 
I thank P&S for this review copy. 





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