However, the Glasgow police are being pressured to close the case and to do it fast. Using a tip from a pawn broker, authorities finger Slater. Unable to speak on his own accord, Slater is subject to a kangaroo court of sorts and is quickly found guilty despite a lack of sufficient evidence and clear proof of witness tampering.
Sentenced to spend the rest of his life in one of human history's most diabolical prisons, performing hard labor, Oscar Slater verges on the edge of insanity. As a number of low-level civic leaders try to no avail to lessen the accused's sentence, things look bleak for Slater. That is until the creator of literature's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes, takes the case! Ladies and gentlemen, for the defense: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
I love Sherlock Holmes stuff. From the Great Mouse Detective to Cumberbatch, and everything in-between, I am a sucker for the Great Detective! I also like a TV show called Mysteries at the Museum. During one episode, a segment was devoted to the work Doyle did on proving a man was innocent for the crime of mutilating livestock. But that gentleman was of Indian decent. So, I was excited to learn more of Doyle's extra forays into the world of true crime.
The book is basically 2 stories in one. The first is of the life and trials of Oscar Slater. The next is the biography of Sir Arthur. The actual intermingling of the two principle characters in this account of Edwardian Era crime is, well, limited.
For titling a book with such as 'For The Defense' Doyle is not really that much of an active player. Doyle seems to have done much more in getting George Edalji freed than he did Slater. And I think I would have much rather have read an in-depth account of that case than with the Slater affair.
Doyle wrote 2 pamphlets for Slater's cause. Though technically, the majority of the work of second essay was researched and compiled by a third party. Mostly all Doyle does is writing letters- there's no grunt work here! Sir Arthur mostly seemed to put his name on the second plea on Slater's part as would a celebrity who was selling indoor grills or discount clothing.
A good fourth of this 352 page book is made up of appendices. I think if you removed them, the book came to about 284 pages. One-third of the book is comprised of verbatim testimonies or correspondence. That leaves about 2/3 of the book filled with author Maraglit Fox's insights into the crime and time period and it makes for this book to feel more like a scholarly text then a work of non-fiction entertainment.
While Fox's own words are in-depth and cohesive, the manner in which the author presents cited works is not. Some segments are done like a script. Others are huge paragraphs of text. Sometimes Fox would enclose paragraphs with quotations. Other times, she indent the paragraph of text in italics. One thing is for sure, those Edwardian types sure did like to use a lot of words. I just wish that the manner in which their voices were offered in one style for a slightly more easier read.
A true crime novel? YES. A biography about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? YES. A true crime novel in which Doyle takes the case much like his creation, Holmes? Absolutely not!
Don't let the title full you. Sir Arthur will not be running down British alleyways behind a pack of howling bloodhounds. He'll not be pushing the true fiend behind the murder over a cliff. Nor will he even enter a single courtroom! And if you thought you'd be learning anything about the art of apiary maintenance (beekeeping), forget it! This is real life and it's a little bit boring.
Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.
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