The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale

Very good book. A work of criminology, sociology, literary history, and more besides. First rate journalism, but with a distinct literary bent (it ends with a stab of the first person that is as sharp as the crime itself). And though there is a suggestion - the crime remaining mysterious - that this will not be the last book on the case, i cannot imagine a better, and certainly not a more enjoyable one. if you want a portrait of mid nineteenth century England, this is the place to start.