May book of the month

Historical fiction has been a staple of the reading public for more than a century. Fashions change and there are eras when these novels are more fictitious than historical. The current fashion sees history trump fiction, particularly in the realm of real crime.

Colquhoun’s new novel, Mr Briggs’ Hat, is the story of the first murder on Britain’s railways, a whodunit that sent Victorian Britain into paroxysms of fear. You can read her introduction to the book, its themes and its place in the canon of British crime writing here.

It is a deft exposition of sensationalism, charting Victorian Britain’s furtive delight in transgression and its concerns about the price of modernity and the loss of innocence. The lurid subject and Colquhoun’s easily elegant style make this book reminiscent of Kate Summerscale’s rampaging success, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. For these reasons, Mr Briggs’ Hat is the book of the month.