THE BODY ON THE MOOR

TITLE - THE BODY ON THE MOOR
WRITTEN BY - REBECCA GRIFFITHS 
PUBLISHED BY - BOOKOUTURE
PUBLICATION DATE - 24TH FEBRUARY, 2022 

Any book based around the location and perpetrators of the infamous Moors Murders in the ‘60s will undoubtedly be controversial, and Rebecca Griffiths states upfront in her author’s note that while her story does feature controversial events and the people involved, it is a work of fiction. So that is the basis on which we should judge it. 
Against the backdrop of cases of missing children, Connie’s daughter Kathy vanishes on the Moors near Manchester, England in 1965. One of the Moors’ inhabitants, Ronald, is desperate to keep his crimes, evidence of which is hidden on the Moors, (a location that becomes far too busy for his liking), secret forever. And what is Connie’s friend Myra and her boyfriend Ian doing on the Moors? 
Myra and Ian are, of course, Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, the real-life perpetrators of the Moors Murders. No favours are done or apologies given for Myra Hindley and Ian Brady character-wise; they are as appalling in print as they were in real life, and they bring an awkward, even uncomfortable, frisson to the story. 
The troubled Ronald is a well-realised tragic character, and there is an interesting contrast between Roland’s pre-war upbringing and reclusive life on the Moors, and the more up to date ‘60s world of Connie and Myra. This is, in a way, Ronald’s story, but we feel for Connie as a mother facing her worst nightmare. 
Rebecca Griffiths’ previous book, “The Girl At My Door”, featured the real-life serial killer John Christie in an entirely fictional story, and to thrilling effect. Continuing the “true-crime fiction” genre, her latest is another powerful and visceral page-turner. Griffiths excels at hammering home every parent’s worst nightmare, and there are also very evocative and vivid descriptions of the Moors and the surrounding areas. The ‘60s period detail is also spot-on as usual. 
Rebecca Griffiths doesn’t use real-life events and people gratuitously or in a slapdash way as a lesser writer would. That said, this book should be approached with caution as the subject matter is disturbing and the story very harrowing in parts, and evokes events that still resonate negatively in Britain today. “The Body on the Moor” is a stunning book that will scare, thrill and anger you. It is testament to Rebecca Griffiths’ skill as a writer just how much you will both love and hate this book.
 

THE BEATLE BANDIT

On July 24th 1964, Matthew Kerry Smith, wearing a Beatle wig, burst into a Toronto bank toting a semi-automatic rifle - with a barrel painted pink to disguise its purpose in a guitar case - escaping with over $25,000 after a street gunfight which claimed the life of a local man, Jack Blanc, and led to a violent crime spree and a national manhunt. When Smith was eventually caught, his crimes raised wider issues of gun control, mental health and the death penalty in Canada. 

The tale of the robbery itself is riveting and lucidly told; many sentences made me catch my breath, and this quality of writing is consistent throughout the book. A word of warning, the details of Jack Blanc’s and others’ injuries are uncompromising. Nate Hendley writes with forensic clarity as he describes the robbery and its aftermath, offering a lurid insight into Smith’s life and motivations. The impact of Blanc’s death on his family and community is touchingly told. 

Illustrated with photographs of Smith, the crime scene and his trial, “The Beatle Bandit” is a fascinating, brutal, unflinching true crime story, shorn of sensationalism, which will thrill you and anger you in equal measure.

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