The Tonbridge Outrage
A Gruesome Murder That Shocked Edwardian Society
£10.99
On New Year’s Eve 1901, the quiet Kent town of Southborough is shattered by an unthinkable crime: the abduction and murder of seven‑year‑old Frances Eliza O’Rourke, her body discovered in the village pond. The brutality of the case horrifies Edwardian society, ignites a media frenzy, and draws crowds of morbid sightseers from across the country.
Into this storm steps celebrated Detective Edwin Fowle of the Kent County Constabulary. Tasked with finding the killer, Fowle must navigate intense national scrutiny, a menacing anonymous letter writer, and a tangle of contradictory witness statements. As the investigation tightens around a prime suspect who fiercely maintains his innocence, the ensuing trial becomes one of the most sensational of its age.
The Tonbridge Outrage is a gripping true account of murder, fear, and social upheaval at the dawn of the Edwardian era. Through the eyes of those who lived it—police, press, townsfolk, and the accused—it reveals a community pushed to breaking point and a detective determined to restore order in a town overwhelmed by chaos.
A haunting, meticulously researched narrative that brings a forgotten case vividly back to life.
ISBN: 978-1068645013
Publisher: Bitza Books
184 pages
15 Black & White Illustrations.
The Edwardian Detective Edwin Fowle Series Volume One