This Weather of Hangmen

Description

240 pages
Contains Maps
$19.95
ISBN 1-896182-64-X
DDC C813'.54

Year

1996

Contributor

Reviewed by Lori McLeod

Lori McLeod is a librarian with the Toronto Public Library.

Review

We’ve all heard of Lizzie Borden, but how many of us are familiar with
the name Charley Luckey?

On October 8, 1892, two months after the Borden murders, the bodies of
John Luckey, his wife Martha, and his daughter Minnie were found—all
victims of a fire that had destroyed their farmhouse in Newbliss,
Ontario.

Charles Luckey, son of John and stepson of Martha, had just been
released from the Central Prison in Toronto and was seen near his
father’s farm on the day of the fire. It was common knowledge that
this complex young man was not on good terms with his father. Not
surprisingly, he was charged with the murders of his father, stepmother,
and sister.

This well-researched and well-written fictionalization of the Luckey
case brings to life an intriguing cast of characters, including the
Luckey family; William David Greer, a police investigator who worked
closely with John Wilson Murray, known as the “Great Detective”; and
John Reeve Lavelle, a hard-working young lawyer who defended Charley in
his first Supreme Court criminal case.

The question of Charley’s guilt or innocence remains unanswered in
this riveting novel.

Citation

Adams, Sylvia., “This Weather of Hangmen,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed November 24, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/3951.