Dead Lucky: Lord Lucan: The Final Truth [Hardcover]

Duncan MacLaughlin (Author), William Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

They called it the manhunt of the century. Following a sensational murder in the heart of Belgravia that shocked high society and gripped the world, a new name was written into criminal folklore: Lord Lucan. In the 30 years since he vanished, numerous books and TV documentaries have theorized on his possible fate. Now former detective Duncan MacLaughlin—dubbed Scotland Yard's top undercover cop—has tracked down the incredible truth.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: John Blake (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844540103
• ISBN-13: 978-1844540105
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,117,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well writtten, but, October 27, 2003

By 

Czech film fan (Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Lucky: Lord Lucan: The Final Truth (Hardcover)

The book is very well written, looks very professional and puts forward a convincing argument for the hypothesis that Lord Lucan adopted the name Barry Halpin in Goa. Unfortunately the whole theory fell apart shortly before the book was published when it was discovered that Barry Halpin really was Barry Halpin, a hippy banjo player from Yorkshire who travelled around the world and settled in India. Enough friends and relatives came forward to identify the man in the photograph as Halpin. But I can understand the author; if I had spent years writing a book and then I discovered that it was fundamentally flawed just before publication, I would be reluctant to accept the truth.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tantalizing Read!, October 31, 2003

By 

Ishah (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Lucky: Lord Lucan: The Final Truth (Hardcover)

The news that Lord Lucan's disappearance had been solved reached the States. I arrived in London the day after the story broke, determined to buy the book and read for myself the fate of Lucan. I was first assaulted with Fleet Street headlines, boldly claiming that the story wasn't true. Being a critical thinker, I wondered why "The Guardian" was claiming that Barry Halpin was a banjo player from St. Helens, but as the author of the book was quoted in the article, "Where is the photographic proof?" "The Guardian" used the author's photos for their story disclaiming the author's story. The only Fleet Street paper that had photographs that day was, "The Sun," and any critically thinking person could tell those pictures were computer generated! All these counter-claims did nothing to dissuade me from purchasing the book that day. I wanted to decide for myself if the discovery made by this former, decorated Scotland Yard detective was a plausible explanation for the whereabouts of Lord Lucan after that fateful night in November 1974.

MacLaughlin gives us much detail concerning the life of Lucan, his foibles and dark nature developing with his love of gambling. His marriage to social climber Veronica Duncan began well enough, but the erratic behaviour of Lady Lucan coupled with the spiral of Lord Lucan's fortunes at the gaming tables brought misfortune to their home as well. The final days brought a bitter custody dispute over their three children. Lord Lucan was initially granted temporary custody, but subsequently lost it when he overstepped the authority of the courts and took the children himself. He was left with a large legal bill, one he could not afford. And this is when it is believed he started making his plans.

Lord Lucan was well placed aristocracy, which was to the detriment of the murdered nanny, Sandra Rivet. Something that is obvious in this book is the concern the author has for the victim, and her son who was left motherless. Scotland Yard treated Lord Lucan with kid gloves in the hours and days after the murder. This enabled Lucan to make his getaway, using his network of close-mouthed, arrogant (by reason of wealth and class) friends to aid in his escape from the law. Lord Lucan's friends surrounded and protected him in his trouble, and helped him not only leave England, but brought him money and shared their friendship with him while Lucan was hiding in Goa, India.

MacLaughlin provides us compelling evidence that Lord Lucan made his way down to Goa, India, to live out his life in a drunken stupor. His witness list includes Indians who worked and lived on the shores of this once renegade spot on the map. Lord Lucan as Barry Halpin had many similarities, including backgammon gambling, alcohol, and a love for music.

After death by cirrhosis, the end of Lucan came in a pyrotechnic display. His body was doused in his favourite drink, feni, and burned on a pyre. The ashes were spread at the bottom of a waterfall, and it was his fait accompli. He had completely disappeared, and escaped the long arm of the law. But I wonder, with the life Lucan lived in Goa, if some hand of justice wasn't dealt him after all.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for true crime fans, even if you don't know about Lord Lucan., October 24, 2005

By 

Amelia Bluestocking - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Lucky: Lord Lucan: The Final Truth (Hardcover)

Having no concept of who Lord Lucan was, I was intrigued by the back cover synopsis and picked up the book as a light read. I was pleasantly surprised. The book is engrossing and both explained the background of the Earl and the crime and delve into the international pursuit of Lucan. Just as interesting is the treatment of the elite in the eyes of the law and the fact that the interest in this character continued for so many years after his escape.

Instead of light reading, I was simply unable to put this book down. While there has been subsequent press claiming that the findings of this investigation have been flawed and that Lord Lucan has still not been found, I came away feeling that if this was in fact the Earl, his self-imposed exile and the life that he created in Goa must surely have been worse than the punishment that he would have received (considering his status and powerful friends) had he stayed and faced the music.

A must read for anyone interested in the case and a recommended read for anyone interested in true crime.