Customer Reviews

Secrets of the Royal Detective

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This is the fascinating story of the authors great grandfather James Wood. A boy soldier in Queen Victoria's junior army, a soldier in the Royal Lancaster Regiment and a member of the Manchester Police force, who became the youngest every Police Superintendent. His diary of experiences and case notes were handed down through generations of the family, and now the author tells the story of this remarkable man. It's an emotional journey for the author and reader alike.

Setting the scene and acquainting the reader with James Wood through his long, distinguished, and varied career, Victorian and Edwardian Britain springs to life through his recollections and case notes. The reader becomes absorbed into life in Manchester during these hard and sometimes brutal and bleak times. Along the way is the story of James Wood's appointment as a Royal bodyguard, the story of how Manchester United came to be, an account of the great London to Manchester air race of 1910, and an account of how the Police force was formed in by Sir Robert Peel in 1829. Details of crimes and police work from that era are meticulously documented and there can be no better first hand record than James Wood's own story. The details are quite outstanding and the punishments metered out by the courts quite severe by today's standards. Both the cat of nine tails and the birch rod were in use at this time.

The last two chapters are a complete surprise. After getting to know James Woods, a man of honour, duty and integrity, the reader is faced with an emotional ending that makes this book an outstanding study. The story of this unique man is told here for the first time.

I thoroughly recommend it.

Chris Williams - Staffordshire