Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong has the dubious honour of being the only UK solicitor to be executed for murder.
‘Herbert Armstrong – Poisoner’ details the courtroom proceedings following his arrest, documented by then-reporter, Edgar Wallace.
A grim, true-crime story, it follows two sets of poisonings, one of which proved to be fatal.
A gripping account of a trial and the British criminal justice system at the time, this is a superb read for true-crime enthusiasts and fans of ´The Salisbury Poisonings´ on Netflix.
Born in London, Edgar Wallace (1875 – 1932) was an English writer so prolific that his publisher claimed that he was responsible for a quarter of all books sold in England.
Leaving school at the age of 12, Wallace made his first steps into the literary world by selling newspapers on the corner of Fleet Street.
He worked as a war correspondent after joining the army at age 21, which honed his writing abilities. This led to the creation of his first book ‘The Four Just Men.’
Wallace is best remembered as the co-creator of ‘King Kong,’ which has been adapted for film 12 times (most notably directed by ‘Lord of the Rings’ director, Peter Jackson, and starring Jack Black and Naomi Watts).
However, he leaves behind an extensive body of work, including stories such as ‘The Crimson Circle’ and ‘The Flying Squad’.