I haven’t managed to take part in all of the weekly posts for this year’s Nonfiction November, but I particularly wanted to join in with this one – an intriguing new topic for 2021.
Week 4: (November 22-26) – Stranger Than Fiction with Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks: This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that *almost* don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic.
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One book came to mind as soon as I saw this week’s topic…
The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse by Piu Marie Eatwell
Here’s what it’s about:
In The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and The Missing Corpse, Piu Marie Eatwell gives a thoroughly researched account of one of the most bizarre legal cases of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In 1897, Anna Maria Druce approached the courts to request the exhumation of her father-in-law’s grave. She sensationally claimed that her father-in-law, T.C. Druce, was actually the 5th Duke of Portland and had been leading a double life until deciding to kill off his alter ego. Druce had faked his own death, she said, and if his coffin was opened it would be found to be empty. This would leave Anna Maria’s son as the true heir to the Portland fortune. This was only the beginning of a fascinating legal battle that would continue for years, attracting a huge amount of media attention and capturing the imaginations of the public.
And here are my thoughts, taken from my review originally posted in 2015:
With tales of secret wives and illegitimate children, fraud and forgery, stolen evidence and unreliable witnesses, lies and deception and double identities, this could have been the storyline of a Wilkie Collins or Mary Elizabeth Braddon novel (and Eatwell does draw some parallels with the lives and works of these authors and others). As a fan of Victorian sensation novels, it’s not surprising that I enjoyed this book so much.
I particularly loved reading about the eccentric lifestyle of the 5th Duke of Portland. Becoming increasingly reclusive in his later years, he rarely went out in daylight and constructed a labyrinth of underground tunnels beneath his estate. He often wore six coats at the same time, had a large collection of wigs and only ate in the mornings and evenings. His alleged alter ego, T.C. Druce, who ran a London department store, was said to have some similar habits, which added some support to the theory that the two men were one and the same.
I was impressed with the huge amount of research the author must have carried out while she was writing this book, drawing on newspaper articles, letters, photographs, census records and other documents to build up a full and balanced picture of the case. Every time a new character is introduced we are given details of their family history, personal background, appearance and personality, all of which helps to bring them to life rather than being just names on the page. Further notes are provided at the back of the book, along with a list of primary and secondary sources.
In the final three chapters, set in 2013, Piu Marie Eatwell describes some of the new evidence she was able to discover during her investigations and her enthusiasm for the subject really shines through here. It must have been a fascinating book to research and it was certainly a fascinating book to read!
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Have you read this book – or any other non-fiction books that are ‘stranger than fiction’?
She Reads Novels 
This doesn’t sound like my normal cup of tea, but it does sound fascinating.
It was unusual, but I did enjoy it!
Wow, that is a surprising one! I read two, one about a hidden court case and one about a mountaineering feat that could not have been made up, just before this prompt came up (thank goodness!). Post out tomorrow …
I haven’t read anything suitable for this prompt recently, but luckily I remembered this one from a few years ago. It was fascinating!
I’m excited to hear this one recommended so highly – I have an ebook copy of it and started reading it once but just wasn’t quite in the mood for it at that moment, I think. Your description really makes me want to give it another try, it sounds like encompasses much more than what I was thinking! I read this author’s book about the Black Dahlia and although I’m not sure I completely agreed with her I still enjoyed the book itself.
I didn’t know she had written a book about the Black Dahlia. I’ll have to look out for that one!
It’s called Black Dahlia, Red Rose. Again, can’t say I’m completely convinced of her thesis, but it was a really compelling read!
A bizarre tale it seems, thanks for sharing
Yes, very bizarre! It’s a fascinating book.
Yes, The Dead Duke… is a good one for this prompt — really like a real-life sensation novel!
I think that’s why I liked it so much – because it felt very like fiction.
I think I actually have a copy of this in my house! Maybe your post is the push I needed to finally actually read it! The Victorians sure did some strange things.
Yes, it’s a very strange book! I hope you enjoy it.
I just love an enthusiastically researched book! I will have to add this to my list. It ticks all of my nonfiction needs.
I hope you like it. I thought it was fascinating!
I am so glad you participate this week, because what a wild book! I have a copy of it (how could I resist with a title like that?) but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Looks like I need to remedy that.
I hope you enjoy it!