Tragedy in three voices: The Rattenbury murder

When the quiet George Stoner, not yet eighteen years old, went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Rattenbury as their chauffeur and odd-jobs man, it was a prelude to one of the most controversial murder cases of the century.

Alma Rattenbury had been a musical prodigy as a child violinist and pianist and later became a successful song writer. In the First World War she was awarded the Croix de Guerre for her bravery as a nurse at the front.

Her husband was a distinguished architect who was well-known for having designed some of the most notable buildings in Canada. After he retired they settled in Bournemouth. At the time of the murder he was a man of 67, in poor mental and physical health, and his wife a vital, creative personality in her mid- thirties.

They had a son, and after his birth Rattenbury told his wife she 'could lead her own life'/ It was in this situation that a liaison was formed between Mrs. Rattenbury and Stoner, a relationship which became a mutually passionate love affair.

On 24th March 1935 Francis Rattenbury was found mortally wounded with blows to the head, and first Mrs. Rattenbury and then George Stoner were arrested and charged with murder. They were tried together at the Old Bailey.

The authors with immense care and research have reconstructed the case, the background to it, the trial and its tragic aftermath, and in the light of their researches for the first time have been able to reveal a plausible motive for the crime.

With its foundations laid bare, the story unfolds as a classic tragedy, engulfing a remarkable woman, a man of achievement in his declining years, and an infatuated youth.