Delving Deeper Into Llanrwst Christmas

Story Line Unveiled

Explore in-depth analyses of the plot, character motivations, and historical context that shapes "A LLANRWST CHRISTMAS, NOT WORTH DYING FOR". We'll dissect key scenes and provide insights into the intricate web of relationships that surround the central mystery. Perfect for readers who love to examine every detail.

The blood flowed from the horrific knife wound in William’s neck. William was a cruel, itinerant, out-of-work, lame hawker, who got offensive when he drank and left Caroline penniless and hungry, living in a squalid, condemned house. But she loved him. People had often witnessed her wielding the knife. She called it her ‘protection’. It was her way of keeping herself safe in their constant arguments.
Caroline confirmed to the police that it was just the two of them in the house, which was her downfall, as she was arrested, although she vehemently stated she was innocent. She had no memory of committing the act. Her son, Edward, tells her to say it was Robert Lovell, her brother-in-law, whom William thought she was having an affair with. However, Robert had an alibi. Caroline was taken to Court, listening to the doctors’ reports and the witnesses' statements. What followed was a gruelling court case, trying to fathom out the truth within the lies and deceit as her sons tried to save their mother from the gallows. However, even though the Jury had requested mercy, the Judge donned his black cap, and she was sentenced to hang.

Talking Points

Join the conversation! I'll be discussing various aspects of the book, from the historical accuracy of the setting to the moral dilemmas faced by the characters. Share your thoughts and theories in the comments section and connect with other readers who are captivated by this suspenseful tale.

This book is about prejudice and how the legal system pre-judges guilt, especially as Caroline was an illiterate gypsy, in Wales, not able to read or write, and naïve in respect of the law. She was not even allowed to go into the witness box.

Her Defence Team, under Mr Temple-Morris, thought they had a case they couldn't win as Caroline was the only suspect.  She had said that she was alone with her husband.  The only defence put forward was that William had committed suicide.

Caroline was suffering from neuritis in her hands, a debilitating nerve damage causing symptoms like numbness, tingling and pain, which can be described as stabbing or burning, plus sensitivity to touch and temperature, weakness in the hands, difficulty with balance and coordination.  Would she have had the strength to plunge that knife three inches into William's neck and follow through, virtually severing the jugular vein and into his mouth?

Caroline's son, George, was asked at the trial about his mother's hands.  He replied that he did not hear her complain on that Christmas Day.  That was basically putting the noose around his mother's neck, as the jury would have thought that maybe she wasn't suffering on that day, and she might have been able to murder her husband with the force needed to make such a deep gouge.   This would have been the opportunity for Mr Temple-Morris to have got Caroline onto the stand to ask her the state of her hands on Christmas Day, but he didn't.  He didn't get Caroline onto the stand at any time throughout the trial.

In the book, I brought in a Cold Case Team to read through the trial transcripts and the police witness statements.  They pinpoint where the case had truly let Caroline down, bringing to light the inconsistencies in the police investigations and trial. They also comment on how an investigation would have been carried out nowadays.

Caroline’s sentence was repealed to life imprisonment, after an initial unsuccessful appeal, followed by a campaign, when the verdict was finally overthrown and ascertained as being a miscarriage of justice. After 20 months in prison, Caroline revealed the truth about the murder – a truly unpredictable truth – and yet another lie, possibly given by her sons, to get her an early release from prison. She said William started to complain about the time Caroline was taking to make a sandwich (the only food they had available on that Christmas Day). William got up to admonish Caroline, possibly even to get his belt to her, but being lame, slipped onto the knife that  Caroline had been holding up. My Cold Case Team prove that it could not have happened in that way, but it leads to Caroline finally being released.