Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

So so good. I love a true crime book. But they’re not all created equal. This one is a cracker, and there’s much here to keep your interest. Recommended.

A really engrossing read of a terrible murder and a wrongful conviction. It's a very sad case of injustice for both the victim and Stephen Downing.

Fascinating account of a murder and subsequent miscarriage of justice. The author has clearly worked tirelessly to get justice for Stephen Downing, in difficult - and often dangerous - circumstances. I found that sometimes the details about possible suspects and the sequence of events got a bit muddled, and I also felt that the murder victim, Wendy Sewell, got forgotten sometimes. There were some possible new suspects mentioned in the last few pages that I would have been interested to hear more about, but they were mentioned almost as an afterthought. A gripping read.