I really wanted to enjoy The Mouthless Dead – the premise is certainly intriguing, and there’s a definite air of Mr Ripley-style psychological tension woven into the story. But unfortunately, for me, the novel just didn’t deliver.

Set against the real-life backdrop of the infamous Wallace murder case of 1931, Anthony Quinn builds his story around the mystery of an unsolved crime and the inspector still haunted by it fifteen years later. The setup is atmospheric, and the historical details are well-researched, but I found the narrative slow-moving and often lacking in engagement. There’s a heavy, almost meandering quality to the storytelling that made it difficult to stay invested.

While there are hints of suspense and psychological unease throughout, the journey felt more like a slog than a thrill. I kept waiting for the story to kick into gear or offer a new twist, but the path to the conclusion was too predictable for my taste. The resolution didn’t feel earned, and by the time I reached the end, I regretted not giving up sooner – though I did soldier through to the final page.

This book will likely appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burn historical crime fiction and don’t mind a more literary, atmospheric approach. But if you’re looking for a gripping mystery or a satisfying psychological payoff, this one may leave you cold.

I’ve loved Anthony Quinn’s previous novels so was looking forward to reading The Mouthless Dead, a fictional account of the true life Wallace case. In 1931 in Anfield in Liverpool, William Wallace , an insurance agent discovers his wife’s dead body and he is soon seen by the police as the prime suspect in her murder. I’d never heard of this case before but Quinn brings the period and the characters to life in a very cleverly constructed crime novel. The main character in this novel is the fictional detective Key, now retired and on a cruise to America where he relates his part in the investigation to those he meets and the novel moves between this narrative and the time of the appalling crime in the 1930s
I loved the atmospheric 1930s setting of the novel and Quinn is a master of creating a real sense of time and place. Liverpool is a city I love and am familiar with so enjoyed reading about the landmarks of the city.
A well written and thought provoking novel that I’d recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Every other Saturday my father, brother and I would go to Anfield to watch Liverpool Football Club do their thing. We would park some distance away from the ground and walk through a few streets as a shortcut. At one street my father always said: 'The dreaded Wolverton Street.' There was never anyone in that street and so his words were chilling to me as a twelve year old. What he was referring to was the neat house at the end of the road where a murder had taken place before even he was born. This is the fictionalised story of that case.

​The historic murder took place in Anfield in Liverpool on 20 January 1931 with the trial taking place in April the same year. The victim was called Julia Wallace and her husband was William Wallace. The facts of the case, as far as we know them, are pretty much accurately included and the rumours from the time are also woven into the tale.

The story opens with the now-retired detective in the case on a cruise to America. He meets a couple of women initially and he tells them about the case. The chapters then alternate between his cruise and the investigation to the murder. The wife of an insurance salesman is found brutally bludgeoned to death while her husband is at a chess club, ironically a club where the detective is also a member. His alibi seems contrived but as there are no other suspects, he is found guilty. But on appeal he is released from prison as a free man. It is a bit of a mystery who actually carried out the murder as nothing really adds up.

The writing is rather formal as expected from the 1930s. The chapters surrounding the case read like an official text and are different to the more eventful cruise, where there is more dialogue and character development. There is plenty of descriptions of sites around Liverpool such as the old pubs in the city centre and the Philharmonic Hall, but I particularly liked the parts from my childhood, like the garage, which was at the bottom of my road and my primary school, Lister Drive.

A fascinating tale about loss and what might have been, speculation and redemption, secrets and surprises. Captivating because of the location and my own personal memories, especially 'the dreaded Wolverton Street.'

I have very mixed feelings over this book. I was expecting to love it but it was a bit of a hit and miss for me. I think maybe it just was not for me.

The Mouthless Dead is inspired by a real case - the murder of Julia Wallace in 1931. It's a crime which remains unsolved to this day. Quite a few people, including the author P. D. James, have had a go at trying to identify the culprit without ever coming up with a definitive answer. I had never heard of the case but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. Frankly, the author could have invented the case and the book would still have made a gripping read.

Although many of the characters are real and events such as the trial follow the historical record, the author has created a fictional character, Detective Inspector Key who was involved in investigating the case many years before but has now retired from the police force. It is from his point of view the story unfolds as he ponders writing a memoir about the case, for his own personal satisfaction rather than with any intention it should be published.

What is particularly brilliant is the detailed back story the author creates for Key. The cruel treatment he suffered whilst a pupil of a Jesuit college. His traumatic experiences during the First World War during which he lost comrades in the most dreadful fashion. His personal life, that has been a series of disappointments, leaving him living alone. He misses the camaraderie of the police force and, although a keen member of a chess club, he has time on his hands. Hence his decision to take a transatlantic cruise to New York.

On board he meets a young woman, Lydia Tarrant, who is travelling with her rather over-protective mother and they strike up a friendship. Two becomes three when aspiring film maker, Teddy Absolom, joins their conversations around the swimming pool. Discovering Key's involvement with the celebrated Wallace case, both Teddy and Lydia are eager to learn more about it. It soon emerges that Key has an unique perspective on the case. But how much of what he reveals is the truth and how much the product of his imagination born out of a desire to impress Lydia or provide Teddy with the perfect screenplay for a suspense film?

It's difficult to say more for fear of spoilers but safe to say the author will keep you guessing until the end. Possibly even after that.

The Mouthless Dead is an imaginative and compelling take on a true crime story. It's also a fascinating social history of middle-class life in Liverpool in the 1930s.

In 1931 a woman was killed in Liverpool. The suspect was her husband, an insurance agent, but he seemed to have an unbreakable alibi. Found guilty at trial, his conviction was overturned on appeal and the case remains unsolved to this day. However in Quinn's novel, an alternative is proposed in which a man on a cruise gives too much away!
This is a magnificent novel in which true crime is woven around a really gripping alternative of crime fiction. It's clever, pitch perfect and totally gripping.

Anthony Quinn's The Mouthless Dead is a gripping and thought-provoking crime novel that delves into one of the most puzzling and unsolved cases in British criminal history: the Wallace Murder. Based on the real-life 1931 case, the novel revisits the chilling events surrounding the death of Julia Wallace and the subsequent conviction and acquittal of her husband, George, in a story that blends historical fact with compelling fiction.

The novel begins with the mysterious phone message George Wallace received on the night of his wife’s murder, which leads him to a nonexistent address and ultimately to a horrifying discovery. Despite an elaborate alibi, Wallace was arrested and tried for the murder of his wife, though his conviction was overturned on appeal. Fifteen years later, the inspector who originally investigated the case reopens the investigation, now contemplating whether the “impossible murder” was truly unsolvable.

Quinn expertly weaves a narrative that explores the mystery from multiple angles, revisiting the timeline of Wallace's movements and uncovering new details about the shadowy figure of Mr Qualtrough, whose role in the case has remained elusive. The novel’s careful attention to historical details and police procedural work immerses the reader in the mood and atmosphere of 1930s England, with vivid depictions of the locations and a tense, immersive pace that propels the story forward.

What sets The Mouthless Dead apart is its deep dive into the motivations, both psychological and emotional, behind the crime. The novel explores the complexities of the Wallace case, allowing the reader to form their own opinions about the true identity of the killer. Quinn’s writing never overwhelms with excessive details, keeping the focus on the core mystery, which makes the novel highly readable and engrossing.

For fans of slow-burn true crime with a speculative twist, The Mouthless Dead is a highly recommended read. Whether you are familiar with the Wallace case or encountering it for the first time, Quinn’s account offers a fresh perspective that will captivate both true crime enthusiasts and lovers of historical fiction alike.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The Mouthless Dead is a fictional retelling of a ‘perfect murder’ which happened in Liverpool in 1931. William Wallace, an insurance agent, receives a phone message at his chess club from a Mr Qualtrough, asking him to come to an address to discuss some work the next night. He duly sets off from home by tram, but after asking numerous people for directions, realises that the address does not exist.

When he returns home, he finds that his wife has been beaten to death. He is subsequently arrested for the murder, convicted, and the case overturned on appeal. The crime is never solved.

The Mouthless Dead begins in 1947 when the recently retired Detective Inspector Key is taking a Cunard cruise to New York. He worked on the famous Wallace murder and is toying with writing a memoir about it. The cruise doesn’t initially live up to his expectations, but he strikes up two friendships that change his impressions. The first is with Lydia Tarrant, a woman of around thirty, travelling with her mother, who he at first dismisses as a plain spinster, but who turns out to be more spirited than he imagined. The other, Teddy Absalom, is around Lydia’s age, but was unable to fight in the Second World War and instead worked in film for the great Humphrey Jennings on Fires Were Started.

When Teddy learns of Key’s role in the investigation into the Wallace murder, he asks him to tell them the story and the three of them have an entertaining time speculating about how they might solve the mystery. Then events take a darker turn.

In the early part of The Mouthless Dead the chapters alternate between the story of the murder and its aftermath, and events on the cruise. The particulars of the investigation and the court case, and Key’s role in it, have great pace and drama, even though we know the outcome of the trial and subsequent appeal.

The later chapters focus on Key and the fallout from the cruise, and I wasn’t sure the pacing here worked as well. The lives of the protagonists move on, there are some twists, but there wasn’t the big payoff you’d expect (particularly if you’re a crime fiction fan).

However, as a piece of social history I found The Mouthless Dead fascinating. There are some poignant character studies. The Wallaces are an outwardly ordinary, even tedious, lower-middle couple, yet she is a talented musician and he has worked across the world. He is an autodidact, reading literature and philosophy, alone, with no wider circle to share his passions.

Key’s backstory, like many of his generation, is one of tragedy in the First World War. His family’s history is one of upward mobility following migration to Liverpool from Ireland.

The Liverpool setting of the crime and Teddy’s involvement in the film industry offer Quinn a chance to write about two subjects close to his heart and these feel atmospheric and authentic. The story of the cruise and the relationships Key strikes up with the various passengers, particularly Lydia and Teddy, are also nicely done.

So, overall, The Mouthless Dead is an engaging read, one that combines historical true crime, and a fictional resolution to the perfect murder.

Mixed feelings over this one Based on a well-known 1931 murder case there was fact and there was fiction. A reasonably good read but I wouldn't say anything more. Perhaps just not my style.
My thanks anyway to NetGally and Little Brown Book Group UK for this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The Mouthless Dead by Anthony Quinn
Having read The Rescue Man, Half the Human Race and Curtain Call I was very keen to read Anthony Quinn’s Latest offering The Mouthless Dead. This novel takes the notorious Wallace case which has been written about on numerous occasions but comes up with a very different angle on the story.
In 1930’s Liverpool William Wallace was accused of killing his wife Julia by bludgeoning her to death. The case was notorious because Wallace was such a quiet unassuming man and he had what looked to be a watertight alibi for the time of the murder.
Despite this he was convicted of the murder and sentenced to hand. This novel begins 15 years after these events on a Cunard voyage to New York. Key an inspector who had worked on the Wallace case is on board having taken early retirement and whilst on board he befriends two young people, Teddy and Lydia. Teddy who is going to America to launch a career in film thinks that the Wallace case would make a marvellous movie.
The enigmatic Key gives away more information than he possibly should. We have a story where the character of the protagonists are explored as well as the crime of murder. The book is very well written and engaging. The period detail is excellent. I would recommend this book to others. It is an interesting take on a story which has been written about many times. Many thanks the the author, the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

The mouthless dead by Anthony Quinn

This is a historical crime novel set in Liverpool in the first half of the twentieth century and with much action taking place on board a Cunard transatlantic ocean liner.

The first half was excellent, I could hardly put it down, the second half rather disappointing with twists that I found rather implausible and unconvincing.

The author, of whom I am a fan, recounts the true story of a murder committed in Liverpool in the 30’s. A famous trial and an appeal are there too. A vivid picture of life at the time domestically and in terms of police work is well painted and his use of the english language is erudite and engaging. Fiction follows fact in the second half of the book when the author shows us what might have been the truth.

Not his best novel but definitely worth a read, especially if you enjoy a bit of social history and a sea voyage mixed with murder.

Anthony Quinn's 'The Mouthless Dead' was inspired by the infamous 'Wallace Murder' which rocked England in 1931. Julia Wallace was found battered to death in her Liverpool home, and her husband George was accused of her murder. After a 15 year gap, the inspector who worked on a previous case returns to what was called 'the impossible murder', examining once again George Wallace's movements that fateful evening and going over the timeline in an effort to determine whether Wallace really had been able to murder his wife and finally solve whether the shadowy figure of a man named Qualtrough really did exist and if he did, what part did he play in Julia's death.

This is a fascinating account of mood and motive that lay behind what may have been a crime of passion, detailing police procedural work, with wonderful use of historical events and vividly drawn locations that really do place the reader in the very centre of this baffling case. It's a completely engrossing read that never gets bogged down considering there's a lot of information to take in. The Wallace case had drawn tens of thousands of column inches down the years and this book will provoke re-evaluation from those who were aware of the details while introducing many newcomers to this puzzle. During and after the journey, readers will undoubtedly have their own opinions on whether or not George Wallace was guilty, or if the mysterious Qualtrough or someone closer to the family was responsible.

If you enjoy slow burn true crime with speculative fiction added to the recipe, I think you'll find 'The Mouthless Dead' very much worth your time. It's released on 6th March 2025 by Abacus.

Posted by Steve Langton at 04:26


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I was unaware of the unsolved murder of Julia Wallace in the 1930s and found this book an odd blend of fact and fiction (I had to look the case up when I finished reading to try and separate the two) Unfortunately, it didn't really satisfy my interest in a historical event - the first time in British legal history that an appeal was allowed after re-examination of evidence - or a murder mystery novel.
I found the "culprit" unbelievable and wasn't really sure what, if anything, the author was trying to add to the discovery of the killer.
Thank you to netgalley and Little Brown book group for an advance copy of this book..
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

The Mouthless Dead is a novel based on a true life murder that took place during the 1930s. In real life it was never solved and so there is plenty of scope to try and solve it through fiction. In 1931 William Wallace returned home one evening to find his wife, Julia, brutally killed. Although he had an alibi, it couldn't be proven and he was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to death before the verdict was overturned and he was acquitted. Fifteen years later DCI Key, the (fictional) detective who was directly involved in the prosecution, is on a transatlantic cruise and thinking about writing his memoir. I didn't find the novel particularly gripping and had to suspend belief at times. The original murder is interesting but the premise of who the real murderer was wasn't resolved to any satisfaction on my part. Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. I was aware of the case the book is based on, and I found the "solving" of the mystery clever and certainly unexpected. Whilst the storyline is a little unbelievable, the author manages to carry the reader along so that this is unimportant.

The Mouthless Dead is based on a real life murder in 1930s Liverpool; I wasn’t aware of the story nor the longstanding mystery over who the killer was following the acquittal of the husband on appeal. Quinn uses the character of Key a (fictional) policeman who was involved at the time, and is now considering memoir whilst on a transatlantic crossing.
Quinn skilfully blends fact and fiction to create a fresh mystery, and proposes an alternative answer to the killer. I don’t know enough to say whether it’s realistic, and I did question some of the later developments, but it’s constantly engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.

The murder of Julia Wallace in Liverpool in 1931 remains unsolved and has been declared by many to be ‘the perfect murder’. Her husband was tried and sentenced to death for the crime but later cleared at the court of appeal. Many writers, including PD James, have investigated the case and have published books detailing their own theories about who the murderer was. Although there is an outstanding candidate, he is now dead and so the truth is unlikely ever to be known.

Anthony Quinn has written a fictional account of the murder in which he creates a new, very unlikely, suspect. We join ex DCI Key on a transatlantic cruise in the 1940s during which he discusses his involvement in the investigation with a young would-be film director who wants to make a movie about the case. This results in the young man’s suspicions being raised as to Key’s role in the crime. My credibility became more and more stretched as events unfolded but I was interested enough to follow through to the end, mainly due to the book being based on actual events.

This isn’t a great read but it’s interesting inasmuch as it recounts the murder trial and subsequent appeal and introduced me to a case of which I was only vaguely aware. It becomes a bit silly towards the end though and I really couldn’t take it seriously. That’s just my personal reaction, of course, and I can appreciate that other, less cynical, readers will be able to suspend their disbelief more successfully!

This book is based upon a true life unsolved murder in 1930s Liverpool.
It is an excellent psychological thriller.
The author uses a narrator (detective) who was involved with crime and its trials.
The suspense is throughout the novel, although there are some light-hearted moments.
The characters are mostly given, but all are interesting.
Although the principal storyline is given, there are enough narrative twists and turns to keep the reader undecided, as should be the case in an unsolved murder.
At the conclusion the suspect is made apparent, but if he did it we will never know.
My thanks to the author for the hours of enjoyment that the book has brought me, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wrong ARC included in the download.
Unable to review this book.
Hopefully the publisher will be able to provide the correct ARC in order that an amended and proper review can be submitted?