Earth to Earth by John Cornwell

Today I'm revisiting a true crime book of the past which is due to be republished in the near future; John Banville, no less, describes it as 'chilling and thrilling'. Earth to Earth won for John Cornwell the 1982 Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction and I can see why. This account of the lives and deaths of three members of an old Devonian farming family, the Luxtons, is crisp and well-told. It does leave open a number of questions, but that is, I think, preferable to the approach of those meretricious books which constantly claim to 'solve' the case of Jack the Ripper - and never do.

Frances, Robbie, and Alan Luxton were all unmarried. Alan's attempts to find himself a wife had been effectively obstructed by Robbie, who was a not particularly benevolent patriarchal figure. There were conflicting stories in the local village of Winkleigh about the Luxtons - including unsubstantiated rumours of an incestuous relationship between Frances and Robbie - and many people disliked them, though some were sympathetic. They lived isolated, claustrophobic lives until the end came in September 1975, when their bodies were found. They had all been shot and the likelihood is that Alan killed himself, prompting Robbie to kill Frances (possibly with her consent) and then himself.

It's a harrowing tale. The bleakness put me in mind of Georges Simenon (was that part of the appeal for Banville, a great Simenon fan?) What is so good about Cornwell's approach is that he gets under the skin of the enclosed community, not just at the farm, but in the village as a whole. Farming folk are often misunderstood - not least by politicians - and there is something about the nature of their life that tends to set them apart from others. But I grew up knowing farming people and I have always found them warm and generous, if you make an effort to understand their concerns and priorities.

Cornwell's approach was not universally admired - even Ted Hughes, of all people, was hostile. There is a fascinating article by Andrew Chamings which is well worth reading alongside Cornwell's book, because Chamings has an insider's perspective that Cornwell lacked. Nevertheless, Earth to Earth is an example of high calibre true crime writing and remains as interesting to read today as it was on its first appearance more than forty years ago.