Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

You are in for an unexpected treat. I grew up loving Sherlock Holmes, Poirot and any detective story I could get my hands on. I was so excited to discover this book and its look at a real life detective & his detective agency. This book was so well written it is obvious the amount of research and hard work the author put into it . In this book we look at private detective Henry Slater we see how his team and their bad choices soon brought down his business & reputation. It shows the skills Slater had at blending in with people and situations and his skill at finding answers. Written for knowledge however I found myself feeling like I was reading a novel, like a Holmes novel itself. Perfect for anyone who is interested in true crime, and historical crime.
Thanks to the publishers & NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this book. I highly recommend this book. I hope that this author creates more for us to enjoy.

NetGalley, Katie Williams

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

When I began this book, I couldn't imagine how one single divorce case could bring about Slater's complete downfall. There really are so many possibilities, if you think about it. Maybe the whole thing could have been avoided if he hired better people. Although, he probably taught them exactly those tactics, so the whole 'I was sick, don't blame me' doesn't hold up. He probably taught them exactly what to do.

I enjoyed this book so much. I definitely would recommend this book to any non-fiction reader. Even those readers who love historical fiction might enjoy this!

NetGalley, Rebecca Stewart

A deeply informative book. The author has clearly put a lot of research into this, and as a historian I appreciate the time and effort it must have taken to write. A must read for anyone interested in Victorian detectives and social history.

NetGalley, Katherine Hartley

Dr. Nell Darby’s Britain’s Greatest Private Detective is an absorbing and meticulously researched exploration of the rise and fall of Henry Slater, a man whose name was once synonymous with private detection during its Golden Age. Combining historical analysis with a compelling narrative, this book not only sheds light on Slater’s life and career but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of private detective work in Victorian and Edwardian Britain.

At the heart of the book is the enigmatic Henry Slater, a pioneering private detective who built a thriving agency in London’s Basinghall Street. Dr. Darby masterfully captures Slater’s rise to prominence, portraying him as a shrewd, modern operator who leveraged technology, media, and innovative publicity campaigns to dominate his field. The vivid details of Slater’s methods—blending charm, infiltration, and intelligence—bring to life a profession that straddled the line between glamour and grittiness.

However, the story of Slater is not merely one of success. Dr. Darby delves into his catastrophic downfall, precipitated by a fateful betrayal and a public trial so scandalous that it drew the attention of Winston Churchill himself. The courtroom drama, intertwined with the revelation of Slater’s true identity, reads like a real-life detective novel, and Dr. Darby handles it with both scholarly precision and narrative flair.

What sets this book apart is its broader examination of private detective work during this period. Dr. Darby contextualizes Slater’s career within the burgeoning demand for private investigation services and explores the diverse backgrounds of those who became private detectives. She also investigates the motivations of clients—what drove them to seek the services of these detectives—and the moral and legal complexities of the profession.

Dr. Darby’s writing is both scholarly and accessible, making this book equally appealing to academics and casual readers interested in crime history. Her attention to detail is evident in the rich descriptions of London’s social fabric, the interplay between class and profession, and the innovations in private detection that paved the way for modern investigative work.

This is more than a biography of Henry Slater; it’s a deep dive into an era when the private detective was both celebrated and scrutinized. By contrasting Slater’s real-life exploits with the fictional fame of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Darby creates a fascinating juxtaposition between reality and literary legend.

Britain’s Greatest Private Detective is an engrossing read for history enthusiasts, true crime fans, and anyone curious about the origins of private detection. Dr. Darby’s work breathes new life into an overlooked profession and the man who once reigned supreme within it, offering a nuanced look at a time when secrets were currency, and betrayal could be ruinous.

NetGalley, Joanne Ellis

Hats off to the author for not only telling this fascinating story with a flowing and highly readable narrative, but she deserves great credit for the incredible amount of research she has put in to find the background stories of so many individuals involved in this story.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Not just to learn about Henry Slater, but also more about the social history of that time, how the courts and the legal system operated and how Private Detectives went about their business during this period.

Highly recommended.

Read the full review here

History Book Chat

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This was a really well done book about Henry Slater, I really didn't know anything about it and thought this had fantastic information going through this. Dr Nell Darby wrote this in a way that worked with the reader and brought Henry Slater to life.

NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A fascinating non-fiction book that reads like a novel.
Things are always changing and evolving in response to market forces, in the modern day it is AI that is influencing the job market. In the 19th century, a change to the laws governing divorce created a new need…for private detectives. The new laws meant warring partners could legally separate… so long as they had evidence of infidelity. Cue the rise of the private detective.
One man who spotted a niche in the market and jumped at the opportunity was Henry Slater (…if indeed that was his name, but you need to read the book to find out.) Slater established a private detective agency with a 100% success rate at achieving divorce settlements. He had an eye for marketing and (as his tale unravels) a man who was a stranger to truth.
This book is fascinating on so many levels, indeed, I read it with the panache usually lavished on a page-turning novel, such were the strands of intrigue. This is a story of greed, invention, human frailty, and a court case attended by a young Winston Churchill (because it caught his interest, not because he was involved.) It is a cautionary tale of arrogance, where a belief in ‘fixing things’ comes unstuck and the self-named “Greatest detective in Britain” is the author of his own downfall.

NetGalley, Pippa Elliott

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This book is hands-down a great book that I couldn't put down. Dr Nell Darby has created a wonderful masterpiece that I look forward to sharing with my own audience on my blog. I enjoyed the suspense and mystery that was written keeping me on my toes at all times. This book really puts detective work into a new light as he describes the life Henry Slater. If you are a fan of mystery and historical fiction, then this book is for you.

NetGalley, Mandy Kendrick

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

As a child, I devoured Sherlock Holmes stories. I loved the idea of a private detective and Britain’s Greatest Private Detective adds real substance to that unknown and lost world. It’s an incredible book, supported by extensive and meticulous research with supporting bibliography. At the end of the book, there are research notes for each chapter, with additional information and these alone make interesting reading. A selection of photos of places and buildings relevant to the text are fascinating. The structure of the narrative with notes at the end means the flow of the main text isn’t interrupted.

This is a real slice of social history, crossing from the Victorian and into the Edwardian era. It’s not only the story of Henry Slater, arguably Britain’s most successful private detective, it’s a story of the courts and judicial system. It reads like an adventure. How had one man built a large and successful business ended up on the other side of the law? Dr Nell Darby gives a unique and detailed insight into not only the world of private investigation, but into attitudes and society at that time. Women had their place and it was very much a male dominated world. Slater was a first class publicist and knew how to capitalise on success to build a reputation. But his fall from Grace is equally exciting and I’ve enjoyed every page of this cracking title. Creates a real sense of time, place and people.

NetGalley, Anita Wallas

Well written and well researched book about the rise of private detectives in Victorian Britain - in particular, that of Henry Slater, the owner of the most well-known agency. His empire came tumbling down over a divorce case, where some of his team behaved appallingly and faked evidence. But nothing was quite as it seemed, including Henry Slater himself: a man who changed his identity several times on his quest to climb the social ranks, and it was very hard for the courts to pin down exactly who he was and where he'd come from. Henry was very good at covering his tracks, and the author had trouble finding out what really happened to him afterwards.

The book is a fascinating glimpse into the class system and how people could manipulate it. You can see why the nation was gripped by the court case: the salacious details, the way everyone tried to hoodwink everyone else, and who was actually guilty of what.

Fans of true crime will enjoy this one.

NetGalley, Pamela Brooks

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I read straight through this book in one day. Although non- fiction it reads like the best of novels. The tale of Henry Slater was a fascinating one . His life was laid bare due to a divorce case he and his company were working on and the fallout was catastrophic for his business and reputation. Fueled by gossip and the press it really mirrors todays exposes.

NetGalley, Karen Hammond

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a fascinating book, well-written and thoroughly researched. It is about a real private detective, yet at times it reads like a novel. In addition to telling the story of Henry Slater, this book discusses identity in Victorian society including class and gender. Even the parts of the book that feel slower are interesting in painting a portrait of Slater and the society in which he lived. I was totally engrossed, even while I was appalled by some of the actions that were pertinent to the trial. Fans of historical true crime (that doesn't involve murder) and Sherlock Holmes will likely find this book interesting.

NetGalley, Katie A