'Arthur and George' by Julian Barnes; 501pp.

This is a good book. It tells the (true) story of Arthur Conan Doyle and George Edalji: Conan Doyle, famous as the author of Sherlock Holmes and considered at the time as man most revered, after Kipling, by the nation's youth; George Edalji, a small-time Birmingham solicitor, son of a vicar and the author of a book on railway law.

Around Birmingham, there have been a series of mutilations of horses and other large farm animals. The community is up in arms and Edalji, made the scapegoat, is wrongly convicted.

Conan Doyle, convinced of Edalji's innocence, turns the case into a cause celebre and campaigns to have Edalji declared innocent.

What is impressive about this novel is the way Julian Barnes takes the facts and builds on them to create a compelling story. The quality of the prose is excellent throughout and the construction is meticulous.

The end result is not just a great read, but a fascinating insight into the way that a particular class of person led their lives (and felt about life) back in the late 19th century.

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