Noting that 2 of the sisters were able to resist hopping on the band wagon of the announcement of the honouring of James McNeish for his literary career. Because of course, it is to note his career over a long period of time.
In as much as the Mask of Sanity was a successful book it didn't deal with the new evidence that has arrived since the book was written. I'd expect that James McNeish would draw different conclusions now particularly in view of the blood spatter evidence. One of the difficulties, and pleasures I suppose, in writing about a piece of history is that one can only rely on what was known at the time of writing.
So too for Joe Karam, he didn't know at the time of writing his books that the 'blood' on the rifle wasn't blood at all. He also didn't know about the blood smears on Robin's hands that can't have arrived there after Robin's death. Equally he didn't know about the spatter on Robin's shoe that can't have come from his own wound. In that absence of that knowledge in particular, he went forward with some conclusions that might not survive the test of time. Of course that is the province of some writing, or risk the less confident make, when drawing together information to lay it out in a cognitive pattern for others to read. I suspect, from the obvious writing talent of both men, it was a challenge they enjoyed and we may yet see further work from them updated with the new evidence that featured at the second trial.
Something else that neither writer knew was that there would be a steady flow of information spread to damage David before during and after the trial. A situation no doubt that horrifies both men, and particularly more so James McNeish for whom it was simply another part in a long literary career and certainly not intended to be focal point for people intent on using it for harassment and law breaking. Because it was particularly the case that McNeish laid bare a time in Robin and Margaret's life that was most disturbing and which arguably could be traced as the point when spent passion began to take a toll on their marriage and culminated in a complete tragedy for the family.
Mask of Sanity was printed 14 odd years ago, and was one of McNeish's less sucesssful books. He's never done a follow up, and won't make public comment on MoS, or the Bain case, which speaks volumes.
ReplyDeleteHis knighthood was well deserveed, his latest books are excellent. He is a good, if somewhat 'inventive' writer, who uses artistic license, to it's full extent.