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and life along the winding road

Friday, February 3, 2012

Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders by John Mortimer


The Penge Bungalow Murders is a Rumpole of the Old Bailey book. I wasn't a big fan of the television series, but I loved the book. Part of the reason was that I spent my childhood in Penge which is in Southeast London. There are records as far back as the 10th Century showing that Penge was a small hamlet (then known as Penceat). 
In Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders, Rumpole reminisces over his first case as a barrister at the Old Bailey, London's criminal court. The way he describes "the bungalows" I believe he's referring to the prefab houses that were built after World War II as temporary housing. (Penge was the most bombed square mile of England during the war).  


If you are interested in the English court system and like courtroom drama, this is a great read.






And to find out more about the history of Penge, look out for the book by Doris E. Pullen.