The Rachel Files
Edition: New Ed edition
Publisher: John Blake Publishing, Limited
Published: November 2002
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 406
ISBN-13: 9781904034308
Subjects: True crime; Murder - General; Biography/Autobiography; Biography & Autobiography; Automotive; English; Automotive - General; Driver Education; AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS' TESTS; AUTOMOBILE DRIVING; Transportation / Automotive / General; General
First sentence: The traffic had been nose-to-bumper all the way out of South London on that warm July evening, but by the time I had negotiated the back-doubles to avoid Sydenham High Street, the going became a little easier.
Description: A commendable effort to offer some insight into the investigation of London's infamous Wimbledon Common murder.  Keith Pedder gives some good insights into police investigative work, but he falls down on a number of counts in his efforts to justify himself in what was - after all - a failed investigation in which the police screwed up badly.

At one point, Pedder claims that he and his superior - DCI Mick Wickerson - saw something that was highly incriminating to their suspect, Colin Stagg.  The only trouble was that Pedder and Wickerson forgot to mention this alleged fact in their police statements, deposition and Committal Hearing testimony!

On the other hand, the book is good in exposing the extent to which the psychologist Paul Britton was guiding the police, encouraging them in their belief that Colin Stagg was guilty and masterminding an undercover operation that played viciously with Stagg's mind.

David Kessler - who co-wrote a book about the case with Stagg - is planning a  new book, this time an audiobook, due for release in late December 2008, that will blow the lid off this whole case and expose the full extent of police incompetence... and worse!

<a href=" http://bookstolistento.com/books/book-35.html" target="_blank">An update on this case – in the form of an audiobook - will be available on December 18</a>