Joining the ranks of previous Waterside Press Books on Screen are two more recent titles:
Deceit
Waterside Press publications feature in two recent TV releases based on real life cases. Developed around Alan Jackaman’s Napper: Through a Glass Darkly, Channel 4’s Deceit tells the incredible story of police obsession with the wrong man. It examines the devastating impact on all involved of mistakes made in the headline-grabbing Wimbledon Common investigation into the death of Rachel Nickell. Jackman’s book explains his early suspicions as a detective from a different police division as to the real killer, which were dismissed as part of the ‘deceit’ of the title, leaving Robert Napper free to attack and kill again. His book describing how he stuck to his theory for 15 years was acquired immediately on its release by producers Story Films and he was an adviser to the project.
Murder, Mystery and My Family: Case Closed?
BBC One screened the opening episode of its new series of Murder, Mystery and My Family: Case Closed? This revisits the case of Edward Devlin and Alfie Burns and includes an interview with Waterside Press author George Skelly whose book Murderers or Martyrs was heavily relied upon by the producers as was his research into the case. Programme details can be found here although it is no longer available on the iPlayer. Skelly’s campaigning zeal has led to mounting support for an official review if the case. (The witness statements from it can be viewed here at Murderers or Martyrs: Witness Statements in the Case of Devlin and Burns).