Yes IAN,
The book to me is now the seminal work on this case. Even if one disagrees with aspects of the theory, I think it does a very good job of tying together the Wallace and Parry working together angle. This had been suggested before cleverly by Richard Waterhouse in the Insurance Man But John has the facts and research to really back it up. The writing style is as good as Murphy, but with Goodman's honesty of research. (No withheld statements!) And boy is there a lot of great info in this book!
IAN, I agree; Julia Wallace did seem to be a bit of an anomaly. The age discrepancy is truly incredible, and I have never felt completely satisfied with the current, seemingly accepted explanation about that. She did seem to have a strained relationship with her family as well as did WHW, although apparently not quite as much.
I think your theory about assuming another's identity, or something of that nature is actually quite plausible when one stops to consider who Julia Wallace was. She was clearly trying to be much younger than her true age, and had apparently isolated herself either thru choice, or actions from every member of her family including distant family. This is evidenced by the attendance at the wedding or funeral.
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The personal angle of this case is what is so fascinating to me. I remember in the first book I read about the case, a chapter in a book called Guilty or Innocent, they portrayed Wallace as a stoic, but nice old man and Julia as a sweet old lady. I was 10 at the time, scared badly by the book and this case in particular. Then there was a picture of Parry, his mugshot straight-on one, looking sinister and mean. The book hinted at Parry being the guilty party, and acting alone. I remember thinking how awful it was; and how sweet Wallace and his wife were. From studying the case over many years, I have a far different opinion of their personalities. I think Wallace was a fastidious, stoic-bordering on mean, somewhat nerdy but quite sharp and very bitter man. He had seemingly found his match in the supposedly earthy, well-travelled Julia Denis. But she was a vain, vapid, wannabe social climber who didn't share Wallace's scientific interests and had lied to him about his age. (I'm sure he discovered this early on.) He just grew tired of her, her intellectual inferiority, and increasing illness with her lied about age, and his personality and core drove him to be OK with, and even delight in the planning of, the perfect murder!!
As far as Parry goes, I think he was far less of a hardened criminal, and much more of a 'wide boy.' Expedient, short-sighted in goals, and obsessed with his personal comfort and satisfaction. Basically, a brat.
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