Thunderstruck

The book is Thunderstruck by Erik Larson and it is non-fiction. Larson has certainly done his research. Set in and around the year 1902, the book follows two seemingly unconnectd narrative lines: one is about Guiglielmo Marconi inventing the wireless telegraph; and the other is about a man called Hawley Crippen. I enjoyed reading about Crippen and his flamboyant wife, who aspired to be an actress and singer, first in the US and later in England. The story of Marconi's travails is also interesting though I confess to skipping a few portions about the technical details and business rivalries surrounding his invention. Finally, around page 300, the two narratives converge. Crippen is accused of a grisly murder and tries to escape England via steamship. It is Marconi's new device that proves his undoing.