Publisher's Synopsis
What if a peaceful missionary home, surrounded by faith and discipline, concealed one of the most haunting unsolved murders in colonial Africa?
On Christmas Eve 1920, in the remote highlands of Basutoland (now Lesotho), Reverend Édouard Jacottet-a respected Protestant missionary and patriarch-died after a seemingly ordinary family lunch. Six people ate the soup. Five recovered. Only he died.
The official cause? Arsenic poisoning.
But no one was ever convicted. And no one ever confessed.
Why was arsenic found in the soup pot and in a colleague's desk drawer?
Why did the reverend whisper "poison" just before dying?
And why were his own daughters-faithful, silent, and sickly-at the center of the scandal?
The Unsolved Murder of Édouard Jacottet is a gripping true crime investigation that reconstructs a forgotten colonial tragedy, one that unfolded inside the walls of a missionary household built on obedience, secrecy, and silence. Through archival discoveries, reconstructed dialogue, emotional testimonies, and psychological analysis, this book explores the cost of repressed truth and the weight of family loyalty.
Inside, you will uncover:
A moment-by-moment reconstruction of the fatal lunch, Jacottet's agonizing final hours, and the quiet collapse of a mission built on spiritual order.
Exclusive insights from court records, autopsy reports, and letters never sent-giving voice to daughters who were never allowed to speak freely.
Detailed analysis of the arsenic discovery and forensic practices in early 20th-century colonial Africa-what the tests revealed, and what they couldn't prove.
Portraits of key figures: Marcelle, the stoic eldest daughter; Marguerite, entangled in a forbidden romance; and Reverend Duby, a preacher with his own secrets.
The power dynamics of race, gender, and European religious authority in colonial mission life-how scandal was buried in the name of salvation.
A rigorous exploration of competing theories: accidental poisoning, mental collapse, covert rebellion, and systemic cover-up.
This book is for readers who crave:
True crime that examines not only the crime-but the culture that enabled it.
Historical investigations rich in detail, complexity, and emotional resonance.
Stories of women silenced by expectation-and what happens when obedience turns deadly.
Unsolved colonial mysteries and the psychological toll of secrets left buried.
Thoughtful, immersive storytelling that blends narrative suspense with historical analysis.
Perfect for fans of:
The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell
Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
Cold Case South Africa by Jana Marx
This is more than a whodunit. It's a story about the cost of silence-inside a family, inside a faith, and inside a nation built on control.
The truth was never confessed.
The mission carried on.
But the questions have never gone away.
