Poor Tom is Cold by Maureen Jennings

Michael Dawson Poor Tom is Cold by Maureen Jennings October 26, 2008

Character Profile

Detective William Murdoch, is a very smart and cunning man who completes his work very thoroughly. As the story goes along, we follow Murdoch’s dedication to find the true story behind the supposed suicide of Constable Oliver Wicken. He believes that Wicken was murdered and did not commit suicide and sets out to prove it. Murdoch shows his courage by retracing the morning “beat” or route that Wicken took the morning he was killed. This leads him to Mrs. Bail’s bakery leading to the beginning of a series of clues. Murdoch is also shown as a dedicated and caring cop. He did not know Wicken very well but felt compelled to find a way to prove the murder. This level of dedication makes you feel that Murdoch was related to Wicken but he was not. This diligent detective finds some clues which lead him to believe that the murder of Wicken occurred so that greedy relatives could inherit money from an old man, who was married to a younger mentally unstable young wife with a devious stepson.

Clues

The clues begin with the meeting of Murdoch and Mrs. Bail at her bakery. She provides information about Wicken and his mother. Murdoch then questions Wicken’s mother who provides information leading to the Eakin Family. The Eakins’ are a well-off family who have family issues dealing with inheritance. The stepson Jarius Gibbs resents his new stepmother. He reveals that he is worried she will have a baby which will affect his inheritance. Jarius does everything possible to make Mrs. Eakin unstable so that she will be put in a mental asylum. On the night of the murder, Mrs. Bail said there was a woman’s cry in the night. The cry was from Mrs. Eakin and she was then sent to a mental asylum. Murdoch visits the asylum to interview her. He learns she fears being poisoned or killed by her family. She reacts strongly when Murdoch questions her about Constable Wicken’s death. After this meeting ,Mrs. Eakin escapes from the asylum as she suspects another patient has been poisoned after eating a tart intended for Mrs. Eakin. This is a perfect clue because it leads the detective right back to the relatives of Mrs. Eakin. Murdoch is then able to solve the crime by following Mrs. Eakin, Jarius Gibbs and Mr. Eakin.

3 Passages of Effective Writing

“She moaned and began to rock slightly back and forth in the chair. Suddenly, he had an image of a young cougar that a sailor had brought into the village when he was a boy. For five cents you could go into the hot, musty tent and view the animal. For a further penny, the sailor handed you a stick and you could poke her through the bars of the cage and “make her roar”. The expression in the eyes of Mrs.Eakin and the tormented animal were the same.” (Pg. 337) This is a very interesting quote from the book, as it is a description of Mrs. Eakin’s reaction of being told of Constable Wicken’s death. It was very well described and gave you a good image in your head about him and his cougar encounter creating fear and suspense. It also creates a visual clue for Murdoch to help him solve the murder. He realizes she didn’t see the murder but her scream attracted Wicken’s attention and put him in danger. “She’s told you a nailer, my lad” (pg 353). This quote displays how language was used differently in 1895 to help you step back in history. The reader feels that the setting of the book is in a much different (earlier) time. “Thursday, November 12, 1895..I write this entry in good health. My tongue is furred but my pulse is quite steady. I have pissed copiously in the chamber and my water is of good colour…” (page 25) This quote is effective because it is a unique way to describe an entry in a diary kept by Jarius Gibbs. This helps the reader understand the criminal’s state of mind in his own words after he committed the crime.