This is the beginning of the regular series of Murdoch Mysteries, in which Detective William Murdoch of Toronto's Police Station 4 uses his keen amateur knowledge of science and his talent for creating new technologies to solve the crimes that beset his city. Murdoch's boss, Inspector Thomas Brackenreid, is a gruff Yorkshireman who calls a spade a bloody shovel and is often the bad cop to Murdoch's decidedly good cop. Murdoch is frequently assisted by Constable George Crabtree, enthusiastic, but somewhat easily distracted, especially when a case involves anything out of the ordinary; he also seems to have an astonishing number of aunts who shared all kinds of wisdom with him while he was growing up in Newfoundland. The Police work closely with Dr Julia Ogden, a pathologist pioneering the cause of women in an age of few openings for them; she admires Murdoch's zeal for science and his integrity, a quality related to his devout Catholicism.
This first episode is set in the context of the competition between the rival alternating and direct current methods of supplying electricity. DC was the earlier technology promoted by Thomas Alva Edison, while Nikola Tesla was trying to get people to adopt his AC system.
A public demonstration is held in a Toronto park by supporters of the Edison system, who hope to convince people that AC is dangerous by passing AC through a dog, thereby to keep the electricity supply contract. Protesters against cruelty to animals are in the crowd, as is Tesla himself; Edison's man, in charge of the demonstration, is Allen Fawkes. Alice Howard, reigning Miss Toronto Electric & Light, is electrocuted as she throws the switch; AC is indeed a killer.
Murdoch quickly finds the switch was sabotaged by inserting a block of rubber in the mechanism, but the mystery is why the rubber grip on the switch handle didn't save Alice. Before the demonstration, the switch was stored at a TE&L station; Murdoch sends Crabtree there to investigate security, and Crabtree suggests he might also call on Edna Garrison, the leading protester. As for Murdoch, he is off to find Tesla, whom he asks for help.
Returning to Police Station 4, Murdoch learns from Crabtree that an alarm was triggered at the TE&L station in the early hours of the morning, but nothing was taken or tampered with. Also, He has brought Miss Garrison in, so Murdoch asks her if she had any part in what happened. She denies doing anything, and says she was home at the time of the TE&L burglary; asked if anyone can vouch for that, she says her landlady locks the front door of the boarding house at 10pm. Later, with Tesla helping, Murdoch uncovers the ingenious way by which the switch handle was tampered with; there is no doubt that Alice was murdered.
At the morgue, Dr Ogden confirms that Alice was electrocuted, and tells Murdoch that the post-mortem showed Alice was five weeks pregnant. Murdoch tells Brackenreid that in light of the new information, the best suspects seem to be either Alderman Edwin Dodd, who is on the Street Lighting Commission, or Daniel Pratt, millionaire owner of TE&L - in either case, the revelation of an illicit pregnancy could be ruinous. The Inspector asks Murdoch if he has considered Allen Fawkes, but Murdoch discounts him, as he has so much less to lose than the others. Murdoch interviews Petunia, Alice's roommate, learning that she had a number of gentleman friends, but was always very discreet, so she couldn't offer any names, indeed she had only ever spoken to one on the telephone once, and all she could say was he had a pleasant voice.
Murdoch visits Pratt, who initially denies any impropriety with Alice, but caves in, and says he and she did have an affair, but it was over weeks previously. Any suggestion that he was the father of the child was impossible. Meanwhile, Constable Crabtree calls on Edna to invite her dog for a walk. Edna goes along as a chaperone.
Allen Fawkes calls by Police Station 4, to say he has heard from a very flustered Daniel Pratt, following Murdoch's interview; if Murdoch believes Pratt was trying to kill Alice, he must be mistaken, since Alice was a last minute replacement for Alderman Dodd, who had been due to throw the switch. Murdoch then visits Alderman Dodd, who mistakes him for a prowler, and comes after him with a shotgun. Dodd says he is jittery because someone tried to electrocute him . He doesn't have any idea who or why. Brackenreid ponders who might profit from what has happened, and looks at stock prices in the Toronto Gazette: Niagara AC's share price has risen in one day from 76¢ to 95¢, an astonishing 25% gain. It seems obvious that the fix was in from the AC people, says Brackenreid. Murdoch goes to see Tesla, who says he doesn't bother with business matters. Brackenreid obtains a statement of Dodd's bank account, showing he has taken a $20,000 bribe.
George, Edna and the dog are two minutes late returning to her rooming house, but Edna gains access to her room via an open window, and she invites George to join her for a pot of tea. While there, George discovers that Edna has a blueprint of the generator used in the demonstration. Meanwhile, Murdoch and Brackenreid go to see Pratt, but find him electrocuted in his office.
So, are the killings linked, if so, who is behind them and why? Was Alice the target, or was it Dodd? Is George becoming involved with the wrong sort of woman?
This is a promising start to the series, with many of Tesla's scientific ideas showcased well, not to mention those of Murdoch himself. We begin to get to know the main characters and their strengths and weaknesses. More, please.
This first episode is set in the context of the competition between the rival alternating and direct current methods of supplying electricity. DC was the earlier technology promoted by Thomas Alva Edison, while Nikola Tesla was trying to get people to adopt his AC system.
A public demonstration is held in a Toronto park by supporters of the Edison system, who hope to convince people that AC is dangerous by passing AC through a dog, thereby to keep the electricity supply contract. Protesters against cruelty to animals are in the crowd, as is Tesla himself; Edison's man, in charge of the demonstration, is Allen Fawkes. Alice Howard, reigning Miss Toronto Electric & Light, is electrocuted as she throws the switch; AC is indeed a killer.
Murdoch quickly finds the switch was sabotaged by inserting a block of rubber in the mechanism, but the mystery is why the rubber grip on the switch handle didn't save Alice. Before the demonstration, the switch was stored at a TE&L station; Murdoch sends Crabtree there to investigate security, and Crabtree suggests he might also call on Edna Garrison, the leading protester. As for Murdoch, he is off to find Tesla, whom he asks for help.
Returning to Police Station 4, Murdoch learns from Crabtree that an alarm was triggered at the TE&L station in the early hours of the morning, but nothing was taken or tampered with. Also, He has brought Miss Garrison in, so Murdoch asks her if she had any part in what happened. She denies doing anything, and says she was home at the time of the TE&L burglary; asked if anyone can vouch for that, she says her landlady locks the front door of the boarding house at 10pm. Later, with Tesla helping, Murdoch uncovers the ingenious way by which the switch handle was tampered with; there is no doubt that Alice was murdered.
At the morgue, Dr Ogden confirms that Alice was electrocuted, and tells Murdoch that the post-mortem showed Alice was five weeks pregnant. Murdoch tells Brackenreid that in light of the new information, the best suspects seem to be either Alderman Edwin Dodd, who is on the Street Lighting Commission, or Daniel Pratt, millionaire owner of TE&L - in either case, the revelation of an illicit pregnancy could be ruinous. The Inspector asks Murdoch if he has considered Allen Fawkes, but Murdoch discounts him, as he has so much less to lose than the others. Murdoch interviews Petunia, Alice's roommate, learning that she had a number of gentleman friends, but was always very discreet, so she couldn't offer any names, indeed she had only ever spoken to one on the telephone once, and all she could say was he had a pleasant voice.
Murdoch visits Pratt, who initially denies any impropriety with Alice, but caves in, and says he and she did have an affair, but it was over weeks previously. Any suggestion that he was the father of the child was impossible. Meanwhile, Constable Crabtree calls on Edna to invite her dog for a walk. Edna goes along as a chaperone.
Allen Fawkes calls by Police Station 4, to say he has heard from a very flustered Daniel Pratt, following Murdoch's interview; if Murdoch believes Pratt was trying to kill Alice, he must be mistaken, since Alice was a last minute replacement for Alderman Dodd, who had been due to throw the switch. Murdoch then visits Alderman Dodd, who mistakes him for a prowler, and comes after him with a shotgun. Dodd says he is jittery because someone tried to electrocute him . He doesn't have any idea who or why. Brackenreid ponders who might profit from what has happened, and looks at stock prices in the Toronto Gazette: Niagara AC's share price has risen in one day from 76¢ to 95¢, an astonishing 25% gain. It seems obvious that the fix was in from the AC people, says Brackenreid. Murdoch goes to see Tesla, who says he doesn't bother with business matters. Brackenreid obtains a statement of Dodd's bank account, showing he has taken a $20,000 bribe.
George, Edna and the dog are two minutes late returning to her rooming house, but Edna gains access to her room via an open window, and she invites George to join her for a pot of tea. While there, George discovers that Edna has a blueprint of the generator used in the demonstration. Meanwhile, Murdoch and Brackenreid go to see Pratt, but find him electrocuted in his office.
So, are the killings linked, if so, who is behind them and why? Was Alice the target, or was it Dodd? Is George becoming involved with the wrong sort of woman?
This is a promising start to the series, with many of Tesla's scientific ideas showcased well, not to mention those of Murdoch himself. We begin to get to know the main characters and their strengths and weaknesses. More, please.