Regular readers of this blog will know of my interest in the 1884 Carmarthen mystery and its tentative connection with Jack the Ripper. I have now written a definitive account of events in The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns, released on 14 July and available for pre-order now from bookshops and Amazon, if you prefer.

Another topic I have touched on before is the importance of reviews. This week I started working on an in-depth article about a 1960s Doctor Who story, assessing how its reputation has changed over time. Reviews are a key piece of evidence, allowing me to compare the reaction of the original audience with that of people who have watched the story since.

In both pieces of work, I have endeavoured to understand and explain the contemporary historical viewpoint which created opinions very different to those shaped by modern values.

Reviews matter to future researchers as well as readers.

Paul Williams is a writer of fiction and non-fiction best known for his Jack the Ripper suspect encyclopedia.