A brief glance at a few bibliographies suggests that this is the 23rd book on the case, as well as many dedicated chapters in books on a theme, and also individual articles.

There are also known to have been four separate stage plays, radio and television productions and also three films, one British and the others American.

The details of the case are too well known to be repeated here, but the skeletal basics are: girl meets boy; girl gets a better offer; first boy has to go, as surplus to requirements.

The contemporary scandal flowed from the insidious nature of poisoning, possible suicide, upper-middle class engaging with the criminal courts, and the sustained public enthusiasm.

Brian Jenkins, unlike some of the other writers on the theme, has mastered the relevant terminology and principles of Scots law, and what he calls “the neutral verdict”.

The Crown case might have been stronger if investigations techniques were more advanced: the chronology was vital, and many undated letters and dated envelopes were mixed up.

The science of poisons had not developed, it seems, to the point when the skilled witnesses might be able to state matters more authoritatively.

There were other problems: a witness declined to speak up with the truth of certain purported meetings on crucial dates between Madeleine Smith and the deceased L’Angelier. Further, an apparently credible and reliable witness came forward late: a sailor who had been at sea during the trial and was therefore unavailable to give evidence then. He had been at school with Madeleine Smith and he saw her with the deceased L’Angelier leaving her Glasgow home at a time that would have consolidated the Crown case.

The volunteered evidence of the delayed witness was heard and believed by three knowledgeable lawyers. The author discusses but leaves undeveloped a neglected theme: the case was of international interest and retained the attention of newspaper readers for its duration, and beyond.

Perhaps such a wider view is what is required in order to produce a wholly new understanding of the case, because the churning of stories produces a predictable narrative.

However, perhaps it can be said that a degree of scepticism is now developing amongst writers about high profile cases with psychological and other modern types of profiling are engaged.

Madeleine Smith is suggested as having “an anti-social personality disorder”. The deceased L’Angelier was not “a true psychopath, but not far off it”. This interesting developing approach leads modern commentators to concluded that “a majority of modern analysts agree” that Madeleine Smith did indeed kill the unwanted L’Angelier.

There are other ways of stating the point – the late Professor David M. Walker QC has written that the verdict of acquittal by the jury was “charitable and mistaken”.

Madeleine Smith: A Glasgow Murder and the Young Woman Too Respectable to Convict by Brian Jenkins. Published by McFarland & Co, 228pp.