A Pin to See the Peepshow
A Pin to See the Peepshow is a 1934 crime novel by F. Tennyson Jesse, inspired by the 1922 Thompson–Bywaters murder case. Set in London from 1913 to 1927, it follows Julia Almond, a girl raised in suburban poverty who longs for a better life. She makes a poor choice and marries during World War I.
The author Sarah Waters praised the book for its vivid, complete, and convincingly messy emotional world.
The novel has been adapted for stage and screen several times. In 1951, Jesse and H. M. Harwood wrote a stage version, but the Lord Chamberlain refused a licence, so it opened privately in London at the New Boltons Theatre Club. A Broadway production followed in 1953 at the Playhouse Theatre. In 1973, the BBC aired a four‑part TV series written by Elaine Morgan and starring Francesca Annis. In 2007, BBC Radio 4 produced a short radio drama by Scott Cherry.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:17 (CET).