Jeremy Thorpe
This man was at the center of a real conspiracy when he was alleged to have hired a hitman to murder his ex-lover in cold blood, because the lover in question was another man, and because of the shame he felt about that fact, and because it was illegal. Eventually, he was so paranoid that one day Scott would tell the public, so he allegedly hired someone to assassinate him in cold blood.
Norman Scott
This homosexual man was only guilty on one count: he was technically guilty of homosexuality, according to an abominable law against it. Therefore, Thorpe was paranoid that Scott would eventually tell people and destroy him. Norman remarried after his affair with Thorpe, to a woman, and had children, but for a moment, everyone knew who he was, because it was rumored that he was almost murdered by an important politician.
John Preston
This non-fiction writer includes some of his own real thoughts and commentary throughout the book, and he also includes his sense of humor. Since this is all real-life, real crime stuff, it has been read by some of the people who are recorded in the story, and Preston's view has been responded to, but his matter-of-fact presentation was critically successful.
