Story of a Murder

Reviews

'Painstaking research, married to a novelist's instinct for storytelling, make each new book by Hallie Rubenhold a gripping and educational adventure for the reader. STORY OF A MURDER takes us beyond the infamous Dr Crippen to the lives impacted by him, the society within which he moved, and the public's appetite to be shocked and scandalised. It's terrific' I lapped it up! Whip-smart, brilliantly atmospheric, completely addictive. I loved the music hall artistes and had my hand over my wide-open mouth at the audacity of the press. And it is not solely about a murder - though I was filled with admiration for the forensic level of research. It’s also about all the bit part players - the dustbin man who notices an unusual amount of rubbish, the boarding house owner who notices something not quite right about the father and son at the table in the corner, and the world they came from. I can’t recommend it more: I will be thinking about it for a very long time. Unbelievably addictive - I defy you to put it down! Written with Rubenhold's completely unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion. Story of a Murder does for The Crippen Murder case what The Five did for the crimes committed by Jack the Ripper. With forensic research and insistent, sympathetic writing, it re-tells the story of the murder of Belle Elmore in January 1910 and places her at the centre of the narrative, rather than the story, explanation or motivation of her killer. As Rubenhold states, “no murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim’s story” and yet for too long Crippen has been allowed to explain what happened to Belle and for just as long we have been too willing to accept his version of events. True crime comes in all shapes and sizes – from the pile it high and sell it cheap, the sensational and tabloid, to true crime that holds a mirror up to our values, sensibilities, and culture and thankfully Story of a Murder is an exemplary addition to this latter category. To put it bluntly, I loved this book and I know that you will too. A fantastic read: the story of the women killed by Dr Crippen and how a raggle-taggle band of variety theatre ladies fought for their friend. Crammed with fascinating social history and detail, STORY OF A MURDER is compelling to the very last page Expand reviews