melc's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting selection of well-researched true-life stories of Victorian female murderers. I particularly enjoyed the back stories of the women providing context for their crimes.
However, the book lacked any kind of framework and the stories just became reports of facts. The book needed a narrative - a point. Some reflection to provide the reader with a journey to go on through new considerations or understanding. Without this the book was a bit weak, sadly.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
However, the book lacked any kind of framework and the stories just became reports of facts. The book needed a narrative - a point. Some reflection to provide the reader with a journey to go on through new considerations or understanding. Without this the book was a bit weak, sadly.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
georgi_lvs_books's review
5.0
‘The room in which the horrid tragedy was perpetrated have been undergoing a thorough cleaning, but the flooring is so deeply stained with blood, as to defy all attempts at obliteration.’
I just love reading about the Victorian era!
I consumed this book so quickly and was fascinated with each case. Some cases were quite awful to read, for me the case on Mary Ann Brough was very disturbing.
If you like reading about true crime, Murder, history then read this.
I just love reading about the Victorian era!
I consumed this book so quickly and was fascinated with each case. Some cases were quite awful to read, for me the case on Mary Ann Brough was very disturbing.
If you like reading about true crime, Murder, history then read this.
paigelauren94's review
4.0
If your easily disturbed then this isn’t for you, it’s a great and insightful book for those who love true crime. The only problem I found was that my copy was all the same it made reading slightly hard especially the letter that merged with the rest they include other than that it was fantastic and brought the history to life.
This book seems to be well researched and a gripping read, the stories may be short but they hold a massive punch.
Thank you to Netgalley/Debbie Blake/Pen&sword for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
taylorhathcock's review
3.5
So this is the first nonfiction book I've done since I started doing my reviews and I was not disappointed. This book is set to release in December so if you know anyone who loves history or true crime then consider giving this one as a gift.
Blake's book examines seven different women who were found to have committed murder, suspected of murder, or charged with murder in the Victorian Era and of the bunch I was only familiar with Lizzie Borden. So I really learned a lot reading this book and that was awesome.
I enjoyed that Blake's book looked at a diverse grouping of women as they had different social classes and even different personal backgrounds. At first I was concerned that this was only going to be a book examining women who had murdered their children but once you get past the first two chapters the crimes become more varied and in some cases more heinous.
Blake's book differently reads like a true crime documentary (think Forensic Files or Snapped) which I loved because I think it made it a faster read. Throughout the book Blake often provides insight and context into the period and circumstances which could provide for some perspective about the women and help in figuring out their motives for committing their crimes. However, I found that I wanted to know more about the gender dynamics of the period and how this played into the women being charged and sentenced. Occasionally Blake provides some of this information but it is rare.
For me Blake's book was great at detailing these women and she used her primary sources in an excellent manner, although, and maybe this was just a formatting issue on my device, sometimes it was hard to tell when she was done utilizing a source and switching back to her narration of the events. Throughout Blake provides some tidbits about women and crime but she never really delves into these matters. The book lacked an introduction to inform the reader exactly what she would be examining. Blake basically jumped into the first case with no preamble, which is why I think it had a true crime tv show feel. Blake also didn't really conclude anything. The book just stops with the end of the last case without delving into any of the issues or questions that are raised regarding gender dynamics and crime.
Despite all of this the book is still a fairly quick read that provides remarkable details about these women and their crimes. I enjoyed reading about cases that I had never heard of and enjoyed that it almost felt like I was watching a true crime show. I recommend adding this to your list if you are a history or true crime buff.
Blake's book examines seven different women who were found to have committed murder, suspected of murder, or charged with murder in the Victorian Era and of the bunch I was only familiar with Lizzie Borden. So I really learned a lot reading this book and that was awesome.
I enjoyed that Blake's book looked at a diverse grouping of women as they had different social classes and even different personal backgrounds. At first I was concerned that this was only going to be a book examining women who had murdered their children but once you get past the first two chapters the crimes become more varied and in some cases more heinous.
Blake's book differently reads like a true crime documentary (think Forensic Files or Snapped) which I loved because I think it made it a faster read. Throughout the book Blake often provides insight and context into the period and circumstances which could provide for some perspective about the women and help in figuring out their motives for committing their crimes. However, I found that I wanted to know more about the gender dynamics of the period and how this played into the women being charged and sentenced. Occasionally Blake provides some of this information but it is rare.
For me Blake's book was great at detailing these women and she used her primary sources in an excellent manner, although, and maybe this was just a formatting issue on my device, sometimes it was hard to tell when she was done utilizing a source and switching back to her narration of the events. Throughout Blake provides some tidbits about women and crime but she never really delves into these matters. The book lacked an introduction to inform the reader exactly what she would be examining. Blake basically jumped into the first case with no preamble, which is why I think it had a true crime tv show feel. Blake also didn't really conclude anything. The book just stops with the end of the last case without delving into any of the issues or questions that are raised regarding gender dynamics and crime.
Despite all of this the book is still a fairly quick read that provides remarkable details about these women and their crimes. I enjoyed reading about cases that I had never heard of and enjoyed that it almost felt like I was watching a true crime show. I recommend adding this to your list if you are a history or true crime buff.
silenttardis's review
4.0
I chose to read this book because I did enjoy reading lady killers, while this one is also good, I didn’t feel the same for the stories or maybe the same way with the way the stories where told, I felt like in some of the stories instead of telling the story straightforward, we were told the story in a loop kind of way, maybe that could been fixed if when introducing the story, we (the reader) were told how the woman did kill her victims and how many did she had in total, then when telling the story we would know what to expect, kind of a mini synopsis of what we will read…
Hmm knowing about true crime is something that leaves many people (me included) interested in knowing, because how can people do such terrifying acts? What made them do that, what was their turning point, and we read about such people, and it is terrifying really, the worst of the world are people, so this is the kind of book that you can’t take lightly, it will make you sad, and pity the victims… well at least made me… Each chapter is about a different woman, some are from the UK and others from the US, if you like to read about true crime then I recommend this book to you.
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
Hmm knowing about true crime is something that leaves many people (me included) interested in knowing, because how can people do such terrifying acts? What made them do that, what was their turning point, and we read about such people, and it is terrifying really, the worst of the world are people, so this is the kind of book that you can’t take lightly, it will make you sad, and pity the victims… well at least made me… Each chapter is about a different woman, some are from the UK and others from the US, if you like to read about true crime then I recommend this book to you.
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
naomisbookshelf's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Victorian Murderesses was full of interesting women who were notorious for heinous crimes. I enjoyed learning about the history of each one before getting into the acts they became known for. In a couple cases, I wanted more but I was satisfied on the whole. The level of detail might be off putting to some as the crimes are not lightly described. I was fine for the most part as I don’t like reading gore but it is something of note. The one thing I stilled wanted at the end was some sort of commentary on how justice was given or denied to women because of their gender. Overall, this was excellent and I highly recommend.
I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
musubi_mumma's review
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.75
I am sucker for a good true crime non-fiction, any time — and Blake’s Victorian Murderesses absolutely satisfied my every expectation of the genre. It was gory and chilling, all the more so because of the historical grounding of each case covered here.
Each chapter — there are seven of them — examines a specific killer and the details of her crime(s). Four of them focus on British murderesses: Sarah Drake, Mary Ann Brogh, Kate Webster, and Mary Ann Cotton, while the remaining three cross the Atlantic to provide accounts of the disturbing murders perpetrated by Kate Bender, Lizzie Borden (of course), and Jane Toppan. I was grateful that Lizzie got only a chapter; the fame of her crime has sullied my interest in her case. I’ve simply read it too many times for it to invoke any novel shock, but I acknowledge that the Borden murders warrant a place in a book like this.
What makes Victorian Murderesses such a fantastic read is the way in which Blake colors in the context of these women’s lives; not only do we get a rare glimpse into their worlds, but the Victorian world as a whole, especially as it was for women of a certain working and middle class. The reader also gets to see how these women got away with their crimes for a significant part of their lives and how police operated to discover them. In some cases, like with Sarah Drake, I could not help but feel a bit sorry for the murderess as much as the victims; institutionalized sexism drove some of these women to extreme lengths — though I cannot say I condone their decisions to take innocent lives. In some cases, like Cotton’s and Webster’s I found myself wondering how it was possible for them to commit so many crimes without getting caught earlier! I wonder at how it was that Lizzie Borden became so famous when these other women committed so many more criminal acts.
Kate Bender and the Bender family were — for me — the most dastardly, the creepiest of the seven chapters. Their crimes were like those out of a grisly, B-rated horror where a family of four drives down a lonely farm road… and is never seen again… Brr. I feel shivers thinking of it now.
This was a fantastic true crime read, fun and gore all around, enough to keep you wanting more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, Death, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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