spooky_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
“…female serial killers are master masquerades: they walk among us looking for all the world like our wives, mothers, and grandmothers. Even after they’ve been apprehended and punished, most of them eventually sink back into the mists of history in a way that male serial killers do not.”
I absolutely loved this book! Who would’ve guessed that the perfect accompaniment to hours of shelving at my library job would be an audiobook on the lives, history, and crimes of female serial killers!
From the 13th to the 20th century, Telfer introduces us to fourteen diabolical and conniving women. Whether they were seemingly harmless old grannies or sociopathic wealthy aristocrats, these ladies were just as capable of committing murder as their male counterparts and author Tori Telfer does an excellent job of spotlighting the misogynistic stereotypes we drape over villainous women, pointing out that women are too often seen as “solely capable of reactive homicide—murder done in self defense, a burst of passion, an imbalance of hormones, a wave of hysteria.” In actuality, these women were nasty pieces of work capable of calculated crimes and have just as much right to fill up the True Crime shelves of your local bookstore as the men.
My favorite lady killers to read about were:
-Erzsebet Bathory (The Blood Countess)
-Nannie Doss (The Giggling Grandma)
-Mary Ann Cotton (the Wretched Woman)
-Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova (The Tormentor)
-Anna Marie Hahn (Iceberg Anna)
-Marie Madeleine (Queen of Poisoners)
If you’re like me—a true crime newbie who loves salacious anti-heroines, history, biographies, and murder—this is an excellent book to add to your Non-Fiction November TBR!
I absolutely loved this book! Who would’ve guessed that the perfect accompaniment to hours of shelving at my library job would be an audiobook on the lives, history, and crimes of female serial killers!
From the 13th to the 20th century, Telfer introduces us to fourteen diabolical and conniving women. Whether they were seemingly harmless old grannies or sociopathic wealthy aristocrats, these ladies were just as capable of committing murder as their male counterparts and author Tori Telfer does an excellent job of spotlighting the misogynistic stereotypes we drape over villainous women, pointing out that women are too often seen as “solely capable of reactive homicide—murder done in self defense, a burst of passion, an imbalance of hormones, a wave of hysteria.” In actuality, these women were nasty pieces of work capable of calculated crimes and have just as much right to fill up the True Crime shelves of your local bookstore as the men.
My favorite lady killers to read about were:
-Erzsebet Bathory (The Blood Countess)
-Nannie Doss (The Giggling Grandma)
-Mary Ann Cotton (the Wretched Woman)
-Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova (The Tormentor)
-Anna Marie Hahn (Iceberg Anna)
-Marie Madeleine (Queen of Poisoners)
If you’re like me—a true crime newbie who loves salacious anti-heroines, history, biographies, and murder—this is an excellent book to add to your Non-Fiction November TBR!
tattoostickle4109's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really enjoyable read with a very self aware author. There were some murderers I was already familiar with in some ways, but I still learned more. I appreciated the authors crediting of those she learned from and who assisted her in research. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't just all white american/british/french women murderers (something seen in true crime a lot) and that there was even an acknowledgement of lack of records for those who weren't white. I also appreciated the way she was able to both keep the crimes at a distance (literally Era wise) but also made the "stories" immersive.
lalanier's review against another edition
4.0
Thought it was an interesting and enjoyable read. I appreciated that Telfer offered information for further reading along with a playlist that helped with writing the book. I also learned that some of the people she wanted to include didn't have enough information to make the cut which is unfortunate, but some new information to look into. I can see how her writing style might not appeal to some, but I thought the humour was balanced and didn't make light of the heaviness of the stories. Anywho, I would be game to read her other works.
ashsometimes's review against another edition
4.0
i really enjoyed this. each chapter is dedicated to a woman serial killer (whose name i have never heard). i see a lot of criticism for this book stems from the disappointment that the book did not have recent murderers, but i think that is one of the strengths of this book. it ensures isolation and separation from negatively impacting the victims’ family, and forcing them to relieve their trauma.
the book reads like a podcast, which makes sense because the author posts podcasts about historical true crimes (which i absolutely love). i cannot wait to explore her other books (especially, the one about con women)
the book reads like a podcast, which makes sense because the author posts podcasts about historical true crimes (which i absolutely love). i cannot wait to explore her other books (especially, the one about con women)
worldwas_hers_forthe_reading's review against another edition
5.0
"Poisoners simply dont terrify people the way, say, disembowlers do.
But that's unfair, because poisoning requires advance planning and the stomach for a drawn out death scene...
A cowards weapon?
Not so much.
Poison is the weapon of the emotionless, the sociopathic and the truely cruel."
- Lady Killers, Tori Teller
A fascinating book which was done well and not like a lot of murder podcasts that linger, almost creepily, in gory details but instead focusing on why women kill and how society treats them.
Would recommend, the chapters are mini case studies, based all over the world (not just USA again looking at you murder podcasts) and different times in history.
Is choice commute material as a case took me ~15mins each and guaranteed no one will want to sit next to you on bus...
But that's unfair, because poisoning requires advance planning and the stomach for a drawn out death scene...
A cowards weapon?
Not so much.
Poison is the weapon of the emotionless, the sociopathic and the truely cruel."
- Lady Killers, Tori Teller
A fascinating book which was done well and not like a lot of murder podcasts that linger, almost creepily, in gory details but instead focusing on why women kill and how society treats them.
Would recommend, the chapters are mini case studies, based all over the world (not just USA again looking at you murder podcasts) and different times in history.
Is choice commute material as a case took me ~15mins each and guaranteed no one will want to sit next to you on bus...
karissa_'s review against another edition
2.0
2.5
This book was just meh.
I liked learning about female serial killers and the difference on how their treated, however there was just a lot that lowered this book for me. While the little quips here and there throughout the writing were overall enjoyable, the in-depth analysis for every single woman was virtually the same; she was a woman killer, it shocked the community, nobody expected it, or, she was overly sexualized and her feminine wiles were used to seduce the community. We all know this, and some version of this is said when talking about every.damn.murder. Just once was enough. The next issue I have is that every other murderess is a poisoner. While there were quite a bit I hadn't heard of, there were only 2-3 that were interesting (like the Angel Makers of Nagyrev) but other than that...it was just as repetitive as the analysis of each murderer. Finally, these cases were just soooo old that the validity of the facts were thrown off, and the chilling natures of the crime didn't really chill me to the bone. They more so focus on myths and rumors, rather than any facts, so it just wasn't my cup of tea.
This book was just meh.
I liked learning about female serial killers and the difference on how their treated, however there was just a lot that lowered this book for me. While the little quips here and there throughout the writing were overall enjoyable, the in-depth analysis for every single woman was virtually the same; she was a woman killer, it shocked the community, nobody expected it, or, she was overly sexualized and her feminine wiles were used to seduce the community. We all know this, and some version of this is said when talking about every.damn.murder. Just once was enough. The next issue I have is that every other murderess is a poisoner. While there were quite a bit I hadn't heard of, there were only 2-3 that were interesting (like the Angel Makers of Nagyrev) but other than that...it was just as repetitive as the analysis of each murderer. Finally, these cases were just soooo old that the validity of the facts were thrown off, and the chilling natures of the crime didn't really chill me to the bone. They more so focus on myths and rumors, rather than any facts, so it just wasn't my cup of tea.