Story of a Murder

Unbelievably addictive - I defy you to put it down! Written with Rubenhold's completely unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion.

LUCY WORSLEY

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.

RACHEL JOYCE

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.

Emeritus Professor David Wilson, Birmingham City University

'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'

IAN RANKIN

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

DENISE MINA

A fascinating debunking of the myth-making that surrounds Crippen and Le Neve. Putting Belle and her cohort of strong independent women front and centre is long overdue! It's about time Belle became the hero of her own story

VAL MCDERMID

Nothing but praise for Rubenhold’s exhaustive research and arresting story line. I couldn’t put it down

BONNIE GARMUS

Rubenhold deftly maintains fidelity not only to facts, distinguishing between what can and cannot be certain and proved, but also to narrative intrigue, somehow creating suspense despite decades of extensive journalistic coverage and study of her subject. But Rubenhold’s true mark as a narrator of historical true crime is reinforced in this work by her continued loyalty to the women whose characters and stories have been flattened and overshadowed by journalists’ assumptions, their killers’ fame, or the simple fact of their victimhood.

Kirkus US

When Hallie Rubenhold picks up her pen, history comes to life. As in so many forensic cases, the perpetrator is placed in the limelight and the victim in the shadows. Hallie Rubenhold shines a light into those corners and gives the victims the stage they so rightly deserve.

Professor Sue Black

With astonishing depth of research and a finely attuned instinct for entrancing detail, Rubenhold reconstructs the wider truth surrounding a true crime, while composing an indelible portrait of a society on the brink of modernity. An awe-inspiring and truly gripping read

Abott Kahler

Rubenhold's historical detective work will keep you horrified, fascinated and enraged. Another triumph from a masterful storyteller

Lindsey Fitzharris, author of THE BUTCHERING ART

Another triumph. Rubenhold provides a fresh perspective on a notorious crime and in doing so, offers the reader the full picture. Her great talent lies in her scrupulous research and her ability to write real life like a good thriller. I inhaled it.

BELLA MACKIE

Once again, Hallie Rubenhold has restored the lost voices of women to a notorious historical murder, in a tale as compelling as any crime drama. She has a novelist's gift for storytelling combined with a historian's eye for the significant detail - I was gripped

S J PARRIS

Story of a Murder is an exceptional achievement. Meticulous research and dazzling storytelling. I was gripped from the very first page

THE SECRET BARRISTER

Another stunningly beguiling true crime study from the author of THE FIVE. Exhaustive research and writing worthy of the greatest thrillers combine to produce an irresistibly pacy and wonderfully engaging read

Foyles Books

Rubenhold has provided the unfortunate Cora Crippen with a fitting memorial in this deeply sympathetic book

Literary Review

Gripping and eye-opening

i-news Book to Watch out For

STORY OF A MURDER synthesizes perceptively the many millions of words that have been written about the Crippen trial. But Hallie Rubenhold goes further than other authors: she examines the contrasting figures of Ethel and Belle within their particular contexts, turning the crude stereotypes of the murder trial upside down. She is not looking for conclusions but exploring complexity, and the results are compelling.

TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

Breathtaking. Rubenhold has not only produced a thrilling reassessment of a notorious crime, but an impressive portrait of an age

SPECTATOR

Reframes the story with bold and compelling imagination….told in gripping detail, reflecting the author’s formidable command of the source material….Rubenhold is also terrific on the backdrop to the story…A MUST-READ

THE NEW EUROPEAN

What makes Rubenhold’s book special is that she disrupts that conventional narrative pattern, focusing instead of what comes before the murder, and after the committal. Her narrative is pacy and vigorous…in this lively book, with its teeming cast of characters, Belle finally has an advocate to answer back on her behalf.’

NEW STATESMAN