Murder by the Book: A Sensational Chapter in Victorian Crime by Claire Harman
*Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction 2019* 'A fascinating portrait of Victorian London' Observer 'I devoured it in one sitting' Alison Weir 'Excellent' Dan Snow Early on the morning of 6 May 1840, on an ultra-respectable Mayfair street, the elderly Lord William Russell was discovered in bed with his throat cut so deeply that the head was almost severed. When Lord William's assassin claimed to having been inspired by a recent sensational novel, it sent shock waves through literary London, and drew both Dickens and Thackeray into the fray. The crime, the investigation, the city's fevered fixation and the mores of the Victorian age are all brilliantly evoked and scrutinized in Claire Harman's spellbinding account of a surprisingly literary crime. 'A scandalous Victorian mystery' Guardian 'Fascinating, entertaining. Harman's tale is never less than rip-roaring' Daily Telegraph 'Vivid and punchy' Spectator Review A brilliant piece of literary detective work Evening Standard [A] scandalous Victorian mystery... Harman tells the story with clarity and vigour Guardian Book of the Day Vivid and punchy Spectator [Harman] is a storyteller, with a sense of pace and timing, relish for a good scene and a wry sense of humour Economist [A] riveting investigation into a transgression that scandalised the literati of Victorian London in 1840. An engrossing fireside festive treat The Bookseller This beautifully produced and impressively researched historical account of a celebrated Victorian murder with a literary twist reads like a thriller. I devoured it in one sitting, and was at once enthralled and chilled. Highly recommended! -- Alison Weir A fascinating portrait of Victorian London amid the rising popularity of the novel The Observer A riveting investigation into a true and vicious murder that shocked Victorian London Woman & Home A fascinating account.... As Harman skilfully reveals, the real story behind the famous murder is the complex one about the harmful influence of fiction on the mind of the reader. The Times The book's heft lies in its rich detail...characters and settings are so vivid that Murder By The Book will surely soon be snatched up by television producers seeking their next Victorian crime drama Daily Mail Harman resists sensationalising the murder... Instead, she offers a long view of the circular relationship between crime and literature New Statesman There is enough ambiguity in the story of Russell's end to satisfy even the most ardent lovers of detective fiction, and Harman's enjoyment at piecing together the evidence is clear BBC History Magazine Enthralling Oldie Enthralling . . . A page-turner that can hold its own with any one of the many murder-minded podcasts out there Jezebel Its opening scene is the stuff that classic murder mysteries are made of . . . Ms. Harman is a tireless researcher and a droll stylist Wall Street Journal Harman demonstrates a flair for distilling reams of research into a succinct, lively narrative. The book is an exemplar of how to write taut, issue-driven historical nonfiction. With an appreciation for pithy quotations, telling details and amusing gossip, she's quick to spot a fascinating aside . . . As riveting as this true-crime story is, what elevates Murder by the Book above sensationalism is its focus on how this case heightened concern over the malevolent influence of violent entertainment Washington Post An assiduously researched and superbly written book that ends with Harman examining unanswered questions, and reminding us that truth can be stranger than fiction Minneapolis Star Tribune A fascinating, exhaustively researched exploration into how art can influence society and vice versa, Murder by the Book turns an unflinching eye to the ways in which biases born of economic inequality affect the way crimes are investigated and prosecuted. It's a true crime devotee's delight BookPage Harman effectively uses a novelist's approach to recreate a now obscure 1840 English murder case that was a sensation at the time . . . By exploring concerns about the glorification of criminals in the fiction of the day and addressing some lingering mysteries, such as whether Courvoisier had an accomplice, Harman adds depth to a fascinating true crime narrative. Publishers Weekly, starred review An endlessly fascinating, bookish tale of true crime in Victorian England . . . Lovers of Drood, Sherlock, Jack the Ripper, and their kin real and fictional will relish the gruesome details of this entertaining book. Kirkus Reviews, starred review About the Author Claire Harman is the award-winning biographer of Sylvia Townsend Warner (1989), Fanny Burney (2000) and Robert Louis Stevenson (2005) and the author of the best-selling Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World (2009). She writes regularly for the literary press on both sides of the Atlantic and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2006. Her most recent work is Charlotte Bronte: A Life.
Publication Details
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Binding: Paperback
Published by: Penguin: , 2019
Edition:
ISBN: 9780241346945 | 0241346940
224 pages.
Book Condition: Good
Cover worn.
Pickup currently unavailable at Book Express Warehouse
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