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lucy is reading's Reviews > Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen
Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen
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Dark, detailed and wonderfully written, Story of a Murder provides a brilliant micro history of the Crippens. Jam-packed with information, Rubenhold sheds light on the darker parts of the Edwardian world, through the actions of one man.
Rubenhold provides an uncensored account of the key characters in this murder. Using ample amounts of primary evidence, she shows the duality of them all. In particular, she works hard to highlight the complexities of Ethel, who, for many years, was easily dismissed as a naive young girl overcome with romantic notions. Instead, Rubenhold allows the evidence to speak for itself; that we may never truly know the truth, we can infer and build a better understanding of Ethel.
Similarly for Belle, Rubenhold puts right the years of lies and slander. In these pages, Belle becomes a living person who has dreams and ambitions. She isn’t perfect but feels incredibly human and deserving of being treated fairly. The impact that her disappearance on her friends reminds us that murder is an incredibly disruptive force, but also that she was loved by the people around her.
But more than just revealing the grim details of Belle Elmore’s murder, this book shows the start of deeper societal change in the Western World. Despite the patriarchal society that all they lived in, which prevented them from voting, doing jury service, or having a bank account, this book reveals how female agency was strong in Edwardian Britain. It was women of the MHLG that searched for the truth, who provided evidence at trial, and fought to preserve Belle’s memory. Their actions were proof that women were actors of their own stories.
Similarly underscoring this was the misogynist medical views of the last nineteen century. The sexist views on women’s bodies were not just confined to medical examinations, but were closely intertwined with everyday beliefs. It fuels Crippen’s low opinion of the women in his life, and gave him power over their bodies. It influenced the public’s opinion on Belle, and it disguised the role that Ethel played in the murder. Like a double-edged sword, it allowed for justice to never fully be served in this case.
Thank you to the publisher for this arc. All thoughts are my own.
Publishes: 25th March 2025
Rubenhold provides an uncensored account of the key characters in this murder. Using ample amounts of primary evidence, she shows the duality of them all. In particular, she works hard to highlight the complexities of Ethel, who, for many years, was easily dismissed as a naive young girl overcome with romantic notions. Instead, Rubenhold allows the evidence to speak for itself; that we may never truly know the truth, we can infer and build a better understanding of Ethel.
Similarly for Belle, Rubenhold puts right the years of lies and slander. In these pages, Belle becomes a living person who has dreams and ambitions. She isn’t perfect but feels incredibly human and deserving of being treated fairly. The impact that her disappearance on her friends reminds us that murder is an incredibly disruptive force, but also that she was loved by the people around her.
But more than just revealing the grim details of Belle Elmore’s murder, this book shows the start of deeper societal change in the Western World. Despite the patriarchal society that all they lived in, which prevented them from voting, doing jury service, or having a bank account, this book reveals how female agency was strong in Edwardian Britain. It was women of the MHLG that searched for the truth, who provided evidence at trial, and fought to preserve Belle’s memory. Their actions were proof that women were actors of their own stories.
Similarly underscoring this was the misogynist medical views of the last nineteen century. The sexist views on women’s bodies were not just confined to medical examinations, but were closely intertwined with everyday beliefs. It fuels Crippen’s low opinion of the women in his life, and gave him power over their bodies. It influenced the public’s opinion on Belle, and it disguised the role that Ethel played in the murder. Like a double-edged sword, it allowed for justice to never fully be served in this case.
Thank you to the publisher for this arc. All thoughts are my own.
Publishes: 25th March 2025
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