Fiction & Poetry, Crime, Thrillers & True Crime, True Crime, Non-Fiction, History & Politics, British History, 20th Century Britain
Story of a Murder: The Wives, The Mistress and Doctor Crippen
Paperback Published on: 02/07/2026
Price: £10.99
Bookseller Reviews
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A fantastically written piece of history that thoroughly gripped me
“The fear of the empowered woman certainly did not fade with the advance of the twentieth century, and with a handful of more recent exceptions, Filson You... READ MORE
An uncensored account of dark crime
Dark, detailed and wonderfully written, Story of a Murder provides a brilliant micro history of the Crippens. Jam-packed with information, Rubenhold sheds ... READ MORE
Gripping, enlightening, brilliant
This is the story of the macabre murder in 1910 of stage performer Cora Crippen, known professionally as Belle Elmore, by her notorious husband Dr Hawley H... READ MORE
Evocative, compelling history giving voice to the voiceless
The ‘crime of the century’ committed by Dr Crippen has become a case defined by its sensationalist headlines, with gory caricatures of both victims and kil... READ MORE
Gripping and compelling, a tale of two women.
A wonderful exploration of an Edwardian murder mystery which is still compelling today. As with "The Five" Hallie Rubenhold explores the life and times of ... READ MORE
Fantastic
I did not know a huge amount about Dr Crippen and his crimes, so this was a real eye opener of a book. Once again, Hallie Rubenhold has really brought to l... READ MORE
Brilliant
This book is incredible. It infuriated me for all the right reasons. Rubenhold has such a frank and clear writing style which I loved. This felt very conte... READ MORE
Fascinating, but tragic
I absolutely love Hallie Rubenhold, and this was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025.
To be honest the beginning (maybe first 100 pages) are q... READ MORE
Hallie Rubenhold Does it Again
I love Hallie Rubenhold and her sensitive but very necessary research into the women behind their murderer/attacker. We hear a lot about the murderous men ... READ MORE
Fascinating and gripping
A fascinating and gripping read.
Rather than focusing on Dr Hawley Crippen, the murderer, the book brings the murdered Belle to life as a real person ra... READ MORE
Story of a Murder
Compelling, emotional, and profoundly illuminating, ‘Story of a Murder’ challenges the existing story of Dr Crippen by focusing instead on Charlotte, Belle... READ MORE
A case that took the world by storm in both the 1910s and 2020s!
Wow, what a fantastic book about a truly detestable couple this was! I caught myself rolling my eyes at basically every single statement Ethel made (seriou... READ MORE
Enthralling
Being fascinated by historical true crime I am always on the lookout for modern accounts of cases. The research involved in ‘Story of a Murder’ is quite e... READ MORE
Two Women bound together by one terrible man.
I have read a lot of true crime so I must admit I wasn’t sure what Hallie Rubenhold would find to say on the subject of Dr Crippen wife murderer. I suspec... READ MORE
Another Triumph for Rubenhold
Rubenhold is a master in historical writing. This book follows Belle Elmore and her husband and murderer Dr Hawley Crippen adding detail and nuance to a ho... READ MORE
Murder Most Foul
Homeopath, dentist, con artist, liar, husband, lover, murderer, monster…
This is a spellbinding and potent account of the life and death of Cora Crippen (... READ MORE
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Gripping and thought provoking
A husband escaping his murky past overseas tries to emotionally and physically mold and control his new wife, only to become besotted instead with a work c... READ MORE
Fabulous
People think they know the Dr Crippen case, but a lot of what is out there is legend, shaped by the social norms, prejudices and expectations of the time. ... READ MORE
Another knockout from the author of The Five.
Another stunning book from Hallie Rubenhold untangling historical true-crime in an empathetic, accessible manner. This is not just a book about a grisly cr... READ MORE
Synopsis
On 1 February, 1910, vivacious music-hall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.
They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.
Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen’s typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve – was she really just ‘an innocent young girl’ in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?
In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard – the women.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
- ISBN: 9781804992920
- Number of pages: 512
- Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 33 mm
- Weight: 364g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allMurder or Money
An extremely well researched book in respect of the infamous Dr Crippen.
Each victim's background and family are described in detail so that you have th... READ MORE
An Education in Murder.
What a fantastic book! I had waited with great anticipation for this follow up to "The Five", which is my favourite historical book of recent years. I had ... READ MORE
Gripping at points but the case is far from proved
This book falls into three parts. The early section where the author appears to be filling out the Crippen story with plenty of (too much) contextual mat... READ MORE
Fascinating look into the Crippen case
Such a detailed and fascinating look into the lives of those around Dr Crippen whose stories had not been told before. Just brilliant.
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