A Very British Murder: The Story of a National Obsession

A Very British Murder: The Story of a National Obsession by Worsley, Lucy. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781849906340.

From Jack the Ripper to the cosy crimes of the Golden Age, renowned historian Lucy Worsley explores the evolution of the typical British murder. A Very British Murder is Lucy Worsleys enthralling exploration of a curious national obsession. Our fascination with a good murder -- from the Ratcliffe Highway Murders at the turn of the nineteenth century to Edith Thompson and Freddie Bywaters, hanged in 1922 for the murder of Ediths husband -- became a form of national entertainment, inspiring novels, plays and films, puppet shows and paintings, poetry and true-crime journalism. This riveting investigation shows how during the birth of modern Britain murder entered our national psyche -- and has been a part of us ever since.