This is more a recounting of British literary history, but it will satisfy true crime fans as well.

Really well researched, interesting book though I actually thought the part looking at the potential link between the book and the murder was not as strong. Lots of Victorian name dropping at the start and even with the guide at the back it was very difficult to take all the names in without being a scholar of Victorian London! I love these glimpses into Victorian life though and the chapter describing the execution and reactions to it was fascinating,

A bit lackluster for me. The connection between the murder and the literature was disjointed for too long and the end was rushed. I had a hard time getting really invested in the people’s lives, a critical absence for a true crime book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation.

Check out this review on my blog: https://ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2018/11/review-murder-by-book-by-claire-harman.html

Murder by the Book: A Sensational Chapter in Victorian Crime by Clare Harman is historical true crime at its absolute best. Author Claire Harman transports readers to 1840 London and the sensational murder Lord William Russell. Russell was found on a May morning by his maid, with his throat slit so severely that his head was almost completely detached. The upper class neighborhood where the murder occurred was suddenly in a panic, and so was all of London when the murderer claimed to have been inspired by a newly released novel. Featuring several of the key literary figures of the time (including Dickens, Poe, and Thackeray) Murder by the Book will have you thinking about life imitating art, censorship laws, copycat killers, and the sensationalism of murders in the media. This slim novel (170 pages + several reference pages at the end) is a quick read and the literary element kept me intrigued until the last page.

Small, interesting story. It might have been a better magazine article, as it feels a little puffed even with the short book.

Victorian True Crime + Reception History of a “Bad Boy” Novel

The plot of W. H. Ainsworth’s “bad boy” Victorian crime novel, Jack Sheppard, becomes key to the events surrounding the murder of an elderly Mayfair Lord by his young Swiss manservant in 1840’s London. Harman’s excellent research and keen ability to bring early Victorian England to life reminds her modern readers of the deep cultural impact a sensational novel can have in the legal system and in the court of public opinion. Harman’s work will fascinate readers with the story of a sordid murder, but book-lovers will relate to the lingering spell a well told tale casts upon the community of readers.

Ugh I wanted to like this one a lot but it was too dry for how short it was. I also really didn’t like how the narrative was organized.

It definitely doesn’t deliver on its “here’s a crime that was inspired by a book” hype, since the book that allegedly inspired the crime has languished in obscurity and modern audiences have little to no knowledge of the contents of the book other than what the author of THIS book tells us. If the crime had been inspired by a Dickens novel, it would be a different story. As it is, the author of this book has had to force in a lot of references to authors of the time that are still known today so that the reader has something to clutch at for their understanding.

I think this would have been better presented as a case study in a bigger book about times historically where people have directly claimed that they were inspired by a book to commit some action.

It's hard to keep track of all the characters. Detailed to the point of tediousness at times.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Murder by the Book is a true crime novel centering around the death of Lord William and the scandal that surrounded the discovery of his body and subsequent trial.

This does a decent job of describing the main events of the crime, as well as the possibility of any literary influence over the murder itself with discussions about ‘sensationalist’ novels that were popular at the time. However I felt there wasn’t really much of a story to tell here. Large portions of the crime are fleshed out with descriptions and accounts that don’t really enrich the narrative, and unfortunately it just didn’t hold my attention. There’s also a rather large cast of characters that began to get rather confusing as the story progressed.

I think I would have found this more enjoyable if the book focused more on these popular Victorian novels rather than trying to fit the topic around one murder, as there may have been more material. There was a lot of potential to take this idea of ‘celebrity’ and the sensationalised criminal and to expand on it, perhaps moving on to other famous murders of the time and the reasoning behind why they were just so popular.

For a short novel it’s well researched, but I think the topic had potential to be a lot more interesting. It’s certainly piqued an interest in Victorian murder novels.

Insightful and not only about the murder itself, but what was happening at the time and in town, with great background about the world itself. Compelling and a great slice of history.