Murder by the Book: A Sensational Chapter in Victorian Crime - Softcover
One of the Guardian's '50 Biggest Books of Autumn 2018'
Early in the morning of 6 May 1840, on an ultra-respectable Mayfair street, a footman answered the door to a panic-stricken maid from a nearby house. Her elderly master, Lord William Russell, was lying in bed with his throat cut so deeply that the head was almost severed.
The whole of London, from monarch to street urchins, was gripped by the gory details of the Russell murder, but behind it was another story, a work of fiction, and a fierce debate about censorship and morality. Several of the key literary figures of the day, including Dickens and Thackeray, were drawn into the controversy, and when Lord William's murderer claimed to having been inspired by the season's most sensational novel, it seemed that a great deal more was on trial than anyone could have guessed.
Bringing together much previously unpublished material from a wide range of sources, Claire Harman reveals the story of the notorious Russell murder case and its fascinating connections with the writers and literary culture of the day. Gripping and eye-opening, Murder by the Book is the untold true story of a surprisingly literary crime.
'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
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherPenguin
- Publication date2019
- ISBN 10 0241346940
- ISBN 13 9780241346945
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages224
- Rating
Buy New
Learn more about this copy
US$ 22.60
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Seller Image
Murder by the Book (Paperback)
Published by
Penguin Books Ltd, London
(2019)
ISBN 10: 0241346940
ISBN 13: 9780241346945
New
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. A gripping investigation into the crime that scandalized literary London, from Dickens to ThackerayOn a spring morning in 1840, on an ultra-respectable Mayfair street, a household of servants awoke to discover that their unobtrusive master, Lord William Russell, was lying in bed with his throat cut so deeply that the head was almost severed.The whole of London, from monarch to maidservants, was scandalized by the unfolding drama of such a shocking murder, but behind it was another story, a work of fiction. For when the culprit eventually confessed, he claimed his actions were the direct result of reading the best-selling crime-novel of the day. This announcement amazed the key literary figures of the time, from Thackeray to Dickens, and posed the question- can a work of fiction do real harm? Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780241346945
Buy New
US$ 22.60
Convert currency
Stock Image
Murder by the Book: A Sensational Chapter in Victorian Crime
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 224 pages. 7.70x5.00x0.80 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # 0241346940
Buy New
US$ 38.99
Convert currency
Seller Image
Murder by the Book (Paperback)
Published by
Penguin Books Ltd, London
(2019)
ISBN 10: 0241346940
ISBN 13: 9780241346945
New
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. A gripping investigation into the crime that scandalized literary London, from Dickens to ThackerayOn a spring morning in 1840, on an ultra-respectable Mayfair street, a household of servants awoke to discover that their unobtrusive master, Lord William Russell, was lying in bed with his throat cut so deeply that the head was almost severed.The whole of London, from monarch to maidservants, was scandalized by the unfolding drama of such a shocking murder, but behind it was another story, a work of fiction. For when the culprit eventually confessed, he claimed his actions were the direct result of reading the best-selling crime-novel of the day. This announcement amazed the key literary figures of the time, from Thackeray to Dickens, and posed the question- can a work of fiction do real harm? Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780241346945
Buy New
US$ 20.46
Convert currency
Seller Image
Murder by the Book (Paperback)
Published by
Penguin Books Ltd, London
(2019)
ISBN 10: 0241346940
ISBN 13: 9780241346945
New
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. A gripping investigation into the crime that scandalized literary London, from Dickens to ThackerayOn a spring morning in 1840, on an ultra-respectable Mayfair street, a household of servants awoke to discover that their unobtrusive master, Lord William Russell, was lying in bed with his throat cut so deeply that the head was almost severed.The whole of London, from monarch to maidservants, was scandalized by the unfolding drama of such a shocking murder, but behind it was another story, a work of fiction. For when the culprit eventually confessed, he claimed his actions were the direct result of reading the best-selling crime-novel of the day. This announcement amazed the key literary figures of the time, from Thackeray to Dickens, and posed the question- can a work of fiction do real harm? Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780241346945
Buy New
US$ 21.89
Convert currency