Women Who Kill (Hardback)
A History of Britain's Most Dangerous Women
Imprint: Pen & Sword History
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399047708
Published: 16th August 2024
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Innocent, guilty, coerced, framed.
These are the stories of dozens of women who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Whether innocent or not, these women were all indicted for murder of some sort; most of them ended up facing execution. From Britain’s late medieval period through the following 600 years, this book explores the world of murderous female crime and pulls you in to the lives of these women. It situates their stories on the timeline of British crime and relates their terrible deeds to the criminal world and proceedings of the times they lived in.
Enjoy this glimpse into the history of Britain’s criminal underbelly and the women within it, who showed what desperation, lack of mental health support, and cruelty, could lead to.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Brenda Carleton
Thoroughly-researched Women Who Kill by Erin Fetterly focuses on female murderers in Wales, England and Scotland over the past 700 years, the criminal (in)justice system, executions and mental health. Women were long considered to be lacking in intelligence, courage and the capacity to kill but there are many examples of manslaughter and murder throughout the centuries. As women were usually at home, their weapons of choice were implements at hand. Women were often burned for their crimes but men seldom were. To delay death, sometimes women pleaded pregnancy, whether they were pregnant or not.
Not only are the cases interesting but so is learning about the evolution of mental health pertaining to murder and punishment. The women faced their fates (usually execution) in various ways which are outlined here. The last women executions in each of the three countries are described as are murder pamphlets, enlightenment, insanity and living conditions faced which are vastly different from now.
Do know the graphic descriptions can be difficult and jarring to read, especially details about infanticide. I like that it is written sensitively and thoughtfully.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Sarah Phalen
This was a wonderful non-fiction very interesting and entertaining. A very enjoyable read.
Wow, it was so interesting to read about female killers in Britain. Women Who Kill was just that. A great story!
NetGalley, Pamela Higgins
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Jamie Carter Park
Ten years ago I stopped reading true crime and I started writing it instead. Reading it was too emotional for me but writing about it wasn't. Naturally, I focused on crimes 100 years ago to preserve my emotions.
Anyway, I saw this and said "you need to read this" and I am so glad I did.
This is one of the best women's history books I have ever read. Why were women burned and not men? It is so interesting. I also love the bits about old newspapers. Reading old newspapers is everything. The gossip people put in the papers was worse than what we find on facebook now. It is amazing!
My favorite hobby is to find the gossip articles and then put them in familysearch so the family can see them.
I love this book. Do I think other people will love it? Yes. Because it is a well written and simple account of the things happening in this time period. But I think you'd need to be like me to appreciate it fully.
More of these please.
A very well researched true crime read.
NetGalley, Debra Gape
Covering 700 years of murders some readers may find some parts difficult to read.
Highly recommend for those who enjoy true crime.
‘Throughout British history, it has been assumed that women are far less likely, and less capable, than men to commit felonies of all types, especially murder.’
NetGalley, Georgi Lvs Books
A must read for true crime readers!
Featuring stories of women who have committed murder in the past 700 years.
A very interesting book about British female serial killers. Definitely recommend to all that enjoy true crime!
NetGalley, Kimberley Anne
The author of this book really did their research for this book. I like that the author stated facts and backed it up with court documents. This book really was eye opening because I learned a lot about the treatment of women In the criminal justice system in the past and present. It accurately shows the evolvement of the justice system for women.
NetGalley, Kelli Laque
Interesting and entertaining- although that may be too cheerful a word, considering the subject matter. I liked that the author mostly kept the focus on ‘everyday’ murderers rather than notorious ones.
NetGalley, Tammy Buchli
This book does a great job of describing how Britain's criminal justice has evolved for women. It uses numerous court records and other accounts to illustrate how women were tried for their crimes and punished. Well-researched. The book is nonfiction. The author focuses on actual records and does not dramatize their stories. I like how the author mentioned mental health and societal norms that impacted the treatment of women.
NetGalley, Charity Blankenship
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Louise Gray
A terrific book -well researched, not sensationalist in tone and with a great balance of case studies and legal context. Spanning different eras, the impact of gender on crime and punishment is clearly explained and supported by interesting individual accounts.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Michelle Coates
Love all things true crime so devoured this fine book in one sitting! These are the stories of dozens of women who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Whether innocent or not, these women were all indicted for murder of some sort; most of them ended up facing execution.
Recommend you grab yourself a copy!
About Erin Fetterly
Erin Fetterly is a historian, researcher, and writer from Canada. She is currently working toward her PhD from Birkbeck, University of London, where she is writing about early modern women’s manuscript writing. Her interests include women’s history, royal history and the history of medicine, science, witchcraft, and crime, with a focus on Britain. She has written a variety of articles for The Historian’s Magazine and enjoys creating exciting and approachable historical content for her Instagram account @thecanadianlondoner. She has a love for London and in her spare time enjoys making music, reading, and baking. She lives in Barrie, Ontario with her family. This is her first book.