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A Different Class of Murder: The Story of Lord Lucan
On 7 November 1974, a nanny named Sandra Rivett was bludgeoned to death in a Belgravia basement. A second woman, Veronica, Countess of Lucan, was also attacked. The man named in court as perpetrator of these crimes, Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, disappeared in the early hours of the following morning. The case, solved in the eyes of the law, has retained its fascination ever since.
Laura Thompson, acclaimed biographer of Agatha Christie, narrates the story that led up to that cataclysmic event, and draws on her considerable forensic skills to re-examine the possible truths behind one of postwar Britain's most notorious murders. A DIFFERENT CLASS OF MURDER is a portrait of an era, of an extraordinary cast of characters, of a mystery, of a modern myth. Part social history, part detective story, it tells in masterly style one of the great tales of our collective living memory.
Laura Thompson, acclaimed biographer of Agatha Christie, narrates the story that led up to that cataclysmic event, and draws on her considerable forensic skills to re-examine the possible truths behind one of postwar Britain's most notorious murders. A DIFFERENT CLASS OF MURDER is a portrait of an era, of an extraordinary cast of characters, of a mystery, of a modern myth. Part social history, part detective story, it tells in masterly style one of the great tales of our collective living memory.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2014
518 people are currently reading
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About the author
Laura Thompson
86 books181 followersPlease note: Laura Thompson's account is mistakenly merged with another author's account by the same name. Goodreads Librarians are working to solve the issue.
Laura Thompson writes about life - and is unapologetic in what she captures. She is a sexual assault survivor, has navigated near death traumas with her daughters' medical issues, and possesses the ability to capture what is true, honest, and worthy.
True to form, her writing will resonate powerfully with other survivors and with anyone who knows a survivor - because she embodies the word.
Thompson has worked in nonprofit administration for seven years. She and her husband, Edward, have three children: identical twin daughters, Jane and Claire, and son, Stephen. They reside in the Lowcountry of Charleston, SC.
Laura Thompson writes about life - and is unapologetic in what she captures. She is a sexual assault survivor, has navigated near death traumas with her daughters' medical issues, and possesses the ability to capture what is true, honest, and worthy.
True to form, her writing will resonate powerfully with other survivors and with anyone who knows a survivor - because she embodies the word.
Thompson has worked in nonprofit administration for seven years. She and her husband, Edward, have three children: identical twin daughters, Jane and Claire, and son, Stephen. They reside in the Lowcountry of Charleston, SC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
September 5, 2018
This book takes an in depth look at the mysterious disappearance of Lord Lucan in 1974 after the murder of his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, and an attack on his estranged wife, Veronica. The events surrounding the murder are shocking and make riveting reading, but this book sometimes suffers from a rather confused and muddled account of the facts. The beginning of the book is a rather incoherent and rambling list of virtually all aristocrats convicted of murder, especially if they are linked to Lord Lucan’s ancestors. You are left with the definite impression that not only the aristocracy, but Lucan himself, got away with murder because of his background - but by the 1970’s attitudes have changed and having a title actually worked against Lord Lucan with the press and the public.
Despite the author initially painting Lucan in the blackest possible terms, real life is rarely so clear cut and, indeed, as the book progresses the sad story unfolds. Lucan was privileged, wealthy and was a man who certainly felt entitled to the good life. He had the best education and walked into a lucrative position with a merchant bank, only to give everything up to – bizarrely - become a professional gambler. His marriage to Veronica Duncan in 1963 seemed to take everyone by surprise. She was disliked by his friends, suffered severe post natal depression after the birth of each of her three children and the couple were plagued with financial worries after Lucan was unable to sustain his gambling losses. What is certain is that Lucan cared deeply, for his children and when he lost custody of them to his wife (with the proviso that a nanny should be in full time residence to help her), he would have done anything to get them back. His financial situation also disintegrated after the custody hearing and he became obsessed with the idea of regaining custody of his children. Whether that was because he feared for their well being, as he suggested, or because of a power struggle between him and his wife is less clear – but he certainly obsessed about the situation to everyone he met, to the point where it became virtually his only topic of conversation.
This book takes us through the crime itself, what happened afterwards and assesses the evidence for what really became of Lucan after the murder. Once I had settled into the author’s style I found this a really interesting read, but I felt that the telling of what happened could have been far clearer and was, at times, a rather confused account. There are often too many digressions – research on every crime even slightly relevant to the story (whether real or fictional) are brought in, as though the author cannot bear not to use any research. However, the events are so extraordinary on their own, that you almost cannot believe what you are reading. The whole atmosphere around Lucan and his obsession with gambling is both tragic and sordid. For a man who had everything to spend his days at the Clermont Club; opened in 1962 so that, “gentlemen could ruin themselves as elegantly and suicidally as did their ancestors 300 years ago,” says almost everything. The marriage between Lucan and Veronica was at the centre of events and it was this relationship which makes the most fascinating reading.
Public opinion was with Veronica and, of course, for the poor nanny, who so brutally lost her life. It is a fact that Lucan’s friends and family closed ranks – but did they help him to escape? If you are interested in true crime, you will find this a really enthralling read, but a good editor would have improved the style, kept the book on track and perhaps made the account a little more unbiased. I would even go as far as to say that it might be best to avoid the introduction and read that at the end, as it almost put me off reading further and that would have been a shame as it ended up being an interesting, if overly emotive, account of both the events leading up to the crime, the murder itself and the myth surrounding Lord Lucan afterwards.
Despite the author initially painting Lucan in the blackest possible terms, real life is rarely so clear cut and, indeed, as the book progresses the sad story unfolds. Lucan was privileged, wealthy and was a man who certainly felt entitled to the good life. He had the best education and walked into a lucrative position with a merchant bank, only to give everything up to – bizarrely - become a professional gambler. His marriage to Veronica Duncan in 1963 seemed to take everyone by surprise. She was disliked by his friends, suffered severe post natal depression after the birth of each of her three children and the couple were plagued with financial worries after Lucan was unable to sustain his gambling losses. What is certain is that Lucan cared deeply, for his children and when he lost custody of them to his wife (with the proviso that a nanny should be in full time residence to help her), he would have done anything to get them back. His financial situation also disintegrated after the custody hearing and he became obsessed with the idea of regaining custody of his children. Whether that was because he feared for their well being, as he suggested, or because of a power struggle between him and his wife is less clear – but he certainly obsessed about the situation to everyone he met, to the point where it became virtually his only topic of conversation.
This book takes us through the crime itself, what happened afterwards and assesses the evidence for what really became of Lucan after the murder. Once I had settled into the author’s style I found this a really interesting read, but I felt that the telling of what happened could have been far clearer and was, at times, a rather confused account. There are often too many digressions – research on every crime even slightly relevant to the story (whether real or fictional) are brought in, as though the author cannot bear not to use any research. However, the events are so extraordinary on their own, that you almost cannot believe what you are reading. The whole atmosphere around Lucan and his obsession with gambling is both tragic and sordid. For a man who had everything to spend his days at the Clermont Club; opened in 1962 so that, “gentlemen could ruin themselves as elegantly and suicidally as did their ancestors 300 years ago,” says almost everything. The marriage between Lucan and Veronica was at the centre of events and it was this relationship which makes the most fascinating reading.
Public opinion was with Veronica and, of course, for the poor nanny, who so brutally lost her life. It is a fact that Lucan’s friends and family closed ranks – but did they help him to escape? If you are interested in true crime, you will find this a really enthralling read, but a good editor would have improved the style, kept the book on track and perhaps made the account a little more unbiased. I would even go as far as to say that it might be best to avoid the introduction and read that at the end, as it almost put me off reading further and that would have been a shame as it ended up being an interesting, if overly emotive, account of both the events leading up to the crime, the murder itself and the myth surrounding Lord Lucan afterwards.
February 5, 2023
2/4 well I’m finished and I did decide to rate it. A bit too much much at four stars, but I stopped the half thing years ago. I decided to do so because I found this book as much as a sociological study of nobility of the ‘70 s (as already noted) maybe more so than the murder. That is probably the most disturbing part of this book; this book made the victim possibly the fourth most important person. It truly felt more like the story of Bingham’s addictions, Veronica’s mental health, their friends and family. I think if the author could he may not have even used the nanny’s name. It was so banal. The nanny’s murder was not the reason, or at least not a top reason, why this book was written. She was an article, a prop that had to be acknowledged obviously because she did die and someone was responsible. Then the book goes off on possible tangents why and who.
1/29 part three begins
As mentioned when I first started this book I may rate this book; the first two parts were extremely informative about Lord Lucan and his life as a gambler and a husband and father in the '70s of London. He had an addiction quite noticeably, and his clique did nothing to assist him to get out of that environment because they were in the same boat. What the book does make clear is how absolutely aimless this class judged themselves as having nothing to do except sport and the betting therein. It's quite pitiful. Well I say that then I think about how much money I put out shopping ...honestly I can only think of one sale that went on for about two weeks that I look at myself in disbelief at how much I spent-over $1000 one store, one sale.
So this book is a tad exceptional for my 2023 project. I get a little bit of the entitlement and a little bit of the true crime
I may actually rate this one because I'm simply fascinated by the history of the "you're nobility so you must not be guilty" attitude of the past. The first bits of the book are all about explaining that, and although I am aware of that discriminating tactic, it's still interesting to read about those cases.
1/29 part three begins
As mentioned when I first started this book I may rate this book; the first two parts were extremely informative about Lord Lucan and his life as a gambler and a husband and father in the '70s of London. He had an addiction quite noticeably, and his clique did nothing to assist him to get out of that environment because they were in the same boat. What the book does make clear is how absolutely aimless this class judged themselves as having nothing to do except sport and the betting therein. It's quite pitiful. Well I say that then I think about how much money I put out shopping ...honestly I can only think of one sale that went on for about two weeks that I look at myself in disbelief at how much I spent-over $1000 one store, one sale.
So this book is a tad exceptional for my 2023 project. I get a little bit of the entitlement and a little bit of the true crime
I may actually rate this one because I'm simply fascinated by the history of the "you're nobility so you must not be guilty" attitude of the past. The first bits of the book are all about explaining that, and although I am aware of that discriminating tactic, it's still interesting to read about those cases.
December 30, 2014
On 7 November 1974 Sandra Rivett, 29, was bludgeoned to death in the basement of a house at 46 Lower Belgrave Street, London. A second woman, Veronica, Countess of Lucan, was also attacked and she survived to name her estranged husband, Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, as the man who assaulted her.
He would, in his absence, be named in court as perpetrator of both of these crimes, but he would never be tried. Because the last confirmed sighting of Lord Lucan was in the early hours of the following morning.
The case was – and continues to be – a cause celebre, because there have been sightings, and suggestions that wealthy friends had helped him to escape and start a new life abroad.
Much attention has been given to Lord Lucan’s possible fate, but little attention has been given to the questions of what really happened that night and of whether or no it was fully and properly investigated. Laura Thompson addresses those questions in this book.
It’s lucky that I’d read her work before – I loved her biography of Agatha Christie. Had I not I might not have made it through a rather lengthy introduction that could have made its key points – that there had been domestic murders, that there had been aristocratic murderers, but never before had an aristocrat been accused of a domestic murder – far more effectively in just a few pages.
In the body of the book she displays a much surer touch, and it is clear that she has done a fine researching all of the background and the facts of the case. She evaluates the origins of a tragedy, she reconstructs events on that terrible night and she considers the consequences, for the Lucans, for their families and for their friends.
I was fascinated by characters of Lord and Lady Lucan. Both had insecurities rooted in childhood experiences; she had become an insecure, and maybe emotionally unbalanced adult, and she had suffered badly from post-natal depression after the births of her three children; he had a destructive addiction to gambling. It was easy to see that despair at his failed marriage, his loss of the custody of the children he adored, and his spiralling gambling debts might have left him in a position which he considered only desperate action could resolve.
But there are conflicting facts, there are gaps in the evidence, there were prejudices, and some things are not quite as straightforward as they appear to be in the story presented to the world.
There was a lot to consider and a great deal to talk about. I looked up from my book to ask, ‘did you know …’ quite a few times.
I was astonished that a magistrates courts could pronounce someone a murderer without any defence being presented – and that practice wasn’t outlawed until 1977.
I was struck that Lady Lucan was the only witness and that, after being attacked in the dark, it was possible that she drew the wrong conclusions. She has had to live with the consequences of that night for more than forty years now.
I was pleased that proper consideration was given to the story and character of Sandra Rivett, and to question of whether she might have been the intended victim of the murderer rather than a victim of mistaken identity.
I was disappointed – though not entirely surprised – that there was no thorough investigation, that the police accepted Lady Lucan’s account of events and that evidence was lost while they pursued her missing husband.
Laura Thompson is very strong on social history and on building – and deconstructing timelines and scenarios. It is clear that she is intrigued by her subject. But I have to say that as whole the book might have been edited a little to make things a little clearer and to allow consideration of each chapter considering a different aspect of the story to be more complete in itself.
I’m still a little confused about who was who in Lord Lucan’s social circle, but I understood enough to follow the sequence of events and to understand and evaluate the arguments put forward.
She considers a number of alternatives scenarios, settling finally on one where Lucan hired a hitman to kill his wife and then intervened, either because he changed his mind or because he realised that something had – or might – go wrong. I’m inclined to agree.
She dismisses the possibility that he was helped to escape, and the so called conspiracy of silence of his gambling friends. And her argument that he died by his own hand, not wanting his beloved children to see him tried, not wanting to live with the consequences of events he had set in motions, not believing that he could turn his life around is compelling.
The analysis is fascinating, the questions that will never be answered are intriguing, what has stayed with me is the human story of those who were caught up in events that November night, and this who have – and who still are – living with the consequences.
He would, in his absence, be named in court as perpetrator of both of these crimes, but he would never be tried. Because the last confirmed sighting of Lord Lucan was in the early hours of the following morning.
The case was – and continues to be – a cause celebre, because there have been sightings, and suggestions that wealthy friends had helped him to escape and start a new life abroad.
Much attention has been given to Lord Lucan’s possible fate, but little attention has been given to the questions of what really happened that night and of whether or no it was fully and properly investigated. Laura Thompson addresses those questions in this book.
It’s lucky that I’d read her work before – I loved her biography of Agatha Christie. Had I not I might not have made it through a rather lengthy introduction that could have made its key points – that there had been domestic murders, that there had been aristocratic murderers, but never before had an aristocrat been accused of a domestic murder – far more effectively in just a few pages.
In the body of the book she displays a much surer touch, and it is clear that she has done a fine researching all of the background and the facts of the case. She evaluates the origins of a tragedy, she reconstructs events on that terrible night and she considers the consequences, for the Lucans, for their families and for their friends.
I was fascinated by characters of Lord and Lady Lucan. Both had insecurities rooted in childhood experiences; she had become an insecure, and maybe emotionally unbalanced adult, and she had suffered badly from post-natal depression after the births of her three children; he had a destructive addiction to gambling. It was easy to see that despair at his failed marriage, his loss of the custody of the children he adored, and his spiralling gambling debts might have left him in a position which he considered only desperate action could resolve.
But there are conflicting facts, there are gaps in the evidence, there were prejudices, and some things are not quite as straightforward as they appear to be in the story presented to the world.
There was a lot to consider and a great deal to talk about. I looked up from my book to ask, ‘did you know …’ quite a few times.
I was astonished that a magistrates courts could pronounce someone a murderer without any defence being presented – and that practice wasn’t outlawed until 1977.
I was struck that Lady Lucan was the only witness and that, after being attacked in the dark, it was possible that she drew the wrong conclusions. She has had to live with the consequences of that night for more than forty years now.
I was pleased that proper consideration was given to the story and character of Sandra Rivett, and to question of whether she might have been the intended victim of the murderer rather than a victim of mistaken identity.
I was disappointed – though not entirely surprised – that there was no thorough investigation, that the police accepted Lady Lucan’s account of events and that evidence was lost while they pursued her missing husband.
Laura Thompson is very strong on social history and on building – and deconstructing timelines and scenarios. It is clear that she is intrigued by her subject. But I have to say that as whole the book might have been edited a little to make things a little clearer and to allow consideration of each chapter considering a different aspect of the story to be more complete in itself.
I’m still a little confused about who was who in Lord Lucan’s social circle, but I understood enough to follow the sequence of events and to understand and evaluate the arguments put forward.
She considers a number of alternatives scenarios, settling finally on one where Lucan hired a hitman to kill his wife and then intervened, either because he changed his mind or because he realised that something had – or might – go wrong. I’m inclined to agree.
She dismisses the possibility that he was helped to escape, and the so called conspiracy of silence of his gambling friends. And her argument that he died by his own hand, not wanting his beloved children to see him tried, not wanting to live with the consequences of events he had set in motions, not believing that he could turn his life around is compelling.
The analysis is fascinating, the questions that will never be answered are intriguing, what has stayed with me is the human story of those who were caught up in events that November night, and this who have – and who still are – living with the consequences.
February 29, 2016
A deeply frustrating book. Any good ideas (such as the final theory) are lost in a morass of bias (bending over backwards to try to give Lucan the benefit of the doubt, and very pro-his friends) and bizarre comparisons with fiction, such as the author's continual references to Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders, thus making it more likely that the author's theory will likewise be dismissed as fiction. I usually burn through books quickly, even bad ones, but this was so frustrating and annoying that it took me half a year.
September 19, 2018
I was a boy when the Lord Lucan case was making the headlines in 1974, so I had only hazy memories and could recall just the basic facts (a bit like the Jeremy Thorpe scandal which I thoroughly enjoyed recently revisiting via the superb A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies, and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment).
A Different Class of Murder: The Story of Lord Lucan gave me the opportunity to discover more about this iconic British murder. Laura Thompson has thoroughly researched the case and does an excellent job in bringing the era, and Lucan's aristocratic milieu, to life.
As Laura Thompson observes, Lucan and his wife Veronica could probably both have had happier and more fulfilling lives had they never met. That Lucan also chose to become a professional gambler just before they met added an additional strain to their relationship, especially once they started having children.
The couple subsequently split up, Lucan moved out, and so commenced an ongoing battle for custody of their children.
Shortly afterwards, on 7 November 1974, the children's nanny Sandra Rivett was bludgeoned to death in the basement of their house. Lucan's wife Veronica was also attacked. Lucan was suspect number one, as he appeared at the scene shortly after Sandra Rivett's murder, however he fled, and few ever saw him again - he simply disappeared. Was he dead? Living abroad under an alias? No one knows, or no one is saying if they do.
At almost 500 pages, the book contains everything you could realistically wish to learn about the case. However the book is also very discursive, sprawling and occasionally repetitive. A good edit and it would have been a five star classic, as it is it's an interesting, in-depth investigation into one of the most iconic British crimes of its era. Part social history, part criminal investigation, it's well worth reading if you have any interest in true crime, British social history, or the aristocracy.
3/5
A Different Class of Murder: The Story of Lord Lucan gave me the opportunity to discover more about this iconic British murder. Laura Thompson has thoroughly researched the case and does an excellent job in bringing the era, and Lucan's aristocratic milieu, to life.
As Laura Thompson observes, Lucan and his wife Veronica could probably both have had happier and more fulfilling lives had they never met. That Lucan also chose to become a professional gambler just before they met added an additional strain to their relationship, especially once they started having children.
The couple subsequently split up, Lucan moved out, and so commenced an ongoing battle for custody of their children.
Shortly afterwards, on 7 November 1974, the children's nanny Sandra Rivett was bludgeoned to death in the basement of their house. Lucan's wife Veronica was also attacked. Lucan was suspect number one, as he appeared at the scene shortly after Sandra Rivett's murder, however he fled, and few ever saw him again - he simply disappeared. Was he dead? Living abroad under an alias? No one knows, or no one is saying if they do.
At almost 500 pages, the book contains everything you could realistically wish to learn about the case. However the book is also very discursive, sprawling and occasionally repetitive. A good edit and it would have been a five star classic, as it is it's an interesting, in-depth investigation into one of the most iconic British crimes of its era. Part social history, part criminal investigation, it's well worth reading if you have any interest in true crime, British social history, or the aristocracy.
3/5
July 30, 2016
The Lord Lucan case is one hard-wired into the British psyche. Degenerate gambler aristocrat murders his children’s nanny when he mistakes her for his wife and then disappears into the night. It’s a rare sitcom of the last thirty years which hasn’t made a joke about something being as unlikely as seeing Lord Lucan riding Shergar. Yet the actual detail of the case is something most people wouldn’t have given a lot of thought to. Of course this peer who disappeared right after the murder is the one who done it. And yet Laura Thompson does raise a lot of awkward questions about that assumption. How come Lucan was able to brutally murder his nanny and yet a few minutes later was unable to overcome his wife? Even though the two women were round about the same size, how could he possibly have mistaken his children’s nanny for the woman he’d been married to for years? These are fair questions not often considered, and by the end Thompson has posited a plausible alternative theory, which – even though I’m not sure I believe – gives one something to think about.
What’s particularly interesting, and what raises a lot of these questions, is the behaviour of the police. They had decided who the guilty party was the moment they arrived at the crime scene, and behaved accordingly. No other avenue of investigation was followed, and any awkward details were ignored. Indeed so confident were the boys in blue that they didn’t even treat the evidence they had with care. The crime scene was thoroughly contaminated, with more than fifty officers traipsing through it; while even though they had access to Lucan’s flat they were never able to get a useable fingerprint of the man, as in the days and weeks after his disappearance officers apparently spent their time throwing wild parties there and drinking all his booze. One gets the impression that if Lucan had arrived back two weeks after the murder, claiming amnesia or whatever, he’s have stood a good chance of getting off due to police incompetence.
‘A Different Class of Murder’ is an interesting read, except when it isn’t. There’s a lot of fascinating material here (marvel at the frequent appearances of George Osborne’s grandmother, a gangster granny if ever there was one), but Thompson does have a habit of going on about the price of fish. More than once she takes a dull looking cul-de-sac and finds herself stuck tediously down the end – reeling off facts and details that are nowhere near as interesting, or relevant to the whole, as she imagines. So, it is an interesting read, it is a provoking read, but it could have done with an editor who was just a bit more ruthless.
What’s particularly interesting, and what raises a lot of these questions, is the behaviour of the police. They had decided who the guilty party was the moment they arrived at the crime scene, and behaved accordingly. No other avenue of investigation was followed, and any awkward details were ignored. Indeed so confident were the boys in blue that they didn’t even treat the evidence they had with care. The crime scene was thoroughly contaminated, with more than fifty officers traipsing through it; while even though they had access to Lucan’s flat they were never able to get a useable fingerprint of the man, as in the days and weeks after his disappearance officers apparently spent their time throwing wild parties there and drinking all his booze. One gets the impression that if Lucan had arrived back two weeks after the murder, claiming amnesia or whatever, he’s have stood a good chance of getting off due to police incompetence.
‘A Different Class of Murder’ is an interesting read, except when it isn’t. There’s a lot of fascinating material here (marvel at the frequent appearances of George Osborne’s grandmother, a gangster granny if ever there was one), but Thompson does have a habit of going on about the price of fish. More than once she takes a dull looking cul-de-sac and finds herself stuck tediously down the end – reeling off facts and details that are nowhere near as interesting, or relevant to the whole, as she imagines. So, it is an interesting read, it is a provoking read, but it could have done with an editor who was just a bit more ruthless.
dnf
March 12, 2017After 5 hours of the 15 hour audiobook I had learned:
- about all murders aristocrats had committed and were tried (but rarely convicted for) in the last few centuries
- the history of the Lucan family since ca 1500
- the history of gambling in general, and aristocratic gambling clubs in particular
- various headline-grabbing murders committed by servants and middle-class people in the late 19th and early to mid-20th century
In between all that there was also a bit about Lord Lucan's biography and the actual murder but I would guess that was less than one hour in total. I'm all for providing context (and from the blurb I had assumed that this wouldn't be a pure true crime book but would talk about background and circumstances a lot) but there's context and there's 'I found out so much in my research it would be a shame if it all went to waste so I will tell you everything including who attended the funeral of Lucan's grandfather' and I don't have the patience for that.
- about all murders aristocrats had committed and were tried (but rarely convicted for) in the last few centuries
- the history of the Lucan family since ca 1500
- the history of gambling in general, and aristocratic gambling clubs in particular
- various headline-grabbing murders committed by servants and middle-class people in the late 19th and early to mid-20th century
In between all that there was also a bit about Lord Lucan's biography and the actual murder but I would guess that was less than one hour in total. I'm all for providing context (and from the blurb I had assumed that this wouldn't be a pure true crime book but would talk about background and circumstances a lot) but there's context and there's 'I found out so much in my research it would be a shame if it all went to waste so I will tell you everything including who attended the funeral of Lucan's grandfather' and I don't have the patience for that.
September 30, 2023
Most people have heard Lord Lucan's name, but do they know anything about him? All I knew was that he was said to have murdered his children's nanny, then disappeared without a trace. This book documents the history, characters and facts of the case, and allows the reader to consider alternatives to what we are told are the true facts. That is not to say that the (occasionally differing) sequence of events offered by Lord Lucan's wife is incorrect, but this book made me look at several alternatives. Forensics were not as sophisticated as they are now, and it also cannot be known for certain if Lucan is alive - or even if he committed suicide after the event. It's all very frustrating, but gives an interesting glimpse into this long term mystery, and the lives of the immensely privileged - names that will be very recognisable today.
June 29, 2025
There have been so many books about the Lord Lucan affair that when this one came out the immediate thought could well have been, 'Not another one'. However Laura Thompson's story of the affair is quite different except that, like every other book on the subject, there is no definitive answer to it all at the end of day.
'A Different Class of Murder' is divided into two distinct parts, the story and the investigation. In the former the author explores the chequered history of the Lucan line in sufficient detail for the reader perhaps not to be too surprised as to what the 7th Earl, John Lucan the subject of the book, had allegedly done and how he lived his life. Then follows great detail about Lucan's marriage to Veronica and their subsequent squabbles, trials and tribulations and his excessive gambling.
In examining these aspects of his life, contact with his circle of friends obviously comes to the fore and the reader gets a distinct impression of how the upper class lived and how they looked after each other, something which is very much brought out in the second part of the book.
The investigation takes in the police activity, and some of it certainly seemed to be flawed, how all Lucan's friends reacted and how their stories varied from interview to interview and Veronica's various actions and her subsequent statements, which again varied from time to time. It all leaves one wondering what really did happen and who is actually telling the truth.
The friends most certainly closed ranks on the police and if they did know more than they were telling, it was very definitely not going to come out. Even the statements at the inquest into the unfortunate Sandra Rivett (did she get killed by accident, ie because of being mistaken for Veronica, or was she herself the subject of the attack? - who knows?) were often misleading and it would appear that the coroner did not help by his frequent interjections and advice to all and sundry.
The concluding part of the book dwells on what could possibly have happened to Lucan after the attacks and there are so many theories all of which could resemble a solution but all of which appear, as the author suggests, to be flawed hypotheses. The truth of the matter is that, 40 years on, we will never know.
Having said that it does not detract from a book which is graphically explicit and which outlines all sides of the case with clarity and a great deal of understanding. Maybe we have read of Lucan before but this book is well worth the read for the fresh approach that it brings to the case.
'A Different Class of Murder' is divided into two distinct parts, the story and the investigation. In the former the author explores the chequered history of the Lucan line in sufficient detail for the reader perhaps not to be too surprised as to what the 7th Earl, John Lucan the subject of the book, had allegedly done and how he lived his life. Then follows great detail about Lucan's marriage to Veronica and their subsequent squabbles, trials and tribulations and his excessive gambling.
In examining these aspects of his life, contact with his circle of friends obviously comes to the fore and the reader gets a distinct impression of how the upper class lived and how they looked after each other, something which is very much brought out in the second part of the book.
The investigation takes in the police activity, and some of it certainly seemed to be flawed, how all Lucan's friends reacted and how their stories varied from interview to interview and Veronica's various actions and her subsequent statements, which again varied from time to time. It all leaves one wondering what really did happen and who is actually telling the truth.
The friends most certainly closed ranks on the police and if they did know more than they were telling, it was very definitely not going to come out. Even the statements at the inquest into the unfortunate Sandra Rivett (did she get killed by accident, ie because of being mistaken for Veronica, or was she herself the subject of the attack? - who knows?) were often misleading and it would appear that the coroner did not help by his frequent interjections and advice to all and sundry.
The concluding part of the book dwells on what could possibly have happened to Lucan after the attacks and there are so many theories all of which could resemble a solution but all of which appear, as the author suggests, to be flawed hypotheses. The truth of the matter is that, 40 years on, we will never know.
Having said that it does not detract from a book which is graphically explicit and which outlines all sides of the case with clarity and a great deal of understanding. Maybe we have read of Lucan before but this book is well worth the read for the fresh approach that it brings to the case.
July 9, 2019
On November 8, 1974, a murder took place at the home of John Bingham, the 7th Lord Lucan in London's Mayfair. The victim was family's nanny, Sandra Rivett, who was brutally beaten to death in the family's kitchen. Lucan's wife, Veronica, was also beaten - though not as strenuously as Rivett - and she identified the attacker as her estranged husband, John Bingham. He went on the lam that night and after touching base by phone and in person with people important to him, Lucan went missing. No body was ever found, though sightings of the now late 80's man crop up every now and again. But unless Lucan's playing three-handed bridge with Jimmy Hoffa and Judge Crater in the Maldives Islands, he's probably been dead these 40 or so years.
British author Laura Thompson revised book, "A Different Class of Murder: The Story of Lord Lucan", covers the background people and circumstances of the murder-most-foul back in 1974. John Bingham was a professional gambler, meaning he made his living by gambling. He played cards and "chemin de fer" at John Aspanall's Clermont Club in Mayfair and was pretty good at it. Not great; no one is "great" at gambling. The "house" makes more money than the gambler, but Bingham supplemented his family money with his gambling earnings. However, by 1974, his marriage to Veronica Duncan was about over and he was worrying about his future. He had three children with Veronica and she was an indifferent wife and mother. He was equally indifferent to his wife but was actually a very involved father to his children. By November, 1974, with the divorce proceeding, supposedly Lord Lucan went crazy and attacked the nanny, thinking she was his wife.
There's something about crimes committed by the British upper class that are just so damn juicy and bizarre. Laura Thompson does an excellent job at looking at the Lucan family and all the possibilities of victim and killer. This case is sort of like looking through a kaleidoscope; as you turn the base, different people and possible plots come into view. Did Lucan do the murders? Did he have a hitman do it? Could Veronica - small as she was - have murdered the nanny? The book is a bit too long, but is basically a great read for those interested in British crimes.
(If you're looking for another superb, fantastically Brit-funny book, read John Preston's "A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies, and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment".)
British author Laura Thompson revised book, "A Different Class of Murder: The Story of Lord Lucan", covers the background people and circumstances of the murder-most-foul back in 1974. John Bingham was a professional gambler, meaning he made his living by gambling. He played cards and "chemin de fer" at John Aspanall's Clermont Club in Mayfair and was pretty good at it. Not great; no one is "great" at gambling. The "house" makes more money than the gambler, but Bingham supplemented his family money with his gambling earnings. However, by 1974, his marriage to Veronica Duncan was about over and he was worrying about his future. He had three children with Veronica and she was an indifferent wife and mother. He was equally indifferent to his wife but was actually a very involved father to his children. By November, 1974, with the divorce proceeding, supposedly Lord Lucan went crazy and attacked the nanny, thinking she was his wife.
There's something about crimes committed by the British upper class that are just so damn juicy and bizarre. Laura Thompson does an excellent job at looking at the Lucan family and all the possibilities of victim and killer. This case is sort of like looking through a kaleidoscope; as you turn the base, different people and possible plots come into view. Did Lucan do the murders? Did he have a hitman do it? Could Veronica - small as she was - have murdered the nanny? The book is a bit too long, but is basically a great read for those interested in British crimes.
(If you're looking for another superb, fantastically Brit-funny book, read John Preston's "A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies, and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment".)
March 24, 2018
The author wants to give the air of impartiality, but clearly has strong opinions and preferences that are constantly bleeding through. She doesn't think much of the police, the judge or the jury in the case, and she prefers Lord Lucan to Veronica. This is all clear, but for some reason she won't just come out and say it. It weakens the structure of the entire book - if she would argue her opinions openly she could create a much clearer, more direct narrative, and if she were truly impartial she could also organize the for-and-against more cleanly. As it is she introduces a piece of information, doubles back to it later to cast doubt on it, then circles back around later to say that actually the doubt she cast earlier doesn't matter, and so on... It's very annoying. It is very detailed, but unless you have a particular interest in this case, this is one to skip.
March 25, 2018
I would have rated it higher but the obvious dislike the author has for the victim almost ruined the book for me. She is so obviously enamored with those on Lord Lucan's side. I found her opinions grossly misleading and quite disgusting. Many times she dismisses possible evidence by simply stating it could not have happened that way. She would be wise to read books by Ann Rule, Joe McGuinniss etc. Perhaps then she will understand that when you write a true crime book, you present the facts, not your opinion.
June 15, 2015
Lord Lucan and the many myths surrounding him and the death of Sandra Rivett have been well researched and written about by Laura Thompson.
June 9, 2020
Extremely long-winded, boring, and strangely biased. The author seemed to try and twist everything to exonerate Lucan and blame his wife for everything. Don't bother reading this.
December 4, 2015
Most true crime buffs know the story of Lord Lucan and the nanny. The aristocratic gambler tried to drive his wife insane then decided to simply kill his wife but botched the job killing the nanny by mistake. "Lucky" Lucan then went on the run, aided by his wicked friends from the Clermont Club. That, as author Laura Thompson would say, is the myth. It's a myth that has powered countless books, fiction and non-fiction, as well as many a journalistic boondoggle to track down the latest Lucan siting.
In A Different Class of Murder Laura Thompson thoroughly, convincingly and most of all entertainingly dismantles the myth. She starts out by ruminating on "domestic murders" - oh life would be perfect if it just weren't for my spouse/ex/family-member - and questions why the Lucan case was treated as an example of Aristocrats Behaving Badly instead of as a domestic murder. To explore this Thompson revisits not only the case and the cast of characters but the economic and social climate of England in the 1970s.
I've read three books on the Lucan case, the most recent being John Pearson's fabulous The Gamblers, and thought the whole business was open and shut. Thompson proved me wrong. Simply by presenting the facts and questioning assumptions she makes clear that the case against Lucan was driven by class prejudice. She presents a different, more complete, picture of John Bingham (Lord Lucan) and the man she reveals bears little resemblance to the myth.
Whether Lucan killed Sandra Rivett or not can probably never be proven or disproven. The investigation appears to have been a slap dash affair with the police relying a bit too much on estranged-wife, title-lover, perma-victim, and mental patient Veronica Lucan. The police viewed Veronica as a plucky gal who rebelled against the restrictions of Lucan's aristocratic milieu. Based on the quotes Thompson provides the lady, well, the Countess, likes her title. She's also still a bit fixated on old Lucky. Check out her "official" website if you don't believe me.
This is a fascinating, highly entertaining book. A must read for any true crime fan and anyone interested in 70s Britain. (I recommend When the Lights Went Out by Andy Beckett as a companion piece to any reader not familiar with the events of 70s Britain.) Based on this book I'm ordering Laura Thompson's biographies of Agatha Christie and Nancy Mitford - this is a writer to watch.
In A Different Class of Murder Laura Thompson thoroughly, convincingly and most of all entertainingly dismantles the myth. She starts out by ruminating on "domestic murders" - oh life would be perfect if it just weren't for my spouse/ex/family-member - and questions why the Lucan case was treated as an example of Aristocrats Behaving Badly instead of as a domestic murder. To explore this Thompson revisits not only the case and the cast of characters but the economic and social climate of England in the 1970s.
I've read three books on the Lucan case, the most recent being John Pearson's fabulous The Gamblers, and thought the whole business was open and shut. Thompson proved me wrong. Simply by presenting the facts and questioning assumptions she makes clear that the case against Lucan was driven by class prejudice. She presents a different, more complete, picture of John Bingham (Lord Lucan) and the man she reveals bears little resemblance to the myth.
Whether Lucan killed Sandra Rivett or not can probably never be proven or disproven. The investigation appears to have been a slap dash affair with the police relying a bit too much on estranged-wife, title-lover, perma-victim, and mental patient Veronica Lucan. The police viewed Veronica as a plucky gal who rebelled against the restrictions of Lucan's aristocratic milieu. Based on the quotes Thompson provides the lady, well, the Countess, likes her title. She's also still a bit fixated on old Lucky. Check out her "official" website if you don't believe me.
This is a fascinating, highly entertaining book. A must read for any true crime fan and anyone interested in 70s Britain. (I recommend When the Lights Went Out by Andy Beckett as a companion piece to any reader not familiar with the events of 70s Britain.) Based on this book I'm ordering Laura Thompson's biographies of Agatha Christie and Nancy Mitford - this is a writer to watch.
Read
July 8, 2025(Sampled) What if the REAL victims in the class struggle were... *checks notes* ...the upper classes?
(Nah, babe, let's not do this.)
(Nah, babe, let's not do this.)
November 13, 2014
I remember the Lord Lucan case from 1974 but I had a lot going on in my own life at the time and I couldn't remember very much about it so I was pleased to read this book. Overall the book is well written and meticulously researched. I do have one criticism of it and that is that the introduction contains so much information it is very confusing to read. I'm tempted to suggest that if you feel you are getting bogged down in the introduction that you leave it and go on to the main part of the book which is not confusing even though it does cover a lot of ground.
The author looks at the background to the case and examines the various versions of what happened and the forensic evidence from the scene of the crime. She also looks at the prejudices and misconceptions which surround the crime and the way some people seem to have been less than helpful to the police at the time. There was wrong on both sides though and the police for example failed to preserve the crime scene which meant some forensic evidence may have been destroyed.
I thought the book was excellent in its examination of the prejudices which affected the case and the personalities of the people involved. I also enjoyed the chapter which covers various possible theories of what happened that night when Sandra Rivett - the Lucan's nanny - was murdered. Was she mistaken for Lady Lucan? Was she the intended victim? Was it a burglary gone wrong or was it a murder gone wrong?
The book includes an illustrations section and these display very well in the e-book edition. It also contains two appendices about murders committed by peers and the Lucan family tree. There is a bibliography, copious notes on the sources used and an index. If you want a definitive and well written book about the case then you could do worse than start with this one.
The author looks at the background to the case and examines the various versions of what happened and the forensic evidence from the scene of the crime. She also looks at the prejudices and misconceptions which surround the crime and the way some people seem to have been less than helpful to the police at the time. There was wrong on both sides though and the police for example failed to preserve the crime scene which meant some forensic evidence may have been destroyed.
I thought the book was excellent in its examination of the prejudices which affected the case and the personalities of the people involved. I also enjoyed the chapter which covers various possible theories of what happened that night when Sandra Rivett - the Lucan's nanny - was murdered. Was she mistaken for Lady Lucan? Was she the intended victim? Was it a burglary gone wrong or was it a murder gone wrong?
The book includes an illustrations section and these display very well in the e-book edition. It also contains two appendices about murders committed by peers and the Lucan family tree. There is a bibliography, copious notes on the sources used and an index. If you want a definitive and well written book about the case then you could do worse than start with this one.
November 18, 2014
This was an entertaining book with a lot of historical information. There’s actually a section in here of all the peers who were tried for murder. Eleven, in the past 500 years. The subject of this book, Lord Lucan, was named a murderer by an inquest jury, but he disappeared and was never tried. (Or heard from again.)
In 1974, Lord Lucan was a throwback to Georgian earls. He lived a dissolute life of gambling all night. Photos of the 7th earl (our Lord Lucan) and a painting of the 3rd earl (1800-1888) show men very similar in appearance. The 3rd earl was involved in giving the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade. He exonerated himself for that whole bloody mess by blaming others.
Lord Lucan is said to have killed the nanny, mistaking her for his wife. Then he tried and failed to kill the wife. We’ll probably never know exactly what happened. The crime scene was appallingly badly managed even by forensic standards of the time.
The seventies was socially a time of class war in England. (E.g. the Sex Pistols formed in 1975.) That strongly affected the investigation.
This book is full of spiteful gossip about titled people, especially in the earlier sections. Many of these people are from the past; many are still alive and you can google them.
The author’s arguments for what happened positively fall short of proof. I think she would admit this too. There’s no proof without physical evidence.
I also have to point out that these rich men have suits to die for.
In 1974, Lord Lucan was a throwback to Georgian earls. He lived a dissolute life of gambling all night. Photos of the 7th earl (our Lord Lucan) and a painting of the 3rd earl (1800-1888) show men very similar in appearance. The 3rd earl was involved in giving the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade. He exonerated himself for that whole bloody mess by blaming others.
Lord Lucan is said to have killed the nanny, mistaking her for his wife. Then he tried and failed to kill the wife. We’ll probably never know exactly what happened. The crime scene was appallingly badly managed even by forensic standards of the time.
The seventies was socially a time of class war in England. (E.g. the Sex Pistols formed in 1975.) That strongly affected the investigation.
This book is full of spiteful gossip about titled people, especially in the earlier sections. Many of these people are from the past; many are still alive and you can google them.
The author’s arguments for what happened positively fall short of proof. I think she would admit this too. There’s no proof without physical evidence.
I also have to point out that these rich men have suits to die for.
March 31, 2016
An entirely satisfactory true crime story about the Lord Lucan case and one I couldn't keep my nose out of. This book was a purchase I would not normally have made, but my curiosity was piqued after I saw the author Laura Thompson speak at Adelaide Writers Week.
I don't recall this aristocratic scandal having very much impact on me here in Australia at the time it happened, but if I've ever given it any thought I've more or less assumed that Lucan was guilty. However, this brilliantly researched book has given me much food for thought about the event. I'm much less sure of Lucan's guilt now, but quite sure he did the right thing (for himself) by bolting. There is no way he'd ever have received a fair trial.
I reckon there is at least one more book on this topic, simply looking at the very manipulative (and somewhat odd) Lady Lucan, her (almost non-existent) relationship with her children and also with her sister and mother. There seems to be so much unsaid in this book about them all and this may be due to the fact that Lady Lucan has not left this world just yet.
I'm hoping for another volume - in the fullness of time.
I don't recall this aristocratic scandal having very much impact on me here in Australia at the time it happened, but if I've ever given it any thought I've more or less assumed that Lucan was guilty. However, this brilliantly researched book has given me much food for thought about the event. I'm much less sure of Lucan's guilt now, but quite sure he did the right thing (for himself) by bolting. There is no way he'd ever have received a fair trial.
I reckon there is at least one more book on this topic, simply looking at the very manipulative (and somewhat odd) Lady Lucan, her (almost non-existent) relationship with her children and also with her sister and mother. There seems to be so much unsaid in this book about them all and this may be due to the fact that Lady Lucan has not left this world just yet.
I'm hoping for another volume - in the fullness of time.
August 14, 2016
If you can get past the first two chapters which do tend to drag a little in places, once you get into the details of the case itself, the book is rather interesting. The author does a nice job of discussing the forensic and witness evidence and detailing four alternative explanations. I feel that one of these in particular is probably very close to the truth. One minor gripe: the author does seem to have a bee in her bonnet about prejudice against the upper classes, which gets more irritating, the more it is mentioned.
Overall, I would rate it 3 and 1/2 stars (please introduce halves to the rating, Goodreads!).
Overall, I would rate it 3 and 1/2 stars (please introduce halves to the rating, Goodreads!).
July 12, 2016
Educational but boring
I really enjoyed the concept of this book. However, the phrase of flogging a dead horse in this story is so true. Yes do get the class war...first book ever I could not finish. I went to the internet to research the characters. What I found was more direct...like the children had not talked to Veronica for so long..she missed everything a mother would not want to. For 3 children to be so estranged for so long, there is something fundamentally wrong. The author was thorough...too thorough...to the point of repetition in stating English class... a toxic relationship...gambler relationships. I love English history but this was too repetitive.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book. However, the phrase of flogging a dead horse in this story is so true. Yes do get the class war...first book ever I could not finish. I went to the internet to research the characters. What I found was more direct...like the children had not talked to Veronica for so long..she missed everything a mother would not want to. For 3 children to be so estranged for so long, there is something fundamentally wrong. The author was thorough...too thorough...to the point of repetition in stating English class... a toxic relationship...gambler relationships. I love English history but this was too repetitive.
January 23, 2016
This is a dense read, packed with a lot of detail - probably too much detail, and it often got confusing as to who was who, what happened, who said what, etc. There is also a lot of social commentary and historical background, which I have no objection to, but felt it could have been condensed. In the end, it felt like I was reading a comprehensive Phd thesis. Narrative non-fiction, this isn't.
As to the author's hypothesis, as to what might have actually happened that night, why, and what happened to Lord Lucan afterwards, well I think she is most likely right.
As to the author's hypothesis, as to what might have actually happened that night, why, and what happened to Lord Lucan afterwards, well I think she is most likely right.
October 28, 2016
As with pretty much everyone who knows the name Lord Lucan I was sure that I knew what happened the night that the nanny Sandra Rivett was murdered and I was equally sure that he was a guilty as sin. After reading this I'm not so sure, and if he had stayed to be questioned and possibly stand trial then based on the evidence there would have been a very good chance of a not guilty verdict. Lucan is presumed to be the man responsible as he was named by the coroner's court and also because everything his wife has said about him and the night in question is taken as gospel truth.
May 29, 2020
Did anyone else think the author and Lord Lucan needed to get a room? It became the sober equivalent of a drinking game after a while: take a swig of coffee/preferred beverage every time she raves about his ‘good looks’ (cue readers wondering if they’re talking about the same guy).
I’m still convinced he committed this most Cluedo-y of murders, directly or indirectly, though concede the investigation was a royal shambles. How the heck can you lose a murder weapon?!
I’m still convinced he committed this most Cluedo-y of murders, directly or indirectly, though concede the investigation was a royal shambles. How the heck can you lose a murder weapon?!
July 16, 2015
Great read!
I love this book. I was vaguely familiar with the Lucan saga. This book does a wonderful job of telling what did happen and what might have happened.
The author gives the facts and is clear about what is conjecture. It helps a lot that she puts it all in the context of England in the 1970s and of the family and social structure.
Good writing and a fun read.
I love this book. I was vaguely familiar with the Lucan saga. This book does a wonderful job of telling what did happen and what might have happened.
The author gives the facts and is clear about what is conjecture. It helps a lot that she puts it all in the context of England in the 1970s and of the family and social structure.
Good writing and a fun read.
March 29, 2020
This is a book that should have been a long form article... I frankly regret sticking with it. Ridiculously biased on behalf of Lord Lucan and his friends, whilst attempting a pretence of balanced. One may be critical of Veronica without all but endorsing the obstruction of justice by Lucan's friends: I'm not convinced this book wasn't written by the man himself, wherever he is.
January 7, 2021
Wildly biased in favour of Lucan and the whole aristocratic establishment, while uncritically regurgitating every victim-blaming cliche when it comes to his estranged wife, whom he gaslit and tried to murder. An interesting story, poorly told. (Note: I got 45% through before I gave up and skimmed.)
September 8, 2015
The facts related to a notorious murder case are presented in this book.
This book was quite interesting and I did learn some details about the case, but it was long winded and a bit repetitive.
This book was quite interesting and I did learn some details about the case, but it was long winded and a bit repetitive.
August 25, 2017
Came across this by chance and haven't been able to put it down!
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