Woman at the Devil's Door: The Untold True Story of the Hampstead Murderess

by Sarah Beth Hopton

The true story of a woman in Victorian London who murdered her lover’s wife—and how her crime led some to believe she was Jack the Ripper.On October 24, 1890, a woman was discovered on a pile of rubbish in Hampstead, North London. Her arms were lacerated and her face bloodied; her head was severed from her body save a few sinews. Later that day, a blood-soaked stroller was found leaning against a residential gate, and the following morning the dead body of a baby was found hidden underneath a nettle bush. So began the chilling story of the Hampstead Tragedy.Eventually, Scotland Yard knocked on the door of No. 2 Priory Street, home to Mary Eleanor Pearcey, the pretty 24-year-old mistress whose dying request was as bizarre and mysterious as her life. Woman at the Devil’s Door is a thrilling look at this notorious murderer and the webs she wove.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery, Horror

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2017

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few weeks back I snagged a handful of Audible freebie true crime selections. This was one of them, and now I see why it was free.

I was supposed to finish this book yesterday. I fully intended on slamming it out so that I could start 2023 with a clean slate and all fresh and tidy, but instead I opted to have a few beers with my husband while watching Youtube videos of a couple in their 60s exploring bike and hiking trails in my region. (We nicknamed them Susan and Phil, but then I came to learn that "Phil" is actually a "Randall" and well... I don't know how I feel about that. He seems so "Phil"-like!)

Anyway, this is all to say that I was more interested in watching videos of boomers riding their bikes than in the story of this gruesome murder and the subsequent investigation and trial, and that's not really a shining endorsement for this book.

Part of the problem was that the murders took place in Victorian England, and the person reading the audiobook was very American, and not all that great at reading aloud in general. She would kind of stumble over regular sentences, causing her to enunciate some words strangely. Or others she would just pronounce really weirdly in general. Like "prefer". It's not a hard word, but instead of "pre-fur", she would say it "pre-fear". Or Marylebone. Very English term, and just based on my SEEING it, I would have thought it would be "Mair-ul-bone" - similar to "marrowbone". I just looked up a pronunciation and I wasn't far off. Apparently it's "Mair-uh-le-bone". Our reader said it as "Marley-bone". Every single time.

Now, I can understand someone who doesn't know the correct pronunciation getting it wrong... but did this not have a producer? Did this not have someone who... I don't know, even listened to it before clicking the submit button? Were ALL of the British audiobook readers busy that day? It's just so wrong-sounding that it made it hard for me to follow the actual story being conveyed. And I am a seasoned audiobook listener. Very seasoned. Last year, 76 of my books (80%) were on audio, including this one. So I should have no trouble following it, but I did. The reader was so disconnected from and awkward for the actual story that she distracted me from it.

But it wasn't all her. The writing here was also not amazing. The story jumped around a LOT, names and stories and witness statements seemed to constantly be changing, and facts and investigative evidence was intermingled with random claims that weren't true, or were flat out wrong, and it made the whole thing nearly impossible to follow, even if the audiobook reader HADN'T been entirely the wrong choice.

It was really just a mess, and that's a shame, because I think that in another's hands, this could have been excellent. I will likely have to look up other books about this case, because I AM curious about it, but this one really didn't work for me.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the harrowing account of the murder of a young woman and her baby. There's no mystery as to who did it. The scene, bloodied, with bloodied clothes, broken glass and bloodied murder weapon, plus a plethora of eyewitnesses who heard the screams and saw the murderer leaving the house, carrying the victim in her baby's pram all pointed to one woman: the lover of the murder victim's husband.

But the suspect, Mary Pearcey, claims to be innocent and that the entire day was a "perfect blank" to her.

This book entails the details, not only of the murder, but of the back story of everyone involved, before continuing with the trial and ultimate decision by the jury.

There are many things that are interesting about the case. One, forensics could only go so far back then. Things that are routinely practiced in homicide investigations today, fingerprinting, DNA testing, were not available then. Prosecutors had to rely solely on circumstantial evidence, eye witness accounts or, if they were lucky, a confession.

The defense insisted that his client suffered from epilepsy and was in a "trance" or "fugue-like" state at the time of the murder and therefore could not act or could not know what was happening around her.

This confusion between a neurological disorder and a mental disorder was common during the 19th century. The idea that an epileptic could commit murder during a seizure has since been debunked.

But what did happen? Pearcey never confessed. Some have even theorized, both then and now, that she was also Jack the Ripper-a Jill Ripper, if you will,since the murders in Whitechapel-where Jack the Ripper's murders took place, and Hampstead, where Phoebe Hogg was murdered- were both in London and committed around the same time. The author does not consider this likely because because the murders were not alike.

Yet, 24 year old Mary Pearcey did not seem capable, both in temperament or physical strength of killing anyone, especially in the horrific way Phoebe Hogg and her child were killed. Did she have an accomplice? Mary insisted that the other suspect, Fred Hogg, Phoebe's husband was "absolutely innocent" of murder anyway, not adultery-or perhaps providing the murderer with a motive, although witnesses of the trial felt he cried a great deal too much. He also disappeared before the trial was over.

Mary Pearcey maintained her innocence to the very end. Yet how did such a gruesome murder happen in her apartment without her knowledge?

She could have escaped the death penalty if she had allowed it was unintentional. Witnesses heard people fighting and a baby crying before the murder. Did she hit Phoebe with the fire poker in the heat of the moment? And why the baby, whom she was purportedly so fond of?

In the end we only have guesses as to why anyone would perform such an act of cruelty or, if they were innocent, why could an alibi not be established?

In the end, Mary hanged, without explaining her actions or implicating anyone else. She claimed innocence, that the time of the murder was a "perfect blank", she even refused an insanity plea.

A century old crime with all the members involved long dead. The rest of us will never know.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a real slog. The story is interesting enough but it is a real chore to wade through. Every few paragraphs there are the reference notes to check.....I found that a real distraction and was then doubly irritated to reach 64%, the book ends there, THEN the whole lot of said notes are repeated in their entirety !! It is written extremely slowly, it feels, and in a very, very dull way. I am an avid true crime reader but I would think this is the most boring narrative I've ever bought in this genre.
We're told near the beginning that Mrs Pearcey nursed her sister-in-law Phoebe after a sickness. She wasn't related to her at all so I'm not sure why this was written. So that sets the reader up from the outset with the wrong information, depressingly. Then this line left me totally baffled, "After he finished studying her chest and head wounds...." as there WERE no chest wounds. I went flicking back to re-read this portion then I realised she meant he was studying her chest THEN her head wounds !!
A little further in she was writing about a medical doctor and we had, "He was assigned to Newgate because the prison was in such disrepair it needed a rotation of medical officers to service it." Totally lost me there, I'm afraid !!
Some silly errors as well....acknow-ledge doesn't need hyphenating, she wrote altered not alternated, straights not straits (more than once), despondant not despondent, fact gathering needed a hyphen, coca-nut not coconut, we had what written and not was, then or and not for and poured not pored....which was also repeated on the back cover (replicated in my version at the end).....which, IF I had seen in advance, would've ensured I put it straight back on the shelf !!
Question marks were missed off and apostrophes misused here and there as well.
What is good about this case is that it was done and dusted in under 2 months. A pity we can't despatch cases and guilty criminals with the very same expediency nowadays. We've gone backwards, not forwards, when a case can take 2 years or more to even reach a criminal court now !!
I do believe she was guilty and that she acted on her own but not that she planned to kill in advance. I'd have seen her done for manslaughter of Phoebe but murder for Tiggie.

[Heather Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I have ever rated a non-fiction 5 stars, let alone a true crime novel. However, this story captivated me, and I just wanted to continuously know more and more! This hit so many different elements that draw me to true crime. I am not here for the violence of it , but for the psychological element of what happened.

My ratings are peculiar. I do 3 if I liked the book, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it. 4 is for the ones I really enjoyed or would recommend. 5s are my books that are worth rereading. I just finished and want to already reread this. Very impactful

TW: Harm to a Child Causing Death, Brutal Murder, Gaslighting, and Mental Health

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't get interesting till almost the end when it talked about the social issues regarding the death penalty at that time.

[Amy Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! A fascinating case! Full review to come.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did audiobook this title and unfortunately the narrator has a very strong American accent that threw me with her pronunciation of parts of the UK!

Some parts are out of order which is fine however it ends with a bit of rambling what if scenarios which put me off.

Otherwise an enjoyable 'best as possible researched' true crime novel

[Phil Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the only and most thorough source on the Hampstead Murderess, the postulated "Jill the Ripper", Mary Pearcey. It took Hopton ten years of research and work to get this published and it fits well in the Jack the Ripper canon. This disproves that crazy theory quickly, of course, and focuses on the actual crime she was convicted of committing, which was the murders of her lover's wife and baby. The book is quite detailed, and is just a hint confusing in the beginning by fleshing out tangents that could have been brought in later, or maybe set up in a different way, but overall this book is excellent. It was quite a complicated affair, with estrangement and strangeness. A very odd story, but Hopton manages to wrangle the narrative in and we get a solid history of the unfortunate incident. The murders, the incarceration, the trial and the verdict are all covered here, and you get a sense of sympathy of the charged. Pearcey seems to have had "spells" (seizures), and in Victorian England, that can be disastrous, especially when you throw love affairs and crime in the mix. A victim of the times, for sure. Hopton manages to speculate innocence and guilt, I feel that she believes Pearcey was guilty, or at least heavily involved but with help. Excellent photos as well. A necessary book for Ripperologists, 19th century crime buffs, and judicial studies.

[Peter Barrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed this case with some interest as part of my family tree includes Mr William Alfred Barrand and his wife, Emma Barrand (nee Gardiner) mentioned as the landlady of 141 Prince Of Wales Road where the Hoggs lived. I note that in the book, the landlady's name is mis-spelt as Barraud on every occasion. That is incorrect 100%. I have all the Birth, marriage and death certificates for all the family and in all instances, it is Barrand. The information on this case has been passed down through the generations and I have of course included this in my "Family Tree". The Barrand family, William, Emma and their 3 children all lived on the ground floor and were hounded out of the house by the sheer number of reporters and inquisitive people, to the extent that they were accosted on the street, including their children.
The book itself seems to contain many "possibles" and "probables" and I am a little sceptical on some of the "facts" but all in all the book does give a reasonably good account of the murder.

[teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was fascinating and while it did lose me a bit towards the end i still think it’s a book that does its subject matter justice.

[Robert Bussie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of unabridged editions of books, but this story would be much, much better if it cut to the chase and stuck to the actual murder trial, possible motives, and conclusion. Instead it goes off on tangents that while interesting at first drag on for way to long making the story very dry and unnecessarily redundant.

The summary on the back of the audio book is misleading. The first sentence states "Discover the haunting untold true story of the woman whose crimes inspired speculation that Jack the Ripper was a woman." This is a lie and very deceitful! The book mentions this possibility only once in the afterward.

The narrator read well, but had little to no inflection in her voice adding to the dryness on the book.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is clearly extremely well researched and great care was taken to include as many details as possible to this case, I could not help but to find this to be a really dry book despite the topic. The pacing didn't seem to move along quickly enough for my taste. However, for any major crime buffs or history lovers, I think this book would be an excellent match. Perhaps there are readers who might appreciate all the attention to detail more than me.

[Jennifer Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seems to be a well-researched book on a true Victorian crime that presents a very interesting case in itself. Unfortunately, the writing and content gets very dry. I was pleased at how factual and reporting-like it was until the epilogue whet I felt like conclusions were drawn and pushed upon the readers who have enough information by that time to make their own conclusions. If your goal is to just get familiar with the case, you get almost the same with the much briefer Wikipedia article.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read better true crime and I've read worse.
A rather short book, but there's a lot of information which caused it sometimes to be a bit on the dry side.
Still, if you like true crime and the Victorian era it is worth a look.

[Traci Haley · Rating 2 out of 5]

While initially this case seemed interesting, the book was far too long with useless information. By the last quarter, I just wanted it to be over.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the nopes that ever was. Nope nope.

It was horrible. The story not the book.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get a lot of details about all the people involved, so it ends up seeming like more than just a love triangle.

[Alexys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and heartbreaking tale. So many unanswered questions.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mixture of a murders, mystery, and history made this a good read for me. The mystery element seems to be: if Mary Eleanor Wheeler (Mrs. Pearcy) was innocent as she claimed she was, why did she not explain what she knew and if she was guilty did she have an accomplice and what motivated her. As I began reading, it seemed clear that all the evidence pointed to Wheeler. Things got less clear the more I read. It is easy to understand how this case has baffled people for over a century! Mary was certainly enigmatic. It made for an interesting read.

I listened to this book, but I think I would have preferred reading it. The narrator has a lovely voice (I gave her 5 stars), however, sometimes names were hard for me to hear clearly. Someone who appeared toward the end of the book had a first name that sounded like Freak. Not being able to open the book and see what it really was drove me a little batty...just not batty enough to buy the ebook to clarify things. 🤪

[Amber Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars from me is a good, solid read. This was a very complicated case—but that’s what it was in real life.
Mary Elenor Pearcy very likely was indeed guilty of the crime she was accused of. I think though she was very unhealthily influenced by Mr Hogg. The murder could have been a spur of the moment killing—but I’d bet that the conniving and sneaky Mr Hogg had knowledge of or influence in the murders.
I think Mary likely knew right from wrong but had serious mental issues. I think nowadays she’d serve time but not face death row for her actions. I don’t think executing her was the correct choice. Without modern forensic techniques a lot of mysteries remain and I’m certain Mary and Mr Hogg knew much more than they told.

[☺Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-researched & well-written case study of the horrific murders of 32 year old Phoebe Hoggs and her 18 month old daughter "Tiggie" in 1890 England by her husband Frank's 24 year old mistress Mary Pearcey. Found guilty, because of overwhelming circumstantial and physical evidence, today's forensics would have been invaluable in answering any lingering questions regarding Pearcey's guilt and the possible involvement of an accomplice.
As with all true crime stories, very sad & depressing . . . so tragic.

[Ann W · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I sat here listening to this audiobook, it dawned on me that I'd recently seen the tale of Mrs. Pearcy on Deadly Women. I don't recall anything being said abt certain medical ailments she had experienced throughout most of her adult life.

That being said, I found it interesting that she never implicated anyone else, even though she didn't recall having committed the murders but who's to say.

My thought is that her "lover", Mr. Hogg, was involved. Whether it was physically or subliminal. Or even, "if you'll do this, we can be together".

For me, this was 3.5 stars. Very interesting.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version and it was very well done. The reader had a pleasant voice even if the story’s setting wasn’t much so.

I feel conflicted as to what I want to rate this book. I’m on the fence about giving it 4 stars but really it’s a 3.5. I’m frustrated that there wasn’t truly a conclusion. There are many questions left unanswered, which is not the authors fault in any way. Just the circumstances of the story itself.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating case though I found the book overly wordy and somewhat like a report written by a high school kid trying to meet a word count requirement.
Mrs. Pearcey had some issues and it would be a very curious case were it taken to today’s courts. I enjoyed the topic and it was clear that extensive research was put into the book which I appreciate.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting, and clearly well researched. Hopton paints an informative picture of the police investigation techniques, the criminal trial process, the grim prison environment, and the impact of the sensationalized media and crime attractions like Madame Tussauds.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially liked the look into the history of epilepsy and seizures, but she lost me at the end with her condemnation of Piercy as the definitive killer (I think there was more going on). Still, a solid 3.5 stars.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gruesome story of a horrific Victorian age murder with a somewhat sympathetic treatment of the woman convicted of the crime. Based on what I read I can’t help but feel that someone else had to be involved, likely the husband, and that justice wasn’t completely served.

[Andrea Schemehorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely well-researched, but superfluous information provided in certain places. Though, I will say the story of M. E. Pearsey might have been more compelling with additional stories about Victorian domestic murders.

[Jennifer Hing · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was written in a way that you get super involved in the story early on. It gives both sides which I like, and kind of leaves you to decide from there. It was really interesting and I had never heard of this case before. Good for true crime fans.

[Liska · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good, and the incident is gripping, but man is it a fucking bummer. Can’t give it more stars because I can’t say I love how terrible it makes me feel.