Murderous Women: True Talesof W

by Frank G. Jones

Why did Madam Fahmy intentionally stalk and kill her husband in cold blood at the elegant Savoy Hotel? Did too many gangster movies lead Betty Jones to embark on a killing spree across the English countryside? Why would a private school headmistress -- a well-bred lady by the name of Jean Harris -- gun down the Scarsdale Diet doctor? And how did the poisoning of Florence Bravo's husband become the 19th century's greatest unsolved murder mystery inspiring none other than Agatha Christie? Frank Jones delves into the backgrounds, psyches, and trials of fifteen notorious women accused of murder from Victorian times to the present. This gripping collection is based on extensive research and the author's own visits to the murder sites. Written with wit, suspense, and compassion, Murderous Women offers rare insight into a shadowy world - meet everyone from an old-fashioned kind of girl to the evil sociopath who ruined lives; from the gangster's moll to a vixen cornered. The author explains in his prologue that we are all, thankfully, becoming a little more skeptical about the motives and methods of women murderers. However, because there are still far fewer murders committed by women than men, we have not lost our macabre interest in their crimes. Often they reveal unsuspected aspects of the feminine character, as well as throwing a spotlight into the murkier corners of the societies in which the crime occurred. Thoroughly researched and rich in detail, Murderous Women will appeal to true crime buffs everywhere.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

Hardcover

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

the author of this book likes to imply that the women were only murderers because of their husbands/affairs. i think this itself implies that it is indeed all men x

[Sabrina Rutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book that describes just how evil each of these women are.

[Vrinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was such an unusual experience reading this book! The author has tried to write everything using a contemplative tone, and has tried to empathize with all these women and reason out every criminal act they were found guilty of doing. And I think it's this effort put in by Frank G. Jones which stops us from simply hating them - even some who committed quite gruesome murders, and speculate on aspects like 'why-she-did-it', 'what-would-I-have-done-if-it-were-me' and sometimes 'maybe-she-didn't-do-it'.

It's so much like watching these women do what they did for real! Each story keeps you in tight grip just like a fictional thriller, till you reach the end and get reminded that it's not fiction after all!

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journalistic style and written by journalist and consequently limited in scope, and a bit dramatic - reads as if spoken in in short, sharp bursts, emotionally involved and a bit salacious. Satisfying enough but not academic level nor particularly thoughtful. Satisying for general background or starter information on fifteen female killers. If you already knew about these women then it is unlikely you would find anything new, onthe other hand if you wanted a quick introduction to dates, facts, names, action, then you could do worse.

[Carol Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some nasty women out there, but they all have something in common, they are associated with nastier men

[Ziba Z Librarian]

HV6517 .J65 2003 If you want to check it out at Langson Library it's on the shelf now at UCI :D

[Eileen Poles · Rating 3 out of 5]

wish more cases in America