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Story of a Murder

The Wives, the Mistress and Dr Crippen

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Story of a Murder

By: Hallie Rubenhold
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

BY THE AUTHOR OF MULTI-AWARD-WINNING #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: THE FIVE, THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPER

An epic examination of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen in Edwardian England, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of strong women


No murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim's story …

On 1 February, 1910, vivacious musichall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.

They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.

Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen’s typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve – was she really just ‘an innocent young girl’ in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?

In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard – the women.

Featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, glamorous lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER is meticulously researched and multi-layered, offering the listener an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era.

'A unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion' Lucy Worsley

'Under her pen, history comes alive' Professor Dame Sue Black

'An exceptional achievement. I was gripped from the very first page' The Secret Barrister

'Reads like a great thriller. I inhaled it' Bella Mackie

'Fascinating. It's about time Belle became the hero of her own story' Val McDermid

'As compelling as any crime drama' S J Parris

I couldn't put it down' Bonnie Garmus

'I had my hand over my wide-open mouth' Rachel Joyce

'Takes us beyond the world of Dr Crippen into the lives impacted by him and the society in which he moved. Terrific' Ian Rankin

'Compelling to the very last page' Denise Mina

©2025 Hallie Rubenhold (P)2025 Penguin Audio
Europe Great Britain Historical Murder True Crime Women Marriage England

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Stunning!

I have not enjoyed a book so much in a long time. The research is meticulous. Like many others my understanding of the story of Crippen was based on bias and hearsay. My grandmother always said how sorry she felt for him being bullied so much by his awful wife. Thanks to this book the reader is given the facts and allowed to make up their own mind. No need to say that I no longer feel sorry for Dr Crippen. My eyes have been opened. The story was much enhanced by the excellent narration, pleasant and expressive. I liked the Author's book the Five but this is, much better in my opinion. The author must have spent many months sitting over old documents and travelling to various locations - brilliant!

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