From the author of the Murder: The Biography, this is a well-written, insightful history of English law specifically about women and violence in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Double standards, victim-blaming, classism, and misogyny were evident in how women were treated by the law, the media and society. Some of the quotes from judges and police at the time are awful and are guaranteed to make you angry. It does show how far we have come but we are still not all the way there yet.

As with the previous book, the author only discusses the details of the crimes where they enhance our understanding of the narrative. The writing did become repetitive and a little like a text-book, and the narrowed focus of the time period was not as appealing. It was an important read, however, and I’m glad to have furthered my knowledge. The author has a talent for explaining the law in an accessible way; I’d be interested to read more books from her on legal history.

Published by Mudlark, 2024.