Murderous Women

About this book

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.