The Art of the English Murder

Starred review from June 9, 2014
This lively, lucid, and wonderfully lurid history from Worsley (If Walls Could Talk) examines the fascination with murder in British popular culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The book opens with an account of the Ratcliffe Highway murdersâtwo separate attacks that left seven people dead. These murders established the link between sensational crime reporting and robust newspaper sales, a gruesome correlation that shaped pop culture in the U.K. in the ensuing decades. Worsley's study takes a literary spin as she traces the emergence of detective fiction from its roots in the mid-Victorian "sensation" novel. She dwells at length on the genre's "golden age"âthe interwar period, which saw the rise of female writers (e.g., Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers)âand subsequently shows how detective fiction gave way to the darker American-style thriller of the Cold War era. Worsley's vivid account excites as much as its sensational subject matter, and edifies, too, thanks to her learned explications. Agent: Felicity Bryant, Felicity Bryan Associates.

September 15, 2014

The popularity of murder as a form of entertainment isn't new--crime stories both real and fictional have been highly popular and profitable for centuries. In this fascinating account, cultural historian and curator Worsley looks at the British public's love affair with murder most foul. Spanning the years 1800-1946, the author covers the notorious crimes of the times and the ways the public followed them, including through broadsides, puppet plays, "penny dreadfuls," (which took their inspiration from real crimes) and "sensation novels" that drew on the public's fascination with villainy among the rich and poor. The relatively new profession of detective was created during this period as well, and detective stories became a staple of literature. Despite the blood and gore, the true crime genre was essentially a morality play, with good triumphing over evil to the benefit of society. Such stories led to the postwar "cozy" mystery, which eventually gave way to the "thriller" genre, in which cruelty and amorality even among the heroes radically changed the tone of crime drama. VERDICT This riveting cultural history will enthrall fans of British crime novels as well as readers of true crime.--Deirdre Bray, Middletown P.L., OH

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