Crippen

Starred review from January 2, 2006
Had Charles Dickens been around to turn his talents to fictionalizing the classic Crippen murder case, the result might well have been close to this superb, multifaceted novel from Irish author Boyne (The Thief of Time
). The crime, a cause célèbre in 1910, is probably best remembered for its denouement, which featured a race across the Atlantic by Scotland Yard Insp. Walter Dew in pursuit of his suspects aboard a cruise ship. Boyne brings all the characters in this drama to life, skillfully shifting perspectives and using flashbacks and flash-forwards. While his depiction of Hawley Crippen, a quack and self-proclaimed doctor with a disturbing taste for butchery, and his mistress is admittedly speculative, the author's imaginings of their inner lives and motivations are plausible. His version of the events of the night when Crippen's harridan wife met her gruesome death is convincing, despite the lack of historical support. Boyne is to be commended for his ability to alternate between Wodehousian humor and Edwardian noir.

Starred review from February 1, 2006
-The truth always outs, - states Inspector Dew of Scotland Yard. Or does it? Boyne ("The Thief of Time" blends fact, fiction, and supposition in a suspenseful tale based on the 1910 transatlantic pursuit of Dr. Hawley Crippen for the murder and brutal dismemberment of his wife, Cora. The novel seamlessly blends several story lines, following Hawley and lover Ethel, disguised as father and son, as they board a cruise ship headed for Canada (and, they hope, freedom) while also tracing the life of Hawley and of those connected to him from his infancy to his execution for Cora's murder. Unlike historical perspectives that mention Crippen and Jack the Ripper in the same breath, Boyne's Crippen is more sympathetic, although certainly frightening at times. Despite having to capture such a long time frame, Boyne does an excellent job of condensing and elaborating exactly where and when he should. His characters are wonderfully memorable and engaging, and this book will satisfy patrons with a thirst for dramatized true-crime stories. Highly recommended for all popular fiction collections." -Susan O. Moritz, National Gallery of Art Lib., Washington, DC"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2006
Based on the case of a man who murdered his wife and hacked her body to bits and almost got away with it, Boyne's novel weaves together Hawley Crippen's attempt to flee England for Canada with his much-younger mistress, Ethel LeNeve, on the SS " Montrose" with the events in Crippen's life that led up to the murder. Disguised as father and son, Crippen and Ethel aren't able to fly under the radar as they'd hoped when they attract the attention of a gossipy matron; her amorous daughter, who is peeved when Ethel doesn't fall for her charms; and the ship's reserved captain. Crippen, a man whose ambitions to become a doctor were squelched by his religious mother, has finally found happiness and love with Evelyn after two failed marriages. But the suspicions of a persistent socialite friend of Crippen's second wife set Scotland Yard on the would-be doctor's tail. Boyne captures the excitement of the hunt for Crippen that ensued as well as offering a surprising twist at the novel's conclusion. Gripping historical fare.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)