Story Of A Murder by Hallie Rubenhold

 

This book tells the case of Dr. Crippen who was convicted of murdering his wife, Belle.  Hallie Rubenhold is known for exhaustively researched true crime and I'm always glad to hear she has a new book out.  I thought I knew about the Dr. Crippen case but I learned so much.  I always assumed that he was English; instead he was American.  He had a history here of cons and possibly another murdered wife.  That one went under the radar so no one knows but she died out of the blue far from home and family.

Soon after the death of his first wife, Crippen met Belle.  Belle had thoughts of being a singer, preferably opera but refocused to be a musical hall singer.  Crippen never wanted children and convinced her to have a total hysterectomy, leaving her in pain and prone to gaining weight.  They moved to England where Belle had a successful career and made friends with the other stars of the musical revue world.  Crippen did have medical training and at various times he was a surgeon, an eye doctor and a dentist.  

But Crippen had finally fallen in love with his secretary, Ethel Le Neve.  He was determined to live with Ethel and after seven years of a relationship, he decided that Belle had to go.  He told everyone she had gone to America and then after a few weeks that she had died there.  Her music hall friends didn't believe him and were instrumental in bringing him to justice.

Rubenhold covers the lives of all three characters, Belle, Ethel and Crippen.  She covers the months between the murder and the revelation of it, the escape that Crippen and Ethel made and the trial after their capture.  Hallie Ruberhold's work focuses on the seventeenth and eighteenth British history, especially of women and social causes.  Her work focuses less on the crimes and more on the factors surrounding the crimes; the lives involved, the investigation, and the effects of the crime.  This book is recommended for readers of true crime.