Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress and Dr Crippen

Brought to you by Penguin.

BY THE AUTHOR OF MULTI-AWARD-WINNING #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: THE FIVE, THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPER

An epic examination of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen in Edwardian England, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of strong women

No murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim's story ...

On 1 February, 1910, vivacious musichall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.

They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.

Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen’s typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve – was she really just ‘an innocent young girl’ in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?

In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard – the women.

Featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, glamorous lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER is meticulously researched and multi-layered, offering the reader an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era.

'A unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion' Lucy Worsley

'Under her pen, history comes alive' Professor Dame Sue Black

'An exceptional achievement. I was gripped from the very first page' The Secret Barrister

'Reads like a great thriller. I inhaled it' Bella Mackie

'Fascinating. It's about time Belle became the hero of her own story' Val McDermid

'As compelling as any crime drama' S J Parris

‘I couldn't put it down' Bonnie Garmus

'I had my hand over my wide-open mouth' Rachel Joyce

'Takes us beyond the world of Dr Crippen into the lives impacted by him and the society in which he moved. Terrific' Ian Rankin

'Compelling to the very last page' Denise Mina

© Hallie Rubenhold 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025