Under Their Roof: My shocking true story of surviving serial killers Fred and Rose West
Kathleen Richards · Ann Cusack
Aug 2025 · Little, Brown Book Group · Narrated by Charlotte Worthing
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9 hr 18 min
Unabridged
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'Under Their Roof...does so much more than chronicle her time living with the Wests. It's a desperately sad insight into what makes someone vulnerable to abusers... but ultimately, this is a book about the triumph - however painful and even fluky - of good over evil.' Simon Hattenstone, THE GUARDIAN
'My stomach was clenched tight. I knew there was no way I could swallow a single morsel. Playing in my mind was a slideshow of evil, fragments of memory, glued together by fear: Fred and Rose West dragging me off the pavement, Fred pinning me on the sofa while Rose stroked my hair, Fred climbing into my bed and assaulting me while I slept...'
Kathleen Richards was just 17 when she and her sister Deirdre found themselves on the doorstep of 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, seeking lodgings from a seemingly friendly local couple: Fred and Rose West.
While growing up in poverty-stricken Dublin in the 1960s, Kathleen was abused from a young age. A move to England allowed her to escape, but even so life remained difficult, forcing her to seek refuge.
At first, Cromwell Street provided freedom for the sisters who were entertained by Fred's quirky behaviour. Kathleen was also happy to make a new friend in her fellow lodger, Shirley Robinson.
But then, things took a sinister turn: Fred began to abuse Kathleen with his wife's encouragement. And, when Shirley suddenly disappeared too, Kathleen's world began to grow very dark...
This is a chilling account of what it's like to come face-to-face with Britain's most notorious serial killers, but it is also an inspiring account of the resilience of women and how to find happiness after trauma.
'My stomach was clenched tight. I knew there was no way I could swallow a single morsel. Playing in my mind was a slideshow of evil, fragments of memory, glued together by fear: Fred and Rose West dragging me off the pavement, Fred pinning me on the sofa while Rose stroked my hair, Fred climbing into my bed and assaulting me while I slept...'
Kathleen Richards was just 17 when she and her sister Deirdre found themselves on the doorstep of 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, seeking lodgings from a seemingly friendly local couple: Fred and Rose West.
While growing up in poverty-stricken Dublin in the 1960s, Kathleen was abused from a young age. A move to England allowed her to escape, but even so life remained difficult, forcing her to seek refuge.
At first, Cromwell Street provided freedom for the sisters who were entertained by Fred's quirky behaviour. Kathleen was also happy to make a new friend in her fellow lodger, Shirley Robinson.
But then, things took a sinister turn: Fred began to abuse Kathleen with his wife's encouragement. And, when Shirley suddenly disappeared too, Kathleen's world began to grow very dark...
This is a chilling account of what it's like to come face-to-face with Britain's most notorious serial killers, but it is also an inspiring account of the resilience of women and how to find happiness after trauma.
About the author
Kathleen Richards is a mother of three. Originally from Dublin, now living in rural Gloucestershire. She has worked as a carer and foster carer throughout her life.
Bestselling author and journalist, Ann Cusack has ghost-written sixteen memoirs. She has several Sunday Times and Amazon bestsellers. Her determination to find and develop original stories continues through day to day, grass roots work, seeking out and providing content for national newspapers and weekly magazines. Living and working in Manchester, where she was born, she has a long track record of following stories and working with ordinary people who have found themselves thrust into the spotlight by extraordinary events.
Bestselling author and journalist, Ann Cusack has ghost-written sixteen memoirs. She has several Sunday Times and Amazon bestsellers. Her determination to find and develop original stories continues through day to day, grass roots work, seeking out and providing content for national newspapers and weekly magazines. Living and working in Manchester, where she was born, she has a long track record of following stories and working with ordinary people who have found themselves thrust into the spotlight by extraordinary events.
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