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A Very British Murder
A Very British Murder: The Story of a National Obsession | Lucy Worsley
This is the story of a national obsession. Ever since the Ratcliffe Highway Murders caused a nation-wide panic in Regency England, the British have taken an almost ghoulish pleasure in 'a good murder'. This fascination helped create a whole new world of entertainment, inspiring novels, plays and films, puppet shows, paintings and true-crime journalism - as well as an army of fictional detectives who still enthrall us today. A Very British Murder is Lucy Worsley's captivating account of this curious national obsession. It is a tale of dark deeds and guilty pleasures, a riveting investigation into the British soul by one of our finest historians.
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kezzlou85
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Pickpick

An interesting look at crime and crime telling in Britain through history. This was a fascinating read and blends true crime with fiction. I likes the references to the classic crime writers like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. An intriguing read. #Scarathlon #TeamCryptKeepers @LiseWorks

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AllDebooks
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Pickpick

It feels weird saying I immensely enjoyed this. Worsley takes us through dark streets and country homes to examine what makes us so obsessed with murder. She traces back to the ban on public executions leading to the titillating, thrill-seeking public looking elsewhere for their kicks. People actually walked around murder scenes while the victims were still there! 🙀 So much more in this absorbing history of our more macabre tastes.

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AllDebooks
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#Bookreport for #OutstandingOctober hosted by @Andrew65
Includes a few from my #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
All books raised points for #Scarathalon #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

A very relaxing total of 30 hours reading
Horseman for #FearfulFall hosted by @Cinfhen and @BarbaraBB 4⭐️
Jamaica Inn 5⭐️
False witness 3⭐️
And then there were none 3.5⭐️
Tagged - 5 ⭐️

Reviews to follow

Cinfhen Well done 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2y
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏🙌🥳 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
27 likes4 comments
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AllDebooks
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#Scarathalon #TeamSlaughter #DailyPrompt

Day 20 - Murder This is next on my tbr pile

@Clwojick

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rwmg
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Pickpick

Lucy Worsley looks at murder as entertainment through true crime and fiction from the public reaction to the Ratcliffe Highway Murders in 1811 to the shift from the puzzles of Golden Age fiction to the more noir-ish post WWII scene.

Fascinating but I wish she'd carried on up to the present. At times it showed that this was the book of the TV series. I may well watch the series, which appears to be available on YouTube. Low pick or a high so-so?

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rwmg
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JacqMac
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I‘m watching Lucy Worsley Investigates: Witch Hunts. I love Lucy. I‘m hoping for some quiet reading time this afternoon. But it‘s Thanksgiving here and the people are all home. For days.
#scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash @StayCurious

Clare-Dragonfly Lucy Worsley and witch hunts?! Yes, please. 2y
29 likes1 comment
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quietjenn
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I so enjoyed reading (finally!) Lucy Worsley with the #pemberlittens, that I've subsequently gone a bit of a binge. And this one nicely intersects with my love of crime fiction.

Ruthiella I love it when a chance introduction leads to a whole new set of books/authors/interests! You can also watch some of the documentaries she‘s narrated on YouTube. 2y
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

An interesting and informative look at the English preoccupation with murder, discussing the rise of the detective novels and authors. I found myself writing down several novels to add to my already mountainous TBR shelves. 3 📖📖📖 1/2
7th book for #Littenlisten @aperfectmjk 9th book for #ChristmasMyWay @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES 13th book for #AVeryMerryReadathon @TheSpineView #WinterCozy @PuddleJumper #WrapItUpReadathon @keys_on_fire

Ruthiella Oh my! I think I must read this! 3y
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 3y
Cathythoughts This sounds good 👍 3y
TheSpineView Awesome! 3y
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ahomelibrary
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Pickpick

The analysis of the English fixation on crime, especially #murder, as a form of entertainment is coupled with discussion of successful writers and artists of the time, and real examples of crimes which were influential in literature and popular culture, as well as the development of police work. Came with a TV series. A bit scattered but thematically interesting and Worsley is an accessible and intelligent historian #crime #history #nonfiction

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charl08
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Mitch Id love to see her closet too - she seems dead keen on dressing up! 4y
jenniferw88 I'm going to see her at some point this year (was meant to be in April, now looks like after June - thanks Covid!) talking about this book 4y
charl08 @Mitch yes some of the outfits are amazing. @jenniferw88 88 Do hope the event happens despite COVID. 4y
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GingerAntics
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Pickpick

This is a great look at how murder has been used for entertainment purposes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in England. I covers everything from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to Alfred Hitchcock. If you‘re a true crime fan or a detective fiction fan, I highly recommend this book. This book is especially wonderful for Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock fans, as Worsley has interesting little tidbits on each of their lives.👇🏻

TheBookHippie I just got this from the library !!!! Opening it up now! 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie it‘s more about literature than death, but it‘s a fun read. I hope you enjoy. 4y
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TheBookHippie Loved it!!! 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie I‘m so glad. It‘s not what you quite expect from the title, but you‘re still not disappointed. It‘s a really interesting book in that regard. 4y
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics I agree. I enjoyed it very much I would have never picked it up so thank you!! I put a note on the front for the librarian so she can promote it! Ha. 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie oh cool, I love when the library promotes good books!!! 4y
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GingerAntics
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I‘m a twisted nut job?! Well, at least you all know what you‘re in for then. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 🤣😂🤣
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

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GingerAntics
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Scared Straight: The Victorian Edition
As an odd child who fell asleep to Alfred Hitchcock movies at 3 in the morning starting at the age of three, this is an intriguing fact about him.
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder #AlfredHitchcock #ScaredStraight #FunFacts

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GingerAntics
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This seems a bit harsh...but it certainly fits Middlemarch to a T. Pratchett and Gaiman are exceptions to the rule, then?
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder #TerryPratchett #NeilGaiman #GeorgeElliot

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GingerAntics
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This is really interesting. We usually think of this period as being a hot mess for investigations, but apparently they got the killer the vast majority of the time.
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder #JackTheRipper #FunFacts

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GingerAntics
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This is the other case (the first being Lizzie Borden) that got me into true crime... well, those two and a strange Unsolved Mysteries episode in which a superman actor was killing in the middle of a Hollywood party and no one noticed!!!
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder #TrueCrime #Superman #LizzieBorden #JackTheRipper

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GingerAntics
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This is an interesting theory that the Jack the Ripper cases might not have all been committed by a single person. Maybe it was two different people (one who dissected and one that didn‘t), or five different killers. 🤷🏼‍♀️ That certainly sheds a different light on things.
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder #JackTheRipper

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GingerAntics
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@TheBookHippie and we thought they bungled the Borden case. Good grief.
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

TheBookHippie Oh my word ..... 🤯 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie this almost needs a meme. “You had one job!” No idea how they managed to totally miss someone coming into (a locked room?) and taking something away. 4y
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GingerAntics @TheBookHippie must have been too busy enjoying the beer and cheese. 4y
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics 😫I‘ve been there 🤣 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie I guess sometimes you just need a beer and cheese break. They were obviously stressed out, what with this big murder investigation and all. They needed the down time. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣😂🤣 4y
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics I swear I‘m so stressed I‘m a bit scatter brained 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie I‘m planning a “beer and cheese” break starting the moment I wake up on the 3rd, until sometime on the 4th or 5th I think. I may start this weekend, honestly. It might make these ridiculous commercials more bearable. 🤦🏼‍♀️🥃 4y
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GingerAntics
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Reading seems to be a popular, Victorian era activity for the fine imprisoned lady.
@TheBookHippie #LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

TheBookHippie She will make a treasure if a wife 🤢 so the moral is if you‘re pretty and refined you actually can commit murder if you want to but no worries if falsely accused 😳 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie pretty much. Let‘s be honest, this is still fairly close to the truth. We‘ll send you to jail now, but if you‘re wealthy and pretty, you‘ll get a more relaxed prison, more freedoms while in that prison, and the lowest mandatory sentence. If I remember correctly, she later admitted to the murder. I don‘t know if England had double jeopardy in the 19th century, but I guess she felt safe enough to say “yeah, my brother and I did it.” 4y
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics Exactly. Not much has changed ... Oy. 4y
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GingerAntics @TheBookHippie I was rather amused by the bit about her skull told him she had an aptitude for maths. I wonder what my skull says about my abilities with maths? 🤣😂🤣 4y
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics mine says about math how do you think she died ... her brain exploded 🤯 4y
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GingerAntics
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Another female tried for murder seemingly saved only by her gender (although this one seems to have actually been guilty).
@TheBookHippie #LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

TheBookHippie So crazy interesting ... now I need to read this. 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie it‘s a great book for true crime fans. It‘s more about literature than the murders themselves, but the whole thing is so interesting. 4y
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GingerAntics
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Love a good Sherlock reference!!!
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

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GingerAntics
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A two for one trial... and another reference to Lady MacBeth. What‘s up with all the Lady MacBeth references, @TheBookHippie ?
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

TheBookHippie 😝🤷🏽‍♀️😬 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie I read this part a day or two after reading the Lady MacBeth part of The Trial, and I was stunned. I‘m trying to figure out how on Earth everyone seems to get it wrong that Lady MacBeth didn‘t actually kill anyone. 4y
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics patriarchy underestimating the power of a woman... 🤣 this is HOW things like the Bible got translated incorrectly. 😝 4y
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GingerAntics @TheBookHippie They‘re certainly responsible for the King James Bible. 4y
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics No lie. I like it when they argue against my Hebrew Bible ... um... 🤯 4y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie that‘s probably the beginning of my distrust of translations...someone else‘s ideas always color the translation and it‘s like a different book now. 4y
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GingerAntics
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Interesting tidbits about Oliver Twist. It‘s not quite the fun children‘s story I remember.
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

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GingerAntics
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Never knew this about Dickens.
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

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GingerAntics
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GingerAntics
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I keep forgetting to post that I‘m reading this. I started it 2 days ago now. Woops. This is a really cool look at the genre of true crime and whodoneit fiction. I‘m quite enjoying it so far!
#LucyWorsley #TheArtOfTheEnglishMurder

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Brooke_H
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I get up to get a coffee, and my reading chair is invaded!

ImperfectCJ Is the one a six-toed cat? (Or it might just be the angle.) 4y
Brooke_H @ImperfectCJ Yes! He almost has two little extra feet in front. 4y
ImperfectCJ @Brooke_H I knew a lot of six-toed cats when I lived in New England. People told me that Mayflower passengers preferred them because they were better mousers and that's why there were so many in New England. Not sure if that's true, but it's a good story. 4y
Brooke_H @ImperfectCJ That‘s so funny! He does sort of grab things with his feet. His vet tech told me “all polydactyl cats are descended from Ernest Hemingway‘s cats,” which I definitely doubt. 4y
ImperfectCJ @Brooke_H Polydactyl! That's the word I couldn't remember! (And I suspect I'll forget it again by the next time it comes up.) 4y
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Brooke_H
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I‘m enjoying this book, but the error I just came across is so strange that it makes me question everything I know about Agatha Christie! She only had one child, yes? A daughter? How could a mistake this huge get by the author, editor, publisher, and everyone else involved? Or am I crazy? Reading it wrong?

thegirlwiththelibrarybag I thought so too! And a quick scan of her Wikipedia entry only mentions a daughter. 4y
13 likes1 comment
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Linsy
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Pickpick

Loved my first Lucy Worsley! I‘ve been a fan of her documentaries for a while, so it‘s no wonder I enjoyed her style. This book was a fascinating mix of historical true crime, early forensic science and literary history.

Early for #GratefulReads, but this book was full of characters we all love to hate — like famed murderess Mary Ann Cotton.

Four hours down for #24b4Monday and one more book for #NFNov! #MrBook1inaMillion #LitsyPartyofOne

Andrew65 Going well! 5y
Rachel.Rencher Ooh that sounds good! 5y
MrBook Wow!!! Rockin‘ it! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😎🙌🏻 5y
See All 9 Comments
Lynnsoprano Wow! 👍👏👏 5y
OriginalCyn620 Sounds good! 👌🏻 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Woohoo 🙌🏻🎉🎊 5y
Clwojick 6pts! Also - Is that background scrapbook paper? It is so pretty! 5y
Linsy @Clwojick Yes! I get a little splurgee when it comes to pretty paper. 💕 5y
Clwojick haha! Same. I have a literal closet full of scraping stuff. 5y
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Linsy
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“In France, arsenic was known as poudre de succession, or ‘inheritance powder‘, and until 1836 it was impossible to detect whether arsenic was present in a dead body.” ☠️

#nfnov #til

veritysalter A brilliant book, I love Lucy Worsley (she‘s funny on Twitter, pointing out everyday misogyny). 5y
Clwojick 4pt 5y
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Linsy
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I just started Art of the English Murder and A is for Arsenic and am enjoying them! I‘ve been doing lots of Christie and Conan Doyle, so these seemed perfect for #NFNov. 🧐

#gratefulreads #lookingforwardtoreading

veritysalter Both absolutely amazing books. If you search Lucy Worsley on YouTube, there‘s a really good series about all the things In the home that could kill you through the ages. 5y
OriginalCyn620 🙌🏻📚❤️ 5y
BekaReid The Art of the English Murder was excellent! I've not read A is for Arsenic yet, but it's on my TBR 5y
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Linsy @veritysalter Yes, I love her!! This will be my first one of her books though, so I‘m excited! 5y
Linsy @BekaReid Ooh good to know!! I looove all Lucy Worsley‘s documentaries, but this is my first try at one of her books! 5y
rsteve388 1 pt 5y
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PathfinderNicole
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Lots of #laughter happening on the ball field for the first day of baseball camp for the kiddo but not a lot happening in this true crime book I‘m reading! #30junebooks @howjessreads

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Lizpixie
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My current read is this fascinating non fiction about how Murder became mass entertainment in early 19th century England then moves onto famous murders & then great English crime writers. Very interesting so far. Accompanied by the stormy weather & the 1st NRL game of the 2019 season between Melbourne Storm & Brisbane Broncos.⛈🏉

JennyM Go the Broncos!!! My hubbie is so happy footy season is back 🏉 6y
Freespirit It just seems too hot to be playing footy😰🏉 6y
Lizpixie @JennyM does your hubby scream at the tv too?🗣 6y
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JennyM @Lizpixie all.the.time!!!! He‘s just been asked to turn the tv down as the kids are now in bed. Not happy jan 🤣 6y
Lizpixie @JennyM 😂😂😂 6y
wordzie 😎 6y
JazzFeathers Wow. It does sound very intetesting. 6y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I follow SuperRugby and my boys, The Brumbies, aren‘t doing so hot this season 😕 But here in New Orleans we finally got our own MLR team, NOLA Gold! 6y
Lizpixie @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @JennyM Sports tragic are the same no matter the sport or country aren‘t they🤪 6y
78 likes8 stack adds9 comments
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emilyesears
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Already getting started on my #marchmysterymadness preparation! This is a history of murder as entertainment in England and also discusses the prominence of English-style murder mysteries in pop culture. I‘m also partially reading this for #SHreads19 since it mentions Sherlock Holmes in the subtitle but my plan to write a script and then film a review for posting in March. I‘m on page 40 of this and enjoying it so far.

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Booksnchill
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Pickpick

A commute audiobook borrowed from Libby and my first book of 2019! I enjoyed this jaunt through the landscape of English murder from Jack the Ripper through the “Golden Age” of the post-war writers notably Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margarie Allingham and the Queen Agatha Christie. Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins and Inspector Witchler all make appearances as well. Excellent exploration of the subject in the classic Worsley style. 4👍

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ToriE18
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Starting this recommended non-fiction book today. It looks very promising and I'm excited to dive into this world of... murder! As well as its presence and influence on fiction! ☠️

#friendrecommended #murder #nonfiction #england #bbc #femalewriter

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Mitch
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I want to say a big public THANK YOU to my lovely #2018nonfictionbookexchange Litten Anja. But I can‘t find you here to tag you ?. Can someone put me in touch with Anja from Düsseldorf- so I can say a loud and proud Thank you! Love my books - one I‘ve wanted to read for ages and one new discovery, which is the best magic of Litsy. Thank you ????

buecherwurm Hey, this is me🙋 I must have forgotton to put my litsy handle inside 7y
buecherwurm I'm glad you liked the books! 7y
Mitch Of course!!! I‘m so glad I found you!!! Thank you SO much. I love The Wellcome Trust and always have an eye out in the books they recommend so really interested in The Gene. Great, great choice thank you 🙏 7y
LeahBergen Ooo, I‘ve been eyeing that Worsley. 👏🏻👏🏻 7y
Mitch I love her as a presenter- she always makes history feel so alive and human , so was intrigued when I saw she‘d written this. I‘ll keep you posted @LeahBergen ! 7y
78 likes5 comments
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balletbookworm
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Pickpick

A fun, light overview of the rise of crime and detective fiction and how murder cases became media sensations from Regency to interwar Britain. Lucy Worsley is a fun writer and I‘d like to see the TV special developed at the same time as the book (the book does bounce around a bit because of this).

(I love this footnote, btw, and also Worsley‘s job as Head Curator or whatever of The Tower of London Museum and its ilk is rad)

emilyesears I think I‘m going to have to read this book sometime. Sounds right up my alley. 7y
readinginthedark Sounds interesting! 7y
28 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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balletbookworm
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Dickens had the actual worst optics for a dude who abandoned his wife of many years for an almost-teenage actress yet still considered himself a moral authority for the middle class. Dude, excellent books you wrote but NO.

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Lizpixie
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#BookMail No2 is this non-fiction book about the evolution of murder-from a frowned upon subject in polite company to Jack The Ripper, Sherlock Holmes, then the golden age of the murder mystery which has made Murder into a fascination instead. It‘s the companion book to The History Channels series A Very British Murder which I‘ve seen part of. I can‘t wait to dive right in. #NewYearNewBooks #SoManyBooksSoLittleFunds

Mitch Ohh another great find on Litsy to add to my piles! This looks really interesting I‘ve committed to reading #onenonfictionamonth. So this is perfect! Thanks @Lizpixie 7y
Daisey I really enjoyed this book! 7y
erzascarletbookgasm Another stack! 😁 7y
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Lizpixie
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“So, what have you been doing tonight Liz?” “I thought I‘d have a look at what I could spend my Xmas book money on & fell into a black hole of book depository for five hours!” I made this order, then was doing some idle window shopping an ended up making a second order of more books! #bookdepositoryaddict #stepawayfromtheinternetslowly

TheWellAccompaniedBook Oh look,it happens. You are powerless 😁 7y
ScorpioBookDreams The Mitford Murders looks so good. 7y
rubyslippersreads Book Depository is so addicting! 😊 7y
71 likes3 comments
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Daisey
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Pickpick

I don't consider myself much of a mystery reader, but my interest in Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie led me to this book. In chronological order, it provided an interesting mix of investigations of real murders and a description of how accounts of murder have changed over time in British fiction. It introduced several authors I was only vaguely aware of and definitely added to my TBR list.

#nonfiction #audiobook #booksaboutbooks

tjwill I would probably like this too! 7y
Daisey @tjwill Definitely worth reading, but now I have to decide which of the books discussed to find first! 7y
tjwill @Daisey I probably don‘t need that problem. 😆 Did you like the audio version? 7y
Daisey @tjwill I liked the audio, but it was not one of my favorites. The narrator‘s accent took me a bit to get used to. I also sometimes felt like the topic changed and I had missed a transition. I‘m not sure if that was partly the narrator or overall writing style or just me being distracted while multi-tasking. 7y
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Daisey
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I started listening to this today on my drive to and from school, and so far I‘m enjoying it. She‘s already described some interesting history and mentioned Mysteries of Udolpho which I just finished. I‘m definitely looking forward to continuing it.

#nonfiction #audiobook

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TaciturnWhenReading
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Pickpick

I liked this - an entertaining (mostly) literary history of the English Murder from 1800~1950 as only Lucy Worsley can do. Beware: Read Wilkie Collins‘ The Moonstone and Agatha Christie‘s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd before reading this one as there are spoilers...

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TaciturnWhenReading
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Yes, please! 🤓 I only had time for the first chapter this morning before work but I‘m eager for more!

erzascarletbookgasm Curious about this. Look forward to your review:) 7y
AndreaReads I LOVE Lucy Worsley! I watch all her documentaries! This is awesome! (edited) 7y
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howjessicareads
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I'm only 15 min in so far, but I'm enjoying it!

Libby1 Love her. 7y
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shanaqui
Pickpick

Easy to read little survey of the British fascination with murders. Nice stuff of Dorothy Sayers -- wanted to cheer at the championing of Gaudy Night.