Murder by the Book

The Crime That Shocked Dickens's London

By: Claire Harman

Narrated by: Andy Secombe

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

"Enthralling . . . A page-turner that can hold its own with any one of the many murder-minded podcasts out there." (Jezebel) 

From the acclaimed biographer - the fascinating, little-known story of a Victorian-era murder that rocked literary London, leading Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and Queen Victoria herself to wonder: Can a novel kill?

In May 1840, Lord William Russell, well known in London's highest social circles, was found with his throat cut. The brutal murder had the whole city talking. The police suspected Russell's valet, Courvoisier, but the evidence was weak. The missing clue, it turned out, lay in the unlikeliest place: what Courvoisier had been reading. 

In the years just before the murder, new printing methods had made books cheap and abundant, the novel form was on the rise, and suddenly, everyone was reading. The best-selling titles were the most sensational true-crime stories. Even Dickens and Thackeray, both at the beginning of their careers, fell under the spell of these tales - Dickens publicly admiring them, Thackeray rejecting them. One such phenomenon was William Harrison Ainsworth's Jack Sheppard, the story of an unrepentant criminal who escaped the gallows time and again. When Lord William's murderer finally confessed his guilt, he would cite this novel in his defense. 

Murder by the Book combines this thrilling true-crime story with an illuminating account of the rise of the novel form and the battle for its early soul among the most famous writers of the time. It is superbly researched, vividly written, and captivating from first to last.

©2019 Claire Harman (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This beautifully produced and impressively researched historical account of a celebrated Victorian murder with a literary twist reads like a thriller. I devoured it in one sitting, and was at once enthralled and chilled. Highly recommended!” (Alison Weir)

"A fascinating, exhaustively researched exploration into how art can influence society and vice versa, Murder by the Book turns an unflinching eye to the ways in which biases born of economic inequality affect the way crimes are investigated and prosecuted. It’s a true crime devotee’s delight.” (BookPage)

“Harman’s meticulous research places the murder within the literary context of the day, from Dickens’s fascination with true crime to Thackeray’s repudiation of it. The result is a fascinating portrait of Victorian London amid the rising popularity of the novel.” (Hannah Beckerman, The Observer, London) 

Best Story Worst Narrator

An intriguing story, well told. Victorian England really comes to life, especially with so many real life people. Unfortunately, the narrator made it very dull and one had to listen beyond the speaker.

Delivers what it promises

A decent enough story, with some interesting cultural perspectives that still resonate, if a bit cynically, today. While probably not a story that could stand alone as true crime, the focus on the influence of art, (or the scapegoating, depending on your perspective), gives the book enough of a hook to keep the interest of the listener.