The Confessions of Frannie Langton

A Novel

By: Sara Collins

Narrated by: Sara Collins, Roy McMillan

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“A blistering historical thriller.” — Entertainment Weekly

A servant and former slave is accused of murdering her employer and his wife in this breathtaking debut that moves from a Jamaican sugar plantation to the fetid streets of Georgian London—a gripping historical thriller with echoes of Alias Grace, The Underground Railroad, and The Paying Guests.

All of London is abuzz with the scandalous case of Frannie Langton, accused of the brutal double murder of her employers, renowned scientist George Benham and his eccentric French wife, Marguerite. Crowds pack the courtroom, eagerly following every twist, while the newspapers print lurid theories about the killings and the mysterious woman being tried at the Old Bailey.

The testimonies against Frannie are damning. She is a seductress, a witch, a master manipulator, a whore.

But Frannie claims she cannot recall what happened that fateful evening, even if remembering could save her life. She doesn’t know how she came to be covered in the victims’ blood. But she does have a tale to tell: a story of her childhood on a Jamaican plantation, her apprenticeship under a debauched scientist who stretched all bounds of ethics, and the events that brought her into the Benhams’ London home—and into a passionate and forbidden relationship.

Though her testimony may seal her conviction, the truth will unmask the perpetrators of crimes far beyond murder and indict the whole of English society itself.

A brilliant, searing depiction of race, class, and oppression that penetrates the skin and sears the soul, it is the story of a woman of her own making in a world that would see her unmade.

All Manner of Vice

This story was very dark. It included murder, greed, adultery, drug addiction, incest, and on and on. Overall, it was a well-written narrative and a convincing performance.

Well written but a little drawn out

Beautiful prose and a great performance but the story became somewhat tedious in the second half

Wasnt sure about this but glad i read it

Very eye opening story about the transition from slave time to “freedom “. As a Jamaican woman , this was very entertaining and enjoyed the end. Made me think about how past events affects the mental of the slave descendants Great read

Tragic

Frannie’s life was very difficult. The misconception of what a person of color is (a creation or of limited intelligence) was very disturbing. Her original owner Langston was a vile human being and her early life sparked a profound distaste for all that she had to endure. Langstons’s testing on “black” people to document a scientific paper was abhorrent not to mention his behavior toward her and others in the Jamaican household. Then he takes her to England and leaves her with the Benhams,another family with a compromised lifestyle and she is further demoralized until she is accused of murdering the husband and wife. Frannie’s telling of the story was tragic. From a naive child to the women in prison this story was a really hard read. I appreciate the author’s research but the tone of the book was truly sad.

Excellent

This is what it looks like when an author reads and studies and has the skill to weave the facts and truth into a compelling yarn. Brava!