Murder by the Book offers an intriguing look at a Victorian-era crime that shocked London, but the pacing can be a bit uneven. Claire Harman does a fantastic job of weaving in historical details, painting a vivid picture of the period’s obsession with murder and sensation. However, the book leans heavily into the history at times, slowing down the narrative flow. While the case itself is fascinating—exploring how a novel supposedly inspired a real murder—the storytelling occasionally feels more like a lecture than a mystery. That said, it's still an interesting read for fans of true crime and Victorian history

A real life whodunnit that you've probably vaguely heard about over the years and featuring some well known literary authors arguing about 'who dunnit'. The author has put a lot of work into this and it brings up a lot of 21st century topical talking points about the power of the media and fake news.

Claire Harman plays detective in this extremely well researched account of a notorious murder, with a literary twist, in Victorian London - that of Lord William Russell. It's a fascinating account - clearly the author has sweated blood and tears over her research - both well written and developed. A relatively short read but a thoroughly engrossing one.

It’s London 1840 and the highly respected Lord William Russell is found murdered in his bed. It’s a bloody crime scene, his throat has been cut and the bed is soaked in blood. London is shocked and the upper classes are rocked when it appears that Lord Russell’s manservant is responsible for the murder. The furore grows when it appears that the murderer was heavily influenced by a notorious crime book of the time, Jack Sheppard. The story and the trial where to have huge repercussions on the works of famous authors of the time such as Dickens and Thackeray.

This is a fascinating non fiction book about a historic and important case. It’s easy to draw parallels between the public’s fascination with this murder and present day cases. There’s the same moral hand wringing about the effect of popular culture on the general public and the newspapers fall over each other to be the first with all the gory details. There’s some interesting titbits for Dickens fans and some insights into how his work was reshaped slightly after this case. The author’s research is thorough and the writing style brings the story to life. I found this a real absorbing and informative read and would definitely recommend it.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

I was initially interested in reading this book, however my tastes have shifted and I do not think I will be able to get to it now. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a digital copy!

This Victorian true crime explores the story of Lord William Russell who is found murdered in his bed in 1840. As Russell's missing possessions start to be found throughout the house, the suspicion falls upon the servants. At a time where tensions were mounting between masters and servants, this book is a great exploration of how the case was investigated and the trial that followed.

The most interesting thing about this case, however, is how a popular novel of the time may have influenced the murder taking place - the Jack Sheppard novels by William Harrison Ainsworth, a contemporary and friend of Charles Dickens. These 'Newgate' novels were filled with crime and violence and in one particular story Jack Sheppard commits murder during a robbery in the same way that Russell was killed.

It was so interesting to see how the case unfolded but the added social and cultural effect the novel had on Victorian society was absolutely fascinating. Can't recommend enough.

In exchange for a fair review I received a copy of this book from NetGalley

On the morning of the 6th May, 1840, Lord William Russell was found murdered in his bed in a seemingly safe, Mayfair street by his servants.

The author goes into great detail about the police investigation and the subtenant trial of Lord William Russell's Swiss valet ,which makes for interesting reading. As well as looking at the novel about Jack Sheppard which was popular at the time. It was also at one time the reason he give for killing his master saying in a statement it had influenced his decision to kill his master.

But I was sadly disappointed the book was well written towards the end I felt the book was padded out with paragraphs on the writer's Dickens and Thackeray which made fell like I was reading a different book.However this is only my opinion and someone other then myself my find this interesting.

Over all a well written and thoroughly researched book .

Early one morning in London a footman answered the door to a panicked maid. Her master, Lord William Russell, had been murdered in a sensational way and this led to a hunt for the killer involving the newly formed Scotland Yard. When a man was arrested it seemed that the case was over and done but the latest fashion was for true-life crime and the when the perpetrator was revealed to have an obsession with a popular crime novel and play then the media went into a frenzy.
Although the murder of Lord William Russell is almost forgotten now it does shed a light on the involvement of the media in crime reporting and sensationalist fictionalised accounts. To the early Victorians the fact that the murder was a foreigner was one thing, that is was a servant meant that the aristocracy slept a little less easy in their beds. This is an entertaining read.

Murder by the Book, an account of a true crime which took place in Victorian London, sounded appealing to me because it promised to explore the possible links between the crime and some of the bestselling novels of the day.

The book begins by describing the events of 6th May 1840, when Lord William Russell’s housemaid found her master in bed with his throat slit. Suicide was suspected at first, but with his head almost severed from his body, this theory was dismissed and a murder investigation began. Russell, an elderly widower, had been leading a quiet, unremarkable life, living alone (apart from his servants) in a respectable Mayfair street. Who could possibly have wanted him dead – and why?

The murder sent shockwaves throughout London, with everyone – including Queen Victoria herself – following the news and voicing their opinions. What made this particular case so shocking was that when the culprit was identified and questioned, it was found that before committing the murder he had been reading Jack Sheppard, a well-known novel by William Harrison Ainsworth. Based on the story of a real life 18th century criminal, Jack Sheppard had been published as a serial in Bentley’s Miscellany from January 1839 until February 1840. With plots involving murder, theft and violence, crime novels of this type had become known as ‘Newgate Novels’ (a reference to the Newgate Prison), and were hugely popular with the public, partly due to the rise in literacy levels during the first half of the 19th century. Following the Russell murder, a debate began regarding the suitability of this sort of reading material.

I enjoyed Murder by the Book, but I didn’t find the true crime element particularly interesting. There didn’t seem to be a lot of mystery surrounding Russell’s death and the murderer was arrested quite quickly. Although Claire Harman did manage to flesh the story out, on its own it wouldn’t have been enough to form a compelling book. The parts where she discussed Jack Sheppard and other popular novels of the time were of much more interest to me. I haven’t read Jack Sheppard, or anything else by William Harrison Ainsworth, and I’d had no idea that it had been so successful in its time. The book was adapted for stage many times, including some musical versions, so even if people hadn’t read it they were likely to have seen it performed.

The reactions of other authors were interesting; Charles Dickens had apparently been a friend of Ainsworth’s, but distanced himself from him after the Russell incident, doing all he could to defend the reputation of his own Oliver Twist, which covered similar themes. Both Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray followed the outcome of the murder trial and attended the hanging of the culprit and some of their thoughts on this are given in the book.

Anyway, the social aspects of the book were fascinating, even if the true crime parts weren’t – although I was surprised that Claire Harman didn’t draw more parallels between the Jack Sheppard controversy and the perceived influence of modern television, music and video games on violent behaviour. The book reminded me of Kate Summerscale’s The Wicked Boy and I think if you enjoy one you might enjoy the other.

Another book in this year’s favourite topic; Victorian true crime, with the crime in this case committed in the early part of the young Queen’s reign. It was 6 May 1840 when Lord William Russell was found lying on his bed with his head almost severed. Quite a shock for the servants who found him. This isn’t a story from the backstreets of Whitechapel either, rather the scene of the crime was on a smart street in Mayfair.

The crime itself was shocking enough and kept those who followed the subsequent investigation duly scandalised, and to be fair, frightened. If a crime like this could happen in Mayfair, was anywhere safe in these ‘modern times’? What worried everyone even more though was when a culprit was found and questioned. The story he gave was that he’d changed from a former gentle young man to savage murderer because of his reading matter – the best selling crime novel of the day being Jack Sheppard by William Harrison Ainsworth. A book that had gained a widespread following in part due to the rising levels of literature amongst the lower classes. Given that the story was of a daring (and dashing) jail-breaker in the style known as a Newgate Novel. The key to success for writers at this time were to be published as serials in the style of Charles Dickens and coincidentally Jack Sheppard appeared in some of the same editions of Bentley’s Miscellany as Oliver Twist himself and it seems Ainsworth jumped on the popular genre of the day and with a bit of slang and plenty of references to robbery and violence with a dollop of romance, the public couldn’t get enough. Giving the novel even more realism Jack Sheppard was a well-known criminal in 18th-century London.

The author of our book, Claire Harman goes onto describe how the theatres were quick to put their adaptions of the novel on the stage so aspiring criminals didn’t have to read the book itself for the power of crime to seep into the bones until it would seem that there was hardly a man or woman in the land from the lowliest to the mightiest who hadn’t read or watched Jack Sheppard’s daring dos.

The newspapers who were as quick back then as now to have something concrete to blame. Newgate Novels were held up as the cause of the murder of Lord William Russell and Jack Sheppard in particular. All of this is terrifically interesting especially the reaction of Ainsworth’s former friends including Charles Dickens who went out of his way to explain why Oliver Twist wasn’t a Newgate Novel despite many of the themes in the two books being remarkably similar.

Needless to say for all the hoo-ha the books continued o be popular but Ainsworth toned down the writing style in subsequent books and was never as successful again.

Unfortunately from an interest perspective this wasn’t the most exciting of investigations as the police fairly quickly alighted on their main suspect, although of course from this distance of time and knowing how few scientific resources the police had to use, there is always a level of wonder about the apprehension of the right man. The interest comes from the reading matter of our ancestors who’d have thought a book could cause quite such a stir? This alongside the interesting legal facts the author presents from the day meant that the result was I felt I’d got some real insight into social history from an unusual angle.

I’d like to thank the publishers Penguin Books UK for allowing me to read a proof copy of Murder by the Book. This review is my unbiased thanks to them.

First Published UK: 25 October 2018
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
No of Pages: 224
Genre: Non Fiction
Amazon UK
Amazon US

The murder of aristocrat Lord William Russell on 6 May 1840 may not have reached the heights of notoriety seen with Jack the Ripper, but its backstory is no less interesting. The case fascinated all levels of society; the upper classes, fearful it might happen to them, and the servant classes, concerned by the unwelcome scrutiny it brought.

The research is absolutely impeccable, and Harman’s genuine passion for her subject is greatly evident here. The links with the literary world and the particular brand of sensation fiction popular at the time are both examined . The moral panic which swirled around at the time of the murder, and its illustrious cast of characters, is brought to life with verve.

A short, sharp riot of a book, Claire Harman is an author to watch.

Sadly this book did not live up to my expectations. It is a true crime story about the death of Lord William. A short book and well written. Set in the Victorian period.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Penguin books for my eARC in exchange for my honest review

I do like anything about the Victorian period, although I don't often venture into the true crime genre. However, with the premise of a murder inspired by a book, this one sounded intriguing.

The book in question features Jack Sheppard, a kind of hero-criminal whose exploits (published first as a book, but then popularised in some rather sensationalist plays) took London by storm. This apparently inspired lots of crime, including the brutal murder of Lord William Russell, the focus of this book.

This book follows the story of the murder, the subsequent police investigation and trial. It's well researched and engaging to read, although the large number of people mentioned did get a little confusing (there is a list of the main people involved at the back of the book, but I didn't find this in time as I was reading the Kindle edition which is harder to flick through). It is certainly thorough and the exploration of how the Victorian public became enthralled with Newgate stories and Jack Sheppard in particular is really interesting.

However, the crime itself and the trial isn't particularly thrilling. It's a shame, as the bits about society and literary London (both Dickens and Thackery feature) are so interesting, but the murder at the centre of the book is fairly straightforward. I was hoping for a bit more excitement and subterfuge, although I had to keep reminding myself that this was real life and not some lurid murder mystery (my usual genre of choice!)

Overall, a quick and interesting read, but more as social history than true crime.

Murder by the Book is a true crime novel centering around the death of Lord William and the scandal that surrounded the discovery of his body and subsequent trial.

This does a decent job of describing the main events of the crime, as well as the possibility of any literary influence over the murder itself with discussions about ‘sensationalist’ novels that were popular at the time. However I felt there wasn’t really much of a story to tell here. Large portions of the crime are fleshed out with descriptions and accounts that don’t really enrich the narrative, and unfortunately it just didn’t hold my attention. There’s also a rather large cast of characters that began to get rather confusing as the story progressed.

I think I would have found this more enjoyable if the book focused more on these popular Victorian novels rather than trying to fit the topic around one murder, as there may have been more material. There was a lot of potential to take this idea of ‘celebrity’ and the sensationalised criminal and to expand on it, perhaps moving on to other famous murders of the time and the reasoning behind why they were just so popular.

For a short novel it’s well researched, but I think the topic had potential to be a lot more interesting. It’s certainly piqued an interest in Victorian murder novels.

I’m not overfond of airports or aeroplanes – in fact, I would describe myself as having mild aviophobia – so tend, when flying, to struggle concentrating on a book for any length of time. I therefore take care always to slip something moderately light (in a literary sense) into my bag before leaving home in hope of distracting myself from squealing children, sharp-boned neighbours, unexpected turbulence and other minor irritants likely to arise at 40,000 feet.

Returning last week from Cyprus, I opted to read Murder by the Book after seeing it recommended in The Guardian’s: The 50 biggest books of autumn 2018, where it was described as focusing on a “killer’s claim to have been inspired by a sensational novel, and the debate about fiction that ensued.” Perfect. An authentic whodunnit with an added literary twist: just the thing to assuage frightful, in-flight thoughts of plummeting out of the sky.

I started reading shortly before take-off and was pleased to discover the award-winning biographer, Claire Harman had created an undemanding but entertaining historical account that read like a thriller.
On the morning of 6th May 1840, a housemaid discovered her elderly master at home in bed with his throat slit so deeply his head was all but severed. Suicide was at first suspected, but it quickly became apparent the police were investigating a savage murder.

Lord William Russell was the third and youngest son of the Marquess of Tavistock, whose beloved wife, Lady Charlotte Villiers, had died some thirty years earlier. He lived alone (but for three servants) in a modest property in London’s upmarket Mayfair and was familiar to those who frequented the great salons of Holland House and Gore House, the Royal Academy and Buckingham Palace itself.

From royalty to the most impoverished ragamuffin, Londoners were enthralled by every gory detail of Russell’s murder. It also provoked intense debate about censorship and in particular, a contemporary work of fiction: Jack Sheppard by William Harrison Ainsworth, when the suspected murderer was revealed to have read the novel before committing this apparently motiveless crime. Leading writers of the day, among them Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray were dragged into the controversy, and it seemed that literature itself had been put on trial.

Collating much previously unpublished information, Harman shows how a murderer can become a celebrity. In addition to the main narrative, she helpfully provides an addendum, Unanswered Questions, in which she re-examines evidence, discusses motive and raises several intriguing questions. She also, in a chapter entitled Persons of Interest, supplies brief biographical information on all the people connected with the case.

So, did Murder by the Book divert my mind from more immediate thoughts? Happily, I can report that it served its function well: I made it from Larnaca to Manchester without going into meltdown or publicly revealing my inner wuss.

This was an interesting read that left me with mixed feelings. I don’t know whether I enjoyed this book or not it’s hard to explain. The opening chapter grabbed my attention, but sadly as I read on I started to lose interest in the book. At times I felt there could have been a little less Victorian details and more of the crime element. For me the book wasn’t gripping enough.

The writing style took me a while to get used to and I felt that at times the book didn’t flow as smoothly as other books I have read based in this time period.

The storyline/plot of this book has the potential to be really good but unfortunately something was missing. I think more attention to the crime would have made it more interesting and gripping for me.

There were some interesting characters in this book, and some that I even liked, but beware there are a lot of characters in this book, and if you’re like me then you will get confused muddled up with them all.

Sadly, this book wasn’t for me but there is nothing to say you won’t enjoy it more than I did, and therefore I do recommend that you give it a try especially if you are a fan of Victorian True Crime.

Unfortunately this theme has been done before and better. It's an interesting read but the only surprising part was (spoiler) the valet admitting to the murder. It's trying to be a The Invention of Murder and failing.

Although I love historical true crime, this book was something of a mixed bag for me. It begins with the discovery, on the morning of Wednesday, 6th May, 1840, of a murder. Lord William Russell is found in his bed, his throat cut, on a wealthy, seemingly safe, Mayfair street. Although Lord William was a younger son, so not as successful ,or influential, as other members of his family; he was wealthy and well known. Widowed, with only two of his seven children, still alive, he had spent much time abroad and had returned to London to retire.

Without doubt, Lord William’s murder created a sensation, and more than a little panic. That an elderly, quiet and respectable man could have been killed, in his own home, in such a wealthy area, made others worried that they could suffer the same fate. This book looks at the crime, the investigation, the trial and the aftermath. However, Claire Harman, also looks at the influence of ‘Newgate novelists,’ on events. These are sensationalist books, often made into plays, by authors such as William Harrison Ainsworth, who wrote, “Roodwood,” and “Jack Sheppard,” about a notorious criminal.

Although I found both the crime element, and the literary one, interesting, it did feel a little as though she was fleshing out the true crime section of the book. As well as Ainsworth, she discusses other authors, such as Dickens and Thackeray and there are some particularly interesting passages, concerning Dickens and the aftermath of the trial. However, overall, this doesn’t quite manage to succeed as a true crime novel, simply because there is not quite enough depth. That said, it was still an enjoyable read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Rated 3.5 stars.

Good for Victorian true crime fans, I was somewhat disappointed that the 'literary' hook much in evidence in the blurb is more of a red herring: Dickens and Thackeray are mentioned but feel shoehorned in, and without them an already short book would have been reduced to something more like a pamphlet.

There is much detail uncovered here as an aristocratic master is murdered and his Swiss valet arrested, but it feels staid rather than gripping, and even the trial scenes somehow fail to be rendered dramatically. Harman concludes by asking questions that remain unanswered, suggesting something perhaps more sexual in the case but, without evidence, can't go much further.

So this is meticulous in recounting evidenced details about the murder, police investigation and sentence - but it ends up feeling a bit slight.