I have never heard of this story before, but I found it pretty fascinating. I thought the story was a bit slow and dry that was written like a textbook. Still, it was a very comprehensive read and easy to understand. I find the subject topic to be very interesting, and I wonder why I never heard of this topic before until now. I am willing to research more about the topic. I recommend this for fans of true crime!

⭐⭐⭐ -- cool cover on this one

I honestly don't have a lot to say about this one. it was okay. The first half was pretty dry and slow and I struggled to stay interested. The last half was a bit more interesting. It's definitely worth the read in you are a true crime lover.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Susan Goldenberg's new book Deadly Triangle explores the 1935 murder of British Columbia's famed architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury. Before his death, Rattenbury was known for designing the iconic Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel in Victoria.  After his death, he became famous for the fact that his young wife Alma and her lover, the chauffer, were the killers.  Alma and Francis Rattenbury were no strangers to controversy in Canada. In fact, their affair while Francis was still married to his first wife sent the two to move to Bournemouth, England.  Francis started to drink and became impotent. Alma began to seduce the chaufffer and the rest is history. 

Susan Goldenberg gives a detailed account of the lives and scandals of the Rattenbury family and how their scandal became a perfect set up for a murder most foul. For non-Canadians, this case might be a new one. The trial was absolutely sensational and caused debate about sex, the upper crust, and just what a woman's requirements were once she was stranded and unhappy. 

Deadly Triangle is now available.

In Deadly Triangle: The Famous Architect, His Wife, Their Chauffer, and Murder Most Foul (Dundurn Press, 2022), the most recent publication by award-winning Canadian author Susan Goldenberg, the author chronicles a gruesome but scintillating tale of scandal, adultery, and murder.

In 1925, renowned British-born Canadian architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury shocked Victoria, BC society when he divorced his ailing wife and married the decades younger Alma Victoria Pakenham, a woman who had already been married twice. Pariahs in Canada, the Rattenburys removed to Bournemouth, England in order to start a new life. Here they rented a substantial home and raised their son John, and Alma’s son Christopher from her second marriage. However, as Goldenberg relates, the age gap in Francis and Alma’s relationship quickly caught up with them, leaving Alma a dissatisfied and unhappy wife to an old man that she felt little affection for. It was at this time, in the early 1930s, that Alma took into her employ, and not too long after into her bed, George Percy Stoner, a teenaged local boy hired as a chauffeur and handyman.

Alma and George’s illicit affair went on smoothly under Francis’s nose for only a few short months before George murdered Francis Rattenbury in a fit a jealous rage. Rattenbury was killed with three blows to the head with a mallet while the elderly man dozed one evening in his armchair. The early half of Deadly Triangle provides background information up until the murder, the remainder of the book focuses on the investigation, the joint trail of Alma and George, and the tragic events which continued to transpire after justice had taken its course. Unlike some true crime works where the descriptions of court proceedings can become tedious, Goldenberg narrates unfolding events in such a way as to keep things moving and to hold the reader’s attention at every turn of the page.

If the murder of Francis Rattenbury did not provide enough intrigue to this lurid true crime tale, the story of Francis, Alma, and George is filled with lavish spending, drug and alcohol consumption, and scandalous divorces and relationships. Indeed, the lives of both George and Alma are described in great detail in order to set the scene for Francis’s grisly murder in 1935. Goldenberg writes as a conscientious historian, delivering nothing but the facts as they are found in the historical record. The authors opinions do not seep overtly into the text, leaving alleged events and assumptions of guilt to be read as they were interpreted at the time of the investigation and trial.

An aspect of the work which sticks out for a reader with a background in history is the lengths that Goldenberg goes to in order to contextualize her narrative. This is an effort that will also be welcomed by the general readership that this work is geared towards. The contextualization and explanations are simple and clear and do not distract the reader from the wider narrative or the point being made. As the story being told in this book occurred in both Canada and the United Kingdom almost a century ago, Goldenberg’s effort to convert currency and calculate the modern equivalent of historic amounts of money is particularly informative for a modern reader. These calculations aid in contextualizing the arguments being made were value and amounts of money are significant.

Although Goldenberg does reference the other works written on the murder and subsequent trial, it is only to a very minimal extent. Given the high-profile nature and the long-standing interest in the case, both in Canada and in the United Kingdom, it would have been a positive addition from a historical perspective if the work had included deeper discussions on the nature of the other material written on the murder. Additionally, while the author does draw extensively from the historical record and quotes extensively, a wider discussion of the available sources would have added a further layer of intrigue for those interested in the production of history and the process of writing a book such as this. These critiques aside, however, Goldenberg has crafted a narrative which appeals widely to true crime lovers and historians alike.

Riveting from cover to cover, Deadly Triangle does much more than recount the murder of Francis Rattenbury, it transports the reader back to a not-so-distant age when the world and its attitudes toward such things as extramarital affairs were altogether different from what they are today. Goldenberg’s work, coupled with an altogether dramatic narrative from start to finish, is written succinctly and leaves the reader craving more at the end of every page.


Connor E. R. DeMerchant is an historian from Kingston, New Brunswick, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from the University of New Brunswick – Saint John and a Master’s in History from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In the fall of 2021, he began a PhD in history at the University of New Brunswick – Fredericton in the field of Caribbean history. Connor enjoys researching all aspects of Britain and its global empire, including the Caribbean, with his PhD research focusing on poor white communities in St. Vincent and Barbados. When not being an academic, Connor enjoys doing genealogy, collecting vintage photos, rug-hooking, and thrifting.

I have really been getting into historical true crime books, and this one was an excellent addition to my tally! It follows the lives and subsequent tragedies that befell renowned Canadian architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury, his much younger wife Alma, and their chauffeur George Percy Stoner.

I think the thing that stood out the most about the murder and the participants was that everything had been built on a foundation of mistrust and lies. Rattenbury was, by many accounts, not a wonderful person. Alma's second marriage was to a man she started a relationship with when he was still married. Her third marriage (to Rattenbury) also started as a relationship whilst he was still married. Society frowned upon the couple and they subsequently moved to Bournemouth, England where they hired the 18 year old Stoner and the pieces were in place for tragedy.

I thought that the story was really well written and easy to follow. Things (like how society banished Rattenbury and Alma) were well explained, and I felt I got a good understanding of the characters in the book and their motivations. The ending was also really quite sad, and I really appreciated the fact that the author didn't just focus on the effect the murder had on the victim and the two accused, but also on the two boys left behind - Alma and Rattenbury's son John was only about six years old when he was effectively orphaned. I also had the opportunity to listen to the audio as well, and felt it was very well done - the narrator was wonderful!

A must read for anyone interested in historical true crime, and also a book I would recommend for anyone looking to get into the sub genre.

In 1935, the murder of architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury, designer of the Parliament Buildings & Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, was front page news. This was mainly due to the two people in the dock: Rattenbury's much younger second wife, Alma, & their chauffeur, George Stoner. They admitted to an affair & then tried to divert the blame away from the other, by each taking responsibility for the murder, until Alma was persuaded to blame Stoner & he found himself facing the death penalty (the death penalty was still in force in England until the 1960s).

It was a case I had never heard of & one that has still not been definitively solved as to who wielded the hammer - Alma or George. Rattenbury was not a very sympathetic victim whilst Alma was viewed through a misogynistic lens in the media, however, I found it difficult to feel sorry for her due to how she & Francis treated his first wife. Hounding a sick woman to the point of taking away her bed so she had to sleep on a campbed - despicable. George was half Alma's age, inexperienced, & thought to be easily led, & I actually felt rather sorry for him until I read the epilogue.

The book itself was well-written & mainly kept my attention well, although some of the letters Alma wrote George are overly dramatic to modern eyes & I tended to skim-read them. The author presents the facts leaving the reader to make up their own mind, & I liked that they took the time to explain UK-centric words & concepts for those who may not be familiar with them. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Dundurn Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ingram Publish Services for providing me a copy of this book to read for my honest review.
This true story is a vivid description of a scandalous murder trial in 1935 England. Francis Masson Rattenbury, a know architect designing the parliament building and the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Is murdered. He eventual left Canada for England due to his shady business deals. He meets Alma, 30 years young but it’s the roaring 20s and he is married. They are a scandalous couple.

Eventually they buy a house he marries her and Alma hires a chauffeur, George Percy Stoner, 17 yrs old. She has an extensive affair with him. Francis Rattenbury is murdered but by who? Both Alma and George are arrested and brought to jail. There are several people who know each of them are brought in to testify.

The description of the trail is written with what seems to be well documented precision. The story presents a picture of the times including such topics as divorce, adultery, cocaine, class divisions of the times. The trial creates huge interest world wide. The press, gossipy, tabloids, and controversy descend upon the trail.
The story provides the finality of their stories as well as the families growth.

The documentation and research was huge and provided for a detailed account of this famous trial in England.
Mystery readers go for it as well as mystery historians

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for accepting my request to read and review Deadly Triangle.

Author: Susan Goldenberg
Published: 11/08/22
Genre: History -- True Crime

There are no spoilers. This murder occurred in 1935. The synopsis is spot-on.

The first third of the book is slow and dry. The remaining two-thirds moves along at a Court's pace with memories playing out. The story itself is incredibly sad. I found myself gutted with the ending. I was not familiar with the popular case. It was all new to me.

The trial is a nice portion of the book. During that period the social injustices are shown and play out. This is one of the first cases to garner public opinions with people camping out for a seat in the court room. The standards by which women treated each other I found appalling. The book finishes with updates on all key players.

This is a giftable read for true time junkies, students of Women's Studies, or Period studies.

A true crime story that covers the murder of Francis Mawson Rattenbury; this was a very in depth novel about Francis's and his life up to his murder. The novel was fast paced and easy to read; as I read more I wanted to know more and even though I knew what would happen I was gripped.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

The 1935 murder of Francis Mawson Rattenbury, known for his design of the Parliament Buildings, and Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and the arrest of his much younger wife, Alma, and her lover, their chauffer, George Percy Stoner, who was much younger than Alma, for his murder. Their trial in London, UK sparked much public interest and media attention and brought the subject of sex to the table.
I enjoyed this true crime novel. It's a great psychological study of the past and the interactions of the people involved, and less about the gory details of the murder. It is engrossing, and easy to fall into. it grabbed me from the start and held me to the end, this is a true crime you do not want to miss.
Highly recommended.

This was a scholarly, well-researched book by Susan Goldenberg, an award-winning writer. It tells of a lurid, scandalous murder trial that shocked England and had ties to Victoria, BC. The sensational murder trial was held at the Old Bailey courthouse in 1935, drew worldwide publicity, and was the fodder for the legitimate press, tabloids, gossip columns, controversy by barristers and judges, and attracted mobs of the curious and titillated public. It is the story of wasted talent, rambling love letters, class divisions in regard to views on morality, adultery, frantic press coverage, lies, misogyny, drunkenness, liquor, cocaine, and suicide. The trial led to debates on the death penalty, divorce laws, and free love versus conventional values.

Written in a dry, all-inclusive test-book style, this was the story of what was considered one of Britain's most fascinating trials of the century. I admired that the author mentioned the history and background of the families at the beginning and the outcome for the children at its conclusion. Much care was taken to include relevant photos in the book. I wish there had been a good one of George Stoner as I found one available on the internet.

Alma Clarke's parents emigrated from England and settled in Victoria, B.C. Alma was born in Canada, according to the book, in 1892. She was known to subtract years from her actual age. Reports at the time of the murder trial gave her age anywhere from 35 to 43, with 43 being the most reasonable. She had a sterling reputation as a young woman. She was considered a music prodigy and became a professional concert pianist while still a teenager. Her first marriage ended when she became a war widow. She then went to France and worked in a Red Cross Field Hospital. A second marriage ended in divorce.

She became part of the wild crowd of young people known as the Lost Generation. It was marked by flapper-styled clothing, wild dances, liquor, drugs, and promiscuous sex. She met the married Francis Rattinbury, who was some 30 years older. They had a flagrant affair that shocked the upright society. After his long and contentious divorce proceedings, she married him. Divorce was rare at the time, only affordable for the wealthy, and the grounds were adultery. It was regarded as scandalous.

Francis Rattinbury was a famous, prominent English architect. Among his acclaimed works were the Parliament House in Victoria and the imposing Empress Hotel. He developed a bad reputation for his business transactions, including fraud, overspending, and overcharging. He was regarded as rude and egotistical. Adding to the present scandal of escorting the much younger Alma to public places while married caused them to be shunned by the puritanical society. The result was moving to England with his new wife, now Alma Rattinbury.

They bought a fine house with Francis's now diminishing funds. Alma persuaded Francis to hire a chauffeur, and 17-year-old George Stoner was hired. He stated that he was 22. He admitted his true age to Alma after they began their affair shortly after he turned 18. According to her date of birth given in the book, she would have been aged 42 at the time, and Francis was in his late 60s. He had become an impotent drunk and was nearly deaf.

After a few months into their tempestuous affair conducted mainly in the same room where her six-year-old son was asleep, and her husband was in a drunken stupor downstairs, George borrowed a heavy wooden mallet from his family. Francis was hit three times in the head and was fatally wounded. But did George carry out the attack? Both told muddled and conflicting stories to the police. It was evident they were trying to shield each other. George claimed to be a cocaine addict, and Alma was in a drunken state and high on morphine that the doctor had given her.

At the notorious trial, George took all the blame. Alma claimed to be telling the truth, but with many memory gaps. She managed to shift the blame to George. The verdict was that Alma was found not guilty but portrayed as an evil, immoral woman. George was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. The verdict left Alma hysterical and depressed, and she was admitted into a rest home for the wealthy. As the excited crowds prevented her from going outside, she moved to a quieter institution but left in despair over her love for George and his fate. What was the outcome for the two lovers?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC for Deadly Triangle, a fascinating true crime story.

Immersive, Compelling…
A love triangle turned deadly in this immersive, well documented true crime account dealing with the 1935 murder of famous architect and designer Francis Rattenbury. A crime that shocked with much sensationalism and sheer scandal. A well crafted account providing a discernible timeline to trial and demonstrating that certain elements of human nature simply never fade. A compelling read.

Such a well crafted novel, compelling enough to pull you through and very quick read. I enjoyed it so much from the first page till the end.

Captivation Of Multiple Marriages, Divorces, Scandals, And Adultery

For those who hadn't heard of this murder, Deadly Triangle provides a thorough outline of the players and the events of this murder. This book is written by Susan Goldenberg, who is an award-winning author and currently resides in Toronto.
The book is about a married man called Francis Rattenbury and a twice previously married woman called Alma who start an affair in the 1930s.
Architect Francis Rattenbury became a very successful businessman in Victoria, British Columbia, but he made many enemies along the way due to his many shady business dealings.
Rattenbury's then starts has an affair with Alma, who is significantly younger than her lover, but Francis is rich, and Alma likes the good things in life. After they marry, they decide to move to England, and they move into beautiful home with maids and a chauffeur and live the high life.
It does not take long for the love to fade as the age difference and interests are so different. Alma then develops a relationship with the 17-year-old young man called George who was the hired chauffeur by Francis. A few months into the affair Francis is bludgeoned to death one evening and After Francis’ death Alma and George’s life will be turned upside down as they are arrested, then go on trial in England for the murder of Francis. But who really murdered him
I found myself deeply immersed in the story as you enter the daily lives of the characters. No one here is an angel or even the devil, and I was enthralled by the story of multiple marriages, divorces, scandals, and adultery that where present in the early 1900’s. It was a reminder that people from that era and present day still have the same issues.
Well researched and beautifully told. Thank you to Susan Goldenberg, NetGalley and the publisher Dundum Press for providing the A.R.C of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Interesting true crime book with fascinating details of the crime and the trial. Thank you to NetGalley.

At first, I thought that this was a book I read long ago about an American architect and murder, until I took a closer look. When I got further into it, the setting is British Columbia, Canada and later on England. Architect Rattenbury became successful in Victoria, British Columbia, despite his shady business dealings and many enemies made along the way. The story of a married man and a twice previously married woman who start an affair in the 1930s. They did nothing to keep it a secret, and became openly despised and ostracized. The repercussions cost them everything, home, business, and friends. They throw in the towel and move to England to start over. This is where the 3rd part of the triangle comes into the picture. Good true crime that caused a big stir from nearly 90 years ago.

The true crime story of a love triangle that turned deadly. By the end of this book I was still unsure if the jury made the right decision. There is lots of information for both guilty and not guilty verdicts. I enjoyed the background information on Francis and Alma, it helped to show how these people became the people they were and maybe why they did the things they did. I also enjoyed the history about the Old Bailey. Sadly this book just didn’t work for me, I found it a little repetitive and a lot of the information was taken from court transcripts, newspaper articles and interviews. This would be a great book for people who want to learn more about how the British legal system and court cases in general are conducted. It also provided information about what happened to the people involved after the verdicts were given.

"Deadly Triangle" is a nonfiction account of the 1935 murder of Francis Rattenbury. While we think today that our court cases are remarkably sensationalized, the Rattenbury case would be an early example of the public's thirst for crime stories. In this case, Rattenbury's wife, Alma, herself significantly younger than her husband, developed a relationship with the 17 year old young man hired to work at their home. At some point--there are various reasons provided--Rattenbury's body was found having been hammered in the head multiple times with a mallet. Both Alma and her lover declared their guilt, each swearing the other innocent. The case--a closed-option whodunnit starring an adulterous wife and a simple but handsome very, very young man--proved catnip for the British media and it's easy to see why.

What's good: For those who hadn't heard of this murder, "Deadly Triangle" provides a thorough outline of the players and the events of the murder. No one here is all angel or all devil, and there's an interesting thread here about women making do in extreme situations.

What's iffier: The narrative did not feel as tight as it could be. There were times when I wondered why a sentence was included in a paragraph, for example, as I couldn't see a logical connection. There were other times when I wanted the author to weigh in more with their own interpretation of these events vs. extended recaps from the trial transcripts.

With gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Deadly Triangle by Susan Goldenberg is unfortunately one of those stories that should just stay a Wikipedia entry. Goldenberg recounts the murder of a famous Canadian architect by his wife’s much younger lover and the aftermath.

There are some twists and turns I won’t spoil here, but the narrative breaks under the weight of a story that is not long enough for a book. Goldenberg is forced to speculate, repeat, and define very simple things just to reach book length and the whole thing is still very short. The second half of the book is mostly direct court testimony and newspaper articles. As a reader, I just couldn’t connect with anyone in the book or with the murder/scandal as a whole.

(This book was provided to me as an advance copy by NetGalley and Dundurn Press. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com in 9/29/2022.)

When Francis Morris ratzenberry left his wife Florry for the scandalous Elma, he definitely sealed his fate. The horrible treatment of his first wife caused them to be ran out of Victoria they ran from Canada all the way to England where he was from. His good name wouldn’t stop rumors from spreading about the Bohemian Alma. When she started an affair with their chauffeur George
It was inevitable that the scandalous Elma would be making the papers again, but this time it would be for murder. I love historical True Crime and I must say this was an awesome read it seems Elma was a walking scandal, but like they say there’s no fool like an old fool and that’s exactly what Francis was Who was 30 years older than her, but told his sister it Felt like they were the same age which tells me she was a master manipulator. If you love scandal and True Crime you need to read this book it was so good I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. This is a total five-star read! I receive this book from netGally and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.