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Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History
When you think of serial killers throughout history, the names that come to mind are likely Jack the Ripper, John Wayne Gacy, and Ted Bundy. But what about Tillie Klimek, Moulay Hassan, and Kate Bender? The narrative we're comfortable with is one where women are the victims of violent crime-not the perpetrators. In fact, serial killers are thought to be so universally male that, in 1998, FBI profiler Roy Hazelwood infamously declared that There are no female serial killers. Inspired by Telfer's Jezebel column of the same name, Lady Killers disputes that claim and offers fourteen gruesome examples as evidence. Although largely forgotten by history, female serial killers rival their male counterparts in cunning, cruelty, and appetite. Each chapter explores the crimes and history of a different female serial killer and then proceeds to unpack her legacy and her portrayal in the media as well as the stereotypes and sexist cliches that inevitably surround her.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2017
About the author
Tori Telfer
5 books299 followersTori Telfer is a freelance writer who is a) inconsolable at her lack of skateboarding skills, b) obsessed with talking about serial killers at dinner parties, and c) has been published in and around the world wide web on topics from Johnny Depp impersonators to vengeful cowboys in frontier America. Her first book, Lady Killers (Harper Perennial), will be released on October 10th.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,656 reviews
October 2, 2017
Stay sexy, read about murderers.
January 28, 2018
I wanted to enjoy this more than I did.
This book has a lot of positives. Its a very fast read, I learned about murders I had never heard of, the book was written in a very easy to understand way and I liked the way the author pointed out the sexist manner in which female murderers are portrayed.
So why didn't I like it more?
I'm really not sure.
I guess I found the book to be a little too shallow, since most of this women have been dead for anywhere from 50- 300 years its hard to tell if any of these stories are even true. Several woman in this book were described as being witches in their official court transcripts. I understand why she chose such ancient murders but I think in making that choice she sacrificed cold hard facts.
I'm still recommending Lady Killers because I still found this book to be fun and entertaining.
This book has a lot of positives. Its a very fast read, I learned about murders I had never heard of, the book was written in a very easy to understand way and I liked the way the author pointed out the sexist manner in which female murderers are portrayed.
So why didn't I like it more?
I'm really not sure.
I guess I found the book to be a little too shallow, since most of this women have been dead for anywhere from 50- 300 years its hard to tell if any of these stories are even true. Several woman in this book were described as being witches in their official court transcripts. I understand why she chose such ancient murders but I think in making that choice she sacrificed cold hard facts.
I'm still recommending Lady Killers because I still found this book to be fun and entertaining.
February 22, 2019
3.5 stars
I've read many true crime books over the years but this is actually only the second or third time I have had the opportunity to read one featuring female serial killers. There's just not that many books like that on the market so I am glad the author decided this was a subject worth writing about.
For the most part I thought the author chose an interesting group of women to feature in this book. The women were from all over the globe and represented many different time periods. I don't have a copy of the book in front of me to double check but I believe one of the women featured was from the 1200s and quite a few cases took place in the 19th or 20th century. Arsenic by far was the preferred weapon of choice by these females. It was interesting to see that so many women would have gotten away with murder if they just would have dialed it back a few notches. Instead it was like they had to kill anyone who had ever done them wrong. After awhile people started to catch on and that's how they would eventually get caught.
The topic of how society views female serial killers vs. male serial killers is discussed but for me the real appeal of the book was learning about each woman. The vast majority of the book contained cases I had never heard of before and that was certainly a factor in why this book held my interest. If you enjoy books from the true crime genre, you might want to take a look at this one.
I've read many true crime books over the years but this is actually only the second or third time I have had the opportunity to read one featuring female serial killers. There's just not that many books like that on the market so I am glad the author decided this was a subject worth writing about.
For the most part I thought the author chose an interesting group of women to feature in this book. The women were from all over the globe and represented many different time periods. I don't have a copy of the book in front of me to double check but I believe one of the women featured was from the 1200s and quite a few cases took place in the 19th or 20th century. Arsenic by far was the preferred weapon of choice by these females. It was interesting to see that so many women would have gotten away with murder if they just would have dialed it back a few notches. Instead it was like they had to kill anyone who had ever done them wrong. After awhile people started to catch on and that's how they would eventually get caught.
The topic of how society views female serial killers vs. male serial killers is discussed but for me the real appeal of the book was learning about each woman. The vast majority of the book contained cases I had never heard of before and that was certainly a factor in why this book held my interest. If you enjoy books from the true crime genre, you might want to take a look at this one.
June 6, 2018
This was okay for me. Unlike others, I found the sarcastic tone a little odd and offputting. The cases were old, so there was a lot of conjecture and poison. If I’m being honest, I was bored. I guess historical true crime isn’t my thing. 2 stars
January 19, 2019
This review appeared first at: https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/...
Tori Telfer has compiled this compelling compendium that features female serial killers throughout history. Each murderess is illustrated with an absolutely gorgeous pen-and-ink portrait done by Dame Darcy.
Telfer opens the book with a well-researched discussion of female serial killers. In 1998, it was infamously stated by an FBI profiler that female serial killers simply do not exist. This is clearly not the case. Telfer talks about how men in power have carefully constructed their own narrative around each of these female killers. Uncomfortable with the idea that a woman could kill in cold blood, they rewrite the story. For instance, infamous Erzsebet Bathory was a "vampire" or a "seductress", when in reality she probably just enjoyed murdering people. Even the names given to certain killers, like Nannie Doss, the "Giggling Grandma", is meant to lessen the impact of what they did. Telfer provides a critical analysis of why humanity is tempted to reason away the acts of female killers, and it's really quite fascinating a read for those interested in sociology and psychology.
Telfer doesn't just write about the murderesses, what they did, and the punishment they may or may not have faced for it. She delves into the historical context, providing information about the world that the women grew up in, which in more times than not, greatly impacts the decisions each killer made. Telfer dives in to the potential motives for each of the killers. Some of the killers were trying to survive economically, and others could have been simply sadistic. This is likely the case for certain murderesses, like the aristocratic killers Erzsebet Bathory and Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova.
Some reviews complain about the book having excessive amounts of detail, but I must argue against this point. The detail provides critical information about what could possibly have motivated these women to kill. It gives us the full picture. It's what makes reading a book like this different from scrolling through a Buzzfeed article. Readers can come to their own conclusions, because they know more than just a cursory amount of information about the situation. I personally enjoyed the little tidbits of information about each time period. For instance, how aristocratic women living in Erzsebet Bathory's time period plucked their hairlines, so that they would have high foreheads. This little detail is something that will stay with me for a while, as a woman in 2019 with an unusually high hairline. I would have been aristocratic back then. Sigh.
Some parts of this book got a little grotesque. Telfer does not shy away from describing what some of the more disturbing murderesses were accused of doing. She does not mute the effects of arsenic on the body. I'd had no idea how painful it was, having grown up watching movies like Arsenic and Old Lace, which romanticize a horrible poison so commonly used by women throughout history.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, but wants to know more about female serial killers. As I said before, it's highly detailed, so if you're not interested in learning about the time periods that each murderess lived in, this might not be the book for you. There's a broad selection of women throughout history, including infamous killers like Elizabeth Bathory and Mary Ann Cotton, to lesser known killers, like Raya and Sakina, sister killers in 1920s Egypt.
*Thank you to Harper Perennial for the book for review*
Tori Telfer has compiled this compelling compendium that features female serial killers throughout history. Each murderess is illustrated with an absolutely gorgeous pen-and-ink portrait done by Dame Darcy.
Telfer opens the book with a well-researched discussion of female serial killers. In 1998, it was infamously stated by an FBI profiler that female serial killers simply do not exist. This is clearly not the case. Telfer talks about how men in power have carefully constructed their own narrative around each of these female killers. Uncomfortable with the idea that a woman could kill in cold blood, they rewrite the story. For instance, infamous Erzsebet Bathory was a "vampire" or a "seductress", when in reality she probably just enjoyed murdering people. Even the names given to certain killers, like Nannie Doss, the "Giggling Grandma", is meant to lessen the impact of what they did. Telfer provides a critical analysis of why humanity is tempted to reason away the acts of female killers, and it's really quite fascinating a read for those interested in sociology and psychology.
Telfer doesn't just write about the murderesses, what they did, and the punishment they may or may not have faced for it. She delves into the historical context, providing information about the world that the women grew up in, which in more times than not, greatly impacts the decisions each killer made. Telfer dives in to the potential motives for each of the killers. Some of the killers were trying to survive economically, and others could have been simply sadistic. This is likely the case for certain murderesses, like the aristocratic killers Erzsebet Bathory and Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova.
Some reviews complain about the book having excessive amounts of detail, but I must argue against this point. The detail provides critical information about what could possibly have motivated these women to kill. It gives us the full picture. It's what makes reading a book like this different from scrolling through a Buzzfeed article. Readers can come to their own conclusions, because they know more than just a cursory amount of information about the situation. I personally enjoyed the little tidbits of information about each time period. For instance, how aristocratic women living in Erzsebet Bathory's time period plucked their hairlines, so that they would have high foreheads. This little detail is something that will stay with me for a while, as a woman in 2019 with an unusually high hairline. I would have been aristocratic back then. Sigh.
Some parts of this book got a little grotesque. Telfer does not shy away from describing what some of the more disturbing murderesses were accused of doing. She does not mute the effects of arsenic on the body. I'd had no idea how painful it was, having grown up watching movies like Arsenic and Old Lace, which romanticize a horrible poison so commonly used by women throughout history.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, but wants to know more about female serial killers. As I said before, it's highly detailed, so if you're not interested in learning about the time periods that each murderess lived in, this might not be the book for you. There's a broad selection of women throughout history, including infamous killers like Elizabeth Bathory and Mary Ann Cotton, to lesser known killers, like Raya and Sakina, sister killers in 1920s Egypt.
*Thank you to Harper Perennial for the book for review*
February 20, 2018
I wanted to like this one more than I did, but it's too breezy and repetitive for me.
While I appreciated the author's point that female murderers are often dismissed or diminished by a public that wants to make them more palatable, she undercuts that argument by using a cutesy, conversational tone that doesn't seem to take these crimes seriously. She also includes all the same scandalous rumors and descriptions of age or beauty that she criticizes previous reports for focusing on.
I'd love to see a more buttoned-up take on how the public has talked and written about female serial killers over the years. But this book wags its finger at those tropes even as it invokes them, which is too strange a mix to be enjoyable.
While I appreciated the author's point that female murderers are often dismissed or diminished by a public that wants to make them more palatable, she undercuts that argument by using a cutesy, conversational tone that doesn't seem to take these crimes seriously. She also includes all the same scandalous rumors and descriptions of age or beauty that she criticizes previous reports for focusing on.
I'd love to see a more buttoned-up take on how the public has talked and written about female serial killers over the years. But this book wags its finger at those tropes even as it invokes them, which is too strange a mix to be enjoyable.
December 25, 2021
An in-depth look at the female serial killer throughout history. Numerous cases and women that are not well known. In fact I only read about two of them before so I enjoyed this book. I found the writer quirky and I loved her writing style considering the dark history she was covering. Excellent book.
September 12, 2021
My obsession with this reminded me of how I felt reading The Five. I never wanted it to end. Top 3 of the year so far for me!
November 4, 2018
Interesting but lacks any real look at sexism, racism, social standing, etc. There's no nuanced look at the crimes. In some cases the women are just cold blooded killers. In some cases killing develops as a way of coping with crushing poverty.
Women have been killing infants since forever and for a multitude of valid if horrifying reasons. All of that would need to be looked at in the analysis of some of these murders.
Fun
Women have been killing infants since forever and for a multitude of valid if horrifying reasons. All of that would need to be looked at in the analysis of some of these murders.
Fun
July 18, 2021
Finally, the ALL female serial killer book I’ve been waiting for! Now don’t get me wrong, I love the male serial killer true crime novels I’ve read but I’ve wanted a female one for SO long and to finally find it was amazing. We don’t get enough stories of female serial killers and I wish we had more because all of these were bloody damn horrifying and fascinating all in one. I know that sounds strange wishing for more females to commit serial murders but that’s now what I’m saying, I’m sure there’s so many more already out there that no one has dug into yet! I like how it’s divided into a different section for each lady killer, that way you get to absorb the details of each story individually and get a firm idea of each terrifying woman. I also really appreciated how it didn’t get too bogged down with unnecessary details as some true crime novels can be. My only complaint and why it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is that I really would have loved to have some modern lady killers featured instead of just focusing on ones from the distant past. I still thoroughly enjoyed it despite that minor detail and I highly recommend you pick it up if you’re into true crime!
March 10, 2019
This book proves that not all serial killers are men. Contained herein are the tales of 14 murderous women through the ages who, for the most part, used poison as the weapon of choice. It was difficult to prove the existence of poison in the body before the science of medical testing and forensics were developed and since many people died at young ages most of these deaths were determined to be due to "natural causes".
The majority of the women profiled here committed their crimes prior to the beginning of the 20th century and very few are well known in the present day. But, oh they were evil and killed husbands, children and other relatives with dispatch, and usually for money and property. The stories are interesting and tragic but the author's style gave me a bit of a problem. She is a magazine writer and this book appears to be lifted from her columns in various publications.....in other words, the book reads like a magazine article and lacks the certain punch expected from an experienced novelist. Regardless, it is worth reading and can be read at leisure since each chapter stands alone.
The majority of the women profiled here committed their crimes prior to the beginning of the 20th century and very few are well known in the present day. But, oh they were evil and killed husbands, children and other relatives with dispatch, and usually for money and property. The stories are interesting and tragic but the author's style gave me a bit of a problem. She is a magazine writer and this book appears to be lifted from her columns in various publications.....in other words, the book reads like a magazine article and lacks the certain punch expected from an experienced novelist. Regardless, it is worth reading and can be read at leisure since each chapter stands alone.
November 25, 2024
2.0 ★
I just honestly didn't care for it. It didn't keep my interest. I think this could have been longer and just had more. It was very repetitive, and everything felt crammed together.
Short Synopsis
Every chapter is about a different female serial killer in the earlier centuries.
I just honestly didn't care for it. It didn't keep my interest. I think this could have been longer and just had more. It was very repetitive, and everything felt crammed together.
Short Synopsis
Every chapter is about a different female serial killer in the earlier centuries.
October 23, 2019
I love that this book exists. The realm of serial killers is so one-sided, what with all the crazy white guys running around, finding victims to rape, torture, kill, maybe eat, maybe skin.
But here's what I've learned about female serial killers from this book: they do not grab the imagination. They're not terrifying.
In the last chapter, the author addresses this very point right after she mentions telling someone that she empathizes but doesn't sympathize with all the ladies in this volume.
And that's just it.
I totally get why these women ran around killing people, mostly with poison, usually husbands/lovers and other family members. I know what they did was awful but I understand why they did it.
The murderers examined here are predominantly white (there's not much information about women serial killers, in the first place, and hardly anything on women serial killers of color, as evidenced by the brief, unfleshed chapter on Oum-El-Hassen) and mostly passive in their murdering (arsenic did all the work for them). The ones who were ridiculously rich and harder to apply laws to were the more violent ones; they're the ones who killed for entertainment rather than for some sort of gain. They were the more hands-on, violent killers but their motives weren't mysterious, just horrifying in their lack of humanity. The violent women who weren't rich were simply murdering with practicality - get it done quickly, rifle through the pockets, dispose of the body.
Male serial killers (also predominantly white) get all the attention because they are more intriguing, because they're so far removed from anything comprehensible. I read about them and have this deep need to know why they killed people, why they stalked their prey, why they kept little mementos, why they let some members of families live but not others, WHY? There's such a disconnect between my understanding of the world and theirs' and it gives me that creepy frisson in realizing there really are monsters among us and that I am in constant danger.
But these women? I know the why, I feel their motivation. It's all logical and sensical and while I like to believe I live on the right side of doing the right things for the right reasons, I can't honestly say I wouldn't snap one day and start poisoning the people who piss me off. I mean, I haven't stabbed Gabe yet so everyone is probably safe from my machinations; I'm just saying I understand how these women did what they did, regardless of how horrible their actions were. No creepy frissons from them.
Also, several of these women were on murder teams, they weren't solo killers; it’s so much easier to do bad stuff if you’re being goaded and supported by others doing bad stuff. One chapter is about an entire town of poisoners, all the women passing their knowledge along, helping to take out abusive men and needy children, a whole sisterhood of the fly paper poison. As a result, some of these female serial killers shared page space with others, many of whom weren't women. So, really, this is about lady killers and their killing buddies. #squadgoals
This is definitely well-written, well-researched, and interesting. I had not heard of the brigandly Bender family of Cherryvale, Kansas, and that was the closest I came to getting that “Holy crap, that’s awful! What is WRONG with these people?” thrill. But I still wasn’t worried for the safety of my fellow human, I was just shocked that there was a family of murderers hanging out, murdering, in the 1870’s.
Oh, I and also learned that it is really really unsafe to be a sex worker; everyone is out to get you, not just the crazy dudes.
As an addition to a true-crime library, this book is wonderful. As a look into a specific type of serial killer, it doesn’t have a lot of impact. I'm glad I listened to this but I'm not going to recommend it to people who aren't already interested in murder and feminism.
But here's what I've learned about female serial killers from this book: they do not grab the imagination. They're not terrifying.
In the last chapter, the author addresses this very point right after she mentions telling someone that she empathizes but doesn't sympathize with all the ladies in this volume.
And that's just it.
I totally get why these women ran around killing people, mostly with poison, usually husbands/lovers and other family members. I know what they did was awful but I understand why they did it.
The murderers examined here are predominantly white (there's not much information about women serial killers, in the first place, and hardly anything on women serial killers of color, as evidenced by the brief, unfleshed chapter on Oum-El-Hassen) and mostly passive in their murdering (arsenic did all the work for them). The ones who were ridiculously rich and harder to apply laws to were the more violent ones; they're the ones who killed for entertainment rather than for some sort of gain. They were the more hands-on, violent killers but their motives weren't mysterious, just horrifying in their lack of humanity. The violent women who weren't rich were simply murdering with practicality - get it done quickly, rifle through the pockets, dispose of the body.
Male serial killers (also predominantly white) get all the attention because they are more intriguing, because they're so far removed from anything comprehensible. I read about them and have this deep need to know why they killed people, why they stalked their prey, why they kept little mementos, why they let some members of families live but not others, WHY? There's such a disconnect between my understanding of the world and theirs' and it gives me that creepy frisson in realizing there really are monsters among us and that I am in constant danger.
But these women? I know the why, I feel their motivation. It's all logical and sensical and while I like to believe I live on the right side of doing the right things for the right reasons, I can't honestly say I wouldn't snap one day and start poisoning the people who piss me off. I mean, I haven't stabbed Gabe yet so everyone is probably safe from my machinations; I'm just saying I understand how these women did what they did, regardless of how horrible their actions were. No creepy frissons from them.
Also, several of these women were on murder teams, they weren't solo killers; it’s so much easier to do bad stuff if you’re being goaded and supported by others doing bad stuff. One chapter is about an entire town of poisoners, all the women passing their knowledge along, helping to take out abusive men and needy children, a whole sisterhood of the fly paper poison. As a result, some of these female serial killers shared page space with others, many of whom weren't women. So, really, this is about lady killers and their killing buddies. #squadgoals
This is definitely well-written, well-researched, and interesting. I had not heard of the brigandly Bender family of Cherryvale, Kansas, and that was the closest I came to getting that “Holy crap, that’s awful! What is WRONG with these people?” thrill. But I still wasn’t worried for the safety of my fellow human, I was just shocked that there was a family of murderers hanging out, murdering, in the 1870’s.
Oh, I and also learned that it is really really unsafe to be a sex worker; everyone is out to get you, not just the crazy dudes.
As an addition to a true-crime library, this book is wonderful. As a look into a specific type of serial killer, it doesn’t have a lot of impact. I'm glad I listened to this but I'm not going to recommend it to people who aren't already interested in murder and feminism.
July 18, 2021
Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 5 Stars
Story - 5 Stars
April 8, 2017
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2017/0...
I am still mulling over why I didn't enjoy this more. A book about female serial killers is surely innovative and I am a sucker for the twisted human mind. After so much fiction about this topic, I was thrilled to begin a non-fiction, realistic account.
The writing is engaging and witty and the author brings the right amount of humour to balance the wickedness in those pages.
However, that said humour, paired with the fact that none of the women portrayed were contemporary, bought an air of myth to the narrative that did not help prove the author's point - that women could be just as wicked as men -, because it felt that there wasn't much substantial proof behind it. The events in these women's stories were studied long after the acts, and there were plenty of rumours as well. So, I don't know, I guess my main issue is that it did not feel very 'real' to me.
The one story that chilled me the most was the most current one, the Giggling Grannie. I could definitely picture such a character and it chilled me to the bone - even more than reading about women who poisoned men or children in the dark ages or a couple of centuries after.
Also, constantly reading about poison grew tiresome and at some point I struggled to keep reading. I began to wonder if I would ever finish the book.
All in all, Lady Killers was an interesting read, but I would have enjoyed it more had the cases been more contemporary.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I am still mulling over why I didn't enjoy this more. A book about female serial killers is surely innovative and I am a sucker for the twisted human mind. After so much fiction about this topic, I was thrilled to begin a non-fiction, realistic account.
The writing is engaging and witty and the author brings the right amount of humour to balance the wickedness in those pages.
However, that said humour, paired with the fact that none of the women portrayed were contemporary, bought an air of myth to the narrative that did not help prove the author's point - that women could be just as wicked as men -, because it felt that there wasn't much substantial proof behind it. The events in these women's stories were studied long after the acts, and there were plenty of rumours as well. So, I don't know, I guess my main issue is that it did not feel very 'real' to me.
The one story that chilled me the most was the most current one, the Giggling Grannie. I could definitely picture such a character and it chilled me to the bone - even more than reading about women who poisoned men or children in the dark ages or a couple of centuries after.
Also, constantly reading about poison grew tiresome and at some point I struggled to keep reading. I began to wonder if I would ever finish the book.
All in all, Lady Killers was an interesting read, but I would have enjoyed it more had the cases been more contemporary.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 8, 2020
Genial!!! Lo comentaremos en el próximo podcast de True Crime.
January 21, 2020
Mira que es difícil que un tema tan atrayente esté tan mal tratado. Casos antiguos, conjeturas sin base alguna, cotilleos y tufillo misógino.
November 7, 2019
Probably more of a 3.5 — it wasn't bad at all, very entertaining, just a decent amount of speculation and "crazy, psychopath" nomenclature.
If you're interested in the topic, I recommend it—so many murderesses!
“But I believe in the healing and illuminating power of narrative, and I think there’s something to be gleaned from looking at evil, trying to understand it, wondering if perhaps we are all a little bit responsible. Should anything human be alien to us? That question is terrifying, and beautiful.”
Many of these women killed to improve their lives, a surprising amount used poison, and in some cases, conviction of the crime depended on how attractive the woman was.
“These lady killers were clever, bad tempered, conniving, seductive, reckless, self-serving, delusional, and willing to do whatever it took to claw their way into what they saw as a better life. They were ruthless and inflexible. They were lost and confused. They were psychopaths and child slayers. But they were not wolves. They were not vampires. They were not men. Time and again, the record shows: they were horrifyingly, quintessentially, inescapably human.”
“If crimes reflect the anxieties of our time, then today is the era of the mass murderer, the terrorist. Our violent delights still lead to violent ends, but the ends change as the decades ebb and flow.”
If you're interested in the topic, I recommend it—so many murderesses!
“But I believe in the healing and illuminating power of narrative, and I think there’s something to be gleaned from looking at evil, trying to understand it, wondering if perhaps we are all a little bit responsible. Should anything human be alien to us? That question is terrifying, and beautiful.”
Many of these women killed to improve their lives, a surprising amount used poison, and in some cases, conviction of the crime depended on how attractive the woman was.
“These lady killers were clever, bad tempered, conniving, seductive, reckless, self-serving, delusional, and willing to do whatever it took to claw their way into what they saw as a better life. They were ruthless and inflexible. They were lost and confused. They were psychopaths and child slayers. But they were not wolves. They were not vampires. They were not men. Time and again, the record shows: they were horrifyingly, quintessentially, inescapably human.”
“If crimes reflect the anxieties of our time, then today is the era of the mass murderer, the terrorist. Our violent delights still lead to violent ends, but the ends change as the decades ebb and flow.”
August 7, 2021
5 ++++++++++ stars audio and story!! Fascinating!! 😍😍😍😍
December 12, 2017
It was significantly awkward to have this book on my work desk for 3 days in a row, and more than a few people asked me, "Are you reading that to get ideas?" Well, yeah, I guess if I'm reading about women serial killers it's rational to assume I want to become one... ??? Ugh.
After the first few chapters, I was 75% positive I was going to rate this 5 stars. Which I don't think I do very often. So I obviously was entranced at the beginning. Seeing as how I clearly did not rate this 5 stars, the excitement gradually diminished.
I loved the style of writing and found this book very easy to read and comprehend. The author is witty and a bit humorous, but also repeatedly pointed out that the crimes these women committed were serious, and we should not become desensitized simply because they are females. We need to take their crimes for what they are -- murder. We can't tack on excuses, make them seem erotic, exotic, or, simply, anything other than the cold hearted killers they are.
I really like the cover art, and the illustrations in the book. In fact, I actually wish there had been more illustrations... But I think the artistic aspect helps to draw people in.
Now for what I didn't like... The stories became rather repetitive, even though they were obviously all different stories. The most recent story was set in the 1950's, and if I remember correctly, this dates as far back as the 1620's. I would've enjoyed reading stories old and new. (For the record, she does explain why she chose not to include more recent cases in the Conclusion of the book.) Given that, not many concrete facts or data were included, and there seems to have been a lot of speculation surrounding each case. So, in the end, I'm left feeling like perhaps I shouldn't 100% believe what I'm being told in this book, and that sort of defeats the purpose, does it not?
I have to be honest guys, I did not even want to write a review of this... I don't regret reading it, and don't honestly know if I'd recommend it. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't really enjoy it very much either, at least not past the first few chapters. It was just an okay reading experience.
After the first few chapters, I was 75% positive I was going to rate this 5 stars. Which I don't think I do very often. So I obviously was entranced at the beginning. Seeing as how I clearly did not rate this 5 stars, the excitement gradually diminished.
I loved the style of writing and found this book very easy to read and comprehend. The author is witty and a bit humorous, but also repeatedly pointed out that the crimes these women committed were serious, and we should not become desensitized simply because they are females. We need to take their crimes for what they are -- murder. We can't tack on excuses, make them seem erotic, exotic, or, simply, anything other than the cold hearted killers they are.
I really like the cover art, and the illustrations in the book. In fact, I actually wish there had been more illustrations... But I think the artistic aspect helps to draw people in.
Now for what I didn't like... The stories became rather repetitive, even though they were obviously all different stories. The most recent story was set in the 1950's, and if I remember correctly, this dates as far back as the 1620's. I would've enjoyed reading stories old and new. (For the record, she does explain why she chose not to include more recent cases in the Conclusion of the book.) Given that, not many concrete facts or data were included, and there seems to have been a lot of speculation surrounding each case. So, in the end, I'm left feeling like perhaps I shouldn't 100% believe what I'm being told in this book, and that sort of defeats the purpose, does it not?
I have to be honest guys, I did not even want to write a review of this... I don't regret reading it, and don't honestly know if I'd recommend it. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't really enjoy it very much either, at least not past the first few chapters. It was just an okay reading experience.
March 4, 2018
I got this book because Telfer wasn't satisfied with retreading the same Caucasian Anglophone ground over again. She avoided the standard line-up, including American serial killers I'd never heard of, and branched out and found female serial killers in Morocco and Russia and Hungary (and not just the Countess Bathory, either, although she's in here) and Egypt. (She has a note at the end that says she was thwarted in her attempts to include "Clementine Barnabet, a young black girl from New Orleans, and Miyuki Ishikawa, a Japanese midwife" because she simply couldn't find enough information (271-2).
Telfer includes chapters on:
Erzsebet Bathory
Nannie Doss
Lizzie Halliday
Elizabeth Ridgeway
Raya & Sakina
Mary Ann Cotton
Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova
Anna Marie Hahn
Oum-El-Hassen
Tillie Klimek
Alice Kyteler
Kate Bender
The Angel-Makers of Nagyrev
Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d'Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers
In fact, of the women in this book, I knew about Erzsebet Bathory, Mary Ann Cotton, Kate Bender, and the Marquise de Brinvilliers, so it definitely broadened my horizons.
(I'm not sure how reliable Telfer's research is; she and Wikipedia disagree about what evidence the Marquise de Brinvilliers was convicted: Telfer says it was the testimony of a person the Wikipedia article doesn't seem to know existed, and while I don't trust Wikipedia, I'm also dubious about something that it completely doesn't know about. Also, a quick Google of this witness, Jean-Baptiste Briancourt, brings him up--so he did historically exist--but one of the two books in Google Books' repertoire is the one Telfer cites and the other says that Briancourt's evidence was short and not new and damning testimony. So proceed with caution.)
This is an easy read; Telfer's style is light, colloquial, and morbidly humorous, and she does a good job of presenting her subjects as three-dimensionally as she can. She is interested in the question of evil and humanity, although she never really goes much farther than ankle-deep.
Telfer includes chapters on:
Erzsebet Bathory
Nannie Doss
Lizzie Halliday
Elizabeth Ridgeway
Raya & Sakina
Mary Ann Cotton
Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova
Anna Marie Hahn
Oum-El-Hassen
Tillie Klimek
Alice Kyteler
Kate Bender
The Angel-Makers of Nagyrev
Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d'Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers
In fact, of the women in this book, I knew about Erzsebet Bathory, Mary Ann Cotton, Kate Bender, and the Marquise de Brinvilliers, so it definitely broadened my horizons.
(I'm not sure how reliable Telfer's research is; she and Wikipedia disagree about what evidence the Marquise de Brinvilliers was convicted: Telfer says it was the testimony of a person the Wikipedia article doesn't seem to know existed, and while I don't trust Wikipedia, I'm also dubious about something that it completely doesn't know about. Also, a quick Google of this witness, Jean-Baptiste Briancourt, brings him up--so he did historically exist--but one of the two books in Google Books' repertoire is the one Telfer cites and the other says that Briancourt's evidence was short and not new and damning testimony. So proceed with caution.)
This is an easy read; Telfer's style is light, colloquial, and morbidly humorous, and she does a good job of presenting her subjects as three-dimensionally as she can. She is interested in the question of evil and humanity, although she never really goes much farther than ankle-deep.
January 24, 2020
Decepcionante, con un tema tan interesante que podría dar tanto de sí este libro me ha parecido repetitivo hasta la saciedad, unos casos se acaban confundiendo con otros y me he aburrido bastante.
Además habría sido un punto que hubiesen añadido fotografías, recortes de periódico y otro tipo de gráficos junto a la historia de cada mujer.
He echado de menos casos de asesinas más actuales.
No sé, en general, con lo que me apasiona este tema... un pluf como una casa.
Además habría sido un punto que hubiesen añadido fotografías, recortes de periódico y otro tipo de gráficos junto a la historia de cada mujer.
He echado de menos casos de asesinas más actuales.
No sé, en general, con lo que me apasiona este tema... un pluf como una casa.
November 30, 2017
I almost never put a book down unfinished, but I just couldn’t bring myself to keep reading this one. The subject matter is very interesting, but the tone...Ugh. It’s just so trite, and seems, to me anyway, to reinforce some of the very stereotypes the author claims her book will dispel. The author might as well say, “Oh, silly little murderesses!”. It was quite a disappointment for me.
May 14, 2024
this is the one of the first non fiction books i’ve read on purpose and i liked it! it’s easy to read, it was informative, and now i know how to make my own poison so that’s cool
June 6, 2019
With wry humour and grim facts, Tori Telfer describes a series of female serial killers throughout history. While Telfer’s tone might be light, she points out the economic and/or societal pressures that did play a part behind some of the women’s exploits. The author does not diminish their horrific acts, but provides some context for how why they did what they did, and also how these women were perceived during their strings of murder, and the combination of leering and befuddlement they were at times viewed after they were apprehended.
It is hard to not automatically men when we say "serial killers", and one almost resists the need to widen the definition. And that’s exactly what Telfer reminds us to do. Though there haven’t been many female serial killers apprehended through the years, there have been women who have murdered many without any seeming qualms.
Telfer’s book was, dare I say it, entertaining, even while it got me thinking about how we remember male serial killers, who are, in effect, memorialized in books and other media , while female serial killers are mostly forgotten. Interesting comment by the author.
It is hard to not automatically men when we say "serial killers", and one almost resists the need to widen the definition. And that’s exactly what Telfer reminds us to do. Though there haven’t been many female serial killers apprehended through the years, there have been women who have murdered many without any seeming qualms.
Telfer’s book was, dare I say it, entertaining, even while it got me thinking about how we remember male serial killers, who are, in effect, memorialized in books and other media , while female serial killers are mostly forgotten. Interesting comment by the author.
December 1, 2017
I've long said that the reason why more female serial killers don't make the news is because they don't get caught.
Telfer gives you a brief over of the various female serial killers who did caught, and who in some cases might have gotten away with it. In part, this is to show how society functioned and in part it is to show how women worked around society while being bitches.
The book is entertaining It is more of a crime history than a social history. You will either enjoy the writing style or hate it. I enjoyed it. My friend found it strange.
Telfer gives you a brief over of the various female serial killers who did caught, and who in some cases might have gotten away with it. In part, this is to show how society functioned and in part it is to show how women worked around society while being bitches.
The book is entertaining It is more of a crime history than a social history. You will either enjoy the writing style or hate it. I enjoyed it. My friend found it strange.
October 13, 2019
Unlike the infamous Bundy or Gacy or Dahmer, chances are good you've never heard of Tillie Klimek or Daryl Nikolayevna Saltykova or Nannie Doss. They each have many, many murders to their credit. And they are all female. Does it then follow that they were less vicious? Less monstrous? Less cruel? Does it mean they should be forgotten, buried as odd footnotes to tales belonging primarily to their male counterparts?
In 1998 a criminal profiler for the FBI is famously quoted saying "There are no female serial killers." In Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History Tori Telfer sets out to prove that this is not only untrue, it's patently ridiculous.
This is a quick and easy dive into the fascinating topic of history's female serial killers and for someone not obsessed with true crime and well-read on the topic, I imagine it will be quite enjoyable. However, I was constantly aware of how little time we were spending on each woman and how few proven facts (with cited sources) are included. It reads like gossip and here say. This is not helped by the most recent of the women having been convicted in the 1950s. Others lived as far back as the 12th century. Not shockingly, there’s not a lot of actual evidence to back up what is primarily, at this point, folklore or legend.
If you have any serious interest in true crime- the psychology of serial killers, the methodology of evidence-based investigation, etc. - this is probably not what you’re looking for. But If you go into Lady Killers looking for the gruesome stories of mostly unknown murderesses told in a quippy, sarcastic voice, this is sure to please.
3 stars
In 1998 a criminal profiler for the FBI is famously quoted saying "There are no female serial killers." In Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History Tori Telfer sets out to prove that this is not only untrue, it's patently ridiculous.
This is a quick and easy dive into the fascinating topic of history's female serial killers and for someone not obsessed with true crime and well-read on the topic, I imagine it will be quite enjoyable. However, I was constantly aware of how little time we were spending on each woman and how few proven facts (with cited sources) are included. It reads like gossip and here say. This is not helped by the most recent of the women having been convicted in the 1950s. Others lived as far back as the 12th century. Not shockingly, there’s not a lot of actual evidence to back up what is primarily, at this point, folklore or legend.
If you have any serious interest in true crime- the psychology of serial killers, the methodology of evidence-based investigation, etc. - this is probably not what you’re looking for. But If you go into Lady Killers looking for the gruesome stories of mostly unknown murderesses told in a quippy, sarcastic voice, this is sure to please.
3 stars
July 10, 2018
I really enjoyed reading about these female serial killers!
March 8, 2020
Qué gran labor hace la autora del libro con esa redacción desapasionada. De una manera amena y sin aspavientos nos adentra en el mundo de unas mujeres que de una manera u otra acabaron matando a sus semejantes..
Muy buena labor de documentación . Un tema complejo de tratar...es difícil escribir estas cosas sin caer en la compasión o el linchamiento
Muy buena labor de documentación . Un tema complejo de tratar...es difícil escribir estas cosas sin caer en la compasión o el linchamiento
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