Asesinas victorianas : La verdadera historia de trece mujeres respetables acusadas de crímenes atroces

This fascinating work, a blend of true crime and social history, analyzes a dozen 19th-century cases involving thirteen English and French women accused of murder. All of these events were notorious, and the author delves into them without resorting to the easy categorization of their protagonists as macabre figures or lunatics. Hartman is concerned with studying and understanding the circumstances that motivated the actions of these "respectable killers" in order to expose a system that prevented and denied women of the time the possibility of seeking justice. Meticulously documented and written with vivid drama, Victorian Murderesses explores the motives that led these women to act so drastically and offers a unique glimpse into life behind the facade of Victorian society. The prototypical image of the woman of that time —that of a respectable middle-class mother and wife— will change radically after reading this shocking story that rigorously and perceptively reveals the prevailing dynamics and attitudes toward the role of women and domestic relationships: "The accused will be the center, but the stories will focus on their collective contribution to our understanding of their less sensational sisters."