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The Mysterious Mrs Hood

A True Victorian Mystery of Scandal, Arson, Murder & Betrayal

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The Mysterious Mrs Hood

By: Kim Donovan
Narrated by: Lucy Scott
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'A gripping story of a cold-blooded murder... This is true crime at its best' Wendy Moore
'Drama so addictive it should be illegal' Sam Christer

A true Victorian murder mystery...

Great Yarmouth, September 1900: A young woman is found dead on the beach, a bootlace tied tightly around her neck. Despite her death attracting national attention in the press, nobody claims her. Detective Inspector Robert Lingwood of the Great Yarmouth police force declares he will not rest until the mystery of the young woman's death is solved. But it's only once the case has been referred to Scotland Yard that the layers of mystery start to peel away...

'Mrs Hood' was in fact Mary Jane Bennett, and this is her story.

Following clues and tracking red herrings leads the police to close in on their one and only suspect. With arson, fraud, an affair and a sensation-hungry press, the murder gripped the nation in one of the most eagerly anticipated trials of the early twentieth century. Author Kim Donovan finally tells her great-great-aunt's story and the truth of evil duplicity in Victorian England.

'As atmospheric and absorbing as any murder mystery... A combination of your favourite whodunnit and your favourite true crime podcast. A real triumph!' Books by Your Bedside blog

*A fascinating historical true crime case perfect for fans of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and The Five*

©2024 Kim Donovan (P)2024 Orion Publishing Group Limited
Abductions, Kidnapping & Missing Persons Crime Europe Great Britain Historical Murder True Crime Women Fiction Mystery
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The court proceedings chapters were quite long. more could have been made about the similar case at the end. Was there a link? was Herbert actually innocent

interesting story

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Clear audio, clear content, enjoyed this very much. Definitely gave me something to visualise the situation with.

Very interesting

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The Mysterious Mre. Hood, is a wonderfully written and wonderfully read book. It held my attention right the whole true. Thank you.

Historical Review.

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So intriguing from start to finish. If you read and enjoyed the suspicions of mr whicher, you will enjoy.

Edge of your seat true crime thriller

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This is a deeply enjoyable book. It has definitely been a labour of love for the author who is tracing the story of her great great aunt and her murder. It does as much as it can to give her back her voice and a role not just as a murder victim but a woman in her own right.

It’s a sad tale of early marriage, dodgy violins and frustration. The details of their life together and the trial are recreated here.

It touches on the impact of the press on creating an impression of an evil man who had killed his wife meant the jury took just 30 minutes to convict Herbert Bennett.

I would recommend this book.

Passionate labour of love

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