AUDIO

A Tale of Two Murders: Guilt, Innocence, and the Execution of Edith Thompson

by Laura Thompson
13 CDs. Dreamscape Audio. Oct. 2018. 15:57 hrs. ISBN 9781974918089. $49.99. CRIME
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This is a comprehensive look at the Ilford murder, one of the most sensational crimes in 1920s England. It played out in the newspapers of its day much like a contemporary soap opera and is here brought up-to-date with tremendous good humor by the author and read with great vocal characterizations by Jilly Bond. Clearly, Freddy Bywaters murdered Percy Thompson, husband of Freddy's lover Edith, on the night of October 3, 1922, but what role did Edith play? The prosecution advanced a tenuous conspiracy theory based on interpretations of selected love letters from Edith to Freddy, which were read to the jury. Did Edith entice Freddy to murder Percy, or was she, a successful career woman, the victim of sexism, condemned for her "loose morals" in taking a lover eight years her junior?
VERDICT This audio is highly recommended for adult crime collections. Macabre but a lot of fun.—Cliff Glaviano, formerly with Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OHDavid Faucheux, Lafayette, LAI'm thrilled to honor David Faucheux as the 2018 Audiobook Reviewer of the Year. David has an incredible enthusiasm for a wide range of genres and topics and never ceases to want to learn more and improve his writing. In addition, as LJ's only visually impaired audiobook reviewer, David's feedback on the user experience of various platforms, formats, and recordings is unique and invaluable.
Reviewed by Stephanie Klose"Audiobooks take me places and show me things I would otherwise never get to encounter. They see for me by their descriptions, their vivid word pictures, and lyrical prose. They befriend me when I'm lonely, educate me when I'm curious, and amuse me when I'm in a blue mood. I have always known I could pick up a book and for a time be in a better or at least a different place. Books don't judge, ignore, or marginalize us. According to Henry Petroski, author of The Book on the Bookshelf, 'Books spend a lot of time on bookshelves, hanging around near the curb, as it were, waiting for someone to come along with an idea for something to do.' The many voices of these books become almost friends as they spin tales of intrigue, , Jan 02, 2019
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