AUDIO

The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock

by Lucy Worsley
6 CDs. 7 hrs. Tantor. 2014. ISBN 9781494504199. $39.99. 1 MP3-CD. CRIME
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Fascination with murder has been a guilty British pleasure since newspaper coverage of 19th-century murder trials enthralled an entertainment-hungry populace. Here Worsley (If Walls Could Talk) chronicles a nation's obsession with murder and horror as a source of fun, comfort, and relaxation. British crime spawned pulp fiction, followed by literary and cinematic blockbusters by masters of the genre. Worsley's vivid and detailed account illuminates the cultural mind-set of the times as well as bloody details. Anne Flosnik intertwines scholarly gravity with lighthearted voyeurism in her reading. Originally published in 2013 by BBC Books as A Very British Murder: The Story of a National Obsession to accompany the three-part BBC television series of the same name, the hardcover was enhanced with color and black-and-white illustrations and portraits missing from the CD.
VERDICT Divided into discrete segments, the audiobook would be perfect for car trips, exercise sessions, or relaxing evenings at home. ["This riveting cultural history will enthrall fans of British crime novels as well as readers of true crime," read the starred review of the Pegasus Crime hc, LJ 9/15/14.]
Reviewed by Judith Robinson, Univ. at Buffalo , Apr 15, 2015
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