‘Murder: The Biography’ -Kate Morgan
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“...our grisly fascination with murder; we are simultaneously intrigued and revolted.”

⚠️ Murder, Suicide, Cannibalism, Capital punishment and Torture ⚠️

In this Non-Fiction book, Morgan details the progression of Criminal Law in the British Legal System, spanning one thousand years; specifically in relation to the deplorable crime of homicide, including both murder and manslaughter.

Shifting from responsibility of the town sheriff, to introducing a more rigid, consistent and fair judiciary process. Paying the price of ‘wergild’ for a man’s life was no longer satisfactory to take a life. From the 10th century the concept of ‘Murdrum’ was devised and thus began “murder’s long and fascinating criminal career”.

Morgan meticulously assesses the evolution of the illegality of killing and explores various defence routes such as; diminished responsibility, gross negligence and insanity.

Each chapter references infamous cases throughout history; some popular and other, less-known but equally shocking cases. From Mack the Knife, to ‘Sweet’ Fanny Adams to Jack the Ripper, no stone is left unturned. Choice of method, common weapons and malice afterthought is all discussed in this diligently researched book.

This is a must read for anyone interested in true crime. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins, UK Nonfiction for my e-arc.

I really enjoyed this book. I read widely, but crime fiction has always held a special place for me and I also enjoy well written non fiction which look into the factual side of crime and punishment. Kate Morgan’s book is in a class of its own; a truly compelling mix of legal history and case analysis.

I was fascinated by the first part of the book which delves into what is understood by murder and how unlawful killing of another human became a crime. It goes back over 1000 years and it’s first time in decades of reading that I’ve come across a succinct analysis of what is really meant by the word, one we all take fir granted.

The cases examined are mostly different to those covered in popular case stories and again provide a unique slant on developments and changes in legislation, including punishment. Seems to be meticulously researched and is written with an energy that drives the content like an adventure story. Excellent and my thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

This was okay but very difficult to get into. I got more into it towards the end but then it ended. Morgan does dissect some interesting and infamous cases but I needed more.

What a fascinating read this was. The analysis of murder definitions during the previous 1000 years was well researched and presented in an easy to read way. A book full of informative facts that kept on surprising me or at times bringing back memories of the discussed cases.
Highly recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this review copy. A fascinating and informative book on how murder has developed in the eyes of the law over the years. Gave it four stars rather than five as I would have preferred the book to be longer as some parts could have been developed further.

I love True Crime as a genre but I’m choosy about what I read as a lot of it is exploitative and unnecessary. Luckily, this book hit all my sweet spots. Crime, law, history of ideas. It’s all in here. From 18th century duels to the coercive control defence of the 2010s the story of how we got from there to here in our cultural and legal understanding of homicide is explored in such an entertaining and thought provoking way. It’s academic without ever being dry and I’d highly recommend.

A fascinating legal and social history of murder in the UK.

Lawyer Kate Morgan takes us through the evolution of the concept of murder in the British legal system. She identifies how certain cases have swayed public opinion to such an extent that the law has changed as a result, and looks at the trends in punishment for the crime. Also covered are the origins of terminology, such as ‘malice aforethought’.

Illustrative cases include sweet Fanny Adams, Ruth Ellis and capital punishment, plus Sally Challen and coercive control. The book also considers diminished responsibility, political assassination, corporate culpability (manslaughter/homicide), and maritime cannibalism.

Morgan’s writing is accessible and diligently researched. She links contemporary cases to the point in history when the legal concept relevant to that case first arose. In her enthusiasm, she draws on more cases than necessary, to the extent the book loses focus towards the end. Nevertheless, an engrossing read.

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Nonfiction for the ARC.

This is a comprehensive and interesting read on the subject of murder and related offences and their differences.

The writing is easy to follow and detailed without being complicated, and takes the reader through sometimes complex matters making them easy to digest.
The true crime cases through the book make fascinating reading for any true crime fan.
The subject could have made for a boring read , but this is definitely opposite, highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

Loved this mix of story and technical detail on the crime of murder and how society and the law has treated it over centuries. Technical in parts, but still easy to follow. A really interesting book.

This book is a comprehensive book looking at the crime of murder over time.
It links back to the first documented cases of murder and the forming of laws and how these have changed.
It also looks at the difficulties with the law and how some crimes have changed the law when it hasn't been appropriate for the crime.
This well researched books is detailed with cases that are relevant to the law and how the cases are categorised. It is amazing at how many of these controversial cases are not in the public consciousness and this book is recommended for not just fans of true crime but anyone who is interested in justice and law.
This book is well written and although the research put into this book is evident it does not reduce the enjoyment of this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read this book in return for a review.

Fascinating, macabre at times, well researched, legally correct and beautifully written, this is a welcome and original treatise on the history of murder and makes a potentially complex subject clear and easy to understand.

Liberally illustrated with examples of major cases throughout the ages which helped define and indeed change the law, it is particularly strong on the differences between murder and manslaughter and what constitutes an insanity defence.

This could have been dry and dusty but it was a pleasure and delight to read and I was entertained and educated in turn.

Highly recommended.

I like my books to gain my interest from the very first page. Unfortunately, this book did not do it for me. I lost interest quite early on and the book was a struggle to get through

This is a great read if you want good and accurate information on murder or it is a subject that is of interest. I guess it's not something you openly talk about but I'm definitely curious how you separate the various cases and how some murders gain more sympathy than their victims which I find wrong by so is the injustice of the system at times. That's talking as a non legal expert.

I never realised how complicated the issue of murder could be and how much needed to be done to make the legal system fairer. Kate Morgan takes you through the history of how our laws have changed with the passing of time to what we have now. Its fair to say that their may never be a fully fair system but then it's never fair for a life to be cut short whether by accident or intent. Or that the individual, individuals or system as in the company that caused the death should not be made to pay a price.

This book shows how through the years whether it's the serial killer the one of intended, or the accidental killer, there's the grieved or emotional wounded the wrong place at the wrong time or the over gerlache doctor (not referring to Harold Shipman he was a serial killer end off). Yes there are so many variations that they can't all be the same justice as the other. That's what has slowly been adjusted through the years and Kate brings it up to the present day, would be hard to predict the future, like a Leader that ignores the plague so thousands or millions die ( definitely not referring to the UK here) but if in the future would a new law be needed. There will always be a case that tests the current, here you will read about how historical deaths have shaped our justice system and how the public react.

I found this book both fascinating and absorbing as well as informative and highly recommend it to history buffs and anyone who is concerned with justice or the lack of it at times.

Murder: The Biography examines the definition of murder, and the often convoluted and complicated way in which the term has been applied and shaped throughout British history. It closely examines those important cases which have influenced the change in the law surrounding murder and the challenges often faced by judge and jury in convicting murderers. Because sometimes it's never as clean cut as a life for a life.

This covers so many different topics under a complicated legal system that has had to evolve in the wake of social changes. We start in Tudor times with the first definition of murder and premeditative intent, following on to Georgian duals, Victorian medical negligence and the introduction of manslaughter charges. Some of the cases are really interesting, especially the chapters that offer a real moral conundrum in convicting individuals for murder - such as maritime cannibalism, and mental instability. I also rather liked the chapter on corporate manslaughter - which I didn't realise was such a new edition in law in the first place. It's quite scary to think that companies can be fined more for environmental damage than the taking of human life through poor health and safety measures. Aberfan, the sinking of the Marchioness, Granfell...all are brought up in relation to the introduction of corporate manslaughter and how the law has changed because of the tragedies that happened.

I did think that the over arcing evolution of provocation charges which lead to murder in men (often used as a 'red mist' analogy) and women in abusive relationships could have been expanded on a little. We read of a few cases of diminished responsibility charges used in appeals for women charged with the murder of partners, but I really wanted some more cases. There's probably enough to make a whole book on the subject matter to be honest. I also found the writing a little dry at times, especially when deep diving into criminal law. As I've said, it's a very messy subject area, and sometimes the complicated descriptions of laws got a bit dull. However, I did find the writing very accessible on the whole and kept my interest piqued throughout.

Facinating look into the evolution of murder and law in Britain with some incredibly interesting cases. I learnt a lot, and would highly recommend to anyone looking to further their studies into true crime in the UK.

A very curious book for a world that tends to think in black and white - it is either murder or it is not! This "biography" does a rather good job of proving that murder is far from a black or white decision to the extent that even 50 shades of grey are not sufficient.

In the good old, bad old days, a thousand years ago, if you killed someone you paid their perceived worth in cash or kind and went away free. Fast forward to the mid 1900s and you have the situation where 2 people committed a robbery and during that robbery a policeman was shot dead. Easy verdict, no, they were both found guilty but, because the gunman was under-age, he went to prison but his adult associate was hung.

Just 2 simple examples and it is very well worthwhile reading the book to discover how complex adjudicating on the taking of a life has become.

Join lawyer and writer Kate Morgan on a dark and macabre journey as she explores the strange stories and mysterious cases that have contributed to UK murder law. The big corporate killers; the vengeful spouses; the sloppy doctors; the abused partners; the shoddy employers; each story a crime and each crime a precedent that has contributed to the law’s dark, murky and, at times, shocking standing. If like me you binge watch Netflix for true life crimes this one is definitely for you! Fascinating read! Fully recommend this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a fascinating book about how the UK law on murder and manslaughter has developed over the centuries.

Kate Morgan looks not only at the law but also how perceptions have changed. Duels that resulted in death were, for many, not regarded as a crime, despite what the law might have said. There is also the curious tale of some sailors who ate a crewmate and then told the authorities with the full expectation they would walk free because, in their view, such things were entirely acceptable at sea. But this book isn't gruesome or voyeuristic, it's a really interesting and very readable overview of the law and how and why it has evolved over time.

It also looks at issues, such as the effect on murder convictions when the death sentence was the penalty. Even the part on corporate manslaughter, which might sound a touch dry, was really interesting, including gaining an understanding of why it took so long for it to become an offence, the lack of prosecutions for some really major disasters and why, even now, prosecutions are still very rare. It was all really fascinating and a surprising page turner.

Superbly Compiled....
Superbly compiled and well researched historical journey through the history of murder from the fascinating introduction through to definitions through to case law and historical crimes. The subject is vast but this is a skilfully written and very readable account. Fascinating, dark and disturbing.

A great book detailing murder throughout history, and how the criminal justice system has changed, full of lots of great research, would recommend this book to lovers of crime drama.

This book is an interesting potted history of the development of the offence of murder (and the more complex variations of manslaughter) throughout Britain over the last 100 years or so.

Morgan's writing style is easily digestible and she dives quite deeply into legalese, discussing mens rea and actus reus among other topics. Her straightforward and well thought out prose really does help the lay person to understand quite convoluted topics.

Luckily for Morgan, there are vast archives of court records going back many hundreds of years and she has clearly spent some time reading accounts of historical and infamous cases.

The book even covers topics such as corporate manslaughter, an offence which came about in the wake of numerous man mad disasters in the late 80's.

This book is an interesting read and contains accounts of some very interesting cases. Recommended.