Every woman in the 21st century will know the risks of being in any relationship or the truth about male violence. But this will give you the whole scope of one the biggest problems we face.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Some books save lives. This is one of them. A powerful and brilliantly written explanation of the stages and signs of coercive control, dangerous relationships, and how domestic homicide might be prevented.

This was a brilliantly researched and well developed book.
The author came across as experienced , knowledgeable and educated without being big headed or authoritative. She had great passion and compassion, and was able to informatively tell us about horrific domestic abuse situations against women (and men) with complete tenderness and yet professionalism - explaining to us each step of the way why these injustices and acts of cruelty were being committed..
Obviously this book is not a 'fun' read but it is 100% worth your time.

All of the trigger warnings.

In Control - Jane Monckton-Smith
⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the UK, 3 women are killed by their partners every week. Throughout her career as a police officer, and now a forensic criminologist specialising in intimate partner violence, Monckton-Smith has spent decades up close to the reality of domestic abuse. By examining over 400 cases of intimate partner homicide with the University of Gloucestershire, she's has come up with the Homicide Timeline: eight stages involved in pretty much every case. Knowing how this happens, and what the signs are, allows us to recognise it and work out how to stop that process.

There are many myths about this kind of abuse and violence - such as the passion defense - which are still prominent throughout society today. These are debunked as Monckton-Smith details each step of the Homicide Timeliness, combining statistics and individual stories to demonstrate the reality of how this comes to be. The issues within individuals, justice systems and society as a whole as discussed.

I believe this is an incredibly important topic to know about. To be able to recognise the warning signs early on is crucial, since coercive control is so devastating, yet can be hard to spot of you don't know what you are looking for. So if you can, please do read this book when it comes out in March. (Obviously, if you have history with this and do not feel it would be good for you to read at this point, please don't. Many of the incidents discussed are horrifying).

My thanks to @netgalley and @bloomsburypublishing for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#CoerciveControl #BookReview #NonFiction #HomicideTimeline #DomesticAbuse #JaneMoncktonSmith #InControl #Bookstagram #BookRecommendations

I have spent a great deal of time trying to understand the relationship between abuser and abused, particularly in a partnership such a marriage, or parenthood etc. This book, for me, was a fascinating and disturbing insight into controlling behaviours, early signs, and how quickly they can escalate into something far more sinister.
Jane Monckton-Smith has devoted her life to specialising in and researching domestic violence that has resulted in murder.
In the present climate of the Reclaim These Streets movement, those in charge should be paying far more attention to studies such as these, and the author's carefully observed 8-stage timeline as a preventative measure.
Occasionally Jane Monckton-Smith's writing appears to lose a little direction and clarity; the subject matter however, clearly speaks for itself!
I give this book 4 stars.

Jane is incredible. She was actually my lecturer at university and I have always been fascinated in her career path and position at the university. What an incredible, inspiring woman and what a difficult subject to write about. This is such an important and informative insight into domestic violence, and how relationships can go so wrong so quickly. It truly is terrifying but interesting to learn about the 'type of person' who can be wired this way and how differently they can present themselves. I blitzed through this, although its non fiction, it was so readable and accessible.

I will definitely recommend this to my customers, and I hope to see Jane (once lockdown is finished) in the store to ask her more about her book and the amazing work she is doing. Even as a criminology graduate I didn't know about some of the organisations talked about here. It has definitely reignited a spark for psychology and criminology for me and I can't wait to get my hands on a real life copy too!

Sobering, yet vital reading!!

This book is both eye-opening and enlightening. The content within this book is hard-hitting at points but is definitely a must read! I have really felt able to relate to some content in this book!

This is well-written and really delves deep into the dynamics of relationships. Many cases mentioned within this have been new, the book is clearly well researched and def a book I recommend.

wow. my second book of 2021 was phenomenal. this non-fiction completely hypnotized me for the 24 hours it took me to read it. especially as womxn, we all vaguely have an idea or an instinct of what the behaviors and manipulation tactics of domestic abusers look like. but seeing these eight stages lined out so neatly, it still shocked me. it was both scary to read as someone who is statistically at a higher risk of becoming a victim to domestic violence, but also fascinating from my perspective as a (criminal) lawyer.

Monckton-Smith was incredibly successful in making her complex criminologist research accessible to a wider audience by using clear language without any jargon, using real life examples of case studies and through anecdotes from her own life. I also deeply appreciated the fact that she combined criminology with law (explaining why UK criminal law needs reform in order to better protect victims) and sociology/anthropology (explaining how contemporary Western culture and society contribute to the high number of domestic violence cases). she never pretends to be able to explain why these perpetrators end up becoming the people they are though, and she’s very frank about that. she just provides answers as to how to recognize and stop these crimes before they become homicides.

honestly, this might be one of the only non-fiction books I would reread over and over again and it’s already one of my favourite books of the year.

obviously, this book deals with some heavy subject matter and because Monckton-Smith uses real life examples this book definitely comes with some trigger warnings, including domestic violence, rape, murder, forced pregnancy, child abuse, emotional blackmail and manipulation, gaslighting and stalking.

I follow Professor Jane Monckton-Smith on Twitter and that is how I learned of her brilliantly conceived Homicide Timeline. I was lucky to be given early access to her forthcoming book "In Control: Dangerous Relationships And How They End In Murder". The book makes for sobering, yet vital, reading. It's one of the most important books I've ever read and I hope it finds a widespread audience. The content is accessible for all, i.e. you don't have to be an academic to read and understand it. The information, research, knowledge and professional experience documented within, coupled with various case studies, has the potential to save lives. Many, many lives. Please read it and buy a copy for someone you care about. Forewarned is forearmed. I cannot overstate the importance of this book and my gratitude to Professor Monckton-Smith for writing it.