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MY REVIEW
I find True Crime books, like Pretty Evil New England by Sue Coletta, hard to rate. Research is vital, but also, the way the book is written can make it easier or harder. Since the murders took place in the late 1800s and early 1900s, I can see why research materials would be lean. Time, fires, and many other things can contribute to that.
I love to hear the characters speak in their own words, and Sue Coletta gave them voices. I love looking into their minds, even though I know I will never understand them. Bad upbringing, nature/nurture…no excuses…whether they are sociopaths, psychopaths, or just plain evil, playing with their victims, it doesn’t matter. A choice is a choice.
Five women: Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E Nason and Sarah Jane Robinson are five people you would never want to be friends with or related to them. They were responsible for more than one hundred deaths.
Males hunt, females gather, and that is how they choose their victims too.
We get the lowdown on the serial killers with their own words, interviews, court transcripts, newspapers, libraries, historical societies…Sue shared glimpses into these five women’s lives. I love learning where they came from, their childhood, their family, marriages, children, friends…
Even when they confess, there is doubt if they are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Myself, I doubt it. I think they revel in the attention they receive.
Sue Coletta has included some medical and other related trivia from the times. I love when an author does this. For example, Mercury was a common medical treatment, but when Abraham Lincoln used it and found out for himself how harmful it is, he stopped its use.
Not all questions will be answered, but isn’t that why we read? We want to figure things out for ourselves.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Pretty Evil New England by Sue Coletta.
GOODREADS BLURB
Nineteenth century New England was the hunting ground of five female serial killers: Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E. Nason, and Sarah Jane Robinson. Pretty Evil New England tells the story of these five women, from their humble origins through the circumstances that led to their heinous crimes.
ABOUT SUE COLETTA
ABOUT SUE COLETTA Member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Sue Coletta is an award-winning, multi-published author in numerous anthologies and her forensics articles have appeared in InSinC Quarterly. In addition to her popular crime resource blog, Sue co-hosts the radio show “Partners In Crime” on Writestream Radio Network every third Tuesday of the month from 1 – 3 p.m. EDT/EST (see details at www.suecoletta.com). She’s also the communications manager
for the Serial Killer Project and Forensic Science, and founder of #ACrimeChat on Twitter. She runs a popular crime website and blog, where she shares crime tips, police jargon, the mind of serial killers, and anything and everything in between. If you search her achieves, you’ll find posts from guests that work in law enforcement, forensics, coroner, undercover operatives, firearm experts…crime, crime, and more crime. For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where subscribers will be the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside access to deleted scenes. As an added bonus, members get to play in the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door. Inside, like-minded folks discuss their favorite crime novels, solve mindbender and mystery puzzles, and/or relax and chat. Most importantly, everyone has a lot of fun. Sue lives in northern New Hampshire with her husband, where her house is surrounded by wildlife…bear, moose, deer, even mountain lions have been spotted. Course, Sue would love to snuggle with them, but her husband frowns on the idea.
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I’ve read this one. I found it fascinating but disturbing, too. I really appreciated the research of primary materials that Coletta did.
it’s all about the research when it comes to true crime and it shows in the author’s writing
Thanks for the awesome review, Sherry! I found the forensics fascinating, too. It’s amazing what chemists were able to accomplish back then.
it is amazing. i watched The Alienist on TV and find the advancements in forensics and investigative techniques fascinating
Oe oe oe!! I’ll read this! I’ve only recently “discovered” true crime and it really is a genre all in its own. Women serial killers…. That can be interesting.
We had a killer in South Africa, Daisy de Melker, here in South Africa. You need to have a look at her. She was one piece of work with the worst hair days ever!
Your review was handled perfectly. Well done!
Elza Reads
If you do read it, enjoy!
OOH! Sounds like a true crime story with a difference. I really like the sound of this, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks, Felicity!
Creepy! There aren’t that many female serial killers and a group I would think is even more unusual.
It was a fascinating book to write. Thanks, Anne.
Didn’t know there were that many serial killer women back then. Serial killers are disturbing but oddly fascinating. I love crime dramas. I haven’t read much true crime fiction though. I usually watch my true crime fiction accounts on TV through Forensic Files or something like it. Fab review, Sherry!
Rachel, I found so many female serial killers back then I had a hard time deciding who to write about. 🙂