Rex v Edith Thompson cover art

Rex v Edith Thompson

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Rex v Edith Thompson

By: Laura Thompson
Narrated by: Laura Thompson
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About this listen

On the night of 3 October 1922, in the quiet suburb of Ilford, Edith Thompson and her husband, Percy, were walking home after an evening spent at a London theatre, when a man sprang out of the darkness and stabbed Percy to death.

The assailant was Frederick Bywaters, a 20-year-old merchant seaman who had been Edith's lover. When the police learned of his relationship with Edith, she was arrested as his accomplice, despite protesting her innocence. The remarkably intense love letters Edith wrote to Freddy - some of them couched in ambiguous language - were read out at their trial for murder at the Old Bailey. They would seal her fate: Edith and Freddy were hanged for the murder of Percy Thompson in January 1923.

Freddy was demonstrably guilty; but was Edith truly so?

©2018 Laura Thompson (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd Europe Great Britain Murder True Crime Women Crime England Marriage

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All stars
Most relevant
This is a tragic story and it says alot about the times people lived in. The author is to be congratulated on her research and narration.

Tragic

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I found this book absolutely fascinating and horrifying in equal measure. The misogyny and snobbery that surrounded the case of Edith Thompson were made very clear. Ultimately, this book details the lives of the people involved and contextualises how the judgements of the time affected what happened.

Both fascinating and horrifying

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A detailed telling of a series of events that are fascinating and of course tragic. What a fabulous book. The narration by the author was perfect. I often feel that books are better when read by the author as they know where they planned the emphasis and intonation whilst writing and this definitely falls into that category. I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t want my journey to 1920s Essex to end. Highly recommended

Just fabulous

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Brilliant account of the Thompson Bywaters case. Riveting and compellingly told. I was completely gripped from start to finish. Haunting, terrifying and tragic. Superb.

Utterly fascinating

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A heart wrenching account, lovingly researched. Loved the narrator (also the author) too, who's emotional investment in the case was all too evident throughout. A thrilling re-examination of one of the 20th centuries most divisive, and (as this book convincingly argues) shameful murder trials.

Tortuously Gripping

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