A Crime of Passion: The Fascinating Story of One of History's Most Puzzling Royal Murders

by Stanley Loomis

“As a historian, Mr. Loomis has reconstructed for us an impeccable period piece and he has been artful, depositing his poisoned knowledge sparingly here and there, in bringing his story to a the technique of 'The Turn of the Screw.'” Betty Kelen, New York Times, July 9, 1967.

Genres: France, History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Stanley Loomis was the author of four books on French history: Du Barry (1959), Paris in the Terror (1964), A Crime of Passion (1967), and The Fatal Friendship (1972). Paris in the Terror was named one of the “books of the century” by the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

[Johnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of the Praslin affair. Well- researched; has a wealth of information not generally available in English writings on the subject.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this author's style--his delivery has a welcome ease for nonfiction. And it was, of course, a fascinating subject. I enjoyed it.

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the life of a French governess in the 1840s. Very Jane Eyre. Henriette's story was doubly obscured, first by the prejudices and assumptions of her contemporary observers, and then again by the Freud-heavy, lightly misogynistic framing provided by Loomis himself. Still, it was deeply satisfactory to get to the final chapter, where Henriette finds a measure of independence and comfort as a married woman running a salon in New York City.