A Love That Kills: Stories of Forensic Psychology and Female Violence

by Anna Motz

Weidenfeld Nicolson A Love That Kills Stories of Forensic Psychology and Female Violence ABISBOOK Weidenfeld Nicolson.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published March 2, 2023

Reviews

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!! A very interesting read

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In A Love That Kills, forensic psychotherapist Anna Motz delivers a piercing and compassionate exploration of female violence, dismantling the simplistic narratives often peddled by true crime media. Drawing from over thirty years of clinical experience, she introduces eleven women whose violent acts are rooted not in monstrosity, but in trauma, neglect, and complex emotional histories.

The author's writing is both clinical and deeply human. She refuses to sensationalise, instead offering nuanced portraits that reveal how violence can emerge from a desperate need for connection, protection, or control. Her therapeutic lens brings clarity to the murky interplay between victimhood and perpetration, making this not just a study of crime, but of survival and transformation.

This is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the psychology behind extreme behaviour, especially when committed by those society expects to nurture, not harm.