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The Butler Did It: My True and Terrifying Encounters with a Serial Killer
An incredible, blackly humorous, first-hand account of one man's friendship with a notorious serial killer, who served a life sentence from 1978 until his death in 2002.
This book is in one sense the record of a friendship, if friendship can be held to include death threats. To this day I cannot sharpen a pencil—and as a writer I sharpen a lot of pencils—without experiencing a frisson of fear. Roy is once again thrusting the pencil's needle-sharp point towards my retina, threatening to ram it through my eye and into my brain, as he helpfully informs me "This'll kill you outright, you cunt!"
Medical experts I have subsequently consulted tell me he was right: that is indeed a very effective way of killing someone. One of the many strange things about Roy is that though he may have been a pathological liar, in his own peculiar fashion he was a stickler for the truth.
Roy Fontaine, also known as Archie Hall, was a butler to Britain's aristocracy, and a rumored lover of Prince Charles' great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten. He was also a serial killer whose modus operandi was to gain the confidence of his wealthy employers before taking their jewels and then their lives. This is the dark and strange story of an unusual friendship between screenwriter Paul Pender and Roy Fontaine, who considered Pender an ally and asked him to write his life story. In a chilling twist, Fontaine then threatened to kill Paul.
Paul Pender reveals the secrets of Roy Fontaine's double life and describes his often terrifying encounters with a convicted serial killer.
This book is in one sense the record of a friendship, if friendship can be held to include death threats. To this day I cannot sharpen a pencil—and as a writer I sharpen a lot of pencils—without experiencing a frisson of fear. Roy is once again thrusting the pencil's needle-sharp point towards my retina, threatening to ram it through my eye and into my brain, as he helpfully informs me "This'll kill you outright, you cunt!"
Medical experts I have subsequently consulted tell me he was right: that is indeed a very effective way of killing someone. One of the many strange things about Roy is that though he may have been a pathological liar, in his own peculiar fashion he was a stickler for the truth.
Roy Fontaine, also known as Archie Hall, was a butler to Britain's aristocracy, and a rumored lover of Prince Charles' great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten. He was also a serial killer whose modus operandi was to gain the confidence of his wealthy employers before taking their jewels and then their lives. This is the dark and strange story of an unusual friendship between screenwriter Paul Pender and Roy Fontaine, who considered Pender an ally and asked him to write his life story. In a chilling twist, Fontaine then threatened to kill Paul.
Paul Pender reveals the secrets of Roy Fontaine's double life and describes his often terrifying encounters with a convicted serial killer.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 21, 2013
I picked this up The Butler Did It: My True and Terrifying Encounters with a Serial Killer on a whim in the library. I don't normally go for true-crime memoir, however the idea of a ruthless bisexual butler to the aristocracy, who doubles as a jewel thief and murderer, was too intriguing to pass by.
Although the story of Archie Hall (aka Roy Fontaine) is extraordinary, the combination of Paul Pender's insistence in making the story as much about him as Roy Fontaine, and Fontaine's deeply unpleasant personality, conspired to diminish the tale.
Paul Pender employs a very journalistic writing style which, along with a few too many ill advised attempts at humour, didn't suit the dark events being described. Looking around at other reviews it appears that for other readers, this didn't get in the way of what is ultimately a fascinating story, however for me it was yet another distraction.
By the end I was relieved to finish the book.
Although the story of Archie Hall (aka Roy Fontaine) is extraordinary, the combination of Paul Pender's insistence in making the story as much about him as Roy Fontaine, and Fontaine's deeply unpleasant personality, conspired to diminish the tale.
Paul Pender employs a very journalistic writing style which, along with a few too many ill advised attempts at humour, didn't suit the dark events being described. Looking around at other reviews it appears that for other readers, this didn't get in the way of what is ultimately a fascinating story, however for me it was yet another distraction.
By the end I was relieved to finish the book.
June 13, 2013
The Butler Did It is a true-crime memoir that is at once wildly funny and terrifying. Pender's writing is vivid and subtle, its evocation of disguise and deception totally engaging. It traps the reader in the writer's own conflict: he is at once seduced and appalled by his extravagantly amoral subject. The book is a romp through Post-war British high society in all its glitz and sordidness. It keeps you on the razor's edge of a dream, with art on one side and horror on the other. I could not put it down, partly because I had to follow the "Butler's" seductive antics down through their horrific spiral, and even more because I had to know how Pender came to grips with his own fascination. Even though this is not a genre I am typically drawn to, I highly recommend.
March 23, 2013
Really enjoyed this one! Could not put it down for a minute.. More please!
December 26, 2021
The Mobile (Alabama) Public Library had a copy of The Butler Did It. I’d never heard of the book, author Paul Pender, or Roy Fontaine (the sociopath butler). Despite my lack of knowledge of the case and the mediocre reviews on Goodreads.com, I took a chance and checked out the book. Having finished it, I’m still not sure what to think.
Roy Fontaine (née Archie Hall) was born into a working-class Scottish family. Roy loathed being one of the masses and longed to be part of the British aristocracy. As an adult, he vented his anger at “the smart set” by making them his victims. Fontaine became a thief, a libertine, and eventually, a murderer of five people. Fontaine’s victims included his own brother.
The Butler Did It begins in the 1990s, when Fontaine was serving life in prison with no possibility of parole. BBC journalist Paul Pender began meeting with Fontaine with the goal of producing a work based on Fontaine’s life. Their relationship was odd, with Fontaine using Pender to supply money and goods that Fontaine could use in prison. Pender repeatedly tried to cease his support for Fontaine, at which point Fontaine always revealed his sociopathic side.
I plowed through The Butler Did It in three days. It’s an engrossing story that compels the reader to keep turning the pages. Paul Pender loads the book with laugh-out-loud snark. Potential readers should be forewarned that much of the book is XXX-rated material, sparing the reader no detail of Fontaine’s assignations with aristocratic British men (and the occasional woman).
So why don’t I rate this book higher? In the end, I came to believe that Fontaine was nothing more than Patricia Highsmith’s character Tom Ripley brought to life. Like Ripley, Fontaine was a murderous, sexually-ambiguous sociopath. But, by itself, that did not necessarily doom The Butler Did It.
The problem in The Butler Did It is that Pender could not sufficiently separate himself (mentally) from Fontaine. Even after Pender left the BBC and moved to California, he continued to carry water for Roy. While Pender makes the obligatory remarks about how horrible Roy’s crimes were, he shows little insight into the victims and makes no mention of the impact Roy’s crimes had on the victims’ families. In fact, Pender repeatedly makes macabre puns and other jokes about the victims.
In this regard, The Butler Did It is much like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood - both books are nonfiction page turners, but in both cases the author felt much more affinity for the murderers and gave not much more than a passing nod to their victims. (At least Tom Ripley is fictional).
For me, reading The Butler Did It was sort of like eating an entire bag of potato chips while drinking a six pack - much as I enjoyed it, afterward, I felt very guilty. I would give the book four stars for entertainment, but I’m subtracting a star due to Pender’s clueless bad taste.
Roy Fontaine (née Archie Hall) was born into a working-class Scottish family. Roy loathed being one of the masses and longed to be part of the British aristocracy. As an adult, he vented his anger at “the smart set” by making them his victims. Fontaine became a thief, a libertine, and eventually, a murderer of five people. Fontaine’s victims included his own brother.
The Butler Did It begins in the 1990s, when Fontaine was serving life in prison with no possibility of parole. BBC journalist Paul Pender began meeting with Fontaine with the goal of producing a work based on Fontaine’s life. Their relationship was odd, with Fontaine using Pender to supply money and goods that Fontaine could use in prison. Pender repeatedly tried to cease his support for Fontaine, at which point Fontaine always revealed his sociopathic side.
I plowed through The Butler Did It in three days. It’s an engrossing story that compels the reader to keep turning the pages. Paul Pender loads the book with laugh-out-loud snark. Potential readers should be forewarned that much of the book is XXX-rated material, sparing the reader no detail of Fontaine’s assignations with aristocratic British men (and the occasional woman).
So why don’t I rate this book higher? In the end, I came to believe that Fontaine was nothing more than Patricia Highsmith’s character Tom Ripley brought to life. Like Ripley, Fontaine was a murderous, sexually-ambiguous sociopath. But, by itself, that did not necessarily doom The Butler Did It.
The problem in The Butler Did It is that Pender could not sufficiently separate himself (mentally) from Fontaine. Even after Pender left the BBC and moved to California, he continued to carry water for Roy. While Pender makes the obligatory remarks about how horrible Roy’s crimes were, he shows little insight into the victims and makes no mention of the impact Roy’s crimes had on the victims’ families. In fact, Pender repeatedly makes macabre puns and other jokes about the victims.
In this regard, The Butler Did It is much like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood - both books are nonfiction page turners, but in both cases the author felt much more affinity for the murderers and gave not much more than a passing nod to their victims. (At least Tom Ripley is fictional).
For me, reading The Butler Did It was sort of like eating an entire bag of potato chips while drinking a six pack - much as I enjoyed it, afterward, I felt very guilty. I would give the book four stars for entertainment, but I’m subtracting a star due to Pender’s clueless bad taste.
March 21, 2025
This is the story of Paul Pender, a writer for the BBC in Glasgow, Scotland who was called to Scotland's most secure prison, to interview Roy Fontaine, who was not only a notorious butler turned thief to the British aristocracy, he was also a serial killer, convicted of 5 murders and a strange friendship formed between the two men, who were almost codependent on each other until it took a really dark turn one day when Roy threatened to kill Pender.
Roy Fontaine was many things, thief, murderer, alleged lover of King Charles' Great uncle Lord Mountbatten,( referred to as "Lord Mountbottom" by Fontaine), who could be charming, funny and evil, usually in the same conversation. Roy Fontaine was also full of shit, born Archie Hill, he created a swath of bullshit so thick, he believed all of his lies were true, creating an aura around himself of invincibility. He also admittedly idolized Hitler, Goebbels and Crowley, believing them to be misunderstood. Evil is evil.
This was a "C," at times entertaining, but, there was way too much of the author shoehorning himself into everything that it became tiring. Also, when you sell a story about a serial killer, mentioning his first murder on page 186 of a 270 page book doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
" I am examining my own life through the prism of his. There are so many points of contact: the use of different voices, different accents, different registers depending on the audience. The sense of life as a performance.
I don't know what my real voice is and neither does Roy. It depends on who we are talking to. Is identity itself a mask? W.B. Yeats wrote of the poet wearing a mask, but his definition was too narrow. Not only poets wear masks, we all do".
Roy Fontaine was many things, thief, murderer, alleged lover of King Charles' Great uncle Lord Mountbatten,( referred to as "Lord Mountbottom" by Fontaine), who could be charming, funny and evil, usually in the same conversation. Roy Fontaine was also full of shit, born Archie Hill, he created a swath of bullshit so thick, he believed all of his lies were true, creating an aura around himself of invincibility. He also admittedly idolized Hitler, Goebbels and Crowley, believing them to be misunderstood. Evil is evil.
This was a "C," at times entertaining, but, there was way too much of the author shoehorning himself into everything that it became tiring. Also, when you sell a story about a serial killer, mentioning his first murder on page 186 of a 270 page book doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
" I am examining my own life through the prism of his. There are so many points of contact: the use of different voices, different accents, different registers depending on the audience. The sense of life as a performance.
I don't know what my real voice is and neither does Roy. It depends on who we are talking to. Is identity itself a mask? W.B. Yeats wrote of the poet wearing a mask, but his definition was too narrow. Not only poets wear masks, we all do".
August 2, 2022
Book is an easy read. The criminal is such a smart a## that does one believe it all? Life is stranger than fiction so they say- soooo maybe so? Lots of fast talk & puns- gets a bit grimy here & there. Not for all readers, but I’m glad I read it.
June 12, 2018
Odd little memoir of an unusual relationship. Fans of true crime would get a kick out of this light read.
February 11, 2025
Interesting read.
April 26, 2014
fiksi maupun non fiksi tema pengkhianatan dalam intrik drama kehidupan selalu menjadi buah bibir masyarakat awam!begitu pula dengan cerita non fiksi ini.
motif,obsesi dan kepercayaan adalah modal utama sang pelayan untuk melakukan pekerjaan kotornya tersebut.dedikasi & diamnya hanyalah kedok saja,yang hanya ia perlukan adalah waktu yang tepat memulai serangkaian tindakan keji ini.
rahasia kelam selama dekade berturut-turut itu akhirnya seperti sepandai-pandainya tupai melompat akhirnya jatuh juga.
yang patut disayangkan adalah kelebihan yang dimiliki sang pelayan baik itu kesetiaan,kepandaian dsb,sebagai sosok yang istimewa hal tersebut sangat berharga!
apalah arti keintelijensian tanpa kepercayaan didalamnya???:(
motif,obsesi dan kepercayaan adalah modal utama sang pelayan untuk melakukan pekerjaan kotornya tersebut.dedikasi & diamnya hanyalah kedok saja,yang hanya ia perlukan adalah waktu yang tepat memulai serangkaian tindakan keji ini.
rahasia kelam selama dekade berturut-turut itu akhirnya seperti sepandai-pandainya tupai melompat akhirnya jatuh juga.
yang patut disayangkan adalah kelebihan yang dimiliki sang pelayan baik itu kesetiaan,kepandaian dsb,sebagai sosok yang istimewa hal tersebut sangat berharga!
apalah arti keintelijensian tanpa kepercayaan didalamnya???:(
December 4, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and I think it accomplishes what Pender wanted to do--showing the good and the bad of Roy Fontaine. This doesn't glamorze the convicted killer, merely makes us examine where things went wrong, or think that perhaps things were always "off" about Fontaine. There are no excuses for his actions, but like any serial killer I suppose people always want to know why, and since Pender writes his book in a very personal style there was no sense of detachment that can make one feel like they're reading a phone book with other writers of true crime.
June 16, 2015
i did not complete reading this (guilt is always felt because it is added
to my complete list) and yet the list goes on...
i did not care for this book because of the writing style.
i thought it was cheesy and most lines were (da da da dums)
and i knew the last line. also pender thought that roy rogers was charming,
i guess for me, it was one of those, you had to be there.
when writers say, "that was funny" or "i thought that was funny"
it is always a turn off for me, like a date saying, "are you ready to go
to my place" you will know, if you know...
just not my cup of tea.
to my complete list) and yet the list goes on...
i did not care for this book because of the writing style.
i thought it was cheesy and most lines were (da da da dums)
and i knew the last line. also pender thought that roy rogers was charming,
i guess for me, it was one of those, you had to be there.
when writers say, "that was funny" or "i thought that was funny"
it is always a turn off for me, like a date saying, "are you ready to go
to my place" you will know, if you know...
just not my cup of tea.
April 4, 2015
The story was interesting and smoothly told. The jokes are sometimes hillarious, sometimes forced. What I really missed is a bit more insight into Archie's relationship to his parents and of the parents to each other. This way it is just more of an entertaining read.
March 7, 2014
Thought it would be interesting story, but writing didn't pull me in.
April 10, 2014
Once you get moving in the story it's very compelling. I found the "movie notes" annoying as was the last chapter on how he paid tribute.
March 2, 2015
Did not care for the subject matter nor the writing style. Reminds me of when people just speak to hear themselves speak.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews