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Fatal Passions: A Chilling Collection of True Cases Where Love Turned Lethal
An inconvenient wife, a suspicious husband, a lover who refuses to leave — the flip-side of love can all too easily turn out to be murderous hatred.
In trunks, under floorboards, in remote ravines — even in their own beds — the bodies of those for whom their lovers’ passion proved fatal have been found, and often through the stench of decay.
One ingenious killer boiled down his wife’s remains in a vat at his sausage factory.
Another throttled and incinerated a perfect stranger in order to stage his own death and thus escape the charge of bigamy.
Then there were the lesbian schoolgirls who bludgeoned to death the mother of one of them with a brick in a stocking. Her she had tried to keep them apart.
Whilst one woman kept her lover in a secret attic for years until he shot her husband dead.
A dark narrative, Adrian Vincent expertly brings together some of the world’s most notorious killer.
In sixteen fascinating case histories, Fatal Passions tells the true stories of those who have literally loved someone to death.
Praise for Adrian Vincent
‘A skilfully written account’ – Kirkus Reviews.
Adrian Vincent worked in Fleet Street for twenty-seven years, becoming managing editor of IPC’s educational magazines. He is the author of many books on art and antiques, novels and true crime.
In trunks, under floorboards, in remote ravines — even in their own beds — the bodies of those for whom their lovers’ passion proved fatal have been found, and often through the stench of decay.
One ingenious killer boiled down his wife’s remains in a vat at his sausage factory.
Another throttled and incinerated a perfect stranger in order to stage his own death and thus escape the charge of bigamy.
Then there were the lesbian schoolgirls who bludgeoned to death the mother of one of them with a brick in a stocking. Her she had tried to keep them apart.
Whilst one woman kept her lover in a secret attic for years until he shot her husband dead.
A dark narrative, Adrian Vincent expertly brings together some of the world’s most notorious killer.
In sixteen fascinating case histories, Fatal Passions tells the true stories of those who have literally loved someone to death.
Praise for Adrian Vincent
‘A skilfully written account’ – Kirkus Reviews.
Adrian Vincent worked in Fleet Street for twenty-seven years, becoming managing editor of IPC’s educational magazines. He is the author of many books on art and antiques, novels and true crime.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 25, 2024
3.5 stars
This book, which contains 16 true tales about gruesome and unusual murders, is just the ticket for true crime aficionados. Each story gives a brief profile of the people involved in the events, describes what led up to the crime (or crimes), and relates what happened afterward - usually a trial followed by imprisonment or hanging. But some people got away with murder.
These curious cases were often 'the talk of the town' when they hit the news, usually because of the dastardly culprits. Some examples follow.
*****
"The Love Bungalow" (England, 1924): Patrick Mahon - a married father - kills his lover, Emily Kaye, and hides her body in a bedroom of a rented bungalow.
Patrick Mahon
Patrick Mahon's victim Emily Kaye
Cottage where Emily Kaye was murdered
Room where Emily Kaye was murdered
He then calmly brings his new lover, Ethel Duncan, to spend Easter weekend at the same love nest....with Emily decomposing in the bedroom next to theirs. Ewww!
Patrick Mahon's lover Ethel Duncan
*****
"The Cupboard Lover" (United States, 1922): Walburga Oesterreich - a large, passionate woman - is married to overbearing, sexually inadequate Fred Oesterreich.
Walburga Oesterreich
Walburga Oesterreich's husband Fred Oesterreich
To satisfy her sexual needs Walburga takes a 17-year-old lover, a slim lad named Otto Sanhuber. Otto is Walburga's paramour for the next 19 years, usually living hidden in the attic of the Oesterreichs' home.
Walburga Oesterreich's lover Otto Sanhuber
Room where Otto Sanhuber was hidden
Otto spends his days reading books and writing stories in his eyrie, coming out for whoopee when Fred is away....until Walburga gets rid of Fred for good. Apparently Fred was a pretty unobservant guy!
*****
"A Mother's Tender Concern" (United States, 1958): Middle-aged Elizabeth Duncan enlists the help of an elderly friend to get rid of Elizabeth's hated daughter-in-law, Olga Kupczyk.
Elizabeth Duncan
Elizabeth - who wants her son Frank all to herself - warned Olga not to marry Frank, but Olga (being pregnant) paid no attention.
An affectionate moment between Elizabeth Duncan and her son Frank
Murder victim Olga Kupczyk
So Elizabeth and her accomplice head to the rough part of town where Elizabeth hires a couple of Mexican youths - Luis Estrada Moya and Augustine Baldonado - to knock off Olga.
Hitmen Luis Estrada Moya (left) and Augustine Baldonado
The inexperienced 'hitmen' get the job done (badly) after which Elizabeth pays them $120 rather than the almost $3000 she promised. Turns out Elizabeth is a murderer AND a scammer!
*****
"The Sausage King" (United States, 1897): Adolph Luetgert, who owns a sausage factory, is hugely overweight and drinks too much beer.
Adolph Luetgert
Sausage factory
Adolph is married but he's a profligate philanderer, going so far as to put a bed in his office for his extramarital liaisons. Wanting to be rid of his wife, Louisa, Adolph murders her.
Adolph Luetgert's wife Louisa Luetgert
He then puts Louisa's body in a sausage vat and dissolves her with caustic chemicals. Luckily for sausage lovers Adolph is bankrupt and the factory is being shut down forever. Whew!
*****
"A Brickbat For Mrs. Parker" (New Zealand, 1954): Two 15-year-old schoolgirls, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, spend all their time together sharing secrets and fantasies.
Pauline Parker (left) and Juliet Hulme
The girls' parents disapprove of the relationship, which they find worrisome. Dr. Henry Hulme decides to move to South Africa with his daughter - who wants her buddy Pauline to come along. However, Mrs. Parker (Pauline's mother ) squashes that idea. So the girls invite Mrs. Parker out for a walk and smash her skull in with a brick - a feat that takes 45 blows.
Path where Pauline and Juliet walked with Mrs. Parker
The girls are convicted but spend only five years in prison because of their youth.
Pauline Parker (left) and Juliet Hulme
(Note: The book doesn't mention this but Juliet Hulme changed her name to Anne Perry and became a famous novelist. Perry is the author of the very popular 'Thomas Pitt' and 'William Monk' mysteries as well as other books. Some people refuse to read Perry's books because of her past....but I like them!)
Novelist Anne Perry (the former Juliet Hulme)
*****
"A Passion For Poison" (United States, 1954): Nannie Doss loves "True Romance" magazine and - inspired by the love stories - longs to find the perfect mate.
Nannie Doss
So Nannie marries one man after another, fatally poisoning each husband when he doesn't live up to her expectations. Nannie doesn't confine her murder spree to husbands though. By the time Nannie is arrested she has killed eleven people, including four husbands, her mother, her two sisters - and according to Wikipedia: two children, a grandson, and a mother-in-law. It's a bad idea to eat at Nannie's house!
Nannie Doss with some family members
All the stories, which span a wide array of crimes and perpetrators, are engrossing. And it's interesting to see how the justice system has changed over the years. At one time a person could be tried and hanged within a matter of weeks. Now multiple appeals can delay executions for years.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers who like true crime stories.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
October 24, 2016
This book looks at 16 love affairs that turned to murder.
The stories are: THE LOVE BUNGALOW (Patrick Mahon), THE CUPBOARD LOVER (Otto Sanhuber and Walburga Oesterreich), THE PYJAMA GIRL (Tony Agostini), A SHIPBOARD ROMANCE (James Camb), A MOTHER’S TENDER CONCERN (Elizabeth Duncan, Augustine Baldonado and Luis Moya), AN IMPOSSIBLE CASE (Tony Mancini), THE KILLER IN THE NIGHT (Sam Sheppard), WHEN EAST MEETS WEST (Madame Fahmy), A NASTY SMELL IN THE HOUSE (Frederick Deeming), CHARMLESS CHARLOTTE (Charlotte Bryant), THE SAUSAGE KING (Adolph Luetgert), MR ROUSE ARRANGES HIS OWN DEATH(Alfred Rouse), A BRICKBAT FOR MRS PARKER (Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme), A PASSION FOR POISON (Nannie Doss), MRS MOWRY’S LAST LOVE (Colin Close AKA Dr Richard Campbell), and A RESPECTABLE HOUSEHOLD (Alma Rattenbury and George Stoner)
This is a fascinating, yet grim, look into murderers and the passion that swayed their choices. It is a fast read and very interesting. I read it in two sittings, only because I had to sleep before I could finish it the first time. If you are a true crime buff looking for a fast, quick fix, I highly recommend this charmingly morbid book. A+
*I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
The stories are: THE LOVE BUNGALOW (Patrick Mahon), THE CUPBOARD LOVER (Otto Sanhuber and Walburga Oesterreich), THE PYJAMA GIRL (Tony Agostini), A SHIPBOARD ROMANCE (James Camb), A MOTHER’S TENDER CONCERN (Elizabeth Duncan, Augustine Baldonado and Luis Moya), AN IMPOSSIBLE CASE (Tony Mancini), THE KILLER IN THE NIGHT (Sam Sheppard), WHEN EAST MEETS WEST (Madame Fahmy), A NASTY SMELL IN THE HOUSE (Frederick Deeming), CHARMLESS CHARLOTTE (Charlotte Bryant), THE SAUSAGE KING (Adolph Luetgert), MR ROUSE ARRANGES HIS OWN DEATH(Alfred Rouse), A BRICKBAT FOR MRS PARKER (Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme), A PASSION FOR POISON (Nannie Doss), MRS MOWRY’S LAST LOVE (Colin Close AKA Dr Richard Campbell), and A RESPECTABLE HOUSEHOLD (Alma Rattenbury and George Stoner)
This is a fascinating, yet grim, look into murderers and the passion that swayed their choices. It is a fast read and very interesting. I read it in two sittings, only because I had to sleep before I could finish it the first time. If you are a true crime buff looking for a fast, quick fix, I highly recommend this charmingly morbid book. A+
*I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
October 5, 2024
ETabloid journalism is nothing new and Patrick Mahon proved the point when the murder of one of his mistresses became daily fodder in Britain in 1924. The "devout" Irish-Catholic man had numerous affairs and when one of his partners became pregnant, she was hacked up and boiled. It did not end well for Paddy.
Fred Oesterreich and his sex starved wife, Walburga tolerated one another for years when the horny housewife met Otto Sanhuber, a virgin boy of seventeen. She deflowered him and then hid him in the attic of her home. Fred met his maker ten years later and the conclusion is beyond description.
The Pyjama Girl case was a sensation in Australia in 1934. The dead woman remained unidentified for years until a liquid restoration process revealed the woman to be Linda Platt. As usual, the culprit would be the spouse.
James Camb used a slight variation of the Robert Chambers defense of death during sex. Instead of Central Park, Camb's partner died aboard a cruise ship. James vanquished the woman through a porthole. He claimed that she expired after foaming at the mouth. She came and she went.
Elizabeth Duncan was so close to her son that in a fit of jealous rage, she hired hit men to kill her daughter-in-law. I highly recommend "A Lovely Girl" for a more detailed account of this incredible story.
Petty thief Tony Mancini lived mostly off of the earnings of his wife, a drug addled prostitute named Violette Kaye. Wifey was discovered in an advanced state of decay in a trunk by his landlady. The trial was a highly dramatic one with a few Perry Mason moments.
Anyone who grew up watching The Fugitive on TV is aware of the fact that it was based on the Sam Sheppard case. The good doctor had carried on with a few affairs before his wife was bludgeoned to death and he was convicted of murder, F. Lee Bailey defended him at a second trial and he was acquitted.
Madame Fahmy married Prince Ali Kernel Fahmy Bey, the richest man in Egypt. He was an abusive spouse in total control of his wife. She shot him dead and hired Marshall Hall, a lawyer famous for his courtroom theatrics. The writer fails to mention the fact that Ms. Fahmy was a high paid courtesan. So much for the poor, innocent girl.
Another hooker turned killer was Charlotte Bryant, a woman of Irish origin who married a British soldier. She moved in a lover and eventually poisoned her spouse with arsenic.
Adolph Luetgert was known as the Sausage King and this story was easy to predict as the man's wife experienced an extremely unpleasant end.
The Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme case has been covered in books and in the film Heavanly Creatures with Kate Winslet. "Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century" is an well researced account of the crime.
Nannie Doss perfected a recipe of stewed prunes and arsenic in order to rid herself of both husband's and children. In total, Nannie offed eleven family members.
"Dr." Richard Campbell presented himself as a Park Avenue doctor to Mildred Mowry, a lonely widow who fell for his BS. Milley ended up dead and the swindler was discovered with a wife and two kids. This one has a happy ending.
The final story is another love triangle, famous in Britain as the Rattenbury-Stoner case.
Alma Rattenbury had a sexless marriage to Francis, a man thirty years her senior. Alma solved her problem by hiring a twenty-one-year old driver named George Stoner. She lured him into bed and Francis receives a few blows from a mallet, delivered by Stoner.
Overall, a very good collection of crime stories.
Fred Oesterreich and his sex starved wife, Walburga tolerated one another for years when the horny housewife met Otto Sanhuber, a virgin boy of seventeen. She deflowered him and then hid him in the attic of her home. Fred met his maker ten years later and the conclusion is beyond description.
The Pyjama Girl case was a sensation in Australia in 1934. The dead woman remained unidentified for years until a liquid restoration process revealed the woman to be Linda Platt. As usual, the culprit would be the spouse.
James Camb used a slight variation of the Robert Chambers defense of death during sex. Instead of Central Park, Camb's partner died aboard a cruise ship. James vanquished the woman through a porthole. He claimed that she expired after foaming at the mouth. She came and she went.
Elizabeth Duncan was so close to her son that in a fit of jealous rage, she hired hit men to kill her daughter-in-law. I highly recommend "A Lovely Girl" for a more detailed account of this incredible story.
Petty thief Tony Mancini lived mostly off of the earnings of his wife, a drug addled prostitute named Violette Kaye. Wifey was discovered in an advanced state of decay in a trunk by his landlady. The trial was a highly dramatic one with a few Perry Mason moments.
Anyone who grew up watching The Fugitive on TV is aware of the fact that it was based on the Sam Sheppard case. The good doctor had carried on with a few affairs before his wife was bludgeoned to death and he was convicted of murder, F. Lee Bailey defended him at a second trial and he was acquitted.
Madame Fahmy married Prince Ali Kernel Fahmy Bey, the richest man in Egypt. He was an abusive spouse in total control of his wife. She shot him dead and hired Marshall Hall, a lawyer famous for his courtroom theatrics. The writer fails to mention the fact that Ms. Fahmy was a high paid courtesan. So much for the poor, innocent girl.
Another hooker turned killer was Charlotte Bryant, a woman of Irish origin who married a British soldier. She moved in a lover and eventually poisoned her spouse with arsenic.
Adolph Luetgert was known as the Sausage King and this story was easy to predict as the man's wife experienced an extremely unpleasant end.
The Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme case has been covered in books and in the film Heavanly Creatures with Kate Winslet. "Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century" is an well researced account of the crime.
Nannie Doss perfected a recipe of stewed prunes and arsenic in order to rid herself of both husband's and children. In total, Nannie offed eleven family members.
"Dr." Richard Campbell presented himself as a Park Avenue doctor to Mildred Mowry, a lonely widow who fell for his BS. Milley ended up dead and the swindler was discovered with a wife and two kids. This one has a happy ending.
The final story is another love triangle, famous in Britain as the Rattenbury-Stoner case.
Alma Rattenbury had a sexless marriage to Francis, a man thirty years her senior. Alma solved her problem by hiring a twenty-one-year old driver named George Stoner. She lured him into bed and Francis receives a few blows from a mallet, delivered by Stoner.
Overall, a very good collection of crime stories.
February 20, 2017
I am a huge fan of murder mysteries be it fictional or non-fictional (although I prefer knowing about non-fiction murder mysteries from the comfort of my own home under my warm blanket) so when I saw this book in Netgalley I just had to request for it because it has 16 stories in it and its about murder? Count me in!
The stories themselves were great but I had wished that the author provided some footnotes or a bibliography to ensure that the stories were had backing and it wasn’t mostly creative license. I mean with murder especially one that has to do with passion the writer wouldn’t even need creative license the story practically writes itself! But anyways with having footnotes and such the reader (me) can go do their homework and learn more and know whether the authors sources are legitimate, I mean this happened in real life not just from imagination.
Another thing which could have added oomph to the book was if the author had included pictures along with its respective stories. To put a face to the story as they say. That way it adds depth and a 3 dimensional-ness to the story, so the readers can see how these murderers and their respective victims look like.
Apart from this, I felt that the authors style of writing kept the readers from feeling like it was a heavy read even with the amount of details that the book had (still wishing it had a bibliography/footnotes though) as he conveyed the information with interesting quips and inserted humor here and there.
Overall, the book is great if you feel like reading something non-fiction that is light and fast to read.
*A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
The stories themselves were great but I had wished that the author provided some footnotes or a bibliography to ensure that the stories were had backing and it wasn’t mostly creative license. I mean with murder especially one that has to do with passion the writer wouldn’t even need creative license the story practically writes itself! But anyways with having footnotes and such the reader (me) can go do their homework and learn more and know whether the authors sources are legitimate, I mean this happened in real life not just from imagination.
Another thing which could have added oomph to the book was if the author had included pictures along with its respective stories. To put a face to the story as they say. That way it adds depth and a 3 dimensional-ness to the story, so the readers can see how these murderers and their respective victims look like.
Apart from this, I felt that the authors style of writing kept the readers from feeling like it was a heavy read even with the amount of details that the book had (still wishing it had a bibliography/footnotes though) as he conveyed the information with interesting quips and inserted humor here and there.
Overall, the book is great if you feel like reading something non-fiction that is light and fast to read.
*A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2017
Princess Fuzzypants here:
I enjoy reading mysteries and histories and I always enjoy true crime stories. The course of love in the sixteen stories in the book certainly did not run true.. The victims range from the totally reprehensible to innocent and somewhere in between. Some of the murderers had good reason to do the deed. Some were out and out psychopaths and all felt that the killing of another human being was justified.
For most of them, the jury, sadly, did not agree.
Most of the stories take place from the waining years of the 19th Century to post WWII. Some of them are well known. There is the story of Anne Perry, before her writing fame and name change, that rocked the world in 1954. She is never identified in the book but if you recall the story, it is evident.
They are definitely a group that no one would like to meet in a dark alley but they are all fascinating, often in an evil way. The reader cannot help by cheer when justice is done.
It's an entertaining read, which is great for nipping in and out of the book as each chapter is self contained and short.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.
I enjoy reading mysteries and histories and I always enjoy true crime stories. The course of love in the sixteen stories in the book certainly did not run true.. The victims range from the totally reprehensible to innocent and somewhere in between. Some of the murderers had good reason to do the deed. Some were out and out psychopaths and all felt that the killing of another human being was justified.
For most of them, the jury, sadly, did not agree.
Most of the stories take place from the waining years of the 19th Century to post WWII. Some of them are well known. There is the story of Anne Perry, before her writing fame and name change, that rocked the world in 1954. She is never identified in the book but if you recall the story, it is evident.
They are definitely a group that no one would like to meet in a dark alley but they are all fascinating, often in an evil way. The reader cannot help by cheer when justice is done.
It's an entertaining read, which is great for nipping in and out of the book as each chapter is self contained and short.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.
October 26, 2016
A collection of true-crime stories ripped from the headlines across time and place. The author has re-written the stories so they have more of a fictional flavor but with true story realness. I wish we had been given a list of footnotes or even just a bibliography so that we could know what kind of research went into these stories. There was a LOT of details to these stories but no clue about how much the author knew and how much was artistic license. The writing was okay but was rather repetitive after awhile. Stories that should have been SO interesting got lost under too much detail.
May 1, 2020
An enjoyable collection of vintage crime cases from around the English-speaking world:
Australia 1892, 1934
England 1923, 1924, 1930, 1934, 1935, 1935
New Zealand 1954
South Africa 1948
US 1897, 1922, 1929, 1954, 1954, 1958
Originally published in 1992.
Australia 1892, 1934
England 1923, 1924, 1930, 1934, 1935, 1935
New Zealand 1954
South Africa 1948
US 1897, 1922, 1929, 1954, 1954, 1958
Originally published in 1992.
March 14, 2021
Very interesting.
This book reviews real murders from the 1800's through the 50's. Most i had never heard before except surprisingly, that of Anne Perry. Quick read with each story summarized in a few pages. Truly entertaining.
This book reviews real murders from the 1800's through the 50's. Most i had never heard before except surprisingly, that of Anne Perry. Quick read with each story summarized in a few pages. Truly entertaining.
April 3, 2021
Delightful
If you are a true crime buff you will love this book. Full of short stories with just the perfect amount of information to get all the juicy details. I found myself looking up each person so I could get a visual as I was reading. Loved it.
If you are a true crime buff you will love this book. Full of short stories with just the perfect amount of information to get all the juicy details. I found myself looking up each person so I could get a visual as I was reading. Loved it.
April 29, 2018
16 brief overviews of historical crimes of passion, some better known than others. A well written, engrossing read, with short enough sections to pick it up and put it down as necessary.
February 18, 2019
Interesting reading
Written with enough detail to keep you reading ,but not overloading of less relevant info to make you loose interest.
Written with enough detail to keep you reading ,but not overloading of less relevant info to make you loose interest.
July 20, 2020
Murderous couples
Multiple stories and villains caught in the tangle of passions and sex. Some story lines really unbelievable so it can only be true
Multiple stories and villains caught in the tangle of passions and sex. Some story lines really unbelievable so it can only be true
November 8, 2020
good stories
I liked most of the stories although I already knew some of them. I would recommend this book. It opens a door to more research on every individual case
I liked most of the stories although I already knew some of them. I would recommend this book. It opens a door to more research on every individual case
February 3, 2021
[ 3.75 ★’s ]
May 8, 2022
Couldn't put it down
This book was a thrill! I read it through unable to put it down. Just goes to show, people have always been people, no matter the era.
This book was a thrill! I read it through unable to put it down. Just goes to show, people have always been people, no matter the era.
October 17, 2016
This relatively quick read turned out to be a great book full of interesting cases of love gone wrong. I had heard of a few of these cases before reading this book, but not the majority of them. It was nice to see some new material that hadn't been rehashed a hundred times in books of this type.
The author kept the information interesting with quips and humour throughout the telling of the stories, without inserting so much opinion that you got the opinion they were trying to convince you of something one way or the other.
If you are a fan of historical criminology or are simply looking for an interesting non fiction book to pass the time, this will do nicely. I really enjoyed it.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher and was provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The author kept the information interesting with quips and humour throughout the telling of the stories, without inserting so much opinion that you got the opinion they were trying to convince you of something one way or the other.
If you are a fan of historical criminology or are simply looking for an interesting non fiction book to pass the time, this will do nicely. I really enjoyed it.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher and was provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
July 13, 2020
This is an interesting book of stories about killers of various sorts in the US and UK. Most of the killers were doing it supposedly for love or lust. It didn't always work out that way. The book does a good job of probing their motives as well as execution (so to speak). Overall an interesting read. I do recommend it.
October 31, 2016
Sixteen different ways to get rid of someone permanently.
Great fun!?
Recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Endeavour via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Great fun!?
Recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Endeavour via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews