The Thing She Loves: Why Women Kill

by Kerry Greenwood (Editor)

When a woman kills someone it is usually a person close to her. When convicted, she usually receives a harsher sentence than her male counterpart, and is portrayed as an evil monster, hysteric, or avenging mother. Why do women kill? Do they kill differently? Do the preconceptions of the jury, and media, help them, or harm them?

To answer these questions the contributors have considered many cases, historical and modern. From Francis Knorr, the notorious 'babyfarmer', and killer, who was hung in the nineteenth century, to the 1920s ballroom drama of Audrey Jacob, who killer her fiance while dancing with him, to the remarkable case of Erica Kontinnen who, despite years of beatings by him, only murdered her husband when he threatened to kill another woman.

Genres: True Crime

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Kerry Isabelle Greenwood was an Australian author and lawyer. She wrote many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular television series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. She wrote mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, children's stories, and plays. Greenwood earned the Australian women's crime fiction Davitt Award in 2002 for her young adult novel The Three-Pronged Dagger.

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edited by Australian author Kerry Greenwood, this book is by a team of solicitors (lawyers), and other professionals, who have been involved with this aspect of crime. There are nine chapters which touch on various different female murderers. Also, discussions on the influences that could cause a woman to kill ... including the 'battered woman syndrome'.

3 Stars = I liked the book.

[bogna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this unassuming yet spectacular collection of essays in a second-hand bookstore in Sydney. Hand down one of the best things I've read - from cultural and historical research to analyses of the early 20th century Australian law, each essay is better than the others. With a rather shameful fascination, I read through them slowly, wanting to cherish what was in front of me - and there was a lot! Murder, for sure. Rape. Manipulation, courts and hangings. Poison and knives and romance. Cheering on the killers rather than those who are killed. The collection reads like a thriller and yet the research presented in it is simply invaluable.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible collection of essays, edited by Kerry Greenwood, about why women kill. Essays cover topics from baby farmers to women who murder their abusive husbands to women represented in crime fiction and more. The final chapter (written by Greenwood) is especially good; as well as providing a summary to the preceding essays, Greenwood calls for women to realize that 'it's not our fault'. Those women who are abused are not at fault, certainly, but Greenwood also asks us to look at our lives with this thought in mind on a broader level.
Sadly, this book is out of print!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great taster into some of Australia's older and more modern crimes undertaken by women. The crux of this edited book is about the society a woman who has committed a crime in, and if fair consideration has been given to her during trial. A somewhat older book now, and many of the crimes mentioned in the book have had their own, detailed books published.

[Lisa Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

was a little disappointed by this one, rather than an explanation, it was mainly talking about stereotypes, there were more references to stories than real life.