Death in December: The story of Sophie Toscan du Plantier

by Michael Sheridan

On 23 December 1996, the body of Sophie Toscan du Plantier was discovered outside her remote holiday cottage near Schull in West Cork. The attack had been savage and merciless. The murder caused shock waves in her native France and in the quiet Cork countryside that she had chosen as her retreat from the high-flying lifestyle of the film business in which she and her husband mixed. Six years later, and despite an extensive investigation, the killer of Sophie is still at largeand the file remains open. Death in December is the fascinating and compelling story of how an independent and beautiful woman sought peace and sanctuary and instead found violence and the ultimate terror. It gives a chilling profile of the killer whom pyschologists believe will strike again.

Genres: True Crime

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2002

Reviews

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrifying and eerie true account of the life and death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a glamourous french producer who was murdered in the Irish town of Schull in 1996.
Du Plantier's murder has never been solved, although there was vast coverage of the crime when it first happened. The people of County Cork have never forgotten the terrible events, and feel personally affected that someone who was supposed to feel safe in their country was executed in such a scary and brutal manner.
Michael Sheridan's book is easy to read, and you can tell he has done his homework and spoken to lots of relevant people. He splits the book into sections - the murder, the events leading up to the murder, Sophie's upbringing and her husband Daniel's thoughts on the case.

[Laura-leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

More worthy of a longform article than a book tbh.

[Irene Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsolved Irish murder

This has always been a sensational case in Ireland.Michael Sheridans book gives an excellent account of the murder of a
Beautiful French woman in the lovely West Cork area followed by a fascinating account of the libel proceedings taken by Ian Bailey,an English journalist living in Ireland and the only suspect in the case.At the time of writing this review ,twenty years have passed,no one has been arrested and there is still only one suspect.

[Sharon]

The body of Sophie Toscan du Plantier was found outside of her remote holiday cottage in West Cork, Ireland. She had been brutally murdered. Author Michael Sheridan begins the book with his fictionalized account of what he thinks may have happened leading up to her death. Although the book contains many interviews with family members who lived in France along with interviews with local people, Sheridan leaves many questions unanswered. I found some of the material in the book very biased.

[Thérèse McDonagh · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star at best

I have reluctantly given this book 1 star which I feel is 1 too many. It is written from the perspective of an individual who has decided that the chief garda suspect is guilty and has written the book entirely on this premise. I regret spending £2 + on such a "work"

[Chase McKitrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite true crime books.

[Nanci LaGarenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching the documentary Sophie or A murder in West Cork, about Sophie Toscan du Plantier, A French woman in her forties who fell in love with the rugged beauty and solitude of Toomore, West Cork, Ireland, I was riveted. Sophie du Plantier bought a cottage there away from the village with only two not too close neighbors. She was brutally murdered in December 23, 1996, right outside her home by seemingly a local man, unproven and alleged at present. Her family seeks justice still. I had to read the book. There are a few other books on her murder and life; some are sensational and this one seemed most honest. I was disappointed however that it didn't delve into the murderer whom many people believe did this gruesome crime and walks free amongst the people of Wet Cork. The French were not able to bring him there to convict as their own case with the alleged murderer in absentia was they believe proven to be solid against him. The West Cork Guarda did not do everything exactly by the book some feel and why the DNA or lack of collecting it, it was not used against this murderer remains a mystery.

[Carol Keskeny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story about a french woman killed in Ireland, fascinating story. I enjoyed the story very much and am still following the aftermath. I would recommend the book if you like this type of mystery and intrigue. I love France and Ireland so I love to read about Ireland just as much as reading a mystery.

[Azz · Rating 3 out of 5]

At some points the book descends in to speculation that wouldn't seem out of place in a piece of fan fiction.

It does provide a great insight in to the person Sophie was before, however, defaulting to the IB show like nearly every piece of media about this case inevitably does.

[Katemurphy1999hotmail.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death in December

It was good to read how Sophie tried to escape from the murderer. Court proceedings were too long. There was not much evidence given. This would be a good book for Leaving Cert Students