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Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter: True Stories from Victims and Survivors of the Yorkshire Ripper
Much has been written about the brutal crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, and - thirty-five years after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of thirteen women - scarcely a week goes by without some mention of him in the media.
In any story featuring Sutcliffe, however, his victims are incidental, often reduced to a tableau of nameless faces. But each woman was much more than the manner of her death, and in Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter, Carol Ann Lee tells, for the first time, the stories of those women who came into Sutcliffe's murderous orbit, restoring their individuality to them and giving a voice to their families, including the twenty-three children whom he left motherless.
Based on previously unpublished material and fresh, first-hand interviews the book examines the Yorkshire Ripper story from a new focusing on the women and putting the reader in a similar position to those who lived through that time. The killer, although we know his identity, remains a shadowy figure throughout, present only as the perpetrator of the attacks.
By talking to survivors and their families, and to the families of the murdered women, Carol Ann Lee gets to the core truths of their lives and experiences, not only at the hands of Sutcliffe but also with the Yorkshire Police and their crass and ham-fisted handling of the case, where the women were put into two prostitutes and non-prostitutes. In this book they are, simply, women, and all have moving backstories.
The grim reality is that not enough has changed within society to make the angle this book takes on the Yorkshire Ripper case a purely historical one. Recent news stories have shown that women and girls who come forward to report serious crimes of a sexual nature are often judged as harshly - and often more so - than the men who have wronged them. The Rochdale sex abuse scandal, the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and the US President's deplorable comments about women are vivid reminders that those in positions of power regard women as second class citizens. At the same time, the discussions arising from these recent stories, and much of the reporting, show that women are judged today as much on their preferences, habits and appearance as they were at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper attacks. The son of Wilma McCann, Sutcliffe's first known murder victim, told the author, 'We still have a very long way to go' and in that regard he is correct.
Hard-hitting and wholly unique in approach, this timely book sheds new light on a case that still grips the nation.
In any story featuring Sutcliffe, however, his victims are incidental, often reduced to a tableau of nameless faces. But each woman was much more than the manner of her death, and in Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter, Carol Ann Lee tells, for the first time, the stories of those women who came into Sutcliffe's murderous orbit, restoring their individuality to them and giving a voice to their families, including the twenty-three children whom he left motherless.
Based on previously unpublished material and fresh, first-hand interviews the book examines the Yorkshire Ripper story from a new focusing on the women and putting the reader in a similar position to those who lived through that time. The killer, although we know his identity, remains a shadowy figure throughout, present only as the perpetrator of the attacks.
By talking to survivors and their families, and to the families of the murdered women, Carol Ann Lee gets to the core truths of their lives and experiences, not only at the hands of Sutcliffe but also with the Yorkshire Police and their crass and ham-fisted handling of the case, where the women were put into two prostitutes and non-prostitutes. In this book they are, simply, women, and all have moving backstories.
The grim reality is that not enough has changed within society to make the angle this book takes on the Yorkshire Ripper case a purely historical one. Recent news stories have shown that women and girls who come forward to report serious crimes of a sexual nature are often judged as harshly - and often more so - than the men who have wronged them. The Rochdale sex abuse scandal, the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and the US President's deplorable comments about women are vivid reminders that those in positions of power regard women as second class citizens. At the same time, the discussions arising from these recent stories, and much of the reporting, show that women are judged today as much on their preferences, habits and appearance as they were at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper attacks. The son of Wilma McCann, Sutcliffe's first known murder victim, told the author, 'We still have a very long way to go' and in that regard he is correct.
Hard-hitting and wholly unique in approach, this timely book sheds new light on a case that still grips the nation.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2019
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772 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 20, 2023
the evil devil Peter Sutcillfe murdered 14 defenseless women and girls, in the most cruel grizzly way. They must have died in such agony and terror.
A civil servant, several young mothers , an beautiful 18 year old girl who begged for her life and was then left to die in agony, a 16 year old shop assistant , badly injured a 14 year old. these were mothers, daughters, a teacher and a civil servant, some were sex workers who sold l sex to make ends meet ( and that is why the police did nothing to apprehend him for years - these poor vulnerable women were not seen as human, they were in the eyes of the police and courts úntermenchen'' - all were precious lives and may all their beautiful souls rest in peace.
may the murdering piece of detritus - Peter Sutcliffe burn in hell forever!
A civil servant, several young mothers , an beautiful 18 year old girl who begged for her life and was then left to die in agony, a 16 year old shop assistant , badly injured a 14 year old. these were mothers, daughters, a teacher and a civil servant, some were sex workers who sold l sex to make ends meet ( and that is why the police did nothing to apprehend him for years - these poor vulnerable women were not seen as human, they were in the eyes of the police and courts úntermenchen'' - all were precious lives and may all their beautiful souls rest in peace.
may the murdering piece of detritus - Peter Sutcliffe burn in hell forever!
March 27, 2019
I have read all of Carol Ann Lee’s true crime books and was interested to read her latest offering, the title of which is in direct response to, “Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son,” by Gordon Burn, a biography of Peter Sutcliffe. This is one of two books released this month, which concentrates on the victims of a murderer – the other being, “The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper,” by Haillie Rubenhold. This is a title I am also interested in reading and will be curious to compare the two books.
Between the years 1975-1981, the Yorkshire Ripper murdered thirteen women, with seven survivors of his attacks. Carol Ann Lee tells us the stories of all these women, who ranged from young schoolgirls, students, and shop workers, to prostitutes; who were seen by the police, and press, as the most likely victim of the Ripper. From the first, there was a view, by some, that certain victims of this killer were ‘innocent,’ while others were women who, in a sense, brought the attacks on themselves. Women of ‘loose morals,’ which could include women out for a night with friends, as well as those looking for clients.
This book is important, in that it gives all of those women attacked, the respect they deserve. It looks beyond the women as victims, and highlights their lives. Yes, some of those in this book had lives which may have unravelled at the time – turning to prostitution because of financial problems, or poverty. However, the press was quick to label all of the victims as fitting a certain profile and were even faster to label women as promiscuous, or neglectful mothers. This book shows these women as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters. As women with career ambitions, holidays planned, lives to live…
In all books about these crimes, it is disturbing to hear how clues were not followed up. Marcella Claxton, attacked in 1976, gave an excellent description of the Ripper, as did schoolgirl, Tracy Brooke, in 1975. Neither of these descriptions were taken seriously. Indeed, Tracy insisted the accent of the man who attacked her was a Yorkshire accent; not the Geordie accent on the tapes that the police became side-tracked by. Even when the attacks had been happening for years, literally, many in the police force did not seem to take reports seriously. When a student found a handbag, which had blood spots on it, and called the police, they seemed disinterested in the discovery. When those who called the police remonstrated with them, they carried out a reluctant, and cursory search, of the area, not noticing student Jacqueline Hill, whose body was found the following morning.
It seems that, often, the police were defensive and judgemental. Women were informed to take care, to be vigilant, to walk in pairs and not go out after dark. It was almost as though the murders were the fault of women and not the man carrying out the attacks. Meanwhile, those who were attacked, and had survived, had to live with the fact that their attacker was still out there. Suffering physical, and psychological, damage, they had to cope with what had happened to them. Those who had lost loved ones, often had to suffer the indignity of the press questioning their background or morals. For those living in those areas, at that time, the Ripper was a shadow that blighted their lives, and the way they lived. This book helps to redress the balance and put the women central to the story and not just names, grouped together as victims.
Between the years 1975-1981, the Yorkshire Ripper murdered thirteen women, with seven survivors of his attacks. Carol Ann Lee tells us the stories of all these women, who ranged from young schoolgirls, students, and shop workers, to prostitutes; who were seen by the police, and press, as the most likely victim of the Ripper. From the first, there was a view, by some, that certain victims of this killer were ‘innocent,’ while others were women who, in a sense, brought the attacks on themselves. Women of ‘loose morals,’ which could include women out for a night with friends, as well as those looking for clients.
This book is important, in that it gives all of those women attacked, the respect they deserve. It looks beyond the women as victims, and highlights their lives. Yes, some of those in this book had lives which may have unravelled at the time – turning to prostitution because of financial problems, or poverty. However, the press was quick to label all of the victims as fitting a certain profile and were even faster to label women as promiscuous, or neglectful mothers. This book shows these women as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters. As women with career ambitions, holidays planned, lives to live…
In all books about these crimes, it is disturbing to hear how clues were not followed up. Marcella Claxton, attacked in 1976, gave an excellent description of the Ripper, as did schoolgirl, Tracy Brooke, in 1975. Neither of these descriptions were taken seriously. Indeed, Tracy insisted the accent of the man who attacked her was a Yorkshire accent; not the Geordie accent on the tapes that the police became side-tracked by. Even when the attacks had been happening for years, literally, many in the police force did not seem to take reports seriously. When a student found a handbag, which had blood spots on it, and called the police, they seemed disinterested in the discovery. When those who called the police remonstrated with them, they carried out a reluctant, and cursory search, of the area, not noticing student Jacqueline Hill, whose body was found the following morning.
It seems that, often, the police were defensive and judgemental. Women were informed to take care, to be vigilant, to walk in pairs and not go out after dark. It was almost as though the murders were the fault of women and not the man carrying out the attacks. Meanwhile, those who were attacked, and had survived, had to live with the fact that their attacker was still out there. Suffering physical, and psychological, damage, they had to cope with what had happened to them. Those who had lost loved ones, often had to suffer the indignity of the press questioning their background or morals. For those living in those areas, at that time, the Ripper was a shadow that blighted their lives, and the way they lived. This book helps to redress the balance and put the women central to the story and not just names, grouped together as victims.
October 13, 2019
‘Somebody’s Mother, Somebody’s Daughter is not a book about Peter Sutcliffe. Instead it aims to tell the stories of those women who came into his murderous orbit.’
The author, Carol Ann Lee, does this exceedingly well. ‘Between 1975 and 1981 thirteen women in the north of England were murdered by Peter Sutcliffe.’ Seven were attacked but survived leaving life changing injuries.
‘‘A murder doesn’t just end with the victim. It spreads hideous ripples throughout a family. In its way, it kills them all’’. This was said by the mother of Jayne MacDonald. Jayne was 16 when the Ripper took her young life in such an awful way.
We get bios of 23 women and this includes Olivia St Elmo Reivers who was caught in the car by the police which ultimately brought Sutcliffe’s reign of terror to an end. The murders become far more personal and effecting when you are told more about the women rather the dehumanising effect that does happen when we actually follow the serial killer. This made me think a lot about of books that have followed serial killers and how the crimes are reported.
In this case it is not just how books are written by men and how they fetishise the killings but she actually looks at the way the police acted during the killings. The downright misogyny is brought for all to bear. It is disturbing. Has it changed in the 30 years?
Saying all that the author does not shy away from the act of killing by Sutcliffe and how can she not? Sutcliffe is a monster. While writing this review he is still in the papers: Sutcliffe Dumps US cheerleader
The author, Carol Ann Lee, does this exceedingly well. ‘Between 1975 and 1981 thirteen women in the north of England were murdered by Peter Sutcliffe.’ Seven were attacked but survived leaving life changing injuries.
‘‘A murder doesn’t just end with the victim. It spreads hideous ripples throughout a family. In its way, it kills them all’’. This was said by the mother of Jayne MacDonald. Jayne was 16 when the Ripper took her young life in such an awful way.
We get bios of 23 women and this includes Olivia St Elmo Reivers who was caught in the car by the police which ultimately brought Sutcliffe’s reign of terror to an end. The murders become far more personal and effecting when you are told more about the women rather the dehumanising effect that does happen when we actually follow the serial killer. This made me think a lot about of books that have followed serial killers and how the crimes are reported.
In this case it is not just how books are written by men and how they fetishise the killings but she actually looks at the way the police acted during the killings. The downright misogyny is brought for all to bear. It is disturbing. Has it changed in the 30 years?
Saying all that the author does not shy away from the act of killing by Sutcliffe and how can she not? Sutcliffe is a monster. While writing this review he is still in the papers: Sutcliffe Dumps US cheerleader
January 7, 2020
Listened to in audio format.
This is the third book I have listened to by Carol Ann Lee. She is a great writer and I find her books are well researched.
I was only a baby when The Yorkshire Ripper began his reign of terror. Although I was five years old when he was arrested, I was too young to understand what he had done.
Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter was fascinating because it was about the victim, her families and the circumstances leading to their murders.
I have watched many documentaries and films about The Yorkshire Ripper over the years. Although I knew of ripper survivors Olive Smelt and schoolgirl Tracey Brook, I was not aware of his attacks on Dr Uphadya Bandara and sixteen year old Theresa Sykes.
Although Tracey Brook gave a good description of her attacker, it was years until the police accepted it as part of the Ripper attacks.
The book also discussed the hoax Wearside Jack tape and how it changed the focus of police investigation. The interviews with the victims parents and children was heartbreaking to listen to years later.
I recommend this book.
This is the third book I have listened to by Carol Ann Lee. She is a great writer and I find her books are well researched.
I was only a baby when The Yorkshire Ripper began his reign of terror. Although I was five years old when he was arrested, I was too young to understand what he had done.
Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter was fascinating because it was about the victim, her families and the circumstances leading to their murders.
I have watched many documentaries and films about The Yorkshire Ripper over the years. Although I knew of ripper survivors Olive Smelt and schoolgirl Tracey Brook, I was not aware of his attacks on Dr Uphadya Bandara and sixteen year old Theresa Sykes.
Although Tracey Brook gave a good description of her attacker, it was years until the police accepted it as part of the Ripper attacks.
The book also discussed the hoax Wearside Jack tape and how it changed the focus of police investigation. The interviews with the victims parents and children was heartbreaking to listen to years later.
I recommend this book.
June 10, 2025
This time around Lee puts her focus on the stories and backgrounds of the victims and survivors who were targeted, and not the perpetrator himself.
Having read "The Five" by Hallie Rubenhold (story of the women taken too soon by Jack the Ripper) this year, I can see a lot of similarities between these cases, even though they are a century apart. Not just from the personal struggles and misfortunes the women were often going through in their personal lives, but to them all being grouped together and labelled as sex workers or "good time girls" in the media without worrying if this is the truth.
The polices incompetence to investigate without pre-conceived prejudices is clearly on show and Lee further researches how in this particular case it bungled the investigation. The police interviewed the ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, on more than one occasion but didn't further investigate because of a mention of an accent which Sutcliffe didn't fit. Only by luck did they end up catching him in the end with his next victim unwittingly in the vehicle with him.
Having read "The Five" by Hallie Rubenhold (story of the women taken too soon by Jack the Ripper) this year, I can see a lot of similarities between these cases, even though they are a century apart. Not just from the personal struggles and misfortunes the women were often going through in their personal lives, but to them all being grouped together and labelled as sex workers or "good time girls" in the media without worrying if this is the truth.
The polices incompetence to investigate without pre-conceived prejudices is clearly on show and Lee further researches how in this particular case it bungled the investigation. The police interviewed the ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, on more than one occasion but didn't further investigate because of a mention of an accent which Sutcliffe didn't fit. Only by luck did they end up catching him in the end with his next victim unwittingly in the vehicle with him.
May 21, 2020
This book is a good insight into the victims lives and a basic look into their families and backgrounds, focusing on the victims and remembering them rather than the evil that destroyed them and their families.
I found it heartbreaking to hear that during the time they were murdered most of the women were merely known as prostitutes rather than a person, I know this still goes on today and it’s shocking that people somehow see their lives as less meaningful due to this awful title attached to their names.
This book was interesting and an overall good read.
I found it heartbreaking to hear that during the time they were murdered most of the women were merely known as prostitutes rather than a person, I know this still goes on today and it’s shocking that people somehow see their lives as less meaningful due to this awful title attached to their names.
This book was interesting and an overall good read.
October 18, 2019
This is a horrifying book, but it is an important one.
June 7, 2023
Review haiku:
No more women killed
For purity culture’s sake.
Men’s sins are their own.
No more women killed
For purity culture’s sake.
Men’s sins are their own.
July 20, 2019
A well-intentioned one-note-samba.
Back in the 1970’s & 1980’s the police and press were not so “woke” or P.C. in their characterizations of female crime victims.
We get it... that’s established..... but the book reads like a laundry list of collated facts and pocket bios sprinkled with man-scolding commentary to repetitively illustrate that point.
It actually even swings a little too far in the opposite direction at times.... minimizing or glossing over aspects of the extreme lifestyles of some of the sex-worker victims.
Recommended only for Yorkshire Ripper completists like myself.
Back in the 1970’s & 1980’s the police and press were not so “woke” or P.C. in their characterizations of female crime victims.
We get it... that’s established..... but the book reads like a laundry list of collated facts and pocket bios sprinkled with man-scolding commentary to repetitively illustrate that point.
It actually even swings a little too far in the opposite direction at times.... minimizing or glossing over aspects of the extreme lifestyles of some of the sex-worker victims.
Recommended only for Yorkshire Ripper completists like myself.
April 8, 2022
An excellent book that focuses on the victims, not the perpetrator, and the deplorable way they were treated because the police assumed they were all sex workers and therefore somehow unworthy of attention, compassion and justice.
July 16, 2019
Peter Sutcliffe aka the Yorkshire Ripper had a reign of terror in the 1970s. The outcry at first wasn't so loud as the early victims were dismissed as prostitutes and 'good-time girls'. As Sutcliffe moved on from easy targets in sex work, society was shocked and scared. For too long, the focus of books on the Ripper have been about the killer. Lee addresses this by writing about the lives of those he attacked and making Sutcliffe an endnote. Having recently read The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, about the lives of those killed by Jack the Ripper, I noticed many similarities between the women from two centuries. Many had problems with alcohol or were in difficult relationships, a few sold their bodies to make a little money. Not all were prostitutes but all were tarred by association with the infamous killers. This was a well-written and thought-provoking book on a difficult topic that still resonates with many older women in Yorkshire.
November 27, 2019
An intensely emotional book that finally gives a face to the women who were killed by Peter Sutcliff, The Yorkshire Ripper, and to their families. It shows how the police's inability to see all the women as victims, instead targeting those who were prostitutes or simply women who liked to go out at night or who lived with men out of wedlock as somehow deserving of their fate more than the "innocent" women he killed, blinded the police and in the end sidetracked the investigation far longer than it should have been. Even Sutcliffe's trial became as much about putting many of his victims on trial as him. A riveting and heartbreaking book.
July 6, 2021
I am just wondering if I read the same book as other reviewers. I only gave this book 2 stars as I thought that there very little difference in the content from one chapter to the next aside from the name change of the victims.
The repetition became so tedious that as I went further into the book I had to flip back to remind myself which victim I was now reading about. The victims of Peter Sutcliffe deserve to have their story told. This book did not achieve this by a long country mile.
The repetition became so tedious that as I went further into the book I had to flip back to remind myself which victim I was now reading about. The victims of Peter Sutcliffe deserve to have their story told. This book did not achieve this by a long country mile.
March 11, 2022
There isn’t really much I can say about this book, with regards to content: the story of the victims and survivors of Peter Sutcliffe is harrowing, truly upsetting, and often heartbreaking. I think the author did a good job, for the most part, at telling the stories of the women and girls, as well as their family members and loved ones, sensitively and sympathetically, whilst still getting across how appalling their treatment was at the hands of the police, the press, and the wider public.
It was a surprisingly easy read - the writing is very simple but engaging, and overall was very effective. It broke my heart reading it. There are very difficult points to read throughout, but some of the most upsetting are the ones I never expected - details about what the women were wearing, what their hopes and dreams for the future were, last words, how it impacted their family members.
Unfortunately, I did think the book veered occasionally into the sensational; I’m not quite sure the book required such a high level of detail when describing injuries, and I still think, as good as the book was overall at addressing the imbalance in how certain victims and survivors were presented and talked about by the press and police, there were times when the narrative seemed more respectful of certain women than of others. I noticed there was more emotive language when discussing the lives of the victims who were not sex workers, as an example, particularly when talking about the aftermaths of their deaths. I also took issue with how some subjects were described - I’m placing it under a spoiler, given the sensitive subject, so warning for sexual assault before you click on the spoiler - .
Whilst I thought some aspects could have been handled more sensitively, overall I thought this book was generally incredibly respectful and very readable. Obviously, I did not enjoy in the sense that the subject is awful, but it is a better example, to me, of a true crime book. It prioritised the stories of the women who suffered at the hands of Peter Sutcliffe, and examined the way the police’s actions - and inaction - had a detrimental effect on the investigation and the women at the heart of the case. I would recommend this if you would like to learn more about the case and the women involved.
Content Warnings:
It was a surprisingly easy read - the writing is very simple but engaging, and overall was very effective. It broke my heart reading it. There are very difficult points to read throughout, but some of the most upsetting are the ones I never expected - details about what the women were wearing, what their hopes and dreams for the future were, last words, how it impacted their family members.
Unfortunately, I did think the book veered occasionally into the sensational; I’m not quite sure the book required such a high level of detail when describing injuries, and I still think, as good as the book was overall at addressing the imbalance in how certain victims and survivors were presented and talked about by the press and police, there were times when the narrative seemed more respectful of certain women than of others. I noticed there was more emotive language when discussing the lives of the victims who were not sex workers, as an example, particularly when talking about the aftermaths of their deaths. I also took issue with how some subjects were described - I’m placing it under a spoiler, given the sensitive subject, so warning for sexual assault before you click on the spoiler - .
Whilst I thought some aspects could have been handled more sensitively, overall I thought this book was generally incredibly respectful and very readable. Obviously, I did not enjoy in the sense that the subject is awful, but it is a better example, to me, of a true crime book. It prioritised the stories of the women who suffered at the hands of Peter Sutcliffe, and examined the way the police’s actions - and inaction - had a detrimental effect on the investigation and the women at the heart of the case. I would recommend this if you would like to learn more about the case and the women involved.
Content Warnings:
June 15, 2020
The total disregard by the police of the fact that these women were ALL completely innocent victims, not just those who were not prostitues, was the single most shocking and fascinating thing about this book. Hopefully we are in a better world now, that doesn't use victim blaming to the same extent and recognises that no woman ever asks to be attacked in such brutal ways.
Emotional and terrifying, this book gives a voice to those women and achieves it admirably, giving them back some of the dignity they were not afforded either in death or in the years following the attacks. A well judged and well written book that had me captivated from beginning to end.
Emotional and terrifying, this book gives a voice to those women and achieves it admirably, giving them back some of the dignity they were not afforded either in death or in the years following the attacks. A well judged and well written book that had me captivated from beginning to end.
August 26, 2021
Wow
This book has left me with a lot of feelings, anger, frustration, sadness, despair and and just absolute horror and sympathy for all the women and families who have suffered at the hands of this killer. This isn’t really a book on the killer, this is a book about more than him, it’s about the victims, their lives and deaths or injuries and how their families were affected and still are trying to cope with the events that happened awhile ago now. It also highlights the utter contempt from the men investigating and the press on women at that time and how these views may have hindered the case. This is a compelling and fascinating book on grief, anger and I hope one in which we should all learn from.
This book has left me with a lot of feelings, anger, frustration, sadness, despair and and just absolute horror and sympathy for all the women and families who have suffered at the hands of this killer. This isn’t really a book on the killer, this is a book about more than him, it’s about the victims, their lives and deaths or injuries and how their families were affected and still are trying to cope with the events that happened awhile ago now. It also highlights the utter contempt from the men investigating and the press on women at that time and how these views may have hindered the case. This is a compelling and fascinating book on grief, anger and I hope one in which we should all learn from.
August 30, 2023
This was such a hard audiobook to listen to. The actions of Sutcliffe were abhorrent, but the way the media and police treated these poor women was awful. Very well written and gave voices to the victims and their families.
May 26, 2021
Heart breaking
February 17, 2021
Loved reading about the lives of the victims and the impact, but think it would have flowed better if the end recollections of PS were at the end of each chapter relating to the women. Also, some chapters seemed rushed. Overall a good read.
January 21, 2021
One historical event that deserved a reappraisal from a women's perspective is the reign of terror of The Yorkshire Ripper from '75 until early '81. I grew up in Yorkshire then and so can fully remember the gravity of this period when there was a feeling of dread and terror that hung on the area like some ever present evil fog.
Whilst accounts regarding this era normally focus on the killer, this book instead focusses on the victims, all of them female. At the time they were divided by the police and media into those who are dubbed either 'innocent' (those who just happened to cross paths with the killer) and those labelled as 'not so innocent' (the sex workers, the 'good-time' girls).
This book goes into the background of each victim, the twists and turns that took them to the fateful night when their lives were ended by Peter Sutcliffe. It also goes into how some of the women labelled as sex workers in fact weren't and the circumstances by which some entered that occupation through desperation and because they really had to in order to keep their household and families in tact (Joan Harrison's story more than illustrates this).
The book also goes into what it was like to have survived the Ripper, how these women had further battles ahead with their physical and mental injuries and how they were treated by other professionals who should have helped them and by members of the general public and their immediate communities.
A very good book that doesn't overdo the feminism (thankfully) but acts as a broadening out of an already well documented episode from history. There are plenty of facts about the victims that I learnt for the first time in this book.
I'd ideally like to see a separate book written on each of the victims as has happened already with Neil Jackson's After Evil and Richard McCann's Only a Boy and Into The Light (all highly recommended). Until that happens, Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter is an excellent introduction to the lives of the victims. They haven't and shouldn't be forgotten.
Whilst accounts regarding this era normally focus on the killer, this book instead focusses on the victims, all of them female. At the time they were divided by the police and media into those who are dubbed either 'innocent' (those who just happened to cross paths with the killer) and those labelled as 'not so innocent' (the sex workers, the 'good-time' girls).
This book goes into the background of each victim, the twists and turns that took them to the fateful night when their lives were ended by Peter Sutcliffe. It also goes into how some of the women labelled as sex workers in fact weren't and the circumstances by which some entered that occupation through desperation and because they really had to in order to keep their household and families in tact (Joan Harrison's story more than illustrates this).
The book also goes into what it was like to have survived the Ripper, how these women had further battles ahead with their physical and mental injuries and how they were treated by other professionals who should have helped them and by members of the general public and their immediate communities.
A very good book that doesn't overdo the feminism (thankfully) but acts as a broadening out of an already well documented episode from history. There are plenty of facts about the victims that I learnt for the first time in this book.
I'd ideally like to see a separate book written on each of the victims as has happened already with Neil Jackson's After Evil and Richard McCann's Only a Boy and Into The Light (all highly recommended). Until that happens, Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter is an excellent introduction to the lives of the victims. They haven't and shouldn't be forgotten.
June 10, 2021
Honestly, I've been left shocked. Not just at the vicious nature of the crimes but at the negligence the police force had towards these murders and attacks. It seems that just because some of these women were sex workers they were deemed less than human, that they had bought this upon themselves. Had these women been taken seriously, had these murders been given the coverage they needed and had they had competent detectives that were willing to have an open mind to all the evidence, maybe some of these women would have survived.
I do recommend anyone that is interested in true crime to read this. Most true crime books focus on the killer(s), which is understandable as it is their actions that trigger this interest, their psychological makeup that intrigues. Its important to remember the victims and their lives, they aren't a name on a piece of paper, they were people, with lives and hobbies and family, they just met their end in a tragic and vicious way.
I can't say I've ever read a book that focuses on the victims and their lives, I found it really interesting to learn more about these women past the savage attacks they endured. The strength the women who were attacked and survived is astronomical, they managed to carry on, even with all the pain and trauma they kept living.
What I really appreciated is that up until the very end Sutcliff wasn't mentioned in name, he was listed as the ripper or the attacker. His name didn't get to tarnish these poor women any more than it already has.
While I will be the first to admit my interest in criminal psychology can seem quite depraved at times; not many cases get to me or evoke a physical reaction, this is one of the few cases that did get to me, that did cause me to become angered and upset in some places. My anger is directed at the police as well as Sutcliffe. I hope the remaining survivors of Sutcliffe can rest easier now knowing he's dead.
I do recommend anyone that is interested in true crime to read this. Most true crime books focus on the killer(s), which is understandable as it is their actions that trigger this interest, their psychological makeup that intrigues. Its important to remember the victims and their lives, they aren't a name on a piece of paper, they were people, with lives and hobbies and family, they just met their end in a tragic and vicious way.
I can't say I've ever read a book that focuses on the victims and their lives, I found it really interesting to learn more about these women past the savage attacks they endured. The strength the women who were attacked and survived is astronomical, they managed to carry on, even with all the pain and trauma they kept living.
What I really appreciated is that up until the very end Sutcliff wasn't mentioned in name, he was listed as the ripper or the attacker. His name didn't get to tarnish these poor women any more than it already has.
While I will be the first to admit my interest in criminal psychology can seem quite depraved at times; not many cases get to me or evoke a physical reaction, this is one of the few cases that did get to me, that did cause me to become angered and upset in some places. My anger is directed at the police as well as Sutcliffe. I hope the remaining survivors of Sutcliffe can rest easier now knowing he's dead.
May 1, 2021
A horrifying, but important read. Carol Ann Lee gives a voice to the many victims of the Yorkshire Ripper, and their families, telling their stories and the resounding impact the murders had on those loved ones they left behind. She also describes the lives of the survivors after the attacks, and how their lives are changed forever. Very well researched and definitely not for the faint-hearted, this book describes in detail every movement of both the victims and Peter Sutcliffe throughout his reign of terror. It is well written and easy to follow but the sheer horror of the story did make for uncomfortable reading, at times. What is most disturbing, though, is the complete failure by the police to catch the Ripper and to protect female citizens. Their constant discrimination against the women he murdered - whether they were of 'loose morals' or 'respectable women' apparently made a difference on whether they deserved to be killed or not - made a huge detrimental impact on the investigation. The veins of feminist activism running throughout the investigation is an interesting part of it, and is still relevant today. For any true crime fans out there, this is a very important read.
August 12, 2021
Stories that you won't hear often. Voices that get drowned in the morbid curiosity about acts inflicted upon them. This book contains voices of women brutally attacked by Peter Sutcliffe. Some of them survived - many didn't. These are voices that need to heard, remembered and paid attention to. These are stories that are worthy of attention as much as the killer's story. But usually victims and survivors don't get this type of justice. However, this book is exactly that. It shows just how extensive and long lasting the brutality that Sutcliffe inflicted truly is. How far it reaches. Far beyond the murdered and attacked women. And it's heartbreaking.
But book also highlights prejudice and sexism in late 70's England and how much we, as society, we changed from those days. A hint - not much. Nonetheless this book is absolute brilliant writing. Highly recommend to everyone familiar with Sutcliffe's case.
Hear those stories. Hear those voices. They deserve it.
But book also highlights prejudice and sexism in late 70's England and how much we, as society, we changed from those days. A hint - not much. Nonetheless this book is absolute brilliant writing. Highly recommend to everyone familiar with Sutcliffe's case.
Hear those stories. Hear those voices. They deserve it.
February 4, 2020
Carol Ann Lee is one of the finest True Crime writers to ply her trade in the genre. This book, whilst written empathetically, portrays the full savagery of Sutcliffe's reign of terror. Victims' families and survivors of the attacks are still living the nightmare inflicted on them by one of the most evil men to ever walk God's earth.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted. No punches are pulled. Expect to read all the gory details of each and every attack. But this content is not there for sensationalism, rather to complete the full terrifying account of one man's mission to satisfy his evil adlubescence.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted. No punches are pulled. Expect to read all the gory details of each and every attack. But this content is not there for sensationalism, rather to complete the full terrifying account of one man's mission to satisfy his evil adlubescence.
April 29, 2019
An in depth look into the actual victims and their lives. All the women were equal in that they were victims, but the way the police and the press divided them into “ innocent” or “. Good time girls” highlights the prejudices of the time. This book gives the women and their families a voice, previously missing from accounts of the Yorkshire Ripper cases. Also it does not flinch from highlighting mistakes made at the time. This author should have an award for honest writing.
August 10, 2019
I don’t often read non-fiction just for pleasure but this was very well-written and a fascinating insight into the case from a different and far more welcome perspective. WIll be reading the author’s other books now.
July 3, 2020
The best of intentions, but let down by contradictory statements, a lack of fresh information and an odious view on culture.
March 18, 2023
Carol Ann Lee does for the victims of the Yorkshire Ripper what Halle Rubenhold's The Five did for the victims of Jack the Ripper. And although there are almost 100 years between the two murder sprees, there are some depressing similarities. Mysogyny and society predjudice make the murders seem less barbaric when the women are "just prostitutes", and worse, manage to lead the police up the garden path, make them incompetent and not take seriously all the evidence that is available to them. When the West Yorkshire Police described one survivor's case as "misled the police and clearly provoked the attack." (p.285) (I mean, what the actual...) then you feel like these women are on a hiding to nothing for getting support, the case solved... and well, in the 70s and 80s I dont suppose victim support for a thing. But when you're reading these sad stories, you think if they'd gotten over their predjudices, listened to people and not gone on a wild goose chase with the hoax letters and tapes (despite the victims saying that the attacker had a Yorkshire accent), they might have caught him much earlier and lives could have been saved. Even though there's almost 100 years between the two rippers, I guess people during the Yorkshire ripper would have known people who would have been alive during the Jack the Ripper era (say grandparents) and the Victorian attitudes would have been passed on to some extent. And are we better? We're getting better but victim blaming still goes on. And if a woman is a prostitute, drunk, scantily dressed, taking a walk in the dark, enjoys a night out or whatever, the case is still simple: the blame for a murder or rape lies 100% with the murderer or rapist. End of.
Lee also writes about the women who survived the attacks, those who were taken seriously by the police as being ripper victims, those who weren't. And some other potential cases that he may be responsible for - although she only writes about England. I've heard that the Swedes believe he did a stint in Sweden as well.
Lee goes through the victims one by one, each woman with a chapter that tells her story. Shows us that they were all human beings. With parents, with lives, often with children, partners, work... And this is something that's so often neglected in these crime books and studies. All the focus is on the killer. We can all name them, but what about the victims? And yes, they are more than just the victims of a murderer. That's one thing many of the survivors said, that it was that stigma they had to carry for their rest of their days that never left. Partly thanks to the police calling virtually anyone a prostitute - and once it's in the press, mud sticks - and society's attitude that somehow prostitues were somehow a bit deserving of it. The book does make for harrowing reading on many levels, but these are thoughts and discussion that need to go on even today.
The other people that are even more forgotten at times are the other survivors, the parents, partners and the children. The heartbreak of losing their loved one, the stigma they carried with it, weary years of waiting for Sutcliffe to be caught. The upset of seeing their mother's private life splashed sordidly in the press, seeing some mothers called prostitutes because they liked to meet friends in the pub... and the list goes on and on... And why is it that when thinking of prostitution, all the horror is focused on a woman doing it (often in these cases to support their children) and none on the men using the service. Just as when the police suggested effectual curfews, it's a case of women don't go out in the dark. Why not target the men roaming in the dark?
There was one particular statement from the police when the ripper seemed to switch from killing "prostitutes" to "decent" women that I found chilling (well, many things were upsetting): (Keep in mind this is a public statement from the police)
"He has made it clear that he hates prostitutes. Many people do. We as a police force will continue to arrest prostitutes. But the ripper is now killing innocent girls. That indicates your mental state and that you are in urgent need of medical attention. You have made your point. Give yourself up before another innocent woman dies." (p.192)
It is all disturbing on so many levels but such an important account.
Borrowed from the library.
Lee also writes about the women who survived the attacks, those who were taken seriously by the police as being ripper victims, those who weren't. And some other potential cases that he may be responsible for - although she only writes about England. I've heard that the Swedes believe he did a stint in Sweden as well.
Lee goes through the victims one by one, each woman with a chapter that tells her story. Shows us that they were all human beings. With parents, with lives, often with children, partners, work... And this is something that's so often neglected in these crime books and studies. All the focus is on the killer. We can all name them, but what about the victims? And yes, they are more than just the victims of a murderer. That's one thing many of the survivors said, that it was that stigma they had to carry for their rest of their days that never left. Partly thanks to the police calling virtually anyone a prostitute - and once it's in the press, mud sticks - and society's attitude that somehow prostitues were somehow a bit deserving of it. The book does make for harrowing reading on many levels, but these are thoughts and discussion that need to go on even today.
The other people that are even more forgotten at times are the other survivors, the parents, partners and the children. The heartbreak of losing their loved one, the stigma they carried with it, weary years of waiting for Sutcliffe to be caught. The upset of seeing their mother's private life splashed sordidly in the press, seeing some mothers called prostitutes because they liked to meet friends in the pub... and the list goes on and on... And why is it that when thinking of prostitution, all the horror is focused on a woman doing it (often in these cases to support their children) and none on the men using the service. Just as when the police suggested effectual curfews, it's a case of women don't go out in the dark. Why not target the men roaming in the dark?
There was one particular statement from the police when the ripper seemed to switch from killing "prostitutes" to "decent" women that I found chilling (well, many things were upsetting): (Keep in mind this is a public statement from the police)
"He has made it clear that he hates prostitutes. Many people do. We as a police force will continue to arrest prostitutes. But the ripper is now killing innocent girls. That indicates your mental state and that you are in urgent need of medical attention. You have made your point. Give yourself up before another innocent woman dies." (p.192)
It is all disturbing on so many levels but such an important account.
Borrowed from the library.
February 4, 2020
Taken me a good few days to get through this but only as I've been ill, and feeling SO grim I even had myself a reading hiatus !! I was a little disappointed it wasn't as long as her books usually are, and I've also spotted that a new one she has upcoming is on the brief side as well in comparison to her earlier books. Interesting this caught my eye as I have the book about the Jack The Ripper victims on my wishlist as well right now !
She always does a great research job, however, and I enjoyed this. I saw young Richard McCann quoted a great deal and he for me has always been the face more than any others of those left behind by these murders. I did think his sister's name wasn't spelt Sonia, though.......I do hope that if this is wrong it gets corrected PDQ !! She refers to those black and white victim photos we always see on newspaper headlines and I had expected she'd include at least one photo of each victim in their respective chapter headings to give us a different memory of each of them. But no, we saw that same set of pictures yet again we've all seen for 40 years !!
It was horribly sad to read of Helen and Rita Rytka's early lives. Their mother was a nightmare, continually breeding then dumping them all as it suited or complaining she needed a bigger house. There was an easy solution to THAT problem if only she'd considered it !! To read of Barbara's mum selecting her dress for her funeral I found upsetting as well. I'd have liked to see Barbara's tree at the University but can't find a photo online. I wondered too about the passage in a newspaper in September 1980 which quoted an earlier incident involving a bearded man, but not an assault, as I would've liked to know what that refers to.
I was disappointed too not to read something of the other woman "victim" in all this.....Sonia Sutcliffe. I had expected a chapter on her and it was a pity there wasn't one included.
I am a bit peed off she went with American spellings throughout as well....you don't get more English than The Yorkshire Ripper !! She spells pedalling as peddling, too, then desserts was written as deserts. I did like the cover she used, that hits you in the face for sure, though it's bloody sad. It did make a change to read things related from this differing perspective, however.
She always does a great research job, however, and I enjoyed this. I saw young Richard McCann quoted a great deal and he for me has always been the face more than any others of those left behind by these murders. I did think his sister's name wasn't spelt Sonia, though.......I do hope that if this is wrong it gets corrected PDQ !! She refers to those black and white victim photos we always see on newspaper headlines and I had expected she'd include at least one photo of each victim in their respective chapter headings to give us a different memory of each of them. But no, we saw that same set of pictures yet again we've all seen for 40 years !!
It was horribly sad to read of Helen and Rita Rytka's early lives. Their mother was a nightmare, continually breeding then dumping them all as it suited or complaining she needed a bigger house. There was an easy solution to THAT problem if only she'd considered it !! To read of Barbara's mum selecting her dress for her funeral I found upsetting as well. I'd have liked to see Barbara's tree at the University but can't find a photo online. I wondered too about the passage in a newspaper in September 1980 which quoted an earlier incident involving a bearded man, but not an assault, as I would've liked to know what that refers to.
I was disappointed too not to read something of the other woman "victim" in all this.....Sonia Sutcliffe. I had expected a chapter on her and it was a pity there wasn't one included.
I am a bit peed off she went with American spellings throughout as well....you don't get more English than The Yorkshire Ripper !! She spells pedalling as peddling, too, then desserts was written as deserts. I did like the cover she used, that hits you in the face for sure, though it's bloody sad. It did make a change to read things related from this differing perspective, however.
November 30, 2024
é um bom livro. a ideia aqui é focar nas vítimas do Yorkshire ripper, o que eu super aplaudo. Cada capítulo é intitulado com os nomes de cada vítima, na ordem em que os crimes aconteceram. só depois ela fala especificamente do criminoso, mas relativamente pouco.
não achei que tem assim tanto mais informação sobre as mulheres do que li recentemente no outro livro sobre o mesmo criminoso, mas há discussões interessantes. eu tô sendo bastante generosa em chamar aqui de "discussões", mas ela relata algumas falas e faz contrapontos interessantes... enfim, há uma "discussão", né. é um livro MUITO BEM ESCRITO. nossa! você lê rapidinho, as informações são super bem embasadas, a escrita é interessante, envolvente, enfim, que joia. mas, voltando para as discussões, eu gostei demais das opiniões que ela traz, porém me vi querendo muito mais.
e ela coloca umas opiniões muito pertinentes. nossa. como quando a primeira vítima considerada "inocente" pela polícia e pela mídia foi morta, a autora relata várias opiniões contra a divisão das vítimas entre women of loose morals e "inocentes". e a fala da porta-voz do centro de estupro quando ela disse que era besteira pensar que o ripper havia matado Jayne por erro, porque
algumas escolhas me incomodaram, como existir um capítulo inteiro com o depoimento do criminoso quando ele confessou, sem contestar nada. daí nos capítulos seguintes é que ela levantou algumas dúvidas sobre a veracidade do depoimento do cara e, assim, contesta na hora, amiga! eu só lembrei de atentar pra isso depois, pq eu já estava sedenta por isso. mas um leitor mais incauto? passa batido.
enfim, acho que estou exigindo demais. pra outros leitores esse pode ser o suprassumo do feminismo. mas, pra mim, podia ter sido BEM melhor.
ainda SUPER vale, mas, nossa, que bela oportunidade perdida pela autora.
não achei que tem assim tanto mais informação sobre as mulheres do que li recentemente no outro livro sobre o mesmo criminoso, mas há discussões interessantes. eu tô sendo bastante generosa em chamar aqui de "discussões", mas ela relata algumas falas e faz contrapontos interessantes... enfim, há uma "discussão", né. é um livro MUITO BEM ESCRITO. nossa! você lê rapidinho, as informações são super bem embasadas, a escrita é interessante, envolvente, enfim, que joia. mas, voltando para as discussões, eu gostei demais das opiniões que ela traz, porém me vi querendo muito mais.
e ela coloca umas opiniões muito pertinentes. nossa. como quando a primeira vítima considerada "inocente" pela polícia e pela mídia foi morta, a autora relata várias opiniões contra a divisão das vítimas entre women of loose morals e "inocentes". e a fala da porta-voz do centro de estupro quando ela disse que era besteira pensar que o ripper havia matado Jayne por erro, porque
quando você odeia mulheres tanto quanto ele deve odiar, qualquer mulher serve. Prostitutas são simplesmente alvos mais vulneráveis.and I love you, man. é isto.
algumas escolhas me incomodaram, como existir um capítulo inteiro com o depoimento do criminoso quando ele confessou, sem contestar nada. daí nos capítulos seguintes é que ela levantou algumas dúvidas sobre a veracidade do depoimento do cara e, assim, contesta na hora, amiga! eu só lembrei de atentar pra isso depois, pq eu já estava sedenta por isso. mas um leitor mais incauto? passa batido.
enfim, acho que estou exigindo demais. pra outros leitores esse pode ser o suprassumo do feminismo. mas, pra mim, podia ter sido BEM melhor.
ainda SUPER vale, mas, nossa, que bela oportunidade perdida pela autora.
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