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A review by daydreamsofareader
The Peepshow: The Murders at Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
I am not a fan of true crime, I find it morbid in the way it generally focuses on the perpetrator rather than the victims and a lot of it feels sensationalised and ignorant of survivors' and family members' feelings. Although there was some description of the victims, I'd say there wasn't nearly enough and the vast majority was focused on the conflicting things Christie had said throughout the trial.
It's clear Kate Summerscale did a great deal of research but the book feels like more of a retelling than the presentation of new information or a new angle. Furthermore, I didn't feel the social justice aspects were explored enough. There were plenty of instances of Christie and others being racist and misogynistic but I didn't feel there was enough denouncement of this on the author's part.
Like I mentioned, I don't enjoy true crime and I don't view it as a form of entertainment so it's not likely I am the intended audience for this but even if I was, I think I've read and heard of others that focus more on who the victims were separate from their victimhood and professions.
It's clear Kate Summerscale did a great deal of research but the book feels like more of a retelling than the presentation of new information or a new angle. Furthermore, I didn't feel the social justice aspects were explored enough. There were plenty of instances of Christie and others being racist and misogynistic but I didn't feel there was enough denouncement of this on the author's part.
Like I mentioned, I don't enjoy true crime and I don't view it as a form of entertainment so it's not likely I am the intended audience for this but even if I was, I think I've read and heard of others that focus more on who the victims were separate from their victimhood and professions.
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Blood, Stalking
Minor: Addiction, Terminal illness