Reader, I Murdered Him is a book I have been unable to get out of my brain. This is a twisty, dark, and intensely Gothic spectacle of a book.
Right from the opening, author Betsy Cornwell had me in the palm of her hand. This was a genuinely chilling moment where the ethics are murky and the lines are blurred, so of course, I was hooked. Immediately, we have that sense of the vigilante style of revenge and justice, causing many debates and dilemmas surrounding that increasingly treacherous tightrope. It is a blood tinged and atmospheric moment that draws you in and from there, you becomes evermore ensnared in this twisted spider’s web. The plot constantly kept me on my toes, with so many excellent twists and turns. Before beginning, I was also unaware of a retelling aspect to the story that adds an exquisitely literary layer to the events. I will not reveal anything, as I think you should go in unaware but it is just perfect. There is a familiarity and an ease to everything, but there is never a reliance on the original source. For me, it added to that Gothic atmosphere and helped further weave the world around you. It also adds another twist to the original story, critiquing it intensely and revealing the problematic ideologies underpinning it. In particular, it exposes the abuse inflicted by its romantic hero on the women around him. The subtext of the women he discards in the original are firmly brought to light, placing their narrative centre stage. Cromwell questions why these women were sidelined, bringing in questions of race, gender and respectability politics of the period that still resonate today. This is no mere retelling, this is a wholly new beast, one full of spite and brimming over with anger.
In fact, the exploration of female anger here is ferociously fantastic. There has historically been so much control and regulation over women’s emotions, innately tied to patriarchal structures of control and abuse. To be hysterical is to be overly feminine and that outward display of emotion is still intrinsically tied to sexist ideas of gender. It is obscene to display that burning rage most women hold within themselves. Cornwell lets that fly free, with anger at the intense displays of abuse and power on show in this book. There are some truly despicable moments, which just hit you like a ton of bricks, but sadly they are all too recognisable. The repeated abuse of power and privilege by men in this world finds that pit in your stomach as you recognise the patterns of behaviour. This adds an extra layer to the vigilantism that takes place, where a place of privilege is used to fight for those who are less able to defend themselves. It complicates the morality of the situation and this is discussed on-page, with plenty of thought-provoking moments. Also, I cannot review this book adequately without mentioning how damn sapphic it is. The romance here is such a joy and it is pretty beautiful, if also complicated and nuanced. There is a clash of class dynamics here and a touch of dubious ethics. You get lost in the whirlwind of chemistry, dialogue and moments charged with that undeniable undercurrent of something exceptional.
Reader, I Murdered Him is like lightning in a bottle, dark and dangerous but you are still entirely captivated by it. Its retelling aspects are superbly executed, bringing marginalised narratives to the centre and blending them into bloody new territory.
Reader, I Murdered Him is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of November 15th 2022.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
In this daring tale of female agency and revenge from a New York Times bestselling author, a girl becomes a teenage vigilante who roams Victorian England using her privilege and power to punish her friends’ abusive suitors and keep other young women safe.
Adele grew up in the shadows–first watching from backstage at her mother’s Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father’s manor. When she’s finally sent away to boarding school in London, she’s happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors.
Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele’s new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adele save herself from the same fate as those she protects?
With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment.
