In Hot Blood: A Casebook of Historic British Crimes of Passion

By Nicola Sly

This chilling compendium of historic crimes features 28 cases that shocked the nation during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Among the cases featured here are the shooting of Bessie Cross, after she fell pregnant while her husband was away serving his country in 1917, and the 1869 murders of Maria Death and her alleged lover by Maria’s partner, Frederick Hinson. It also recalls the tragic stories of Elvira Barney and Ruth Ellis, who shot and killed their lovers in 1932 and 1955 respectively, with very different consequences. Along with the most notorious cases, this book also features many that did not make national headlines, examining not only the methods and motives but also the real stories of the perpetrators and their victims. This book is a must for true-crime fans everywhere.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780752492216

Nicola Sly

A lifelong interest in crime and criminality led to Nicola Sly studying for a Master’s degree in Forensic and Legal Psychology in her forties. After this, she worked as a criminology and psychology tutor in adult education, while also writing a number of true crime books for The History Press, including several from their Grim Almanac series and a range of titles focusing on local historical murders. She has also appeared on several television documentaries pertaining to historical crime. Nicola now lives in South Wales with her husband and their two dogs and enjoys walking, gardening, cooking, swimming, reading and solving all sorts of puzzles, from sudoku to escape rooms to cryptic crosswords. This is her first book for Pen and Sword.