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Don’t waste your time with me. Concentrate on women who want to be helped.
In a nutshell
Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be executed in Britain. In 2026, King Charles pardoned her posthumously. A nightclub hostess and mother of two, Ruth was in a toxic and abusive relationship with race car driver David Blackley. On Easter Sunday she shot him and pleaded guilty for murder. In Fatal Love, Louisa Treger reimagines the life of Ruth, revealing what may have happened to lead her to killing her lover and pleading guilty – choosing hanging – instead of going for a plea of insanity.
Book Club Notes
This is the second Louisa Treger book I’ve read and, as I told Louisa, I far preferred this to The Paris Muse. A combination of the storyline, pace and Ruth herself hooked me from the start, keeping me up late with the promise of just one more chapter. Louisa manages to humanise a deeply complex woman while bringing empathy and understanding to the intricacies of toxic relationships. It’s tragic and heartbreaking, but also a moving ode to a complicated woman who was used, abused and failed by almost everyone she trusted.
Read If
You know the story of Ruth Ellis or enjoy historical novels based on strong women.
Rating
Writing – 8/10
Character Development – 8/10
Plot Twist – 8/10
Shareability – 8/10
The Nitty Gritty
Published by: Pan Macmillan
Genre: Fiction, Crime, Historical
ISBN: 9781037209840
Pages: 221
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A note on our book ratings
Storyline: How good is the storyline? Is it believable and complex or does it make you shake your head in its ridiculousness?
Writing: How well written is the book? Do you find yourself wowed by the writing or unimpressed?
Character Development: Do the characters evolve and grow through the book and are they multi-dimensional?
Plot Twist: Were you able to predict the end, or did the author give you some surprises along the way to keep you on your toes?
Shareability: How likely are you to share the book?
