Bad Women: The Ripper Retold (S1) & Blackout Ripper (S2)
4.9/5
Critic Rating
3.0/5
Listener Rating
The streets of wartime London are pitch black and the darkness offers cover to a murderer every bit as terrible as Jack the Ripper. During one awful week in February 1942 he viciously attacks women night after night. But the victims of the so-called Blackout Ripper are now all but forgotten. In this season of Bad Women, historian Hallie Rubenhold and criminologist Alice Fiennes share new details from the archives to tell the extraordinary and moving stories of the women who died and why their deaths were swept from view. And don't miss season one of Bad Women about a cold case...
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Jenni Miller • Vulture • Oct 22, 2021
"This podcast, which is based on her book, takes aim at her critics in the first episode, “The Ripper Myth,” and continues throughout to satisfyingly skewer Ripperologists...It’s that Victorian-era morality that Rubenhold’s research seeks to upend by exploring every nook and cranny of the lives of the five."
Score: 5
Michael Walsh • Yonkers Public Library • Oct 8, 2021
"Bad Women: The Ripper Retold is an expertly crafted podcast that is interesting and educational. Along with the details of the Jack the Ripper murders, you learn about the societal aspects of Victorian England. This podcast does an excellent job of combining the genres of history, true crime, and women’s studies. Once you start listening to this podcast, you will not want to stop."
Score: 5
Hannah J Davies • The Guardian • Oct 8, 2021
"Looking at the troubles – including alcoholism and abuse – that blighted the women’s lives, Rubenhold reveals their histories, bringing the focus away from their infamous killer."
Score: 4.5
Keelin • Mentally? A Magpie. • Oct 5, 2021
"Rubenhold simply makes good content. Ripper Retold is easy to follow, with a narration full of spirit. She weaves a story as fascinating as it is important. We are cushioned by a good mix of interview, narration, and world building. As we walk further into this story we think we know, we will certainly find things we should know."
Listener Reviews
Score: 3
Rose J. • Feb 24, 2022
"This is supposed to be a story about the women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper. Even though I agree with the author's premise that the victims were too easily dismissed by society, I am alienated by the author's need to bring listeners into her battle of words with her critics and detractors. I came to listen to a story, not a spat."
