Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley
4.7/5
Critic Rating
4.0/5
Listener Rating
Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Patricia Nicol • The Times UK • Mar 26, 2023
"They are not cosy but troubling events that scandalised their societies: gentlewoman poisoners, matricides, husband-killers. In a tight half-hour format Worsley unfolds events, then analyses them with experts."
Score: 5
Lauren Passell • Podcast The Newsletter • May 30, 2022
"I was totally transported by the tone. It feels like you’re in a dark study with a fireplace, leaning in closely so you can hear Lucy tell you a story. She whisks you around the city, in conversation with Lady Killers..."
Score: 4
James Marriot • The Times UK • May 13, 2022
"It’s such a good idea. The posh-voiced telly historian investigates historical murders committed by women. The cases are great. The modern spin might sound hackneyed and mindlessly woke, but it turns out to be genuinely illuminating."
Score: 4.8
Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian • Apr 30, 2022
"Worsley went through inquest records, and in the manner of The Long View asked lawyers and experts how such a case would play out in court and in the media today. The result was fun, if rather inconclusive."
Listener Reviews
Score: 4
Peter C • Jan 13, 2023
"This is a series that is well worth listening too, for two reasons. Firstly, they do a good job at retelling the stories, in a way that is accessible. They are well put together and easy to listen to. But secondly, they aren't just telling stories, they are stories with a spin, and from the beginning they are open about telling them from a feminist view point. Here I have some issues, there is a danger of the facts being spun together to make the point you want to make. Starting from a redecided conclusion is always dangerous. In all the stories the victim is the woman - no matter whether they were guilty or not, they were always pawns in a male society, and that explains away anything they may have done. I would say do listen to these podcasts, but if you can hang on to them. In years to come they may well become interesting historical documents in their own right. "
