Penned by Owen Davies, a historian on modern and contemporary witchcraft, Murder, Magic, Madness: The Victorian Trials of Dove and the Wizard is the perfect book for anyone that lives for the cold hard facts. That’s primarily what this book is. There are no real theories or opinions or deep psychological analysis. Everything recounted in Murder, Magic, Madness is documented in history and told with about as much charisma as a technical manual. Not saying that the book is bad, or boring, only that it feels a bit like an Encyclopedia.
I am impressed with the amount of information that Davies gives though. There’s very little detail about this crime available, which means Davies must have worked mega hard on his research. It’s admirable, the amount that he shares, but it’s a shame that he writes it with such frankness.
In 1850s England, in a time when people were living between magic and science, there was a man named William Dove who murdered his wife Harriet, and he wasn’t at all discreet about it. Dove was an interesting fellow. Raised by devout Methodists that dotted on him, William was a true problem child that grew into an even more difficult adult.
Although there weren’t many proper diagnoses available during this time, it’s possible that the man had both a mental illness and a learning disability. He had violent mood swings that came without warning and seemed incapable of grasping a concept if too complicated. The author assumes he had Type 1 Bipolar Disorder and the theory certainly matches up with Dove’s many symptoms.
Dove struggled through adulthood, until one day, he meets a woman who falls in love with him. A strange woman with a presumably equally unpredictable temper named Harriet, and these two had a strange marriage. Of course, none of their home life is discussed in great detail but pieced together through first-hand accounts. House servants, neighbors, and friends who all describe the relationship as being like that of Frank and Monica from Shameless. A mix between extremely happy, extremely sad, childlike puppy love and violent explosions, up until the day that Dove decided to kill her.
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Cunning Folk
The beginning of Dove’s demise started with Henry Harrison, a cunning-folk, and a real do**hebag. Cunning-folk were “professional” practitioners of magic in Britain. They were basically fortune-tellers and fake wizards that called themselves doctors. Obviously, most were frauds. The ones that weren’t could just be called herbalists. They were popular during a time when science was getting difficult to swallow and a lot of people found comfort in magic. Life was hard and, like religion, magic let people hold on to the belief that they held some kind of power over their life.
Harrison was a cunning-folk who lived near the Dove’s and quickly became a person of great fascination for William. According to Murder, Magic, Madness, cunning-folk were often used to track down stolen possessions, which is how the two men supposedly met. Dove was mighty impressed with Harrison’s “skills” and started seeing him for other problems which included domestic issues, particularly involving his wife.
It was technically Harrison’s idea to kill her, but Dove needed no persuasion to go along with the plan. To get him on board, Harrison promised Dove that after Harriet died, fate would see him remarry a new wife who would not only be more beautiful but also rich. Harriet wasn’t exactly a “Stepford Wife”. She talked back, had a temper, and fought her husband’s raging alcoholism. So hearing that he was soon due a new and younger wife, Dove spurred into action and he slowly started the process of poisoning Harriet with strychnine.
Immediately after she got sick, he proceeded to go around the town and make sure he looked as guilty as humanly possible. I’m going to be honest, this whole section of the book had me in hysterics. The things Dove did to make sure he wouldn’t be suspected could’ve made it on the list for the world’s dumbest criminals. It took several days for Harriet to die, as he would give her numerous doses of poison, but every time she showed signs of improvement, Dove would straight up tell people she was going to die. Her doctors and friends came to check-in, and cheer at the color returned to her cheeks, only for Dove to walk in the room and just start talking about funeral arrangements. He even went to the coroner, or the equivalent of one back then, and ask if there was any chance that an autopsy wouldn’t be performed on Harriet.
You’d almost think he was trying to get caught, or maybe he was just that stupid. By the time someone suspected something it was too late. Harriet was dead and it wasn’t an easy passing. She clearly suffered and Dove never got this new wife he was promised. Instead he got shackled and carried off to the jailhouse.
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I have my own theory about why Harrison suddenly suggested that Harriet be killed and it involved the custody of a walking stick. Harriet and Harrison made no attempts to hide their apparent distaste for one another but it was only after Dove decided to gift his wizard friend his own personal walking stick that the relationship turned dangerously sour. When Harriet found out her husband gave his walking stick away to a quack she demanded he that get it back. She even went over to Harrison’s house to forcibly reclaim it. Eventually, she succeeded and Dove got his stick back, but not before Harrison carved his initials into the handle. Almost immediately after this dispute is when the plan to kill Harriet started taking form. Meaning there’s a strong chance Harrison made the suggestion all out of spite. Don’t come between two men and their gift exchange.
Trial and aftermath
I’m actually shocked by how thin Murder, Magic, Madness is considering how jammed back it is. It crams in as much as it can in under 300 pages and a lot of it has to do with the murder trial. This takes up most of the book, which might be why I often found myself bored with it. I hate everything about court. One of the reasons why I can never finish a John Grisham novel.
Most of the court sections feel like a transcript; “characters” pop in one after another, every defense and every argument is summed up to its bare minimum, letters written by Dove are presented as well as statements made by witnesses. There’s the introduction of the insanity defense which just introduces several passages of experts arguing over Dove’s mental state with some claiming he was totally deranged and others assuming he was mentally handicapped. It was a “moral insanity” versus “moral idiocy” debate with a few crying out “inborn imbecility.”
It doesn’t end there though. Midway through the trial, Dove attempted a deal with the Devil that he just stole word for word from Goethe’s rewrite of Christopher Marlowe’s play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. It’s probably the weirdest detail of this story, right along with that walking stick. In the end, Dove was declared guilty and sentenced to hang. Harrison was then tracked down and charged for a multitude of offenses after his past was dug up and people discovered his many past deeds.
No one remembers William Dove today, nor Henry Harrison, but they definitely had an impact on history. Harrison caused a surging fear of intellects while Dove created a reluctant acknowledgment of insanity in relation to crime among the middle and upper class. Why Dove did what he did is never 100% understood as it’s a crime that happened 164 years ago and despite his eagerness to get Harriet out of the picture, I personally got the feeling that Dove wasn’t completely aware of the fact that poisoning Harriet would have resulted in a dead wife. There was a theory that he really believed Harrison’s prediction about Harriet’s death and that by poisoning her he was only speeding up fate.
Either way, Murder, Magic, Madness is a big court transcript sandwiched between two history lectures. Slightly boring, a bit monotone, but you’ll come away with a new look at the evolution of crime. Especially the change in shock value. Two quotes from two newspapers of that time: “This miserable story of folly and of crime goes beyond the boundaries even of fiction”- Western Flying Post, and “…a stranger story than his never passed human lips”- The Leeds Times. Imagine how scandalized they’d be if they could see some of the murder cases going on today.
Rachel Roth is a writer who lives in South Florida. She has a degree in Writing Studies and a Certificate in Creative Writing, her work has appeared in several literary journals and anthologies.
@WinterGreenRoth
The first of T. Kingfisher’s Sworn Soldier duology, What Moves the Dead was published in July 2022. Shortly after the novella won the 2023 Locus Award for Best Horror Novel and was nominated for the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novella, this story is Kingfisher’s version of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’. It offers depth and insight into the original characters and plot of Poe’s short story.
The Plot.
What Moves the Dead is a modern reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale, “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The story follows Alex Easton, a sworn soldier who receives a disturbing letter from the sister of his childhood friend. Summoned to the isolated Usher mansion, Alex finds the once-grand house in a state of decay. This mirrors the deteriorating health of its inhabitants, Roderick and his twin sister, Madeline. As Alex delves deeper into the unsettling atmosphere of the mansion, he encounters a series of inexplicable occurrences. Strange noises echo through the halls, eerie lights flicker in the darkness, and wildlife in the surrounding environment does not act as it should. As Madeline’s condition worsens, Alex begins to question the nature of the mysterious illness afflicting the family. Is it a physical malady, or something far more sinister?
Highlights.
Although What Moves the Dead follows the same storyline as ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, Kingfisher’s version has the advantage of length. As she says in her author’s note, Poe’s story is just too short. Kingfisher names previously unnamed characters and provides them with more complete personalities. We get dialogue from Madeline and the doctor which offers answers and reasoning for the mysterious illness that the Usher twins are suffering from.
What Moves the Dead also provides a much more thorough description of the house and the surrounding natural environment. This becomes important in the identification of the Usher’s illness. We are also gifted an extra character, one Miss Potter, who definitively identifies herself as the aunt of the great Beatrix Potter who was known to be interested in mycology- the study of fungi.
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Drawbacks.
In Kingfisher’s fictional country,Ruritania, the local language uses over 7 pronouns (ta, tha, than, var, ka, kan, va, van). Some of these are used only for sworn soldiers, others as a gender-neutral way to refer to children. A lot of time is spent explaining these and the reasoning behind each. I enjoyed reading this, but then was disappointed when none of these pronouns were really used in the book itself. The time that Kingfisher spent setting this up, I thought it would be a larger part of the story, but it had no bearing on the story at all.
The Final Take.
Is it wrong to consider a retelling or adaptation superior to a classic? I don’t have an answer for that. However, Kingfisher had gone above and beyond Poe’s original story, providing depth and insight where Poe only left questions. I will never eat mushrooms (in particular the long thready Enoki mushroom) again with complete peace of mind. I look forward to reviewing the second book in this series, What Feasts at Night.
(4 / 5)
Released in September of this year, Lucy Undying is the latest release by horror author Kiersten White. This is the same author who brought us Hide and Mister Magic, which were both wonderful books. And I’m pleased to say that Lucy Undying has kept up that trend.
The story
Lucy Undying is the story of Lucy Westenra, a character from the original epic novel, Dracula. Lucy is an early victim of Dracula, a tragic young woman who is turned into a creature of the night and eventually beheaded by her fiance.
But what if she wasn’t?
Abandoned by Dracula and unable to return home, Lucy travels the world searching for someone to spend her eternal life with.
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Meanwhile, in the present time, a young woman named Iris is in England to sell properties that belonged to her mother. Said mother was the leader of an MLM cult. This cult is trying to control Iris even now. Her only wish is to sell off some antiques for money, then disappear where the cult can never find her again. Then, she meets Elle, and what she wants from this trip changes.
Of course, it’s soon clear that this trip would never be straightforward. Especially when she finds the journal of Lucy Westenra in a safe of the abandoned house.
The story
Lucy Undying was hard to put down because it constantly left the reader asking questions. Who is Elle? Why is Iris involved in the story of Lucy? Why is her crazy mother’s crazy cult out to get her? Will Lucy ever find someone to love? And why has she chosen to pour out her whole story to a random therapist? Any book that has me asking so many questions will succeed in getting me to turn every page.
The mystery of the novel is particularly impressive because it’s told from three points o view, in three timelines and three different styles of storytelling. I am impressed that these three timelines were able to progress without tripping over each other.
I’m also impressed by the constant style switching. When we’re with Iris, the story is told in first person. Lucy talking to the therapist is telling the story in a narrative. And then we have Lucy when she’s still a human, in her personal diary. As a writer myself, this was a fun experience.
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Even aside from the format switching, this was a well-written story. The dialog and word choices were beautiful and flowing. I found myself highlighting passages because they were just so touching, poetic, or otherwise perfect. If you’re a word nerd like me, you’ll find yourself swept away by the beauty.
Finally, Lucy Undying was an obvious love letter to the original Dracula. It mimicked the style, storytelling, and themes perfectly. The only real difference is that the characters were more lively and interesting. It was sexy, dark, and gothic. It was very much the dramatic retelling we needed in modern times.
All in all, Lucy Undying was a fantastic read. If you’re a fan of vampires, gothic lesbian love stories, or just great stories, check it out now.
Retellings of classic fairytales have become commonplace. Take a popular story, twist it to fit into a specific genre, or tell it from a different character’s perspective. Published in September 2024, W. R. Gorman’s debut novel, We Kept Her in the Cellaris no different. Here we encounter the story of Cinderella, but this is definitely not the kind and mistreated princess we’ve come to know. No, Gorman’s Cinderella is a barely human, Lovecraftian creation, complete with tentacles and a penchant for the macabre.
The Plot.
We Kept Her in the Cellar is a dark retelling of Cinderella, narrated by the envious stepsister, Eunice. The story begins with Eunice, her mother, and her younger sister, Hortense, living a comfortable life on a decaying estate. Financial troubles force her mother to marry the wealthy Mr. Fitzwilliam, who brings with him his mysterious and disturbing daughter, Cinderella.
Upon Cinderella’s arrival, a strange incident occurs, leaving Hortense injured. As the truth about Cinderella’s monstrous nature and the dangerous rules necessary for survival are revealed, Eunice finds herself trapped in a horrifying nightmare.
Skip forward seven years and we encounter Eunice, who has spent much of the past years providing care for Cinderella and acting as a buffer between her sisters. Enter the Prince and upcoming the ball, add to this Cinderella’s escape the night of the party and we have a hell of a grisly mess.
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Highlights.
Cinderella as an eldritch being is a great concept and one that makes sense when you consider the original fairytale’s main character’s ability to speak to mice, her sleeping in the cellar, the perceived cruelty of her stepmother and sisters, and the necessity of being home before midnight. Gorman has convincingly flipped these well-known plot points, twisting them to suit her story.
Drawbacks.
We Kept Her in the Cellar is Gorman’s debut novel and unfortunately the author’s inexperience is obvious. The writing is mediocre at best. The writing is often repetitive, with the same ideas expressed in multiple, similar sentences. Additionally, the excessive repetition of words within close proximity is difficult to ignore. This can add a stylistic, rhythmic quality to prose if executed by a strong writer, here though it becomes distracting. The dialogue, too, suffers from a lack of focus. It is often meandering into unnecessary tangents that fail to enhance the narrative or character development.
Despite enjoying the unfolding of the plot, the relationship between the Prince and Eunice is underdeveloped and feels forced. Reading the letters that are passed between the two offers some very cringy exchanges that are far from sounding realistic.
The Final Take.
While We Kept Her in the Cellar presents an intriguing premise and likable characters, the execution falls short. The writing style is unfortunately difficult to navigate, making it challenging to fully engage with the story. Had I not been reviewing the book, I doubt I would have persevered to the end.
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