The first of Rick Geary's wonderful 19th century crime comic series is a fun-filled read. My favorite story is "The Ryan Mystery" which concerns an unsolved double-murder of a pious brother and sister who shared an apartment in 1873. This volume also includes "The Crimes of Dr. E.W. Pritchard" and "The Abominable Mrs. Pearcey" - two additional high-profile murder stories from the Victorian-era. Highly recommended for enthusiasts of Victorian drama.

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Product Description

A scandalous secret affair in 19th century Scotland between an upperclass woman and a gentleman of lower standing ends in his murder by poison... '***1/2. Continues to provide the fascination and attention to detail that made previous volumes compelling. There's no denying that he continues to mine history for incredible stories; he's done so again here." -Comics Buyers Guide

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #953601 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 80 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This latest in Geary's lovingly researched and illustrated Treasury of Victorian Murder series relates the case of Madeleine Smith, a well-to-do architect's daughter who is willingly courted by Emile L'Anglier, a man of lesser means. Perhaps influenced by the flowery depictions of love found in overwrought romantic novels and certainly longing to escape the strangling mores of the day, Madeleine's fantasies come true during her affair with L'Anglier, thrills that burgeon when spurred by her family's disapproval of the situation. Things take a sinister turn when Madeleine finds a more appropriate suitor and tires of L'Anglier's attentions. She continues the fantasy-driven relationship with the added spice of slowly poisoning her lover via arsenic in his tea, a crime that she would most likely get away within the stringently class oriented society of Victorian Glasgow. Saying more would spoil the true-life outcome for those unfamiliar with the case, but as always Geary provides a quaintly drawn time warp that is both entertaining and educational, including maps and diagrams that bring the case to life. Every bit as much fun as its predecessors, this volume is a welcome and intelligent change of pace from the usual comics fare. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–Gearys story, set in 19th-century Scotland, tells of the scandalous affair between an upper-class woman and a lower-class man that ended with his gruesome death. Smith was an architects daughter and the graduate of a London finishing school. Emile LAnglier was a seed merchants son, a clerk with a history of bad relationships. Their attraction to one another was instantaneous, and they began to correspond. The book is filled with excerpts from their letters; as much as Madeleine pushed Emile away, she clearly needed him, since nearly 200 of her letters were later found in his possessions. But their love was doomed because of the tension involved in keeping their relationship private. After years of turmoil, Madeleine became engaged to another man and Emile threatened to send her letters to her father. The poisoning began in cups of hot chocolate that she gave to Emile. The pen-and-ink images artfully convey this gripping story, notably in the scene in which the lovers eyes first meet and later when a veiled Madeleine walks up a staircase through a door in the courtroom floor. This book maintains the level of excellence set by the other volumes in this series, and would be an asset to any collection.–Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Geary's nonfiction series A Treasury of Victorian Murder marches on with the story of a mid-nineteenth-century crime that rocked Europe and North America, primarily because the accused seemed the quintessential faux-innocent femme fatale. In 1855 Madeleine Smith, a prosperous Scottish architect's daughter, apparently poisoned her poor, clandestine lover to clear the way for marriage to a wealthy merchant. Despite extremely telling circumstantial evidence, the case against her received the verdict, unique to Scotland, of "Not Proven," which implied that the all-male jury didn't disbelieve that she was guilty. She moved to London with her elder brother, married an associate of the Pre-Raphaelites, bore two children who became nonconformist adults, divorced, moved to New York, married again, survived her second husband, and was listed as 64 when she died at 93. Popular novels, plays, and movies, notably David Lean's film Madeleine, have been based on the case, but it's hard to imagine any of them presenting it more amusingly, thoroughly, and succinctly than does Geary's trademark droll counterpointing of narration and image. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Customer Reviews

A good look at a mid-Victorian scandal
This book is a graphic-novel overview of a murder case that gripped the attention of mid-nineteenth-century Britain: Did Madeleine Smith, Glasgow socialite, poison her inconvenient lover, Pierre L'Anglier, or didn't she?

Geary does not come down on the side of innocence or guilt; he presents the facts of the case, in his own inimitable drawing style, and lets the reader come to his or her own conclusions. I would say that the clue to innocence or guilt is there, but you have to be paying attention to see it---and I won't spoil the book for others by pointing it out. It's just one small fact that can't be explained otherwise.

This book's recommended for anybody interested in the case, or in true crime or classic crime in general. About the only reason I didn't give it five stars is that Geary apparently swallowed the story of Madeleine living her old age out in New York City out whole, without checking it out. It could be, but it also might not be, the truth---and without digging the corpse in question up and checking its DNA with known relatives of Smith, there's no way to know.

Bad Madeleine, Mysterious Placemat Promoter
The story of a young woman and a man in his thirties, who apparently always has gotten burned in love....Madeleine writes Emile L'Anglier at least 198 letters in 2 years (he keeps them - none of his to her are found, except some drafts he kept)...theirs must be a secret love, as her architect father hates him (because he's just a clerk) and will never approve of their marriage. Madeleine manages to keep him on a string with her provocative words, insisting that she loves only him...however, she becomes engaged to a man her father approves of and wants her letters and likeness returned to her.

Laid out in this simple format, it's plain to see that this is the story of many, many women and men...believing in someone they love, who tells them what they want to hear - but who is meanwhile actually behaving in a completely unloving, self-centered manner. When the person does look at the behavior, the manipulator sweet talks them back to where he/she wants them to stay - on the back burner, just in case, and hopelessly in love with them.

L'Anglier is so in love (or is he just being stubborn?) that he believes that showing the letters to her father, will end her relationship with her new fiance...this frightens Madeleine because she will lose her wealthy fiance, and she believes, the support of her family...which is obviously more important to her than her great love for L'Anglier. She becomes desperate. Although she tells him she is engaged to another and wants all her letters back, she continues to write him passionate notes so that he will meet with her, and drink the hot chocolate she offers him - although he knows he gets sick every time he drinks it.

Madeleine has purchased arsenic in two different places, on three separate occasions, giving her reason as to eliminate rats and vermin. But when she is arrested for L'Anglier's murder (enough arsenic found in his body to kill 40 men), she tells the police something different - it's to make up a wash to beautify her hands, arms and face. Because of her calm and poised demeanor, she fascinates the public, and Geary certainly draws her as always looking quite under control. The type of person who could easily get rid of someone who tried to thwart her plans.

Unlike other true crime, I will remember this book for its drawings as well as the writing.

Such a fun book!
This book is a lot of fun to read and has great illustrations. I am looking forward to getting another from the series.