Pretty Evil New England

True Stories of Violent Vixens and Murderous Matriarchs

Published by Globe Pequot Publishing
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

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About The Book

For four centuries, New England has been a cradle of crime and murder—from the Salem witch trials to the modern-day mafia. Nineteenth century New England was the hunting ground of five female serial killers: Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E. Nason, and Sarah Jane Robinson.

Female killers are often portrayed as caricatures: Black Widows, Angels of Death, or Femme Fatales. But the real stories of these women are much more complex. In Pretty Evil New England, true crime author Sue Coletta tells the story of these five women, from broken childhoods, to first brushes with death, and she examines the overwhelming urges that propelled these women to take the lives of a combined total of more than one-hundred innocent victims. The murders, investigations, trials, and ultimate verdicts will stun and surprise readers as they live vicariously through the killers and the would-be victims that lived to tell their stories.

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Product Details

  • Publisher: Globe Pequot Publishing (November 1, 2020)
  • Length: 296 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781493052332

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Raves and Reviews

"Chilling. Coletta draws on a wide range of original sources to bring her subjects to life."

-Publishers Weekly

"I'm a devoted fan of Sue Coletta's fictional suspense novels. She's a must read for me. When I learned Coletta had ventured into True Crime, I had to get my hands on a print copy for my favorite reads collection.

PRETTY EVIL is an unforgettable read that will prickle the skin of any reader. Coletta creates a dark mysterious world set in nineteenth century New England-the atmospheric hunting ground of five female serial killers. Each story is liberally infused with the extensive research Coletta compiled from a treasure trove of real news stories from the period, personal diaries from the time, and documented court proceedings to make for an authentic period piece.

PRETTY EVIL gives the reader a front row seat to the unembellished actions of five depraved and diabolical female serial killers-depictions made more chilling because these women existed."

-Jordan Dane , Best-selling thriller author

"Fascinating and interesting read! For those who are interested in serial killers, this book is for you!

Meticulously researched and well put together, this book is going to take you down the poisoned path of murder, and reveals the story in-depth along the way! This is one that you do NOT want to miss!"

- NetGalley review

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