The Baby Farm Murderer (Paperback)

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Jakobi handles sources with care, clearly marking what is documented and what is conjecture. That discipline keeps the narrative honest and helps explain how this was a systemic problem tied to economic hardship and social stigma, not just a string of isolated villains.

This is not comfortable reading. It is, however, worthwhile. The book expands awareness of a largely forgotten cruelty and forces you to ask how such systems were allowed to exist.

NetGalley, The Existential Weather Report

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Stephen Jakobi dives into the dark history of a baby farm. Amelia Dyer was born in 1837 and spent her adulthood “helping” pregnant women. The history is disturbing and fascinating at the same time. Jakobi has done a good job breaking down the timeline of events and diving into the history.

NetGalley, Suzann Maddox

The author pulls no punches and makes it clear this is no easy read. The subject matter is distressing and the crimes abominable. However, just because subject matter is distasteful does not mean it should ignored through misplaced sensibilities. This is an important book and a lesson on the consequences of a high moral stance without the balm of compassion.

NetGalley, Pippa Elliott

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I had never heard the term “baby farming” nor heard the name Amelia Dyer before I read this book.

Due to the nature of the book, it was quite a difficult and, somewhat, heartbreaking read. Amelia Dyer murdered 400 babies over a 40 year period. She was a monster.

This book wont be for everybody due to the tragic distressing story but it gave a good insight/history into baby-farming in the Victorian era, the author has done his research well.

This book left me quite upset but it opened my eyes to what went on in the past in Britain.

NetGalley, Erinn Mackay

This is a sobering but worthwhile read that treats a difficult subject with seriousness and care.

NetGalley, Kristina Pauls

A very serious book about a very serious subject. The author obviously did a great deal of research to present the material in a reasonably understandable way. As it is unknown as to actually how many murders of innocent children Amelia Dyer committed, the author focuses on just a few and primarily on the ones that she was brought to trial for. What a truly tragic story and time that was, however, it paved the way for stricter adoption laws to be put in place.

NetGalley, Christine Cazeneuve

This was an interesting read. It was really well researched and would be a good read for anyone interested in true crime!

NetGalley, Loucinda Sova

Well researched. Great true crime book. I had heard about this case before so I was very interested in reading this book about it.

NetGalley, Lauren Hewitt

This was a fairly short book but filled with so much information that it was well worth the read. It was clearly well researched and the details of the trial were fascinating to read.

I was actually more interested in the second part of this book than I thought I would be and really appreciated the background information on baby farming and the political climate around this time.

The chapters were easy to follow and all really relevant to the topic at hand.

Maybe not an easy or enjoyable read (based on the subject) but definitely an informative one.

NetGalley, Sydney Collett

Really chilling and painfully fascinating. Stephen Jakobi digs into the Amelia Dyer case with great detail, and I couldn’t help but keep turning the pages even though the subject is horrifying. Dyer’s story is disturbing, but the book does a good job of showing the historical context and how shocking this case was at the time. It’s not sensationalized — it’s thoughtful and often heartbreaking. If you’re into historical true crime and don’t mind the dark subject matter, this is a compelling read.

NetGalley, Sarah Higginbottom

A very detailed and well researched account of the case and of the baby farming “business” more broadly. The insights into how a court might determine a prisoner’s mental capability to stand trial or to be held accountable were amazing. They showed such a clear image of how such matters were thought of and dealt with at the time and added an important perspective when considering the baby farming arrangement and its often sad ends.

NetGalley, Louise Gray