The Bungalow Murderer (Paperback)

Register or Login now to post a review!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The 1924 murder of Emily Beilby Kaye was a brutal crime that shaped modern forensic investigation, yet remains largely forgotten. This book re-examines the infamous case, drawing on archival materials and trial transcripts to explore the grisly details, the charming suspect, and the forensic breakthroughs. This engaging and shockingly gruesome book will be of interest to true crime afficionados and historical mystery fans.

NetGalley, Andrea Romance

This book, is, without doubt, the most comprehensive account of the despicable ‘Crumbles Murder’, a crime that that not only shocked the nation, but still has the ability to do so over 100 years later.

As a local, Eastbourne historian, I thought I knew the story of the Bungalow Murderer but I clearly did not and I cannot recommend this account highly enough.

Kevin Gordon - Author

This is a solid, straightforward account of the 1924 Crumbles murder case in The Bungalow Murderer.

The story focuses on Patrick Mahon's brutal killing and dismemberment of Emily Kaye.

The book draws on archival sources, trial records, and contemporary reports to reconstruct the crime, investigation, and trial with clear detail and respect for the facts.

It avoids sensationalism while still conveying the shocking nature of the events and the public fascination they sparked at the time.

Well-researched and readable, it offers a balanced look at both the perpetrator and the victim in this infamous historical true crime.

A fascinating read for any true crime fan.

NetGalley, Tracy Shephard

A deeply insightful book that is not for the faint of heart, but should be at the top of all true crime buffs TBR.

A murder that is famous for apparently inspiring the creation of a 'murder bag', a forensics kit used at crime scenes. For all that its known for this, we only touched on the 'murder bag' in the first appendix, which is a shame that such a crucial piece of police procedure is relegated to a near after thought and little effort put into discussing how accurate it is, that this bloody crime inspired such improvements.

This was a gruesome tale, less so in the manner of death (which is still up for debate) but in the manner in which the murderer disposed of his victim. Emily was dismembered, burnt and boiled, with her head never being recovered. Various times were given by Mahon as to how long it took him to destroy her head, and plenty of fanciful legend evolved around it and I cannot even imagine the smell and horror such a disposal would have created.

Upon examining some fabric, it is announced that it previously held 'raw human flesh' and I don't know why exactly, but somehow that is more chilling than simply human flesh.

His wife is weirdly really hard to accept. Like many wives of murders, she stood by him, refusing, probably for her own sake as much as his, to believe that he could have willingly done such a thing and had no hesitation in blaming everything on the victim. It was deeply unsettling to read snippets of letters she wrote, insulting Emily and protecting Mahon. They added much needed context but still, as with some of the other woman in this tale I had to keep reminding myself this was a real case and these people chose to act like this.

Emily is portrayed here sympathetically but not overly so. She did willingly have an affair with a married man, apparently uncaring of the effect it would have on his wife and child, but that doesn't justify her brutal death.

This case is also noted for the involvement of Sir Spilsbury, who was often called a real life Sherlock Holmes and an important figure in the history of crime prevention.

All in all, a well researched book that referenced often to primary sources and gave voice to both killer and victim.

NetGalley, Sarah Aspden

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A really unsettling but well-researched true crime read. I already knew a bit about the case, but this book added so much detail and context that made it feel disturbingly real. I appreciated that it didn’t rely on sensationalism and that Emily Kaye was treated as more than just a footnote in her own story. It’s a slower, more thoughtful read rather than a fast-paced thriller, but I actually liked that. Grim, informative, and worth reading if you enjoy historical true crime.

NetGalley, Sarah Higginbottom