Carol Ann Lee
A Cruel Love
The Ruth Ellis Story
Mainstream Publishing (February 2025)
In 1955, former nightclub manageress Ruth Ellis shot her lover, David Blakely, dead. A two-day trial followed, but despite huge public outcry, she was found guilty and sentenced to death. At 28, Ruth became the last woman executed in Britain, her hanging one of the most notorious under prolific hangman Albert Pierrepoint.
Carol Ann Lee examines the facts behind the headlines surrounding this infamous case, which many believe led to the dismantling of the death penalty a decade later. Drawing on interviews and in-depth research into the full range of sources, she reveals the woman behind the crime.
Previously published as A Fine Day for a Hanging, this is the acclaimed biography that inspired the ITV drama, A Cruel Love – a portrait of 1950s club life in all its seedy glamour, and a tragic true tale of murder, class, love and betrayal.
However gifted a particular forensic scientist or police officer might be, crimes are solved by teams, not individuals. In this unique and fascinating book, world-renowned forensic scientist Dr Angela Gallop and highly acclaimed former Detective Chief Superintendent and Head of CID for West Yorkshire Police Chris Gregg provide intriguing insights into some of the many cases they have helped to solve as well as looking at other high-profile cases where their individual skills could have saved time –