I really liked this book. I only knew of a few of the women in the book, so it was great to learn of others. To learn of their psychologies. The stories were well written and interesting. In fact, I will probably read it again. I recommend this book to those who like true crime or serial killers!

As a criminology major in school and a long time lover of true crime stories and a California resident, I absolutely loved this. Very well researched. Keeps you engaged. Highly recommend.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Schiffer Publishing and the author Michael Thomas Berry for the opportunity to read a copy of California's Deadly Women in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I found this book to be a very compelling read. The author has obviously meticulously researched these cases from the information he gives as he weaves the stories together.
Definitely well worth a read for fans of the genre.

In California’s Deadly Women, author Michael Barry looks at the history of forty-six female Californian killers and the motives that drove them. Each entry gives background information, an account of the crime, and its aftermath. The case studies are grouped together by chapters devoted to different historic eras. There is an Afterword that delves into more psychology behind female offenders, both of the past and present day, and how things have changed.

Murder and Mayhem of the Victorian Age covers 1850-1899.
Dastardly Deeds in the Early Decades of the Twentieth Century covers 1900-1919.
Notorious Crimes of the Roaring Twenties covers 1920-1929.
Infamous Criminalities of the Great Depression covers 1930-1939.
Sensational Murders of the War Years and Beyond covers 1940-1950.

As we go through these case studies, we can see how thoughts in areas such as medicine and criminology. So many of the earlier cases have conclusions that are utterly ridiculous by today’s standards. Like the several cases that where the females were found not guilty due to insanity caused by irregular menstruation. What nonsense we once believed.

I found this work to be well-written. It certainly gave me much to ponder over, like how changing times, technology, and evolving sociology influence even the how and why of crime, criminal motivations, and culpability. This is a perfect addition to any true crime lover’s or California history buff's library.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Schiffer Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoy reading books in the true crime genre partly because I, like many others, am fascinated by the facts and reasoning behind gruesome, chilling crimes. This book is a collection of short case files about notable crimes, mostly murders, that have been committed solely by women. This focus on women’s crimes give’s California’s Deadly Women a very intriguing twist on the usual stories of true crime. As is examined in this book – women’s reasons for committing violent crimes are very often quite different in motive and method to their male counterparts. This contrast is plain to see in these dark stories and I found it incredibly interesting to consider the facts of each individual case.

Another interesting facet of this book is seeing how the way crime is both perpetrated and dealt with has changed and evolved over the years. California’s Deadly Women covers the years 1850-1950 and these cases paint an informative picture of how society has changed and adapted it’s perceptions. Every case considered in this book is laid out in a matter of fact and unbiased way which gives the reader a chance to draw their own conclusions and form their own opinions.

Overall I found this book well written and extremely thought-provoking. These cases are all horrifying in their own ways and yet there is still something that captivates readers in spite, or perhaps, because of their macabre nature. I believe another book is to be released concerning the latter half of the twentieth century and I will be very eager to read it.

I did enjoy reading California's Deadly Women. In many ways it reminded me of an encyclopedia. I liked the chronological format. It helped to give context to the stories, and allowed one to see the change of not only the crimes committed by women over time, but way they were handled, and covered as media developed. There was one case however, that just stood out to me as not fitting in with the others, Mary Kavanaugh. This was the only one without a murder, and that truly caught my attention. I had to go re-read that section to see if I missed something. Besides that one instance this work was a good representation of the dark side of women's history that isn't often told.

Over all I would recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, gender studies, the evolution of our justice system, or tales of the unthinkable.

While the idea behind this book is interesting, I found the content a bit lacking. Instead of writing a single page (or three) about so many different women, many with very similar tales, I think focusing on a few key figures would have been more interesting. The reader would be more invested the their stories instead of "Oh, she murdered her lover, of course" over and over again.

The book is very repetitive. It lends itself more to being picked up and flipped to a random page instead of being read straight through. If the stories were longer with more thorough research I think the entire thing would have been more enjoyable.

4.5- This was a well written book and also very disturbing. The author did a fantastic job with the research and the selection of the stories chosen for this book. This was a dark, riveting read that kept me up at night. Thank you for allowing me to read and write about this book.

This book was such a great way to know about some of the female counterparts to killers in California. It spans many many years, leading to a lot of information about people you didn't know about. There were pictures every couple of pages with the detail at the bottom to give you more info. I found the book to be really interesting. I think this book is perfect for those who are interested in these sort of books. While just under 200 pages, I found it to be an educational and entertaining read. I definitely say it's worth a read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for free in exchange for my completely honest review.

I received this book from #Netgalley and the publisher/author is exchange for a honest review.

I feel like the author did a very good research of the stories in the book and had interesting outlooks about each female killer in California. I have not read a good deal of true crime stories but this one intrigued me. I highly recommend this book.

Hundert Jahre Verbrechen von Frauen, die meisten hierzulande wohl unbekannt. Liebevoll gestaltete Aufmachung inklusive historischer Fotos und Zitaten vor jedem zeitlichen Abschnitt.
Der Leser bekommt einen tieferen Einblick über den psychologischen Hintergrund der Taten, keine reißerische Aufreihung blutrünstiger Verbrechen.

I am a big fan of Forensic Files and IDHD. When I saw California's Deadly Women by Michael Thomas Barry, I knew I wanted to read it. It has stories of women in California that killed between 1850 and 1950.. One hundred years of people killed by these women. Very well researched book with pictures to go with them. It seems that women were treated differently and not found guilty due to a lot of "women problems" . Although it is not as frequent as it once was, it seems that men are still the most jailed and executed. Is it because women are still seen as the weaker sex or because they are just seen as Mother's and nurturing individuals? Very interesting and I recommend it for all the true crime fans. I received this book for an honest review from Net Galley.

Very good book on women murderers. I am an avid true crime reader and although I had no knowledge of the women chosen for this book, I found it fascinating and very good. I would like to see a book that picks up from where this one left off or women murderers of different states. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I love reading about true crime cases and found this book, being centered on women's crimes, very interesting. Although I did enjoy that this book focused on many women, I thought that some of the blurbs were a little too short. I was also quite surprised with how many were crimes of passion and how often the blame was put on, not the woman herself, menstral inconsistencies. Like that's a reason to kill someone....although I'm sure many of us have thought about it, haha.
All in all, I found this a very quick and facinating read and would recommend to anyone interested in true crime-style books.

Well researched and interesting book about female killers in California. I read a good deal of true crime, so many of the cases were familiar, although still interesting to read. And I was surprised to find several that were completely new to me. Highly recommended for true crime aficionados.

This review was based on an ARC ebook received in return for an honest and unbiased review.

"California's Deadly Women" by Michael Thomas Barry is a true crime book that gives us a historical look at 46 truly heinous murders committed by women in California between the years 1850 and 1950. These accounts appear to be very well researched. Many of these stories are no longer remembered but are so well documented that the reading is made very interesting and enjoyable. If you are into the True Crime genre give this book a try, it is well worth your time.

I love reading these true crime books! How the mind works and what leads one into a “dark” place always grabs my attention. Reading the accounts of these murderesses (with photos no less!) was right up my alley. There are 46 tales of some seriously heinous crimes - from the year 1850 to 1950 - committed by women throughout California. I’d actually not heard of many of these crimes and seems a good majority of them as well as the women who committed them have been long forgotten.

It is quite obvious that an enormous amount of research went into this book. Every story is well documented and detailed. This book brings to light that women are just as capable of committing murder, we just go about it differently. Overall, if this type of read is up your alley, then by all means, mark this one on your list.


Thank you NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing Ltd. for the advance digital copy!

I found this book very intriguing. I’m enjoying the trend of exploring female killers that seems to be going on right now and this is one of the better books on the topic. I’d recommend this book to friends and family for sure.

This is a well written book from the measured introduction to the recording of the 46 cases where women have been charged with murder.
Each account is told without emotion and a resistance to stereotype but I don’t know if it was the reporting of the older crimes but the women were often described as attractive.
It is written against a background of modern statistics into the differences between male and female murders and shockingly perhaps due to the fewer cases a lack of early research into why women kill.
For this period nothing really changes for the gender mix of prosecutions for murder. However, this book makes a real effort to get behind the figures and provides great insight into the psychology of female crime and how it is perceived and presented in a male dominated courtroom. Indeed there is a time when female jurors were not involved, but this perhaps helped the accused who were seen as victims or not really understood in a man’s world. Women had few rights, were seen as a possession of their husband and survival for them and their children was dependent on a good marriage.
From known records women do commit few crimes than men, women for the most part kill intimate partners or children in the family or their care. They are often crimes of passion, offences committed in private, in self defence and motivated by fear. Methods of killing are generally softer means like poison but the availability of firearms shocked me in the early chapters as gun after gun was revealed within a petticoat or dress.
So still topping the list in female murders remains the killing of a partner; a modern defence is that of battered women’s syndrome. But in earlier days in an unbalanced society their was no escape from a husband’s abuse. A woman was deemed the man’s property and within the home his rule was law. It is interesting to note that before the advent of refuges and shelters for domestic abuse men and women killed about 50:50. Since a means of escape has been possible the man perpetrators of murder are 75% of these cases.
The women’s defence was self-defence kill or be killed so tied into a relationship murder was more likely and often accepted in the courts. Men tend to kill their partners in retaliation and often seek revenge after their victim has escaped meaning that female victims of DV are not always safe having fled the perpetrator.
The second most common reason form of murder by women is that of their children or those they care for. It remains so today but a better understanding is known around conditions like post-partum depression. In the past women killed due to such depression but also to save they children from poverty or a partner’s rage; to go to a better place.
Sadly female perpetrators often had socio-economic factors in their meagre lives seen in poor living conditions, financial hardships and various mental health disorders.
Each story is told in a different way so the accounts never appear boring or repetitive. The historical and geographic references make for a more interesting read. In addition the use of photographs again brings more depth to the stories of each case.
In the afterword it is sadly shown that statistically white women who appeared feminine and vulnerable had the best chance of acquittal through the ages. Where other ethnic groups or white women with harsher male features did much worse.
Happily the move to think women incapable of such acts as murder and the move to find not guilty was more measured with the advance of psychiatry made a not guilty plea due to insanity less easy to prevail.
A great read, well researched and a balance book.

There seems to be a trend lately of books being written on female killers. I am in love with this trend. As someone who is obsessed with serial killers, it is even better to see a book of deadly women. It is always plus for more narratives to be revised to include women and this book is no different. The more information that is out there, the better.