I had heard of Winnie Ruth Judd, the woman who murdered her two best friends and was caught when she shipped their bodies to Los Angles from Phoenix in the summer heat. But this book showed me how much I didn't know about Judd.
I didn't know anything about her two victims, Anne LeRoi and Hedvig 'Sammy' Samuelson. I didn't know anything about her marriage. I definitely didn't know about her story after the murders. Laurie Notaro has given me that information in a blend of novel and true crime fiction.

Judd was born into a family in Indiana and married at 19, a man who was twenty-two years older than her. He was a doctor but he didn't share with her until they were married that he was also an addict. Due to this the couple spent long periods apart as he tried to deal with his addiction over and over. One of those separations led to the murder.

One of those separations happened in 1930 with her husband in Los Angeles and Judd in Phoenix where she was expected to make her own way. She found a job in a medical clinic and that's where she met Anne, who also worked there. She, Anne and her roommate Sammy became friends. But Judd was also seeing a local married man and soon he was coming over to Anne's house as well, and the three became known for hosting raucous parties for the local businessmen who had 'summer wives', married women who left Phoenix in the summer for cooler environments. Over time, Judd became dependent on drugs and jealous of Anne, who had begun to flirt with the man Ruth was seeing. One night, Anne and Sammy were killed. The married man and a friend helped Ruth put them in trunks and she sent them to Los Angles, where he said someone would meet her and take care of the bodies. But he was lying, leaving her to be arrested.

After the trial, Ruth was sentenced to death. She was weeks away when she was declared insane and sent to the state mental hospital instead. Although there is no firm diagnosis, Ruth was probably either bipolar or schizophrenic, her mother ending up in the same mental hospital later. Ruth was the star of the hospital and allowed to become a hair dresser for the women of Phoenix and the hospital staff. She remained in the hospital for thirty years and was finally released in 1971.

Laurie Notaro is known for her humorous memoirs but has done a great job in this foray into recounting a true case. She grew up in Phoenix so would have heard about Judd as a local celebrity. The book is recounted in great part from Judd's point of view, making her sympathetic and putting much of the blame on the men in her life and her underlying mental issues. In the afterword, Notaro was able to locate and first publish Judd's own account of the murders. This book is recommended for true crime readers.

An interesting look at the true story of Winnie Ruth Judd, the brutal murder of her friends, her mental illness and her repeated escapes from custody. Ruth was a woman living in the midst of jealousy, drug abuse and anger while suffering from mental illness and delusions. Well written and compelling.

Definitely interesting - it was something I had never heard of before. I like when I learn something from fiction as well.

Oof. This book did not do it for me. The story was boring, and the writing was not my style whatsoever.


1/5 stars

“𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁.”

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date:10/8/24

Thank you @netgalley and Little A publishing for this complementary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Notorious unsolved murder involving Winnie "Ruth" Judd in the 1930's is brought to life in this novel by Laurie Notaro.

You'll Love This If:
~You love true crime
~You like an unreliable narrator
~You don't mind not having an answer at the end

My Thoughts:

I was drawn to the synopsis of this book, nothing like a true crime mystery. I especially liked that it had some basis in my home state and town in Oregon. The story takes us into the perceived mind of a famous murder case in the 1930's of Ruth Judd. Unfortunately, we may never know what actually happened on that fateful day... but this book brings light to how mental illness, drug addiction, and infidelity was viewed a century ago. I did have some difficulty with the choppy thoughts in the writing, but I was able to locate and audiobook and had it read along for me which helped. I didnt personally enjoy the story as I didnt know who Judd was to begin with but was able to get more from it once I looked her and her story up online.

#themurderess

Laurie Notaro’s The Murderess presents a gripping fictionalized take on Winnie Ruth Judd, the woman at the center of one of the most infamous murder cases of the early 20th century. Set in 1931, the novel reconstructs the disturbing events surrounding the deaths of Judd’s two closest friends, whose remains were discovered in trunks she attempted to transport from Phoenix to Los Angeles. The story immerses readers in the era, bringing to life both the crime and the frenzy that followed.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its psychological depth. Rather than focusing solely on the crime itself, Notaro paints a vivid portrait of Judd’s troubled life, including her difficult marriage to a war veteran battling addiction and the trauma of a forced abortion that deeply shaped her mental state. This approach provides a complex and layered perspective, moving beyond the sensationalized headlines that historically defined her story.

Notaro also excels in blending historical accuracy with engaging storytelling. The novel incorporates period-specific details and archival materials while weaving in fictionalized elements that bring the characters to life. This balance makes the book both informative and compelling, offering a fresh perspective on an already well-documented case.

I found the pacing uneven at times, as certain sections lean heavily on historical context rather than action. However, the novel remains a strong and immersive read, bringing nuance to a case that continues to intrigue true crime fans.

When Winnie Ruth Judd arrived in Los Angeles in October 1931, she brought shipping trunks that stunk like death. Inside, police found two bodies killed in violent ways. Ruth disappeared before the police could question her. But she was eventually caught and tried. And the murdered women were identified as her friends. Her trial gained popularity around the country. Folks wondered how a twenty-six-year-old reverend’s daughter and doctor’s wife could commit such a heinous act on two people she’d called “my dearest friends in the world.” This book tells Ruth's story and seeks to uncover the truth about this murderess.
I liked the story. On every page, I found myself asking, "Is this for real?"
The story flows well and is easy to read.
While I do feel compassion for Ruth, her actions are troublesome. She definitely struggled with mental health concerns. I wish she could have received help before she took two lives.
Note: content includes sexual innuendo, some profanity, violence, and plenty of drug and alcohol use

This book is based upon the life and trial of Winnie Ruth Judd, a quiet and pretty young woman who killed her two friends over a disagreement regarding the affections of a man. She dismembered their bodies, stuffed them into suitcases, and took them with her on a train. The reader can find out all the facts about her life and murder trial on Wikipedia, which makes me wonder what aspect of her life the author wanted to highlight. She creates an interesting and totally unreliable narrator with her writing, but doesn't seem to add much to the actual story.

Wow. That's the first thing that comes to mind with this story. I had never heard of the case of Winnie Ruth Judd before this book. What an unimaginable and wild ride this story takes you on. I was confused at parts, shocked at others, and overall blown away by the case. I really enjoyed the telling of this case that is almost 100 years old now. I recommend this book to fans of true crime.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley for the ARC copy of this book.
The beginning of this book hooked me from the start. How and why would someone take dead bodies on a train in their luggage?
The writing was easy to follow and kept my attention. I had no idea that this story was based on true events. The story was so crazy that it had to be true. The ending was shocking. A very captivating read.

When two stinking trunks make their way to Union station, the porters have no idea what they contain. Only that they are bleeding and that the stench is overpowering. Mrs Ruth Judd claims that the trunks contain books belonging to her husband, Dr Judd. But she doesn’t have the key to the trunks. When the trunks are opened, they are found to contain the bodies of Agnes Anne LeRoi and Hedvig (Sammy) Samuelson. Now Ruth is on the run, declared a fugitive and wanted for the murders of the two women.

But who is Ruth? Married to a much older man, who she addresses as Doctor throughout their marriage, Ruth is swept into an affair with Jack Halloran, the neighbour of the Fords, in whose household she serves as a nanny. At the same time, she befriends Anne and Sammy, and the three women help each other through challenges.

But as the heat rises in Phoenix, Arizona, we see passions get inflamed, until the time comes when confrontation becomes inevitable, leaving the police to probe the question of how Ruth came to be responsible for the murders of two of her closest friends who she loved?

The greater part of the book is set around the late 1920s and 1930s. the past tense omniscient narrative is interspersed with newspaper stories and Ruth’s first person past tense account. Ruth’s account takes us back to 1923, when she is a young girl, slowly leading up to the present.

I was drawn to the book from the very first paragraph when the trunks are found. Soon we meet Ruth and know that she is responsible for this. The mystery lies in why she killed her two dearest friends. What follows is an intense story of passion and intrigue, as the police attempt to piece together the puzzle. This is the early 1930s, so a lot of the forensic technology and techniques available today are not in place.

The period comes with its own challenges, when tuberculosis could kill you. We learn about the challenges that Ruth faces, her tuberculosis, her husband’s opioid addiction, her loneliness, among other things. We learn also about the circumstances that people faced in that time, with the Depression looming large, the challenges faced by single women, the outlawing of homosexuality. In 1927, Ruth says, “people were still spending money like mad then,” reminding us that the Great Depression is still in the future.

The weather in Phoenix is as powerful as a character, influencing and driving Ruth on. The weather, combined with her loneliness, her struggle between choosing her own happiness with Jack and worrying about her lack of faithfulness to her husband (she is, after all, a pastor’s daughter), her dependence on substances to tackle the challenges she faces and her failing mental health (the illness runs in the family; her mother is eventually institutionalized too), all egg her on to make dubious choices.

The author pulls off the unimaginable, helping us to see the murderess as a flawed human. Despite the gory nature of the crime, the author treats it in a manner that is neither prurient nor base. I couldn’t help feeling an inexplicable feeling of compassion for Ruth as she slowly loses her mind. Ruth herself describes it as a ‘wire running through her.’

The crime may inspire revulsion, but Ruth’s story demands attention. Through flashbacks, we get to know how Ruth, Anne and Sammy become friends. We see the exact moment at which the situation changes for Ruth, hurtling her and the others to their inevitable fate.

Ultimately, the Murderess is one of us, like us. The book reminds us, as it did the staff at the matrons in the prison, how close we may be to having our own wires stretched too taut. It reminds us that there is a very thin line between mental health and mental illness.

Laurie Potato never fails in her writing. I love her humor. I was introduced to her through it. Her serious stories never fail. The Murderess is such an interesting character. She seems so innocent. Her marriage is bizarre. She has no empathy. Thank you, NetGalley and Laurie for a fascinating book.

In October 1931, Winnie Ruth Judd arrives at the Los Angeles train station from Phoenix,. Her shipping trunks catch the attention of a suspicious porter. A ghastly discovery was made when opened. The trunks held human remains. Ruth flees and soon there is a manhunt to find her. Suspicion is also focused on her husband, a practicing physician in Los Angeles. Where is Ruth and why is she traveling with the remains of her two dearest friends? How could a twenty-six-year-old reverend’s daughter and doctor’s wife—petite, pretty, well educated, and poised—commit such a heinous act. The story goes back and forth in time letting the reader know what happened, at least what happened as Ruth saw it. A gripping true-crime fiction story of jealousy, drug addiction, insanity, and rage. With a mystery at its core, the pages kept turning, but a bit on the depressing side. Thank you to Little A and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

*The Murderess* by Laurie Notaro is a gripping, thought-provoking dive into one of the most sensational true-crime stories of the 20th century. Set in October 1931, the novel follows the shocking case of Winnie Ruth Judd, dubbed the "Trunk Murderess," whose arrival at the Los Angeles train station with two dismembered bodies hidden in her trunks sends shockwaves through the nation. The gruesome discovery and the subsequent search for Ruth, who mysteriously disappears into the crowd, quickly capture public attention, making her a headline sensation.

Notaro expertly weaves the facts of the case with a fictionalized narrative that delves deep into Ruth’s complex and tragic life. As the story unfolds, the reader is drawn into a tangled web of jealousy, addiction, rage, and the dark choices that led to the brutal murders of Ruth’s two friends. The novel explores how Ruth—once a poised, well-educated reverend’s daughter and doctor’s wife—became capable of such a horrific act, leaving behind a trail of questions that no one could answer at the time.

What makes *The Murderess* stand out is Notaro’s ability to humanize Ruth without excusing her actions. The novel paints a portrait of a woman trapped by her circumstances, struggling with addiction, mental illness, and a desperate need for control. As the trial’s twists unfold, the reader is left questioning what drove Ruth to such extremes—and whether anyone could have prevented her tragic fall from grace. This book is a haunting and tragic exploration of a woman’s unraveling, and Notaro’s meticulous research combined with her compelling storytelling creates a narrative that keeps readers on edge. *The Murderess* will stay with you long after you turn the last page, leaving you to ponder the true nature of Ruth’s crime and the mysteries that still surround her.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

I was almost certain I downloaded this ebook ARC but unfortunately the book has now been archived. Sadly, I will not be giving feedback because of this reason.

A young preacher's daughter marries a doctor much older than her. She's sweet, pretty and very likeable
However, you can tell things aren't quite right with her mentally and this is her story about why she murdered her two very best friends. I found this book hard to separate fact from fiction, and it truly messes with your mind. At the end of the book, I still don't know what happened because the two confessions she gave contradict each other. This was an "OK" read, I just don't think it ever gives the real truth.

I get what this book was trying to give but maybe i just didn’t vibe enough with it? I feel very confused — i don’t want to say it had nothing to give but also what did it give?

I have reads this authors books of hysterical essays but this is my first nonfictional account of a true crime. This character Ruth Judd was not on my radar. I had never heard of her or her crime.
The book was well researched and well written. It was a bit slow in spots but I throughly enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a honest opinion.
3.5⭐️

Winnie Ruth Judd appears on a train station in Los Angeles with two incredibly heavy chests. The station attendants take them into their office when the chests aren't claimed - but as time ticks on strange substances begin to ooze from them. And the smell! Ruth finally appears with her brother to claim the luggage which contains 'her husband's medical texts and instrument'.

Um. No they don't. Inside are two bodies - one dismembered. Annie Le Roi and 'Sammy' Samuelson.

The Murderess is based on the true story of Winnie Ruth Judd, but the author is clear in stating it is a work of fiction. She has used the materials available about the murder case to fabric a narrative of what might have happened.

Ruth is married to 'Doctor' - as she calls her husband - and has spent much of her early years in Mexico with him. He is an opium addict - most probably suffering from PTSD - and they have to continually move as he lapses in and out of addiction. Ruth herself also suffers from TB and spends some time in hospital.

After escaping the revolution in Mexico, it is decided that Ruth should spend some time in a more arid climate and she finds herself in Phoenix, Arizona. Here she gets a job at a medical clinic where she meets Annie and Sammy and quickly forms a fast friendship with them.

However, she is wooed by a DODGY character - O'Halloran - who takes her down a dangerous road of drinking and drugs. Ending in the murder of her two best friends.

The novel is written both in third person narrative and from Ruth's point of view. We travel with her as she tries to evade police and throughout her time in the Arizona State Hospital for the Insane where she is incarcerated after being found insane. She escapes five times, she opens a beauty salon at the hospital that becomes famous throughout Phoenix, she helps raise the children of the addicts and prostitutes who are spending time inside with her.

But what is very clear is the Ruth is very ill. In the years to come she is diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Whilst the story is interesting, the emphasis on Ruth's mental health seems to be overlooked. We know that she 'believes' she has given birth to a child who is taken from her and obviously has a psychotic break when she commits the murders (her guilt is never in question), but the impact this has had on her life is not given the attention it should. I think the author has been torn between writing a true crime book, and writing a piece of fiction.

Don't get me wrong - it was a fine read. And it did make me go and look up the case. But I lost interest about half-way through.

The story opens with a bang: bags are offloaded from a train and the porters are keen to find the owner, as they smell awful and are leaking a rather disconcerting fluid. Winnie Ruth Judd (who goes by Ruth throughout the story) arrives with her brother to claim them, but when the porters insist on opening them, she claims not to have the key and bolts. Once the trunks and satchel are opened, the grisly contents are displayed: two human bodies, one dismembered to fit better. Thus kicks off a manhunt, and a search into who the deceased women are, and what, exactly, happened.

The writing in the beginning is very descriptive and easily lured me in. I just wanted to keep reading! The chapters shift perspective, weaving between Ruth and Anne and Sammy (the victims) as well as settling over Jack Halloran briefly and even going third person. It’s historical fiction—it opens October 19, 1931–and it also uses snippets from real news articles and letters to pad out the text in places.

The characters are certainly flawed; it seemed like almost everyone in the book drank and did copious amounts of drugs. I found it easier to be more sympathetic toward Ruth's husband "Doctor" for his drug addiction given he was injured in the war rather than when she spiralled. I don’t know how to feel about the murders; even if Sammy and Anne behaved poorly, nothing can justify killing them and chopping Sammy up like meat.

Either way, it was an interesting book, and a gripping one. Really puts about all the negative tendencies of humanity on display and shows just how violent and reactive people can be when they feel wronged. Kind of wild to think how infamous this must have been at the time but how it’s since mostly faded away from the public consciousness.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.