The Murderess

Notaro (Excuse Me While I Disappear), perhaps best known for her humorous essays, has expertly crafted a work of historical true crime fiction. The narrative and imagined dialogue align seamlessly with the hard facts and documented truths surrounding Winnie Ruth Judd, the notorious doctor’s wife accused of murdering and dismembering two of her closest friends. In October of 1931, Winnie Ruth arrives at the Los Angeles train station from Phoenix, where her trunks are discovered to contain the dismembered remains of Anne LeRoi and Hedvig “Sammy” Samuelson. What follows is her pursuit and eventual capture, fantastical tales of jealousy and insanity, and a legendary trial of the century. This novel inspired by true events asks: if the polite, petite, refined daughter of a pastor and wife of a doctor can commit such a terrible crime, what lies dormant in any woman, ready to spill over when met with mistreatment and misjudgment?