Victorian Murder at Christmastime

A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.When I sit down to do episode planning, I do often try to align with the seasons and the holidays, but February, which includes Valentines Day, can be a challenge when one covers historic true crime. So, I had to do it in my own way, which is a bit dark - but, I always find there’s something to learn from those stories too. Earlier this month, I covered two black widow killers, and tonight, for this Good Night Snack, I’m going to cover the famous 17th century Italian poisoner, Julia Tofana, and her signature poison used by possibly hundreds of women to kill their husbands, aqua tofana.Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

At the end of every episode, I usually ask you, the listening audience, to let me know what you thought about the the story I just told… But tonight, I really want to know what you think. On the surface, it’s a “black widow” story. Or is it? I’m not so sure, but, as usual, I have done my best to separate fact from fiction and give you the full story.This is the story of black widow, Louise Vermilya.Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.I realized there’s this entire sub genre of Victorian era true crime that I’ve never really covered before, which is the American Old West! And I wanted to learn more about it! One of my favorite things to do when it comes to historic true crime is to separate fact from fiction. For that reason, I thought what better place is there to focus on than Tombstone, Arizona. So, tonight, I bring you part 1 of Tombstone, Arizona: The Town Too Tough to Die.Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

Towards the end of 2024, I released a lot of fun bonus content, a compilation episode covering multiple stories, and even strayed in to the Edwardian era a little bit. But tonight, for the first episode of the new year, I want to get back to the show’s roots with a classic Victorian murder case, where some very interesting investigation methods were deployed. This is the story of Sarah Jane Roberts.Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

This is a special bonus episode to celebrate Christmas the Victorian way.In the winter and especially during the Christmas season, Victorian’s enjoyed gathering with the family around the fire at night and telling ghost stories.So tonight, I am going to tell you, in my own words, one of my favorite Victorian era ghost stories. This story was first published in in 1902 by W. W. Jacobs. It is called “The Monkey’s Paw.”Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.Similar to the regular episode and bonus content earlier this month where I covered a handful of Victorian Christmas true crime stories in one episode, this is also going to be a compilation episode. Since Victorians loved telling ghost stories at Christmas, in this episode I’m going to cover 6 of the most haunted Victorian houses. We’ll be visiting 3 houses in the US, and 3 in the UK.Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

This is the Christmas episode! Nothing says holly and jolly like the Victorian macabre after all. Tonight, as my holiday season gift to you, I don’t have one story to tell you, I have FOUR Victorian era Christmastime murders to share with you. And they get crazier as we go. So be sure to stick around and listen to all four.Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

I invited a guest on the podcast to talk about something I find super interesting, which is cemeteries and gravestone conservation.We talked about what a grave conservator does, how to get in to the line of work, things you should and should not do as an aspiring grave conservator, views on cemeteries and mourning then and now, mourning traditions we think should come back, has she ever encountered anything spooky? And, bonus stones!This is my conversation with Rachel from Epoch Preservation.So You Want to Save a Graveyard? These are the first ten things to do!Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.Earlier this month, I covered the Radium Girls on the regular podcast feed, then the Matchstick Girls as bonus content here on Patreon. In keeping with that theme, tonight’s Good Night Snack is about another brave set of women that sacrificed their well-being and often their lives in the interest of progress. This is the story of the Canary Girls.Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

Tonight’s story comes to us from the US in the 1920s and 30s. It’s one of the stories that actually inspired me to start the podcast in the first place, and one I think a lot of you will be familiar with. So I hope I do it justice, and more importantly treat the victims with the respect and grace they deserve.This is the story of the Radium Girls. Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.