The Blood Countess - by Shelley Puhak (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

From the author of the national bestseller The Dark Queens, an incandescent work of true crime and feminist history about the woman alleged to be the world's most prolific female serial killer.

There have long been whispers, coming from the castle; from the village square; from the dark woods. The great lady-a countess, from one of Europe's oldest families-is a vicious killer. Some even say she bathes in the blood of her victims. When the king's men force their way into her manor house, she has blood on her hands, caught in the act of murdering yet another of her maids. She is walled up in a tower and never seen again, except in the uppermost barred window, where she broods over the countryside, cursing all those who dared speak up against her.

Told and retold in many languages, the legend of the Blood Countess has consumed cultural imaginations around the world. But despite claims that Elizabeth Bathory tortured and killed as many as 650 girls, some have wondered if the Countess was herself a victim- of one of the most successful disinformation campaigns known to history. So, was Elizabeth Bathory a monster, a victim, or a bit of both? With the breathlessness of a whodunit, drawing upon new archival evidence and questioning old assumptions, Shelley Puhak traces the Countess's downfall, bringing to life an assertive woman leader in a world sliding into anti-scientific, reactionary darkness-a world where nothing is ever as it seems. In this exhilarating narrative, Puhak renders a vivid portrait of history's most dangerous woman and her tumultuous time, revealing just how far we will go to destroy a woman in power.

Review Quotes

"A well-researched and well-told epic history. The Dark Queens brings these courageous, flawed, and ruthless rulers and their distant times back to life." --Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times-bestselling author of HIDDEN FIGURES

"Powerful feminist history . . . sweeping and detailed." --USA Today on THE DARK QUEENS

"History at its most fun. Game of Thrones, eat your heart out!" --Napa Valley Register on THE DARK QUEENS

"A delicious read." --Denise Keirnan, New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY on THE DARK QUEENS

About the Author