Betty Broderick's family was her whole life. But at the peak of her husband's success as a lawyer the dream turned sour, as he began an affair and decided to divorce her. Betty was shattered and became obsessed with revenge, and ultimately it came with a double murder.

Biography of convicted murderess Betty Broderick.

Betty Broderick, a wealthy California woman, brutally kills her husband and his new girlfriend - was it cold-blooded murder or the desperate revenge of a wronged woman?

From patriots to pirates, warriors to writers, and mistresses to male impersonators, this book looks at the unorthodox lives of inspiring Irish women. In times when women were expected to marry and have children, they travelled the world and sought out adventures; in times when women were expected to be seen and not heard, they spoke out in loud voices against oppression; in times when women were expected to have no interest in politics, literature, art, or the world outside the home, they used every creative means available to give expression to their thoughts, ideas and beliefs. In a series of succinct and often amusing biographies, Marian Broderick tells the life stories of these exceptional Irish women.

Betty Broderick was a battered woman long before the syndrome became widely known. She was beaten down for nearly twenty years straight as her husband physically, sexually, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and psychologically abused her. Betty was stuck in the freeze response survival instinct. She didn't know how to protect and defend herself from his abuse. And in 1989 she didn't have any help. He robbed Betty of all she held dear - her children, her home, her reputation for being a good mother, her marriage, her fair share of the marital assets, and even her china and linens too. In front of their children he called Betty a "monster" and "the beast". While feigning concern for his safety, he taunted Betty then acted shocked when she reacted in anger or in tears. While shopping for a hit-man, he told people she was crazy and would soon take her own life. He continued to push and prod Betty until finally she decided to give him what he wanted. But then just seconds before she planned to pull the trigger suddenly the gun was pointed at her abuser instead of herself. Because sometimes battered women fight back.

Although they account for only ten percent of all murders, those attributed to women seem especially likely to captivate the public. This absorbing book examines why that is true and how some women, literally, get away with murder. Combining compelling storytelling with insightful observations, the book invites readers to take a close look at ten high-profile killings committed by American women. The work exposes the forces that underlie the public's fascination with female killers and determine why these women so often become instant celebrities. Cases are paired by motive—love, money, revenge, self-defense, and psychopathology. Through them, the authors examine the appeal of women who commit murders and show how perceptions of their crimes are shaped. The book details both the crimes and the criminals as it explores how pop culture treats stereotypes of female murderers in film and print. True crime aficionados will be fascinated by the minute descriptions of what happened and why, while pop culture enthusiasts will appreciate the lens of societal norms through which these cases are examined.

Every day six people in the United States are murdered by spouses or intimate partners. The stories of killer spouses tend to captivate us, as they beg the question of how so many seemingly normal and happy people manage to go over the edge. Indeed, every relationship presents "extreme moments" where scary feelings surface, yet what happens when those feelings turn to action? In Till Death Do Us Part, noted psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig, along with journalist Matt Birkbeck, presents the psychological profiles of notorious killer spouses -- from Scott Peterson and Clara Harris to Rabbi Fred Neulander and Betty Broderick. Ludwig reveals ten killer personality types. These ten personality types are defined in detail and illustrated with examples from high-profile cases along with in-depth analyses of the motivations behind the murders. The ten types range from the Betrayal/Abandonment Killer (who loses control and kills from a broken heart) to the Control Killer (who micromanages every aspect of the spouse's life) and the Black Widow/Profit Killer (who kills for money). With gripping stories and probing insight, authors Ludwig and Birkbeck examine the concept of peaceful versus violent resolution and why certain spouses believe murder is the best and only response. In an age when spousal murder is headline news, Till Death Do Us Part explores a phenomenon that many spouses can't help but think about at some point in their relationships -- which sheds light on the very notion of "happily ever after."