That Dark Spring
A True Story of Death and Desire in 1920s Provence
Published on 24. April 2025
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-5290-6554-1 (ISBN)
Description
'I couldn't stop reading it . . . a classic of true crime' - Lissa Evans, author of Small Bomb at Dimperley
'A fascinating true crime case study . . . deeply moving' The Times
A gripping, explosive murder mystery by acclaimed true crime writer Susannah Stapleton.
In April 1929, the body of British artist Olive Branson was found submerged in a water tank outside her farmhouse in a picturesque Provence village. Dressed only in a pink shirt and stockings, she had a bullet hole between her eyes and a revolver by her side.
Was it suicide - or murder?
The initial investigation concluded suicide, but under pressure from Olive's family to conduct a murder enquiry, city detective Alexandre Guibbal was brought in to reopen the case.
Examining never-before-seen evidence, acclaimed true crime writer Susannah Stapleton builds a vivid and absorbing picture of an unconventional life and a violent death, and an investigation that shines a bright light on a village simmering with resentments and dangerous rivalries . . .
'A fascinating true crime case study . . . deeply moving' The Times
A gripping, explosive murder mystery by acclaimed true crime writer Susannah Stapleton.
In April 1929, the body of British artist Olive Branson was found submerged in a water tank outside her farmhouse in a picturesque Provence village. Dressed only in a pink shirt and stockings, she had a bullet hole between her eyes and a revolver by her side.
Was it suicide - or murder?
The initial investigation concluded suicide, but under pressure from Olive's family to conduct a murder enquiry, city detective Alexandre Guibbal was brought in to reopen the case.
Examining never-before-seen evidence, acclaimed true crime writer Susannah Stapleton builds a vivid and absorbing picture of an unconventional life and a violent death, and an investigation that shines a bright light on a village simmering with resentments and dangerous rivalries . . .
Reviews / Votes
That Dark Spring is brilliantly structured and perfectly paced, and I couldn't stop reading it. Susannah Stapleton writes with beautiful clarity and has produced a classic of true crime. -- Lissa Evans, author of <i>Old Baggage</i> and <i>Small Bomb at Dimperley</i> Stapleton is a masterly storyteller. She brings a vanished world to life -- Judith Flanders, author of <i>The Invention of Murder</i> A gruesome but richly fulfilling thriller * Literary Review * 'A fascinating true crime case study . . . A ghost story, a tale of folk long-dead, a portraitof a vanished world' * The Times *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Illustrations
30 b/w integrated
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
618 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5290-6554-1 (9781529065541)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2025
Picador
€15.99
Available for download
Person
Susannah Stapleton is a historical researcher with over twenty years' experience unravelling mysteries for museums, organizations and private individuals. Her first book, The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective was shortlisted for a CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction. That Dark Spring is her second book. She lives in Shropshire.