Female Serial Killers in Social Context: Criminological Institutionalism and the Case of Mary Ann Cotton

Attempts to understand serial murder tend to be focused on individual cases rather than the social context in which they occurred. This book departs from that approach, taking up the case of nineteenth-century serial killer Mary Ann Cotton and setting it in its full social context. Drawing from records of Cotton’s court appearances, local histories, and newspaper articles, it shows how institutions such as the family, economy, and religion shaped the environment she inhabited. While not denying the singularity of individuals who commit serial murder, the authors nonetheless make a powerful case for the influence and effects of society on their actions.