That Dark Spring

A True Story of Death and Desire in 1920s Provence

Susannah Stapleton

$49.99

Hardback

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English

Picador
30 September 2025

Biography; Biography: arts & entertainment; True crime; European history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000

'I couldn't stop reading it. Susannah Stapleton writes with beautiful clarity and has produced a classic of true crime' - Lissa Evans, author of Small Bomb at Dimperley

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 . . .

By: Susannah Stapleton
Imprint: Picador
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 245mm, Width: 165mm, Spine: 36mm
Weight: 620g
ISBN: 9781529065541
ISBN 10: 1529065542
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 30 September 2025
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Susannah Stapleton is a historical researcher with over twenty years' experience unravelling mysteries for museums, organizations and private individuals. She is the acclaimed author of CWA shortlisted The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective and she lives in Shropshire.

Reviews for That Dark Spring: A True Story of Death and Desire in 1920s Provence

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 Old Baggage and Small Bomb at Dimperley Stapleton is a masterly storyteller. She brings a vanished world to life -- Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder A gruesome but richly fulfilling thriller * Literary Review *