Catherine: A Story

In the bustling aftermath of the Restoration, London teems with wigs, politics, and a fascination for the outlaw. This narrative pulls the listener into the early eighteenth century, a time when sensational crimes were printed alongside pamphlets of grand ambition. The author deliberately sets the stage to challenge the era’s romantic glorification of thieves and highwaymen.

The story follows Catherine Hayes, a woman whose desperate actions lead her to murder her husband and face the gallows at Tyburn. Through vivid courtroom scenes and gritty street details, the listener witnesses her downfall and the network of accomplices that surround her. While the tale is steeped in the dark humor of its age, it serves as a stark reminder of the perils of turning villainy into legend.