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  • The Pottery Cottage Murders

  • The Shocking First-Hand Account of a Family Held Hostage by an Escaped Prisoner
  • By: Peter Howse, Carol Ann Lee
  • Narrated by: John Telfer
  • Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (131 ratings)

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The Pottery Cottage Murders

By: Peter Howse, Carol Ann Lee
Narrated by: John Telfer
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Summary

Includes an exclusive interview with Peter Howse and Carol Ann Lee.

A psychopathic criminal on the run from prison. A family of five held hostage in their home. A frantic police manhunt across the snowbound Derbyshire moors. Just one survivor.

The definitive account of the terrifying 1977 Pottery Cottage murders that shocked Britain.

For three days, escaped prisoner Billy Hughes played macabre psychological games with Gill Moran and her family, keeping them in separate rooms of their home while secretly murdering them one by one. On several occasions, Hughes ordered Gill and her husband, Richard, to leave the house for provisions, confident that they would return without betraying him in order to protect their loved ones.

Blizzards hampered the desperate police search, but they learned where the dangerous convict was hiding and closed in on the cottage. A high-speed car chase on icy roads ended with a crash and the killer being shot as he swung a newly sharpened axe at his final victim. This was Britain's first instance of police officers committing 'justifiable homicide' against an escapee.

The story of these terrible events is told here by Carol Ann Lee and Peter Howse, the former chief inspector who saved Gill Moran's life more than 40 years ago.

Peter's professional role has permitted access to witness statements, crime-scene photographs and police reports. Peter Howse and Carol Ann Lee have made use of these, along with fresh interviews with many of those directly involved, to tell a fast-paced and truly shocking story with great insight and empathy.

©2019 Carol Ann Lee and Peter Howse (P)2019 Hachette Audio UK
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What listeners say about The Pottery Cottage Murders

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superb

very entertaining throughout hard to stop listening too and extremely factual a very good buy

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great True Crime

This book is well written and researched. I got a little muddled on the timings of things as its very much a chronology of the events, but I'm not sure if that was my fault or something else.
Several bits of this book have stayed with me since finishing it, especially the portrayal of the victims and their lives before and after the events that occurred.
One of those you don't want to stop listening to - though it is quite long and concentration levels may slip. I'd advise forced breaks.
Very good 8.3/10

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  • Overall
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Heart wrenching Book

I'm from England and I had never ever heard of this case before (and I'm obsessed with true crime). I came to this book after reading the authors previous book on the Yorkshire Rippers Victims. This book was just as good but alot more heartbreaking. I cannot have chosen a better narrator and the production quality was amazing. He did well to convey the different people with different voices and when he spoke it was as if it was the person speaking them self. Not an easy listen but definitely worth it for the brilliant research and writing.

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fantastic

gripping and very well put together, highly recommend, couldn't stop listening, the police even then had problems, but did a good job

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Disturbing

A tale of an heroically brave family and a disturbed man who never got the.help.he needed.
I grew up.in this. area but was not familiar with this case

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Now we know the full story


For three days, escaped prisoner Billy Hughes played macabre psychological games with Gill Moran and her family, keeping them in separate rooms as it unfolds the horrors of the 3 days are laid bare. Another brilliant researched book

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4 people found this helpful

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Couldent stop listening

The 60s 70s even back then we had evil just like a lot off case's the system let them down how most off these evil killers get out off jail to kill again is a complete joke

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3 people found this helpful

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Gripping and tragic

A tragic but well informed and balanced account of the pottery cottage murders. Being from the surrounding area made it particularly interesting and shows how much policing has changed since the 70s.

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1 person found this helpful

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Brilliant story

Gripping story you can't put down. Would highly recommend this book. The case is truly shocking.

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3 people found this helpful

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EXCELLENT!

Incredible, heartbreaking, I couldn't stop listening and am sure I'll do so again.
I grew up very close to Pottery Cottage and remember being told about the horrendous murders there as we often drove past on the way to Chesterfield.
Excellently written and narrated, absolutely spot on. One of the best books I've bought.

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