A very sad story revolving around an artist now largely unknown. In 1929 the body of artist Olive Branson was found in the water tank outside her home in Provence with a bullet hole between her eyes and a revolver nearby. The book looks into whether this was suicide, as originally decided, or murder and brings both Olive and the time and place very vividly to life. The book is extremely well researched and written, reading more like a novel, and it’s nice to see attention brought back to Olive and her beautiful work.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I found the alternative perspective of Provence albeit many decades before Peter Mayle's 'A Year in Provence' most enlightening. The very peculiar death of Olive Branson must have been catnip for the hacks, a veritable Schrödinger's cat had it been conceived then. Was it suicide or murder most foul? My own thoughts are for the latter but not by the accused.
I really enjoyed the courtroom debacle but found a lot of the book could have been condensed and in doing so, less tiring.

I was intrigued by this story, and as I got into the plot, the mystery about Olive Branson deepened. Set in the South of France, this is a true story that has been meticulously researched. The characters in the area, the silence, the assumptions about how she died all build into a climax. And yet there are lingering doubts about what really happened. I loved it.

That Dark Spring: A True Story of Death and Desire in 1920s Provence by Susannah Stapleton is a compelling and evocative true crime investigation that unearths the tragic and mysterious fate of British artist Olive Branson.

In April 1929, Olive’s body was found floating in a water tank outside her farmhouse in a quiet Provençal village. Dressed only in a pink shirt and stockings, with a bullet wound between her eyes and a revolver by her side, her death was swiftly ruled a suicide. But doubts lingered, and under pressure from her family, a murder investigation was reopened.

Stapleton masterfully reconstructs both the case and the vibrant yet insular world in which Olive lived and died. Drawing on previously unseen evidence, she peels back the layers of village life, exposing festering resentments, tangled relationships, and dangerous tensions. Her meticulous research brings Olive vividly back to life—not just as a victim, but as a complex and talented woman whose art and story deserve to be remembered.

Though the mystery remains unsolved, That Dark Spring is a fascinating exploration of a forgotten artist, a community simmering with secrets, and the shifting perceptions of truth and justice. A must-read for true crime lovers and those intrigued by the lost voices of history.

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Susannah Stapleton’s That Dark Spring: 1929 is a gripping and meticulously researched true crime account that reads like a novel, blending mystery, history, and a poignant exploration of a life cut tragically short. Set in the idyllic yet enigmatic landscape of Provence, this book delves into the mysterious death of Olive Branson, a British artist whose body was found in a cistern outside her farmhouse in 1929. With a bullet hole between her eyes and a revolver by her side, the question lingers: was it suicide, or murder?

Stapleton masterfully reconstructs Olive’s unconventional life and the events leading up to her death, painting a vivid portrait of a woman who defied societal norms to pursue her passion for art. Through never-before-seen evidence and meticulous detail, the author transports readers to a bygone era—a Provence where time moved slowly, resentments simmered beneath the surface, and the arrival of a car was an event worth remembering. The book is as much a love letter to this lost world as it is a compelling investigation into Olive’s untimely demise.

The narrative is immersive and evocative, capturing the beauty and tension of rural Provence while unravelling the complexities of Olive’s relationships with the villagers. Stapleton’s portrayal of the investigation led by Detective Alexandre Guibbal is both fascinating and frustrating, as it reveals a web of rivalries, secrets, and unanswered questions. The author doesn’t shy away from the ambiguities of the case, leaving readers to draw their own conclusions while providing a richly detailed and suggestive picture of what might have happened that fateful night.

What makes That Dark Spring truly stand out is its ability to humanize Olive Branson, ensuring that she is remembered not just as a victim, but as a talented artist whose work has been unfairly forgotten. Stapleton’s writing is both empathetic and compelling, making Olive’s story impossible to put down. This is a book that stays with you, urging you to return to its pages and ponder the mysteries it leaves unresolved.

I noticed another reviewer mentioned this would make a good tv drama, and i agree wholeheartedly. From the beautifully detailed landscapes of provence to the who-done-it tale, the intrigueing investigation is brought to the fore in who or how olive met her demise. A longer story but immersive.

1929. Provence. The body of an English woman is found floating in her cistern, with a bullet in the brain. Suicide - or murder?

This was so good, so well written it could have been a novel.

This stuck in my mind when I wasn't reading it, begging me to come back for another chapter, to peel back the world of Provence and the lives of those living within the small village that Olive had called her final home. More than just an unsolved mystery, this is a love letter to that time and part of France, to a lost world. A time where a car driving past stuck in the mind, to where time was measured by daylight (or lack of it) and where it could be believed that the English wore a shirt and stockings as funeral clothes.

Olive deserves so much more than she received - not just justice for whatever did happen that fateful night, but for her art, now largely and unfairly forgotten.

This engaging tale goes some distance to fix that and while it does not - cannot - answer what happened that night, it does draw a very detailed and suggestive picture, able to rival Olive's work.

When Olive Branson is found dead in a water tank people wonder if it's murder or suicide.

Set in Provence this was a wonderful read for me as I have been there many times.

It is a a good pacy read and an intriguing plot. i loved how the story unfolded and I was interested in the life of Olive and the people she knew..

This would make a good TV drama as it all the drama that would satisfy fans of this genre..