Crimes of Passion vs Severed: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Case studies, True Crime, Murder
Crimes of Passion
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The very term "crimes of passion" evokes deep-seated, atavistic responses in everyone's heart. These are the crimes that are born in the emotional core of women and men who are pushed to do the unthinkable. There are…
Severed
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The Black Dahlia murder hit post-War Los Angeles like a bombshell . . . an impenetrable mystery—the haunting crown jewel of LAPD’s “unsolved” murders. Even before her savage death, beautiful 22-year-old Elizabeth Short,…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Severed has the widest readership — 1785 ratings behind its score.
- Severed runs the darker storyline; Crimes of Passion stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Crimes of Passion | Severed | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.7 (1785) |
| Hardcover | 3.0 (1) | 3.0 (1) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (23) |
Reception
| Crimes of Passion | Severed | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1 | 1785 |
| Editions | 4 | 5 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 2133 |
| Reading it now | — | 117 |
| Written reviews | — | 125 |
| Wikipedia attention | 75 | 83 |
| Pages | 239 | 237 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Crimes of Passion or Severed?
Crimes of Passion has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Crimes of Passion 3.8/5, Severed 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Crimes of Passion or Severed?
Severed is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Severed (237 pages, ≈ 4 h 23 m); Crimes of Passion (239 pages, ≈ 4 h 26 m).
Which is harder to read: Crimes of Passion or Severed?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Crimes of Passion: Moderate; Severed: Moderate.