Frances ─ The Tragic Bride, The True Story of Reggie Kray's First Wife

She was young, very beautiful, and had everything to live for—but the life of Frances Shea, briefly married to Reggie Kray, remains one of the most tragic stories of the Swinging Sixties. Courted by Reggie as a schoolgirl, her eight year relationship with him drew Frances into a world of nightclubs, fast cars, beautiful clothes, and showbiz parties. Yet as time passed, she struggled to cope with the horrific world of the Kray twins, full of violence, drink, drugs—and sheer terror. By the time of her marriage, she had become inextricably linked with the Krays and their downward spiral from gangland extortion and brutality into senseless murder and mayhem. Reggie, obsessed by his wife from the day he met her, was never prepared to let her go. Despite her attempts to break free, two years after their wedding, Frances was found dead from a drug overdose. She was 23. Only now can the truth about Frances Shea and her marriage to Reggie Kray finally be revealed, along with the long-hidden story behind his obsession with her. Unseen until now, documents and diaries reveal the reality of their life together—and how their tragic, doomed relationship continued to haunt the lives of those closest to Frances right to the end.

Jacky Hyams is a freelance journalist, editor, columnist, and author with over 25 years’ experience in writing for mass-market magazines and newspapers in the UK and Australia.