Introduction: Murder and culpable subjects: the standard tale of a woman 'asking for it' 1
1 Feminist dilemmas with the partial defence of provocation: international debates 17
2 Bridling scolds: insults, female sexuality and the unruly woman 57
3 Legal narratives on trial: constructions of sex, blame and culpability and the provocation defence 89
4 Victoria's new homicide laws: provocative reforms or more stories of women 'asking for it'? 121
5 Critical fictions: masculinities theory and challenges to men's violence against women 149
Conclusion: the importance of rereading and rewriting 181
Bibliography 187
Index 215