Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Derby is a collection of gruesome murders brought together by author Kevin Turton. Each chapter gives a detailed examination of some of the facts behind some of Derby's most notorious murder cases. Carefully researched the book re-counts the circumstances and consequences of each individual case. Whilst the book covers the hard facts of the brutal times the author gives insight into the social conditions prevalent at the time and the courtroom arena in which so many stood trial for their life.These are the cases that dominated the breakfast tables of households both local and national! They caused argument and debate across the whole country and often packed Derby's courtroom to the rafters. Spanning almost 150 years the book looks at the cause and effect of human emotions that led to tragedies and how both society and the legal system reacted.Cases include 'Pity the Poor Children—The Murders of Elizabeth and Martha Smith 18541'. 'With Malice Afterthought—The Murder of Phoebe Barnes 1851'. 'A Case of Starvation—The Killing of Baby Annie 1889'. 'Allotment No 48—The Murder of Maude Atkins 1922' and 'The Murder of a Corpse—The Killing of Ivy May Warner 1951'.

Murder and more in the Midlands—true stories of historical crimes in this British city from the 1850s to the 1950s. Includes photos. Within the pages of this book are some of the most notorious and often baffling cases in Leicestershire’s history—from the appalling double murder at Melton Mowbray in 1856, known locally as the Peppermint Billy murders, to the 1953 murderer Joseph Reynolds, who killed because he wanted to know how it felt. This book explores the cases that dominated the headlines, not only across the city and surrounding county but also nationwide. These are the stories from a time when murder was a capital offense and guilt or innocence was proven without the benefit of modern forensic technique or DNA profiling. Included also are some of those mysterious cases that will remain forever unsolved, as in the now famous case of Bella Wright. Known across the whole country as the Green Bicycle Murder, it commanded public attention in 1919 because of the complex and puzzling nature of the crime—and has continued to do so ever since.

Takes the reader on a sinister journey from the religious persecutions of Queen Mary's time to the twentieth century, meeting villains, cut-throats, arsonists and lunatics along the way. The book is based on original research and recalls many grisly events and sad or unsavoury individuals whose fate has hitherto been forgotten.

Foul Deeds and Suspicious Death in Stratford and South Warwickshire is an exploration of the darker history of the area. Behind the famous tourist industry of Shakespears everyday life on farms and factories carried on just like anywhere else. Ancient superstitions and curious legends provided inspriation for the great bard and other authors but real life was punctuated by sudden death, jealousy and ruthlessness. This book examines some of the most dramatic incidents in detail. Dranw from contemporary sources, newspapers, legal documents and coroner's records; each case provides a glimpse into life and death in its historical setting. The changes in the town, both in its architecture and social values from the background to the lives and deaths of its citizens.

Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Folkestone takes the reader on a sinister journey through the annals of crime in Folkestone, Hythe and the surrounding area. Along the way we meet villains, murderers and victims of many kinds, including cut-throat soldiers, a 'baby farmer', a Jack the Ripper imposter, two inexplicable suicides and five individuals who died violent deaths in the 'House of Horror'. There is no shortage of harrowing and revealing incidents of evil to recount, many of which will be unfamiliar to the reader. Infant murders were once so rife in Folkestone it was termed the 'infanticide capital of Kent'. This fascinating book recalls many such grisly events, as well as sad or unsavoury individuals who have darkened this otherwise pleasant corner of the Garden of England.

Contains chapters that investigate the darker side of humanity in cases of murder, deceit and pure malice. From crimes of passion to opportunistic killings and coldly premeditated acts of murder, this work recounts the spectrum of criminality, bringing to life the sinister history of Guernsey from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century.

We are all drawn to understand the circumstances that lead others to commit unforgivable acts of violence - the moment that turns a caring human being into a killer, the series of events that drive ordinary people to murderous acts of inhumanity, or the slow, premeditated steps of the callous criminal. And the circumstances - and the twisted motivation - behind such violent acts are the subject of Caroline Maxton's fascinating investigation of individuals whose misdeeds have tarnished the history of the Croydon area. She investigates a wide range of murders and unexplained deaths, some of which are truly stranger than fiction. The events cover a span of several centuries, and the locations will be chillingly familiar to the inhabitants of Croydon. Local crimes that hit the national headlines, like the Bentley case of 1952, are covered in fresh detail, but the author concentrates on less well-known but equally intriguing, and shocking, episodes - the bizarre 'mustard and cress' murder of 1870, the brutal murder of Eliza Osborne in 1877, the Kenley Stud Farm mystery of 1921, the Birdhurst Rise poisoning of the late 1920s, the notorious unsolved murder of 11-year-old Miles Vallint of 1959.