More Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths in Birmingham

Book excerpt: True stories and photos revealing more than a century of murder and mayhem in England’s second-biggest city. Starting with the mysterious murder of Mary Ashford in 1817 and following a trail of blood through the Victorian and Edwardian eras—up to the controversial execution of the young James Farrell in 1949—these true crime stories provide a different kind of history of this city in the English Midlands. Drawn from newspapers and periodicals of the time, these stories reflect the way our attitudes to different crimes and punishments have evolved over the years, yet also explore some things that never seem to change: jealousy, lust, anger, and greed. Discover the facts behind those who have carved themselves a place in local history—usually with a wickedly sharp knife—as well as tales of the vicious thugs whose violent robberies left widows and orphans in their wake, whether in the 1830s or the 1930s.