True accounts of crime and conspiracy over the centuries in this English railway town, from highway robberies to modern-day homicides—includes photos.

Foul Deeds Around Crewe takes the reader on a fascinating journey through centuries of local crime and conspiracy, meeting villains of all sorts along the way—casual killers and robbers, murderous husbands and lovers, prostitutes and poisoners. This revealing book recalls many grisly events and sad or unsavory individuals whose conduct throws a harsh light on the history of Crewe and the surrounding countryside.

Among the many acts of wickedness the authors recall are shocking crimes from the recent past—the daughter who poisoned her father, a murder in a stately home, two brothers who conspired to kill their father, a mysterious ritual drowning, and the killing of a policeman. But they also cover in vivid detail the early criminal history of the area—the theft of sheep, cattle, and horses, crop-wrecking, rural assaults, land disputes, poaching, and highway robbery. The ruthless punishments meted out to convicted criminals—public humiliation, imprisonment, the death penalty—are an essential part of the story. This chronicle of Crewe’s hidden history—the history the town would prefer to forget—will be compelling reading for anyone who is interested in the dark side of human nature.