A look at the dark side of life in Bath in centuries past. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime as well as those who want to know more about the history of Bath and the South West of England.

Southern California can be called a sunny place for shady people. Its criminal history is as rich and varied as anywhere. Old West outlaws, serial killers, gangsters and thieves have all robbed, raided, killed and died south of Sacramento. Home to the movie business, Los Angeles has long been a place of bright lights and dark deeds. Major Raymond Lisenba, California's last man to hang, committed murder-by-rattlesnake. Fueled by a half-pint of illegal whiskey, Dallas Egan danced his way to the gallows. Yacht Bandit Lloyd Sampsell cruised California's coast like a latter-day buccaneer, only visiting dry land for another robbery. Joaquin Murieta terrorized the goldfields and Southern California, entering Californian history and folklore in the process. Billy Cook entered popular culture (and San Quentin's gas chamber), inspiring The Doors' Riders on the Storm and classic film The Hitcher. James Rabbit Kendrick's execution inspired friend and fellow-convict Merle Haggard to go straight. Haggard immortalized Kendrick with country classic Sing Me Back Home. Some are well-remembered, others long forgotten, but all have their own place in California's chronicles of crime.

Nineteenth century crime and punishment in Edinburgh.

Nineteenth century crime and punishment in Gloucestershire.

A gruesome look at the crimes and mysteries of Yorkshire.

Northern California has a fascinating criminal history. Some of America's most infamous criminals and outlaws lived and died in the area, including John Paul Chase, partner of Public Enemy Number One, Lester "Baby Face Nelson" Gillis. Others have come from far afield to exploit the opportunities of Californian crime. Englishman Charles Boles, AKA "Black Bart the Poet," was only one of many. With crime, naturally, comes punishment. In 1937, the Folsom Five tried to escape, murdering Warden Clarence Larkin in the process. Instead of escaping Folsom, they entered California's history as the first men to die in its new gas chamber the next year. The legendary Battle of Alcatraz ended in bloodshed and recriminations from prison staff and convicts alike, with accusations that staff needlessly endangered convicts' lives and arranged the wrongful execution of convict Sam Shockley. Northern California may not be as well-known for its crime as Southern California, but it's a fascinating part of the Golden State's history all the same.

New York's criminal history is well documented, but some stories remain neglected. Others are almost entirely forgotten. William Kemmler, the first convict ever to sit in the electric chair, remains a familiar name. So does Chester Gillette, immortalized in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. The incredible tale of "Iron" Mike Malloy is part of New York legend. Others, no less important, are overlooked. Examples include Martha Place, the first woman in the electric chair; "Paper Box Kid," Oreste Shillitoni, who shot his way out of Sing Sing Prison's notorious Death House; Doctor Robert Buchanan, who made an important contribution to forensic science; Carlyle Harris, a household name in the 1890s who rarely draws attention today; and Eddie Lee Mays, New York's 695th (and last) execution. Crime writer Robert Walsh takes you on a journey through a rogues' gallery of some of New York's most notable crimes and criminals. Alongside them are some forgotten felons, whose stories, though less memorialized, are as fascinating as any.