The violent history of twelve of historic Essex County's most infamous murderers, spanning more than 300 years. Includes illustrations!

From South-End-on-Sea to Epping Forest, the English county of Essex offers many delights, and many settings for murder. Reaching back to the Early Middle Ages, this coastal corner of England has been home to some of the most infamous killers in the history of the United Kingdom. This chilling volume exploring the lives and crimes of twelve of the county's worst offenders.

From the legendary Dick Turpin, England's most notorious highwayman, to the twentieth-century killings of Pamela Coventry and Josephine Backshall, criminal historian Paul Donnelly uncovers a terrifying legacy that spans from the seventeenth century to the 1970s. Vividly reconstructing people, places, events, and investigations, Donnelly delves into such vicious crimes as the Moat Farm murder of Saffron Walden and the career of England's longest-serving hangman, William Calcraft.