The name 'Somerset' usually conjures up visions of green hills, picturesque harbours and sleepy villages with thatched cottages and quaint pubs – but this is only part of the story.

- What about the slaughter on Sedgemoor in July 1685, or its terrible aftermath, the infamous Bloody Assizes?

- What dark deeds took place on the coast during the heyday of the smugglers?

- Who was the curate who ended up in a cauldron, or the abbot who was hanged, drawn and quartered?

- Why were there riots at Radstock in 1830?

The answers to these and many other morbid questions can be found in this book, as we take a look into the darker corners of Somerset's history, and meet the unusual people who shaped the history of this popular county in unexpected (and sometimes horrifying) ways.