This book is perfect for fans of true crime, whether they be from the Birmingham area or not. Of course, those from the West Midlands will benefit more from its regular mention of places the reader will likely recognise, but it is by no means necessary for enjoyment. I recommend this to everyone. A highly enjoyable, well-researched, well-written piece of work.

Parkaman, True Crime Magazine

A gripping exploration of the darker sides of Birmingham and the Black Country in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, as seen through 27 notorious murders which were carried out between 1817 and 1948, almost all of which culminated in the death penalty, with the final case marking the last execution carried out at Winson Green Prison. Each are described in sometimes as little as five pages, yet despite these seemingly narrow constraints, Nick Billingham vividly sets the scene and carefully describes all the known facts about each case. Helped along by eyewitness accounts, newspaper reports and photographs, this is not just a fascinating study of crime in the Birmingham area, but the circumstantial detail also provides an insight into typical daily life during these times, and so is useful in a wider social history context.

Pegasus Archive, Mark Hickman