Book excerpt: Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Crewe - True Crime BookFoul 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 unsavoury 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.Peter Ollerhead started working at Rolls-Royce, then became a teacher and a second-hand bookseller. He broadcasts regularly on Premier Christian Radio, is secretary of the Crewe Historical Society and chair of the district's Historical Association. He has lived in Crewe for most of his life and has researched deeply into the town's origins and development. In addition to writing many articles for journals, he has published Making Cars at Crewe, a social history of Rolls-Royce in Crewe, and Crewe: A History and Guide. Susan Chambers is a keen student of the history of Cheshire and the Crewe area in particular, and she is the author of Crewe: A History.