Kent Murder and Mayhem takes the reader on a sinister journey through centuries of local crime and conspiracy, meeting villains of all sorts along the way. Cut-throats and poisoners, murderous lovers, desperate wives and husbands, violent thieves, boy killers, infanticides—almost every type of murder is represented here. Roy Ingleton's fascinating book recalls many grisly events and sad or unsavoury characters whose conduct throws a revealing light on their lives and the society of their day. Among the many instances of violence, wickedness and deceit the author recalls are a 14-year-old boy who killed, a mother who did away with her son, a husband who killed his wife and four children, the poisoning of an old lady, the murder of two wives by drowning, and the case of the last man to be hanged in public at Maidstone. These cases are compelling reading for anyone who is interested in the dark side of human nature.
