Doncaster has world-wide fame as a railway town. For many years the name was associated with engineering, transport and of course coal. But there is a darker aspect to its history. The sinister side is explored through the research and writing of an experienced crime historian. Sensational tales have been uncovered concerning a variety of dark deeds, including a cloak-and-dagger meeting in an Elizabethan tavern and the murder of a Civil War leader. Over the years Doncaster and district has been the scene of riots, Suffragette militancy, terrible domestic tragedies, sad suicides and brutal murders. The stories here range from the notorious Baccarat Scandal which shocked Victorian society to a betting-room robbery at the races. The author also reminds us about famous criminals associated with the town, as well as a Prince and a hangman, a notorious fraudster , even a London playboy. Shocking, surprising, at times chilling but true, a new layer of the town's social history is now available for the first time; but not for the feint hearted.Stephen Wade is a professional writer specialising in regional crime. He has written several volumes for Wharncliffe's acclaimed Foul Deeds series. His most recent books include Tracing Your Police Ancestors and Britain's Most Notorious Hangmen. Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors and Cold Cases Revisted, a casebook of DNA forensics in major crime investigations, are forthcoming. He lives near Scunthorpe.