The History Press were kind enough to send me A Grim Almanac of Georgian London by Graham Jackson and Cate Ludlow.  Cate's obsession with the darker side of history is evident in the large collection of horrific crimes and painful deaths she and Graham have put together in this excellent book.

Some of these tales were familiar, but there are plenty of new ones and I found myself reaching for a notebook and pen as I went along.  The book is well-produced and illustrated with rare images from the authors' collections.  This is not cosy reading, and the tales of domestic violence, infanticide, beatings, drownings and gory unsolved mysteries means it's best tackled piecemeal, but that is also one of the best things about it.  The authors have also put each case in context, and brought the characters to life as far as the details of the cases allow.  Because it's an almanac, sources are cited only rarely, so it's a 'reading book' not a reference book, but none the worse for that.

From the man who cut out his wife's tongue for 'telling lies' about him to children falling under wagons to pub brawls, the pace is relentless and reflects the authors' enthusiasm for their subject.  I was going to write more about this book, but there really isn't any need to: it's fun (really!), fascinating, and will tell even the most ardent Georgian London enthusiast something new.  I loved it.