The Dark Side of the Dales by Mark Bridgeman

I bought this book whilst on holiday in West Yorkshire as we were visiting some of the places which are mentioned in the book and I thought it would be an interesting read.

The book is a collection of short stories based upon real life events which happened in and around the towns and villages surrounding the Yorkshire Dales. Concentrating on murder and mystery over the past 200 years, these (often) dark tales of true crime lure the reader in.

This book was easy to read but was written in a way that you found yourself saying ‘Just one more chapter’… I was pleased to see that the author included eye witness statements/reports wherever possible, thus adding some credibility to the stories being told. It was also interesting to read how criminal laws have changed over the past 200 years. I didn’t appreciate that defendants were not allowed to take the stand to defend themselves in a court of law in the UK until 1898!

I’d like to have given this book 4.5 stars.

Bewitched by Books Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️