Dr Jonathan Oates

For much of its history Ealing was a rural village in Middlesex, outside London. Improved communications encouraged first its development as a market garden for the capital and later as an attractive suburb in West London, nicknamed ‘Queen of the Suburbs’. In this book, local historians Dr Jonathan Oates and Paul Howard Lang look back over the centuries to uncover the fascinating history of the district. The new public buildings, churches and chapels played an important role alongside large-scale housing developments from the nineteenth century onwards. Leisure was important in Ealing too. The inhabitants of Ealing included many famous names recorded by blue plaques today but all benefitted from the growth of shopping centres in the area. Not only was it well-known for its open spaces but is also the home of film studios. The stories of Ealing’s places and people bring the history to life, together with illustrations to show where reminders of the area’s past can still be found.Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Ealing has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the district.

The murder of Emily Beilby Kaye in 1924 was a crime of shocking brutality. Her body, having been dismembered, was found scattered, and her killer’s capture and subsequent trial unraveled under the glare of public scrutiny. Despite its notoriety at the time and its role in shaping modern forensic investigation, this case has been largely overlooked in dedicated true crime accounts. This book investigates the infamous ‘Second Crumbles Murder’ with fresh eyes, drawing on archival material, trial transcripts, memoirs of investigators, and contemporary press reports. It explores the intense human drama, involving an apparently charming male protagonist, along with the gruesome details that captivated the nation, and the forensic breakthroughs – including the introduction of the ‘Murder Bag’ – that left a lasting legacy. For true crime enthusiasts and history buffs alike, this is the definitive account of a crime that shocked 1920s Britain and continues to fascinate today.

Reviled by his contemporaries and historians alike, ''the monstrous Titus Oates'' masterminded the fabricated Popish Plot of 1678–1681, a conspiracy that led to the wrongful execution of 27 Catholics. His story is one of staggering ambition, lies, and betrayal. Yet Oates’ life also opens a window into an age of religious tension, political intrigue, and moral complexity. Was he truly ''the vilest liar in the world,'' or has his story been shaped by the biases of his tim? rawing on a wealth of contemporary sources, from state papers to private letters and trial records, Jonathan Oates untangles fact from fiction, uncovering the truth about Oates’ character, his actions, and his legacy. By exploring his life in its full context, the author reveals a fascinating portrait of a man who played a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of Britain.The Catholic Conspiracy to Kill King Charles II is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the turbulent world of Restoration England, and the shadow cast by one of its most controversial figures.

Did you know that many of Agatha Christie’s best-selling detective stories have their basis in reality?‘Who killed Charles Bravo and why?’ asks retired Superintendent Spence in Elephants Can Remember. He refers to an unsolved Victorian murder mystery, one of many allusions to real life crime and criminals in Agatha Christie’s fiction. The infamous Dr Crippen, Jack the Ripper, John George Haigh, and many other real killers, fraudsters and spies, figure prominently in her plots, both explicitly and implicitly.Many of these cases belong to British criminal history, others originate from the USA and France. They cover a time frame from the eighteenth century to the 1960s, showing that Agatha Christie was not only an inspired writer of fiction but had a knowledge of true crime as well. There are even instances where she seems to have anticipated real life crimes, as in the case of the infamous poisoner Graham Young.This book explains the reality of these criminals and their crimes - some of which are well known, others largely forgotten - and how they are utilised in Agatha Christie’s stories.Armed with this book, fans of the author’s work will be able to gain new insights when reading her books either for the first time or on a repeat reading.