Dark Valleys collects together more than a century of murders that took
place in and around the valleys of South Wales. These horrific crimes
shocked not only Wales, but also made national headlines. Although
treated with compassion and sensitivity by the Welsh author and crime
historian Gary M. Dobbs, these true stories are often gruesome and
harrowing, with no details spared in chronicling what were truly
terrible events. The reasons behind such violent crime are explored, and
we see the changing attitudes of society to crimes fueled by alcohol,
poverty, passion or, increasingly so in modern times, drug abuse. The
book also highlights the changing procedures of both the police and the
courts in dealing with such crimes. It contains stories of hardship and
incredible poverty, and of ordinary lives suddenly transformed by brutal
and sickening violence.
Many of the killings contained within these pages remain unsolved, such
as the 1862 Tyntyla Farm Murder and the 1993 execution style killings of
Megan and Harry Tooze. The latter case remains one of South Wales' most
infamous unsolved murders.
Along the the way we look at the case of Rhoda Willis, the first woman
to be hanged at Cardiff Prison, and many, many more gruesome but
fascinating cases.
In all cases the author has painstakingly collected together every
available piece of evidence to provide as clear a picture as possible.
Gary Dobbs' carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text
will appeal to anyone interested in the darker side of history.
