Born in London, Summer Strevens now lives and writes in Hampshire. Capitalising on a life-long passion for historical research, Summer has embraced writing as a full time occupation. As well as penning feature articles of regional historical interest, her published books include Haunted Yorkshire Dales, York Murder & Crime, The Birth of the Chocolate City: Life in Georgian York, The A-Z of Curiosities of the Yorkshire Dales, Fashionably Fatal and Before They Were Fiction.
"In short, this is a very readable and well-researched account not
only of one woman's life, but also the society she lived in."--
"Your Family History" (4/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)
"Summer Strevens delves deep into the archives for this one - a
fascinating tale of witchcraft and skulduggery in darkest Yorkshire
in the early 19th century. Mary Bateman may have been one of the
earliest serial killers, even though she was only convicted and
found guilty of the one murder, enough to secure her sentence -
hanging. An extraordinary story, brilliantly told."-- "Books
Monthly"
"Summer Strevens has written a well-researched book on the
Yorkshire Witch that is enjoyable to read and not only informs of
the criminal life of Mary Bateman but of the historical era she
operated in. A very informative read which leaves no stone unturned
when exploring Bateman's activities and her character right up to
her very public execution in 1809 and its aftermath."-- "Crime
Traveller"
The great strength of this book is its wealth of social history
that puts Mary's life and actions in context. There are details
about the lives of servants; housing conditions in the growing
industrial centres; the rise in religious fervour and
millenarianism; and the prevalence of superstitious beliefs. These
help the reader understand how Mary's victims saw the world and why
they were duped by her. There are also interesting accounts of
early toxicology; how crimes were prosecuted; the treatment of
female convicts; and public executions.--Kim Fleet "Crime Review"
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