MetroWest is known for its rolling farmland, winding rivers and quaint white churches facing green town commons. But looks can be deceiving. Tales from these small towns captured headlines and shocked readers across the state with lurid details of betrayal, cruelty, greed and murder. Nina Danforth, spurred on by love and jealousy, made a midnight call to the home of Andrew Emery in Framingham seeking revenge. The murder of spinster Mabel Page in Weston sent a man to the electric chair, and forty years before Lizzie Borden, the grisly axe murder of a husband and wife sent shock waves through the terrified town of Natick. Authors James L. Parr and Kevin A. Swope reveal the stories behind these crimes and the motives of the desperate criminals who perpetrated them.

James L. Parr lives in Framingham, where he has taught elementary school for more than twenty-five years. He is the author of three poetry collections: My Name Is James and Lost and Found, both published by Damianos Publishing, and Milestones, a collection of poems inspired by Framingham history and published by the Framingham History Center. He is also the author of Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales of Shiretown and coauthor with Kevin A. Swope of Framingham Legends and Lore, both published by The History Press.