Almost as soon as Halifax was settled by the British in 1749, it became a violent place to live, and in attempts to deal with this, public hangings and floggings were a common occurrence for close to a hundred years. Subject to the British legal system, criminals in Halifax were hanged for crimes that ranged from petty theft to gruesome murders.

From the original gallows tree at the bottom of George Street to hangings in rural communities, citizens were always drawn to a hanging. This book explores many of the Nova Scotian crimes that ended with the noose. Some of those included are the Saladin pirates, one of the bloodiest cases ever brought before a court in Nova Scotia; the hanging of Peter Mailman, who murdered his wife but captivated a reporter; and the trial of William Robinson, who not only murdered his wife but desecrated her body and tried to burn the evidence.

Hangings may have been grisly events, but they drew large crowds, and are a testament to the prevalent interest in the dark side of history. Issues of deterrence, public opinion, and effectiveness down through the years are explored by the author as she traces the crimes and punishment for murders that prevailed from the very first hanging in the province in 1749 to the last hanging in 1937.