John Eddleston, the author, has spent many a happy holiday on the beautiful Isle of Man. As a child, his family often made the sea crossing from Liverpool and he has vivid memories of the delight as the dim mountains made their first appearance as the ship drew close to the island. John always believed that the island was an idyllic place, perhaps slightly of a different more peaceful time but his researches into the darker side of Manx life have led him to note that certain types of crime seem to be on the increase. It must be remembered that murder used to be a very rare event indeed on Man but this seems to have changed. John admits that he was shocked to discover just how many cases of murder and manslaughter there had been over the last thirty years or so. It is perhaps only by exploring these stories that one can learn how to prevent them recurring, and it is John's fervent hope that cataloguing these cases will, in some small way, lead to a return to the green, sylvan, peaceful Man that he knew as a child.