Town Histories

Rebecca McClung, who sat in her house watching everyone in town go by, was once a beauty. But the scene that greeted the coroner early one spring morning in 1901 was far from beautiful. She lay across her bed, blood dripping to the floor, her head bashed in with a wooden club. Her husband, a wealthy old miser, stood dazed nearby, his coat stained with blood. Residents in the small Ohio town said he kept all his money in a barrel in their house and made his wife sit on it whenever he went out. They were a peculiar couple. But was he a murderer? Isabel Miller, the undertaker’s daughter, ...

1918. The Great War is over, and Clara Carter has boarded a train bound for Cornwall - to meet a family that would once have been hers. But they must never discover her secret... 2020. Caroline has spent years trying to uncover the lies buried in her family history. And once she arrives in Cornwall, the truth finally seems to be in reach. Except with storm clouds gathering on the horizon, Caroline soon learns that some secrets are best left hidden....

Being a student at Americus High School was the worst experience of Greg Wittkamper's life. Greg came from a nearby Christian commune, Koinonia, whose members devoutly and publicly supported racial equality. When he refused to insult and attack his school's first black students in 1964, Greg was mistreated as badly as they were: harassed and bullied and beaten.

Even before Jack the Ripper haunted its streets for prey, London's East End had earned a reputation for immorality, filth, and vice. John Bennett, a writer and tour guide who has walked and researched the area for more than 30 years, delves into four centuries of history to chronicle the crimes, their perpetrators, and the circumstances that made the East End an ideal breeding ground for illegal activity.

John Henry Cole is an operative of Ike Kelly's Detective Agency, based out of Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory. Returning to Cheyenne from what had been a deadly assignment in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, Cole has decided that he has no alternative but to resign from the agency and pursue a different line of work. However, in Cheyenne, Cole learns that Ike Kelly has been murdered and his body burned in a fire that destroyed both the agency office and the shop next door.

When a centuries-old windmill in Seabreeze is set for restoration, a shocking discovery inside its walls uncovers hidden chambers, coded journals, and a Revolutionary War-era secret. Charlotte Greenfield and Luke Harrison race to unravel the truth behind a forgotten network of spies, but someone is determined to keep the past buried forever. With history whispering its secrets and danger closing in, Charlotte must solve the mystery—before the winds of the past turn deadly.

CAPE TOWN’S POPULAR high-end night spots attract an array of clientele, from young partygoers to politicians, models to moguls. In parallel with this is a sleazy underworld where control of the lucrative nightclub-security scene is the ultimate prize, for which some are prepared to pay using extortion and murder as the main currencies. South Africa’s private-security sector is massive, an informal police force increasingly relied on as confidence in traditional policing wanes. But it’s an industry tainted by ties to underworld figures and events.

Charlotte Greenfield never expected an old chest to hold a treasure map and a chilling warning. With retired detective Luke Harrison, she uncovers forgotten clues hidden in estates and coastal caves. But rival factions are closing in, and the truth may cost more than she’s ready to give. With danger at every turn and Whiskers, the curious cat, by her side, Charlotte must protect history’s greatest secret. Some treasures are more than gold—they’re legacies worth saving.

Does any other single word in any language invoke so much passion, and angst, enthusiasm, and sadness, as do those 10 letters? But what is Gettysburg, exactly? I am almost embarrassed to say I discovered the answer to that question - or at least approached an answer - only late in life. Of course, Gettysburg is a small charming city nestled in south-central Pennsylvania, but in so many ways it beggars description. For about half the year its streets are mainly empty, its businesses quiet, the weather cold and blustery.

When Juniper returns home for Christmas, will the magic of the season turn what starts as a fling into something more? Coming home for Christmas wasn’t part of my plan, especially not after my ex, Troy, dumped me like a hot potato for another woman. But my mom’s guilt trips are as relentless as ever, and with no flights available, I find myself on a twelve-hour drive back to the small town I left behind. Just as I’m about to reach town, my car gives up the ghost, leaving me stranded with a snowstorm approaching and no cell service. That’s when he shows up. Mason Knight. The high ...

Wondering how British place-names came into existence? Discover the meanings behind the names of England's towns and villages from the author of the bestselling ‘What’s in your Surname?’ After spending decades researching and writing about the history of names, William Lewis turns his attention to English place-names, offering a comprehensive guide to the fascinating origins of such names as Birdoswald, Jodrell Bank, California (Norfolk), Westward Ho! and Giggleswick - and many, many more. In this engaging and entertaining volume, you will discover: • the origins of place-names from...

Something swooped down and killed him. Slit his throat, leaving deep claw marks. A second man is struck down the same way. Witnesses claim a dragon slew the man. Detective Dee does not believe in dragons. He takes the case and finds himself in pursuit of a mythological beast that can't possibly exist. But just might! Another exciting tale of mystery, intrigue and suspense in the mythology of ancient China, set in the Victorian London of Sherlock Holmes. Get your copy today.

An old house blemished with the putrid stench of past shame, an historic murder that was never satisfactorily solved, and a truth that is determined to show itself. Rob and his wife Julie are aware of their new house's unsavory past when they buy the property, but the place is a bargain that's too good to pass up. Located a short distance from the nearest town and in a prime position offering spectacular sea views, it's the perfect place for the couple to care for their foster children. However, it isn't long before the shadow of their new home's terrible past begins to taint their day-to-...

Royalty...it was more than just a word to her. It was her life. But not for long. Marlie loved her family dearly, even when she didn’t like them very much. But their life wasn’t the life she wanted for herself. Maggie had always fulfilled her responsibilities, she’d always done exactly as she was expected to...she knew no other way. Until now...until after reading a letter from her father suggesting she visit her niece and learn how to do as she pleased every once in a while, including the joy of eating pizza at her slightest whim. The last thing Maggie expected when she showed up at ...

“Soul Skin’ can best be described as bliss in literary form—it is a mind-bending, sweeping story of impossible journeys made so believable by Jan’s incredible literary talent.” - New York Book Pundit Reader's Favorite Book Award and Bookworks Book of the Week Award "Soul Skin Woman have you had enough?" is an exceptional, inspiring book with an important message and deep meaning." - NY Literary Magazine Woman have you had enough? An inspiring tale of hardship, wisdom and discovery, Soul Skin is a celebration of those of us who do not fit into ‘normal’. Deeply moving, Soul Skin...

In the early 1800s, long before it officially became a town, Centralia, Pennsylvania was rich with anthracite coal—the hardest and most energy-dense form of coal. This resource was a catalyst for industrial growth during America’s expansion. Coal wasn’t just a fuel; it was an essential element that sparked the Industrial Revolution, and Centralia became a thriving mining town. On May 7, 1962, in preparation for a Memorial Day celebration, the disaster began. Now, even decades afterward, the town of Centralia exists on a liminal threshold—neither entirely gone nor fully alive.

Before the Reckoning, there was the Rising. In the wake of the Civil War, the prairie town of Coldwater, Kansas is still finding its shape—restless, divided, and perched on the edge of change. For Will Mertens, a quiet German immigrant carving a life from the unforgiving soil, the war never reached his doorstep—but its consequences are everywhere. When Mary Harper, the defiant daughter of a local matriarch, falls into his life, their union will challenge every unspoken rule of Coldwater’s rigid social order. As the years pass, Will and Mary build something rare: a family, a farm, a ...

Throughout Teller County, history lovers can find abandoned towns and forgotten main streets that once bustled with life and commerce. Even before Teller was carved from surrounding counties, the scenic mountains and lucrative mines of the gold rush era brought thousands of settlers and attracted resort owners and tycoons eager to exploit the rich setting. Seemingly overnight, towns in the Cripple Creek District and other places popped up, flush with gold and people looking for opportunity. As the ore disappeared, the miners moved on in search of the next big lode.

Inspired by a true story. In 1825, in a remote Irish valley lying between the mountains and Flesk River of Killarney, three women are brought together by strange and troubling events. Nora Leahy, a widow, has lost her daughter and her husband in the same year and is now burdened with the care of her grandson, Michael. The boy cannot walk or speak, and Nora has kept him hidden from neighbours, who might see in his deformity evidence of supernatural interference.

Hometown Murders & Mysteries Pulaski County Volume 1 is a series of 7 murders and mysteries that occurred in Pulaski County, Kentucky, between the early 1900s to the mid-1950s. The stories include the retelling of the only two electric chair death sentences to be carried out on Pulaski County citizens, a small-town kid getting into big trouble in Queen City, a tragedy at the old Virginia Cinema, an ax murder, a poisoning, and a story involving Lake Cumberland when it was first established.