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The Ghosts of Walter Crockett
by W. Edward CrockettPortland-native Ed Crockett’s memoir, The Ghosts of Walter Crockett, captures the joy of youth, love of family, and a quest for redemption as they play out against a backdrop of poverty, uncertainty, and the ever-present specter of an alcoholic and homeless father whose flaws, choices, and fate haunt a young man and tear at his confidence. With love, compassion, and the clarity of time, Crockett writes with unflinching honesty about his life, his siblings, his neighborhood, the eccentric wisdom of his mother, and daily life in a working-class Maine city before it emerged as one of the trendiest spots in America.
Bald Eagles, Bear Cubs, and Hermit Bill: Memories of a Maine Wildlife Biologist
by Ron JosephIn Bald Eagles, Bear Cubs and Hermit Bill, wildlife biologist Ron Joseph recounts his youth in central Maine, the importance of his family's dairy farm, and his adventures in the field over the course of a career that spanned more than three decades. A gifted storyteller, he also introduces readers to other like-minded people and fascinating characters who have worked in some way to preserve the natural beauty of Maine. Joseph's forty stories are told with the compassion and appreciation of a man who truly loves Maine, its people, and its many wonders. The book includes an introduction by Paul Doiron, author of the Mike Bowditch series of Maine crime novels and former editor-in-chief of Down East magazine.
Moon in Full: A Modern-Day Coming-of-Age Story
by Marpheen ChannMoon in Full, a contemporary coming-of-age story, shines light on one young man’s search for truth and compassion in a complicated era as it unwinds the deep-seated challenges we all face finding our authentic voice and true identities. Author Marpheen Chann’s heart-warming journey weaves through housing projects and foster homes; into houses of worship and across college campuses; and playing out in working-class Maine where he struggles to find his place. Adopted into in a majority white community, Chann must reconcile his fears and secret longings as a young gay man with the devoutly religious beliefs of his new family. Chann, a second-generation Asian American, recounts what he has learned, what he has lost, and what he has found during his evolution from a hungry refugee’s son to religious youth to advocate for acceptance and equality.
Farmhouse on the Edge of Town: Stories from a Bed & Breakfast in the Mountains of Western Maine
by Lew-Ellyn HughesLew-Ellyn Hughes dreams of leaving city life and finding a place where she can see her beloved Maine wilderness from her window each morning. Her dreams finally come true when she finds a nineteenth-century farmhouse for sale in Stratton, an idyllic town nestled in between lakes and mountains. She decides to turn it into Diamond Corner, a cozy, five-room bed-and-breakfast, sharing her love of Maine with visitors from all over the world. Farmhouse on the Edge of Town is a collection of heartwarming and humorous stories from fifteen years of owning the bed-and-breakfast that features a cast of hardy Mainers, colorful guests, and lovable family, as Lew-Ellyn juggles their wants and needs with her trademark humor and insight. From opening up a bakery in her kitchen to painting her house to shoveling snow, her stories will delight anyone who’s ever spent time in a small town.
Comfort is an Old Barn: Stories from the Heart of Maine
by Amy CalderAmy Calder is an award-winning newspaper reporter and columnist, covering city government and everything from murders and car crashes to fires and drug busts. Her 34-year career started at the Waterville Sentinel bureau in Skowhegan, where she served as bureau chief for several years and chased stories from Jackman to Fairfield and Farmington to Newport. Since 2009, Calder has written a weekly human interest column, “Reporting Aside,” which appears in both the Sentinel and the Kennebec Journal. Comfort is an Old Barn is a curated collection of those columns, which include sketches of the colorful characters, quirky animals she has encountered, and special moments, as well as personal stories that make living in Maine special.
Mountain Girl: From Barefoot to Boardroom
by Marilyn Moss RockefellerFrom growing up in the mountains of West Virginia to running iconic Moss Tents on the coast of Maine, Marilyn Moss Rockefeller’s life has been one long adventure. Her childhood may read like a sad country song, but heartbreak and pain only fueled her determination to grab the world by the harness and ride with a dynamic combination of guts, luck, charm, and intellect. Mountain Girl is an inspiring and poignant story that shows how grit and soul can take a person from barefoot in Appalachia to the boardrooms of industry without losing that special something or selling out. In her own words, Rockefeller writes about a fascinating life that has been “well-lived and a hoot to boot.”
And Poison Fell from the Sky: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Survival in Maine's Cancer Valley
by MarieThérèse MartinMarieThérèse "Terry" Martin grew up grateful for the paper mill that dominated the economy of her small Maine town, providing jobs for hundreds of local workers. But years later, while working as a nurse, she and her physician husband "Doc" Martin came to fear that the area's sky-high cancer rates were caused by the smoke and chemicals that relentlessly billowed from the mill’s stacks. Together, they sounded an alarm no one wanted to hear and began a long, and often bitter, fight to expose the devil's bargain their hometown had struck with the mill. Through it all, Terry waged a more private battle. This one against domestic abuse, as she tried to reconcile the duality of her husband's personality—the fearless crusader for good in public versus the controlling, verbally abusive partner behind closed doors.
A Full Net: Fishing Stories from Maine and Beyond
by Susan DaignaultSusan “Sue” Daignault was practically born with a rod and reel in her hand. Nearly from her birth, she and her family spent entire summers surfcasting for striped bass along the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. That love has followed her through her days in the Coast Guard and to her home on the coast of Maine and to some of the most beautiful, and fishy, places in the world. In her fun and fascinating new book, A Full Net, Sue shares with readers how she became “fish-brained,” and a woman increasingly driven to pursue everything from bonefish and tarpon to bass and, of course, stripers—wherever and whenever she could. What shines through all of her stories of success, failure, and friendship is a love for the waters of the world and the respect and admiration for the fish who call them home.
Tributaries: Essays from Woods and Waters
by Ryan BrodTributaries is a collection of contemporary outdoor essays exploring the line between passion and obsession. Written through the lens of a late-30-something, the book explores complex, evolving relationships between fathers and sons; between fishing buddies; between anglers and guides; and between outdoorspeople and the landscapes they cherish. From the pine-encroached rivers of Maine’s Aroostook County, to the turquoise flats of Florida Bay, author Ryan Brod draws unexpected parallels between places, while introducing unforgettable characters determined to follow their outdoor passions no matter the cost. Rendered in vivid detail, Tributaries examines tensions between presence and memory, illuminating fleeting yet transcendent moments.
We're Going Home: A True Story of Life and Death
by Cynthia ThayerThey were an unlikely pair: a “fast and frantic” woman and a steady, “pickin’ at it” man. And even though both had been raised in cities and knew nothing about farming, Bill and Cynthia Thayer moved to Maine, started an organic farm, and made it work for more than forty years. Then a mysterious disaster strikes and Bill is found lying in the road. In We’re Going Home, Cynthia relates the aftermath of the accident, interspersed with recollections of her life with her beloved “Farmer Bill,” from their first meeting to their final goodbye—and her life beyond.
Tastes Like War: A Memoir
by Grace M. ChoGrace M. Cho grew up as the daughter of a white American merchant marine and the Korean bar hostess he met abroad. They were one of few immigrants in a xenophobic small town during the Cold War, where identity was politicized by everyday details—language, cultural references, memories, and food. When Grace was fifteen, her dynamic mother experienced the onset of schizophrenia, a condition that would continue and evolve for the rest of her life. <P><P> Part food memoir, part sociological investigation, Tastes Like War is a hybrid text about a daughter’s search through intimate and global history for the roots of her mother’s schizophrenia. In her mother’s final years, Grace learned to cook dishes from her parent’s childhood in order to invite the past into the present, and to hold space for her mother’s multiple voices at the table. And through careful listening over these shared meals, Grace discovered not only the things that broke the brilliant, complicated woman who raised her—but also the things that kept her alive.
First Degree Rage: The True Story of 'The Assassin,' An Obsession, and Murder (The "Rage" True Crime Series)
by Paula MayA North Carolina Sheriff&’s Detective recounts a shocking case of domestic deception and brutal murder in this true crime chronicle. In 1993, single mom Kay Weden endured a series of senseless attacks on her family. Her son was nearly killed by a shot fired through their house. Then her elderly mother was murdered by an unknown intruder. Beyond this, Kay&’s new boyfriend, Viktor Gunnarsson, had just disappeared without warning. The handsome Swede was in the U.S. seeking political asylum after being charged with the 1986 assassination of Sweden&’s Prime Minister. With nowhere else to turn, Kay reconnected with her ex-fiancé L.C. Underwood, a police officer adept at criminal investigations. L.C. assured Kay he would get to the bottom of her terrible nightmare. But then Viktor&’s nude body was found two hours away in the Appalachian Mountains. When local Sheriff&’s Detective Paula May started investigating, she began to unravel a hair-raising case of stalking, assault, and murder.
The Son of Seven Mothers: A True Story by a 'Cult Survivor'
by Benjamin RishaA man shares his story of growing up in a late 20th-century American cult—and how he escaped—in this gripping autobiography. As the adopted son of two cult leaders, Benjamin Risha was raised to someday assume a place of leadership in the Alamo Christian Foundation, with the Bible, and his parents&’ interpretations of it, as his guide. He believed the prophecies of his adoptive mother and father, Tony and Susan Alamo, including them being the two prophets foretold in the Book of Revelations who precede the second coming of Jesus Christ, them rising from the dead after they died, and such dire warnings as the ground opening up to swallow non-believers into hell. And he was sure that Susan Alamo could raise the dead as promised. However, when none of it happened, and the foundation slid from bucolic communal lifestyle to insufferable criminality that included absolute obedience to the Alamos, and polygamous marriages with girls as young as eight years old, Benjamin knew he had to escape. If he were caught trying to escape, he would be severely beaten, forced to go without food and water for his sins, and shamed in the community. So, he embarked on a journey to locate his birth parents, discover the truth about a world he knew nothing about . . . and find himself. In The Son of Seven Mothers, Benjamin Risha takes readers on a harrowing journey that few in the United States can imagine. And eventually he must choose between the life he knows and was &“chosen&” to lead, and his freedom.
'Til Death Do Us . . .': A True Crime Story of Bigamy and Murder
by Patrick GallagherThe riveting true story of serial wife and husband killer Gladys Lincoln, written by the grandson of her lead defense attorney. Includes love letters from the victim to the defendant hidden over seventy years! In August 1945, Gladys Lincoln of Sacramento contacted prosperous Dr. W. D. Broadhurst of Caldwell, Idaho, and rekindled a romance from twenty years earlier. After many passionate letter exchanges and several sexually-charged meetings, they were married in Reno, Nevada on May 20, 1946. After a passion-filled three-day weekend together, the doctor returned to his home in Idaho, and Gladys returned to Sacramento . . . and to her husband, Leslie Lincoln! But Gladys was much more than a bigamist. Gladys needed something even she didn&’t understand. She married her first husband when she was twenty, and her second husband only fourteen months later. The second marriage lasted only two years, the third less than sixteen months. Leslie Lincoln was her fifth, and Dr. Broadhurst became her sixth. But what desperate need drove her to go from marriage to marriage? And what dark mindset moved her and her young cowboy chauffeur to commit murder? Find out in &’Til Death Do Us . . . the gripping true crime from WildBlue Press author Patrick Gallagher, whose grandfather was Gladys&’ lead defense attorney during her sensational trial.
To Kill or Be Killed: A True Crime Memoir From Prison
by Joni AnkersonA convicted murderer tells the story of the years of domestic abuse she endured that drove her to kill her police sergeant husband. The day we met in October of 1997, I was working at the District Court in Traverse City, Michigan as a Deputy Clerk. It was like most other days with arraignments, sentencings, civil case hearings and the like. People shuffling in and out, everyone taking care of their important business with court appearances, document filings, paying tickets, fines and bonding loved ones out of jail. I loved my job. It was extremely satisfying and interesting with constant interaction with all walks of life, including people on either end of the judicial spectrum and many in between. Suddenly, there he was. Tall, handsome, and looking so impressive and important in his Michigan State Police uniform with his hat, gun belt and badge. A powerful man who had chosen a profession to serve and protect. He was extremely friendly and upbeat, smiling profusely. Best of all, he, too, was unattached. What could go wrong? He was like a dream man. We clicked, immediately, and began dating exclusively. But he was not a dream man. He was a nightmare . . . as I learned over the next twelve years. Twelve years of enduring domestic violence at its absolute worst. Constant abuse, control, manipulation, and threats. Sadistic sexual deviance and sexual violence. It was only going to end one way: someone would die in our bed and someone would go to prison for murder. This is my story about domestic violence, resilience, reckoning and survival.
From the Mob to the Movies: How I Escaped the Mafia and Landed In Hollywood
by Richie SalernoThe veteran character actor recounts the epic adventure of his life from the NYC mob and prison life to making movies with Hollywood legends. You might know him as the character Tony Darvo in the movie Midnight Run, but before he played tough guys in the movies, Richie Salerno was born into the real-world Brooklyn Mafia. Some of New York&’s most notorious gangsters were his uncles, aunts, cousins, and family friends. For a time, it looked like he was heading for a life in the family business. During a stint in prison for theft, Richie managed to turn his life around. Using the tailoring skills he learned from his father and butchering abilities he picked up from his father-in-law, he ingratiated himself with the warden and guards, and survived his 120 month sentence without a scratch. After his release, he scored an audition for the Sidney Lumet film Serpico starring Al Pacino. That audition turned into a long career as a character actor in major Hollywood films. In From the Mob to the Movies, Richie recounts his journey from the mean streets of Brooklyn and as a child of the mob to the silver screen.
Stealing Manhattan: The Untold Story of America's Billion Dollar Gem Heist Masterminds
by Burl Barer Punch StanimirovicThe true crime story of a family of altruistic jewel thieves and four decades of daring capers and sweet escapes, including a 1992 New York mega-heist.Punch Stanimirovic insists: “My father, known as Mr. Stan, is the greatest gentleman thief who ever lived—a true genius.”Punch was raised to be an exceptional diamond thief. He could work magic on a safe that would have sent Mandrake the Magician back to the novelty store, and Dr. Strange back to medical school. He and his family risked it all to make the patriarch, Mr. Stan, proud.Punch’s pop culture sensibilities, his father’s proven skills, and his mother’s artistic input merged to create cinema-style capers—elaborately planned and executed, including a spectacular 1992 New York mega-heist of over one billion dollars in diamonds, gold, and precious gems—and they got away with it.Many of the crew members went on to invest in real estate, helping to “build the New York skyline”, while others moved to Europe and became the Pink Panthers.They had one rule: No One Gets Hurt. From daring heists to the ultimate escape, discover the true story of Punch, his extraordinary crew, and his high-society family . . .Edgar Award winner and New York Times–bestselling author Burl Barer brings to light the remarkable story of four decades and two generations of America’s First Family of kind and generous “altruistic outlaws” in Stealing Manhattan: The Untold Story of America’s Billion Dollar Gem Heist Masterminds.Praise for Stealing Manhattan“Barer has that all-important knack for seeking and finding hidden truth. In Stealing Manhattan, those who pulled off this caper were professionals who knew how to keep their mouths shut. And lucky for us, some of these mouths have recently opened to Barer . . . now the world can know the truth. You will not want to miss this “gem” of a book!” —Kevin Sullivan, author of The Bundy Murders: The Yearly Journal
Out of the Mouths of Serial Killers
by Mary BrettLearn why serial killers kill through their own words—including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, the BTK Killer, Aileen Wuornos, and more than 70 others. In this one-of-a-kind book, author Mary Brett corresponded with some of America&’s most evil convicted serial killers and asked just one question: WHY? Their return letters give an insightful look into the dark mind of each killer. The reader also will be able to scrutinize direct quotes, unedited, from interrogation statements, trial testimony, media interviews, and parole hearing inquests Seventy-five serial killers are included in the book, some only known to the unfortunate victims&’ family, friends, and community, while others are the most infamous in the annals of serial killers. All bios feature the crime, the capture, the victims, and background facts. Crime scene photos, some graphic, are featured.
Satin Pumps: The Moonlit Murder That Mesmerized The Nation
by Steve KosareffThe true crime memoir about a 1950s doctor, his girlfriend, the murder of his wife, and the 3 trials that followed, written by one of his former patients.Did the handsome, wealthy doctor and his beautiful young paramour plan to kill his glamorous socialite wife? Or did the gun accidentally discharge as he claimed?Early in the evening on July 18, 1959, Dr. Bernard Finch and his girlfriend, Carole Ann Tregoff, drove from their Las Vegas love-nest to the Finch home in the Los Angeles suburb of West Covina to speak to his wife Barbara about obtaining a speedy divorce in Nevada. But the plan went awry, and the conversation turned deadly with Barbara&’s lifeless body ending up in her in-laws&’ backyard next door.After a high-speed chase with police, Finch was arrested the next morning in Las Vegas and charged with Barbara&’s murder. Then, during his court hearing in West Covina, Carole was arrested on the witness stand and charged as his accomplice. Soon others were named as part of a larger conspiracy. But who were they and what parts did they play in these deadly events?
'The Son of Sam' and Me: The Truth About Why I Wasn't Shot By David Berkowitz
by Brian Whitney Carl DenaroAn alleged victim of the Son of Sam shares his search for the truth about who really tried to kill him in this true crime story.In 1976, a killer who called himself “The Son of Sam” shot and killed a half dozen people and wounded as many more in New York City. During his crime spree, the madman left bizarre letters mocking the police and promising more deaths.After months of terrorizing the city while garnering front-page headlines and international attention, a man named David Berkowitz was arrested. He confessed to the shootings, claiming to be obeying a demon that resided in a dog belonging to his neighbor “Sam.”Among the alleged victims was Carl Denaro. On the night he was shot, Denaro was hanging out with some friends at a bar when he met up with a woman named Rosemary Keenan. The couple left the bar and went to Keenan’s car for some privacy. However, a few minutes later, the windows of the car exploded as Denaro was shot in the head by an unseen assailant. Miraculously, Denaro survived the attack.When Berkowitz was arrested, he was charged with trying to kill Denaro. However, there was a twist. Although he confessed to the other shootings, after his conviction Berkowitz denied attacking Denaro.Now, after years of research, Denaro is convinced that Berkowitz was telling the truth, and that someone else tried to kill him . . .In “The Son of Sam” and Me, author Carl Denaro with co-author Brian Whitney (The “Supreme Gentleman” Killer) reveals his search for the truth and his shocking conclusion regarding the real shooter’s identity. Denaro also discusses his friendship and investigative partnership with Maury Terry, the author of The Ultimate Evil, which is considered the definitive case study on the theory that Berkowitz did not act alone.Includes never-revealed correspondence between Denaro and Berkowitz
The Real Mr. Big: How a Colombian Refugee Became the United Kingdom’s Most Notorious Cocaine Kingpin
by Ron Chepesiuk Jesus Ruiz-HenaoThis true crime memoir is both a &“high-speed train trip through the modern cocaine trade&” and a story of reform, redemption and family (Gerald Posner, and author of Pharma). Born in 1960, Jesus Ruiz Henao wanted to be rich like the drug dealers he saw as he grew up in the cocaine-producing region of Colombia&’s Valle of the Cauca. In 1985, he moved to the quiet London suburb of Hendon, where he and his wife held down mundane cleaning and bus driving jobs. At least to outward appearances . . . While keeping a low profile, Henao built a drug trafficking network reaching from Colombia to England and across Europe. It was a risky business with law enforcement on one side and ruthless competitors on the other. By the summer of 2003, he decided to get out. But then he made the one mistake that would get him caught. It cost him a seventeen-year prison sentence, with more tacked on when he tried to make one last deal from behind prison walls. Co-written by Henao with bestselling author Ron Chepesiuk, The Real Mr. Big is the story of how an ambitious Colombian immigrant became known to law enforcement as &“the Pablo Escobar of British drug trafficking.&”
The 'Peyton Place' Murder: The True Crime Story Behind The Novel That Shocked The Nation
by Renee MallettThis true crime history examines the surprising connection between an infamous small-town murder and the bestselling novel it inspired. Born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, Grace Metalious shocked the nation in 1956 with Peyton Place, her sexually charged debut novel about murder in a small town. It spawned a series of novels, two Hollywood movies, and a long-running television series on ABC. It also made Metalious a pariah in her hometown, where she became tabloid fodder until her untimely death at the age of thirty-nine. Unknown to most readers, the fictional story was inspired by a real crime known as &“The Sheep Pen Murder,&” which took place in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, in the late 1940s. Now historian Renee Mallett skillfully weaves together the lives of Metalious and Barbara Roberts, the confessed killer behind The Sheep Pen Murder. In The &“Peyton Place&” Murder, Mallett explores what happens when true crime and literature meet.
Grilling Dahmer: The Interrogation Of "The Milwaukee Cannibal"
by Patrick Kennedy Robyn MaharajThe Milwaukee detective who interrogated the notorious serial killer shares a vivid chronicle of what was revealed during the weeks-long encounter. In the late hours of July 22, 1991, Detective Patrick &“Pat&” Kennedy of the Milwaukee Police Department was asked to respond to a possible homicide. Little did he know that he would soon be delving into the dark mind of one of America's most notorious serial killers, the &“Milwaukee Cannibal&” Jeffrey Dahmer. As the media clamored for details, Kennedy spent the next six weeks, sixteen hours a day, locked in an interrogation room with Dahmer. There the thirty-one-year-old killer described in lurid detail how he lured several young men to his apartment where he strangled, sexually assaulted, dismembered, and in some cases, cannibalized his victims. In Grilling Dahmer,Kennedy takes readers inside the mind of evil as he patiently, meticulously, listens to unspeakable horrors.
Raging On (The "Rage" True Crime Series)
by Paula MayThe author of First Degree Rage continues the ongoing true crime saga of obsessive jealousy, murder, and revenge in North Carolina. Police Officer L. C. Underwood terrorized his ex-fiancé Kay Weden and her son Jason. Though he evaded justice for a time, Detective Paula May uncovered the truth and saw him convicted for murdering Kay&’s boyfriend, Viktor Gunnarsson. But was Underwood also responsible for the brutal murder of Kay&’s mother, Catherine Miller? Now, despite being sentenced to life in prison plus forty years, Underwood vows to exact revenge on everyone he deems responsible for his arrest. He rages on, plotting his next move, enlisting others to wreak havoc in the lives of Kay, Jason, Detective May, and others. Will they ever find peace? Will Catherine Miller&’s murder ever be solved? Will Underwood&’s reign of terror ever be stopped?
Jane Doe #9: A 'Surviving R. Kelly' Victim Speaks Out
by Lizzette Martinez Keelin MacGregor"Lizzette Martinez&’s story embodies the fire energy that gives light and life to survivors all around her! Survivors need to see strength and perseverance despite opposition, and Lizzette models just that." —Melissa Schuman, actress and singer In January of 1995, 17-year-old Lizzette Martinez met Grammy-winning musician and record producer R. KELLY at Aventura Mall in Florida where he was performing. At first, it seemed that her hopes of becoming a professional singer were about to come true when he offered to help boost her career. However, this mentorship quickly turned into sexual grooming, leading to years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. After struggling to free herself of the relationship and rebuild on her own, Lizzette&’s successful new life, far away from the entertainment industry, was interrupted in 2017 by allegations against R. Kelly by other women. This led her to coming forward to the authorities with her own history of abuse by the music icon. In January 2019, she participated with other survivors in a documentary series with Lifetime called &“Surviving R. Kelly.&” It should have been a healing experience but instead left them feeling abandoned and fearful for their lives. In August 2021, Kelly went on trial in New York on racketeering and sex trafficking charges and was found guilty of all charges. In JANE DOE #9 by Lizzette Martinez and Keelin MacGregor, readers get a no-holds-barred look at Martinez&’s relationship with Kelly, her efforts to break free and pursue her dreams, and courage to take on her abuser and seek justice. "Lizzette has been very courageous and persistent in her battle to make sure that R. Kelly was held accountable. I am honored to represent her." - Gloria Allred, women's rights attorney and National Women's Hall Of Fame inductee"In twenty-one years of reporting on R. Kelly abusing his wealth and fame to prey on so many girls and young women—and it was their bravery in speaking out that finally stopped the worst predator in the history of popular music—Lizzette Martinez has always struck me as one of the strongest and most courageous. I could not admire her more, and I am eager indeed to read her story in her own words. She is an inspiration." –Jim DeRogatis, music critic, journalist, and author of Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly