Adventure on Bolivar Peninsula: An Alexandra Payne Mystery is the first in a series of mystery and adventure cookbooks, with an element of history at the core. Alex, an explorer with a keen mind and adventurous spirit, leads her brother and cousin on a grand ocean-going adventure, solving the mystery of the hidden treasure left in the Bolivar Peninsula area by the notorious pirate, Jean Lafitte. Along the way, Alex experiences the joys of living on the Gulf Coast and all that entails: swimming in the warm waters, using freshly caught shrimp, oysters, and fish in her delicious recipes, and getting to know the local characters. The historical tie-in to Jane Long, the Mother of Texas, offers an exciting, inspiring basis for the story.

Bolivar Peninsula, at the entry into Galveston Bay, attracted a colorful parade of characters including pirates, military adventurers, smugglers, settlers and oil drillers. In isolated environs everybody did what they wanted, and for years there was only one sheriff who never arrested a soul except a girl who refused to dance with him. Old-timers add their escapades to the narration.

In this dazzling expeditionary volume, Mark Dion investigates the layered history of the Lone Star State.

The Bolivar Peninsula is a quirky coastal community consisting of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist, and High Island. "The peninsula," as locals call it, is a 27-mile-long barrier formation. Bounded on one side by the Gulf of Mexico and on the other by the Intracoastal Waterway, it is a short ferry ride from Galveston, Texas. The history of the peninsula includes filibusterers, pirates, fierce natives, and headstrong settlers. A spirit of independence survives to this day, providing a continuation of the story of this unique landmass and its people. An unlikely conglomeration of cowboys and farmers, third- and fourth-generation landowners, retired executives and professors, fishermen, shrimpers, and birding enthusiasts comes together with weekenders and tourists to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the Gulf Coast. Its beautiful setting and wild, storied past make the Bolivar Peninsula a fascinating place to explore.