The reader will take a step back in time and visualize what it was like in the town of Salisbury New York to what it has become today. From the first settlers that followed the Native American trails through the forest and decided to make a home of what would eventually be called Salisbury. It was a booming town for many years and today we strive to preserve its rich history. With over 800 historical photos from railroads & logging, one-room schools & churches, to hotels & taverns, learn about the old iron mine, cheese factories, and numerous other businesses. The many mills along Spruce Creek and covered bridges are just some of the examples of how Salisbury came to be.

Byron Smith moved back to his family home in Little Falls, Minnesota, to care for his elderly mother and enjoy a quiet retirement from the US State Department. On Thanksgiving Day 2012, Byron shot and killed two teens who broke into his home by breaking a bedroom window. It was the sixth burglary in less than six months. Previous burglaries included over fifty thousand dollars in gold, cash, jewelry, and his Vietnam medals. He feared for his life as each burglary became more violent, and the fear that he would be killed by his own guns intensified. With his training in security, he installed cameras and recorders and locked and dead bolted every door and window to his home to prevent entry. Prescription drug bottles were found in the teen’s car from another home they had broken into the night before. Byron was convicted of first-degree murder in April of 2014 after an unusual trial and sentenced to life in prison. Before the trial, he lived with his neighbors, John and Kathy Lange and their fifteen-year-old-son, Dilan. This story is an intimate insight into this family’s friendship and support of Byron while this incident became national news. A Dateline episode, “12 Minutes on Elm Street,” aired in May of 2014, only depicted a small portion of the real story. This book reveals facts that were not allowed in the trial and how the ripple effect of our nation’s drug epidemic caused a US veteran to be imprisoned by his own fear.

Summoned to a rustic cabin during a blizzard, Maine game warden Mike Bowdich embarks on a dangerous investigation involving a notorious drug dealer, a beautiful woman with a dark past, and her troubled young son.