Joe McHugh, an accomplished storyteller and old-time fiddler, has put down his bow and picked up the pen to entertain us with a collection of supernatural tales about violins and fiddlers. A hotel haunted at midnight by the eerie sound of a fiddle, a dancing skeleton and a pirate’s buried treasure, a romantic rivalry between sisters that leads to foul murder, an ill-advised bargain with the Devil during the rough and tumble days of the California Gold Rush, these are just a few of the unexpected delights to be found within these pages. Each is an original tale, inspired by ancient myths and folk beliefs, and told with reverence for this most mysterious and seductive of all musical instruments—the violin.

The Phantom Crusader: A skeleton figure gleamed beneath the ancient armour. The Room that Never Was: The door had been there the night before ... and now there was nothing. The Tunnel: Faint and far beneath them, they could hear the unmistakable sounds... Stranger in the Skill: There was someone at the door, someone strangely, frighteningly familiar. The Stockman: Psychic justice ... strange but sure ... Footprints in the Sand: There was nothing but wilderness for a thousand square miles. What had made the prints?

Ghosts and legends of the First State—from haunted houses and historic sites to chilling stories of demon dogs and the Bad Weather Witch. Delaware’s long history has created many ghostly echoes in the present day, places where the souls of the dead have not yet found rest. Experience the eerie legend of Fiddler’s Bridge, meet the ghosts in the Governor’s Mansion and learn the truth behind the Selbyville Swamp Monster. Discover many more terrifying tales that will chill your bones. These are the stories of the most frightening phantoms that lurk in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties—read them if you dare. Delaware native and paranormal historian Josh Hitchens takes a spooky road trip through the First State.