Watertown is a perfect place to raise children, where criminal mischief and scandal are the rare exception to the rule. Discover over a century and a half's worth of exceptions. Travel back to the origins of Watertown, when the house next door might be a brothel and the man on the street might be a serial killer. Hear the tale of poor ninety-five-year-old Mary Kodesch, whose son left her to freeze to death in the barn, and that of the two young boys whose 1890 campaign of arson targeted everything from a church to a box factory. Then press on into the violent history of the Cleveland Street poltergeist house as Jannke delivers a thrilling combination of thoroughly researched fact and inexplicable mystery that will leave the hardiest Watertown residents torn between eagerly turning the next page and nervously looking over their shoulders.

From Little Falls to Frankfort, Herkimer County is no stranger to the seamier side of life. The drowning murder of Grace Brown at Big Moose Lake and the ensuing trial of Chester Gillette was the inspiration for Theodore Dreiser's famous novel An American Tragedy. Medical students from the Fairfield Medical College attempted to rob local graves for cadavers, drawing the ire of local residents, who formed a mob to meet them. Outlaw thieves faced off against New York City detectives in a gun battle at Camp Utica in Old Forge. Hotheaded shootings and Prohibition raids were rampant at the liquor-soaked lumberjack camp of Beaver River Station in Webb. Editors Caryl Hopson and Susan R. Perkins have assembled a collection of narratives that offer a glimpse into the seedy underbelly of Herkimer County's wicked past.

The friendly, relaxed atmosphere of the North Country belies a dark and sordid history: a time when it seemed that every city had its red-light district and every hamlet its brothel. Revisit an enigmatic period fraught with pistol duels and "tramp camps;" hermits on the run, "wild man" sightings and horse thieves. Local author Cheri Farnsworth has carefully researched and compiled the region's most wicked stories here, like the Potsdam man who literally scared his wife to death, the woman who was won in a game of cards, and the little girl who was taken by gypsies, sold for fifty cents, and then traded for a half a dozen chickens.

"An entertaining and well-illustrated anecdotal survey of 'vice' and efforts to control it in mid- and late 19th century Boston" (The Boston Guardian). Victorian Boston was more than just stately brownstones and elite society that graced neighborhoods like Beacon Hill. As the population grew, the city developed a seedy underbelly just below its surface. Illegal saloons, prostitution, and sports gambling challenged the image of the Puritan City. Daughters of the Boston Brahmins posed for nude photographs. The grandson of President John Adams was roped into an elaborate confidence game. Reverend William Downs, a local Baptist pastor, was caught in bed with a married parishioner. Author Robert Wilhelm reveals the sinful history behind Boston's Victorian grandeur. Includes photos! "Amusingly and quaintly illustrated ... about, for example, such lovely late 19th Century activities as prostitution, drinking in illegal saloons, animal fighting, sports gambling, opium dens and daughters of Boston Brahmins posing nude for photos." -New England Diary.

What happened after Mr. Darcy married Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice? Where did Heathcliff go when he disappeared in Wuthering Heights? What social ostracism would Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter have faced in 20th century America? Great novels often leave behind great questions, and sequels seek to answer them. This critical analysis offers fresh insights into the sequels to seven literary classics, including Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, the Bronte sisters' Jane Eyre, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.

While driving home from a long trip, Ev Nau was thinking about some events in his youth and suddenly realized that he knew very little about his own father's youth. As his trip continued, he further discovered that his own grandchildren really didn't know him either. So began his project of recording his memoirs for them. Following his retirement, Ev went through every bit of documentation he could find, from his mother's baby book to reports he had written at work, to recapture as much of his life as possible. Old pictures were the source of many of his memory kick-starts. Each tale seemed to rekindle a new story, and he spent most of his time just chuckling about how clearly it all came back to him. Born during World War II and surviving so many traumatic historical events, Ev shows people his life in perspective to many of these historical events and how they shaped him and his growth. From zany antics, and there are many, to tragic circumstances, way too many, his story graphically shows how this complicated man grew into a well-respected teacher, coach, and mentor for so many others. Whether chasing rabbits in a sports car on a golf course or marching endless miles in a drum and bugle corps or helping a close friend learn of his father's death, Ev has a compelling story to tell. And those tales only scratch the surface! Wait until you read about his Winter Carnival experience!