Tag Archives: murder mysteries

More about Salem

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My new Will Rees mystery will be coming out next spring. This time, he travels to Salem, Mass and, of course, is embroiled in a mystery.

I went to Salem to research the area.

I mixed real people and characters of my own invention but tried to keep the facts of the sailing industry accurate.

This is a photo of the custom house, but a few years later. During the 17902, the location switched among several buildings.

custom house

This is the India store. I based the store run by my widow on this store.

india store

 

and this is a museum representation of a counting house. Again, I based my description on this.

counting house

I’m sure I will get questions on the tunnels underneath Salem. Although I read about them, I did not see any. I guess it’s time for another road trip!

Salem and the scarlet Letter

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After my research journey to Salem this spring, I decided to reread both The Scarlet Letter and the House of Seven Gables. I read both but a long time ago – because they were on reading lists. Let me tell you, I missed a lot in The Scarlet Letter as a fourteen year old reader. I don’t know yet what I missed in The House Of Seven Gables – I haven’t read it yet. but I’ll be willing to bet I missed most of the important points.

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It was clearly owned by a wealthy family.

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There really is a house of the seven gables. Who knew?

 

 

 

This is one of the ceilings. and there was an attic for the servants and slaves to sleep in.

Puritanism and the witch trials are clearly part of the history – and not just the tourist parts either. We stopped at the Old Burying Point.

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There were a lot of small gravestones for little children. Some families lost five and six kids. Heartbreaking. But one of the most poignant were the large memorials to the people executed during the witch trials. Since they had been found guilty of witchcraft the victims could not be buried in consecrated ground. It is thought the families slipped out at night and found the bodies and gave them a decent burial. But no one knows for sure. And the graves of course cannot be located.

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Each memorial is inscribed with the name and date of execution of one of the nineteen victims. Sobering.

I read The scarlet Letter with an entirely different perspective.

Here’s a fun fact about Hawthorne. He did not want to be associated with the Judge who sent the accused to the gallows ( a direct ancestor) so he added a w to his name.

My garden = rainforest

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It is amazing how well a garden grows without critters. Shelby is doing a good job of keeping everything at bay.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

 

Shelby in pursuit

 

 

My tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and beans are taking over.

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But this is what they look like harvested.

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And I am going to have tons of tomatoes. This is ONE plant.

tomatoes

 

Cucumbers and Las vegas

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cukes

Four of these beauties were waiting for me when I returned home from ALA. I mention that to show the difference in the climates. Las Vegas is in a desert and is unbelievably hot and dry.

I do not like Las vegas, and not just the climate. (as a gardener, the whole desert thing doesn’t work for me). But I also don’t drink, smoke or gamble. the casinos have no windows or clocks since they are trying to encourage people to gamble. Women in skimpy costumes walk around pushing cocktails. And the place smells of smoke. I admit, though, that I am a little more tolerant of the smoking. at least that doesn’t put someone’s family’s financial future in jeopardy.

More than anything, I got the feeling that I had stepped back in time, to the glory days of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

More about Shelby and the groundhog

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Since Shelby’s epic battle with the groundhog, she has been swaggering around the house as though she met and defeated a lion. She had done her job – and has none of the conflicted emotions I am experiencing. She spends as much time as she can outside on guard, either watching the groundhog holes or sitting on the deck keeping an eye on her territory.

I know we have at least one rabbit around. So far he has been both faster and smarter than Shelby. I hope he has the good sense to leave. I don’t think I could take another dead animal.

shelby on guard

The groundhog is no more

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Yesterday the groundhog came out of its burrow while the dog was outside. Shelby immediately took off after the groundhog and cornered it by the fence. After a battle, Shelby killed the groundhog.

Although I really wanted the groundhog to go away, I feel terrible now. I am thankful that I did not witness the fight. My husband did and said it was brutal.

It remains to be seen if we have a colony of if that was the only one.

I find it ironic that I, someone who writes murder mysteries, could be so upset by the death of a pest rodent.

More about the Friendship

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In 1783 The Grand Turk, a merchant vessel not unlike the Friendship, set sail for the East When it returned with a cargo of pepper from Sumatra, Derby (the owner of The Grand Turk) made a profit of 700%.

After that, merchant ships began sailing back and forth to Turkey, India and finally China. Before the War for Independence, Great Britain had a lock on this trade, and they continued to try and maintain their hold. They stopped American vessels, impressed the seamen, blockaded the coast and otherwise made nuisances of themselves. Needless to say, all it really did was inflame passions and set the stage for the War of 1812.

By the time Will Rees visits Salem, it is sixth largest city in the US and the richest. And all that wealth rested on the backs of the sailors.

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Crews quarters. And a sailor didn’t ‘t ‘own’ your bunk either, but took whatever was available. The first mate’s quarters and captain’s quarters were marginally better. At least they had a whole room, not a large one but something to themselves.

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 The captain had windows.

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the hold was designed for cargo but it was put below – where the crew slept – as well.

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Honestly, I felt claustrophobic the first few minutes I was down there.

Radishes and rabbits

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I’ve thinned the radishes three times so far and plenty more to come.

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We should have peas soon – but not broccoli. I had to replant since the groundhog ate the last planting right to the ground. Since Shelby has been outside, though, no sign of the groundhog. Shelby saw a rabbit yesterday and chased it to the other side of the yard. I think she might have caught it if she hadn’t been yelping in excitement.

Shelby and the groundhog

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Hunting the groundhog.

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I don’t think she will ever catch the groundhog but she tries hard, investigating every hole and doing her best to push her 60 pound body inside after him.

 

 

 

 

I must say, last year the groundhog reduced my garden to bare stalks. Since we fenced in the yard and allowed Shelby to run, my garden is untouched.