A riveting new book, Blood on the Blue Ridge: Historic Appalachian True Crime Stories 1808-2004, promises to captivate readers with a collection of true crime tales spanning nearly two centuries in the Appalachian Highlands.
The book opens in 1808 with the story of The Nearly Fatal Footprint. A man is sentenced to hang based entirely on the deathbed testimony of a murdered man. His only hope is a pardon from the governor a week’s ride away.
Chapter Three, The Unconquerable Nancy Franklin, chronicles the life and times of a defiant heroine and Civil War spy who lived through the murder of her first husband, the infamous Shelton Laurel massacre, and the death of three of her sons in a raid on her house in 1864. The authors also dispel the well-traveled myth of the murdered mason.
“You have done a great job with this story (The Unconquerable Nancy Franklin), and it is really nice to see that someone besides myself has cared enough about getting a story right to dig a little deeper,” said Dan Slagle, Swannanoa, NC
“Short of discovering some well-hidden new information (which will probably happen someday for someone), this telling of the story is by far the most accurate produced thus far! I am proud to be a part of this!”
Chapter Eleven, A Deadly Reunion at Runion, tells the story of a brutal murder in 1920 in which a woman’s body was left on her front porch for her children to find the next morning. The investigation involved evidence of a struggle, bloodhounds, and clandestine railway travel.
The remaining 12 chapters recount stories of moonshiners, manhunts, train robberies, a rare book heist at Biltmore House, and a random killer who terrorized South Carolina.
Blood on the Blue Ridge is a must-read for true crime enthusiasts and history buffs alike. Its meticulous research and engaging storytelling shed light on Appalachia’s rich and sometimes dark history, offering a fresh perspective on the region’s past.
Blood on the Blue Ridge Amazon Link
Blood on the Blue Ridge Book Website
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