Tag Archives: True Crime Podcast

FTA: Murder at the North Pole

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After a string of murders of young women near Fairbanks in the late 1970s and early ’80s, the abductions and murders mysteriously stopped. Troopers didn’t believe the vicious killer had suddenly halted his murder spree, but they feared the predator had moved somewhere else. Unfortunately, at the time, they had no database to track the killer’s movements beyond Alaska. Only the deductive reasoning and hard work of seasoned investigators traced the monster to his new hunting grounds, four thousand miles away.

Sources:

Brennan, Tom. Murder at 40 Below. Chapter 9: “Having trouble with girls.” 2001. Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press.

Capps, Kris. “Bunday never denied he was killer, trooper recalls.” March 17, 1983. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Capps, Kris. “Bunday was suspect in 1980.” March 17, 1983. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Fisher, Susan. “Authorities were awaiting more facts.” March 17, 1983. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Ice Cold Killers. Season 1, episode 5: “North Pole slay ride.”

“Troopers release summary of Thomas Bunday murder case.” April 29, 1983. Fairbanks Pioneer All Alaska Weekly.

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Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin

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Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group!

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Robin Barefield is the author of five Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, Karluk Bones, and Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge. She has also written two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. Sign up to subscribe to her free monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

Subscribe to Robin’s free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join her on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out her books at Author Masterminds

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If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month Robin will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
Behind-the-scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska

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Merchandise! Visit the Store

 

 

Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier Trailer

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Trailer for Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier

Welcome to Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. Listen to tales of true crime and mystery in Alaska.

What evil lay in store for the residents of McCarthy, Alaska, when they gathered to meet their weekly mail plane?

Did infamous serial killer Robert Hansen fly his victims into the wilderness and hunt them just as he had hunted the trophy animals hanging on the walls of his home?

Who slaughtered the Coulthurst family and their crew on the Fishing Vessel Investor and then set fire to the boat?

Who kidnapped the Fandel children?

What horrors awaited the residents of Manley Hot Springs when they visited the boat landing?

Why did a young man in Palmer, Alaska, attack his father and his girlfriend with a machete?

Was the disappearance of the plane carrying Representatives Hale Boggs and Nick Begich an accident or something much more sinister?

Why do so many people step into the Alaska wilderness and disappear?

What is the Alaska Triangle, and is there any evidence that it actually exists?

I invite you to listen to Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier and hear these and many other tales about the dark side of Alaska.

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Read More Alaska Murder and Mystery

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Robin Barefield is the author of five Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, Karluk Bones, and Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge. She has also written two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. Sign up to subscribe to her free monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

Subscribe to Robin’s free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join her on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out her books at Author Masterminds

 

 

Who Murdered Cecil Wells?

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A wealthy, powerful man, a beautiful widow, a scandalous affair, a murder, and a suicide: This true-life crime drama had it all, except for the answer to the question: Who killed Cecil Wells?

Sources

Bartlett, James T. The Alaskan Blonde. 2022. North Haven, CT. Territory Books.

Johnny Warren

Reamer, David. “In 1953, Cecil Wells was a rich and powerful Alaska Businessman. His murder made headlines nationwide.” August 30, 2020. Anchorage Daily News.

“Wells, Cecil M.” Alaskahisitory.org. Anchorage 1910 – 1940. Legends and Legacies. https://www.alaskahistory.org/biographies/wells-cecil-m/

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on this case:

Read The Alaskan Blonde by James Bartlett

Check out The Alaskan Blonde Website

Watch my interview with James Bartlett, the author of The Alaskan Blonde.

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Read More Alaska Murder and Mystery

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Karluk Bones Audiobook Narrated by Beth Chaplin

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Join the Murder and Mystery in the First Frontier Facebook Group!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Robin Barefield is the author of five Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, Karluk Bones, and Massacre at Bear Creek Lodge. She has also written two non-fiction books: Kodiak Island Wildlife and Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier. Sign up to subscribe to her free monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

Subscribe to Robin’s free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join her on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit her website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out her books at Author Masterminds

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If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month Robin will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
Behind-the-scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska

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Merchandise! Visit the Store

 

 

 

 

The Murder of John Hartman and the Fairbanks Four

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:21 — 25.1MB) | Embed

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“You’re trying to fill my brain with things I didn’t do.”

Rabinowitz Courthouse, Fairbanks

At 2:45 am on October 11th, 1997, three friends in Fairbanks were heading home from a bar when they discovered the badly beaten body of 15-year-old John Hartman. Someone had kicked the boy’s head so many times that he was unrecognizable. He died the following evening when his parents agreed to take him off life support.

Sources:

O’Donoghue, Brian. 7-12-2014. Vent attorney alleges ‘prosecutorial misconduct. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Fairbanks Four when Charged

O’Donoghue, Brian. 9-28-2014. The Fairbanks four: The elusive hunt for truth. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Boyce, Rod. 8-30-2015. Keeping the public informed – Inside the decision to publish in a divisive case. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Friedman, Sam. 10-6-2015. ‘Fairbanks Four’ trial begins. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Friedman, Sam 11-10-2015. Attorneys for ‘Fairbanks Four’ wrap up case. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Friedman, Sam. 12-18-2015. The four freed. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Fairbanks Four after Release

Buxton, Matt. 12-30-2015. Fairbanks Four announce fundraiser for their attorney whose husband died in Anchorage plane crash. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Friedman, Sam. 12-18-2016. 1 year out: What’s happened since December 17, 2015, when the Fairbanks Four were released? Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Engman, Eric. 6-14-2017. Arlo Olson, key witness in Fairbanks Four trials, dies in reported jail suicide. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

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If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
· Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska
· Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry. Become a Patron!

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Check out the store: Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier merchandise.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out my books at Author Masterminds

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If you would like to check out one of my novels, visit The Readers and Writers Book Club, where you can read Murder Over Kodiak – Free! While you are there, take a look at some of the other free book serializations by wonderful authors in nearly every genre you can imagine.

Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kidnapping and Murder of Amy Sue Patrick

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:54 — 25.6MB) | Embed

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We can never know another person’s thoughts and motivations. Most killers have a reason to commit murder; whether for revenge, jealously, or money, they understand why they killed their victim. Kyung Yoon, though, said he did not know why he killed Amy Sue Patrick. He claimed he murdered her on the spur of the moment, but some evidence suggests Yoon premeditated the crime. Events in this case took a bizarre twist when the troopers arrested Yoon and hauled him to prison.

Sources

Mathiesen, Peter B. 2015. The Story of Amy Sue Patrick. Tales of the Alaska State Troopers. Skyhorse Publishing. New York, NY.

Doto, Pamela. 9-27-1991. House sitter, 18, disappears. Anchorage Daily News.

Wohlforth, Charles. 10-7-1991. Wasilla woman apparent murder victim. Anchorage Daily News.

10-8-1991. Suspect apparently took his life after confessing. Anchorage Daily News.

10-8-1991. Man held in murder falls sick in jail, dies. Sitka Sentinel.

Enge, Marilee. 10-9-1991. Troopers say Yoon took arsenic. Anchorage Daily News.

10-9-1991. Arsenic Found after murder suspect dies. Sitka Sentinel.

10-12 -1991. Toxicologist tells how arsenic works. Anchorage Daily News.

10-14-1991. FBI probes death of suspect in Anchorage. Sitka Sentinel.

Enge, Marilee. 10-16-1991. Yoon’s letters ask forgiveness. Anchorage Daily News.

10-16-1991. Troopers defend way murder case handled. Sitka Sentinel.

Randall, Gail. 10-19-1991. Troopers call in dogs to search for body. Anchorage Daily News.

10-20-1991. German Dogs to search Alaskan landfill for body. The Seattle Times. Available at: https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive?date=19911020&slug=1311977

Doto, Pamela. 10-26-1991. Search for body on again. Anchorage Daily News.

Doto, Pamela. 10-27-1991. Teen’s Body Found. Anchorage Daily News.

11-15-1991. Murder suspect’s rights not violated, FBI says. Sitka Sentinel.

Randall, Gail. 11-20-1991. Crime lab can’t tell if teen was molested. Anchorage Daily News.

Randall, Gail. 12-4-1991. Yoon killed himself, inquest finds. Anchorage Daily News.

Randall, Gail. 3-22-1992. Why did Kyung Yoon confess? Anchorage Daily News.

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If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
· Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska
· Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry. Become a Patron!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Check out the store: Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier merchandise.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out my books at Author Masterminds

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Recent Book Release

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If you would like to check out one of my novels, visit The Readers and Writers Book Club, where you can read Murder Over Kodiak – Free! While you are there, take a look at some of the other free book serializations by wonderful authors in nearly every genre you can imagine.

Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

 

 

 

A Bloody Anchorage Night

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It took a horrible murder for Alaska to revise its statutes for the criminally insane from some of the most lenient sentencing laws in the country to the strictest laws in the U.S. for the insanity defense.

On the night of May 3, 1982, one veteran Anchorage police officer was quoted as saying, “This has got to be one of the grisliest nights I’ve ever seen.” Within an hour, seven people lost their lives. Three died in the Black Bull bar in the Muldoon section of Anchorage, and the other four were shot in Russian Jack Springs Park in East Anchorage. At first, investigators wondered if the two crime scenes were connected, but they soon learned nothing linked the two horrific events.

Russian Jack Springs Park

 

Russsian Jack

Sources

Ice Cold Killers Season Two, Episode One: Blood Red Sun.

Brennan, Tom. 2001. By Reason of Insanity. Murder at 40 Below. Epicenter Press.

Murderpedia, Charles L. Meach III. Available at https://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/meach-charles.htm

New York Times (1982), New Law on Insanity Plea Stirs Dispute in Alaska. Available at https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/22/us/new-law-on-insanity-plea-stirs-dispute-in-alaska.html

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If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
· Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska
· Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry
Become a Patron!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Check out the store: Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier merchandise.

____________________________________________________________________________

Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska.
Join me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com
Check out my books at Author Masterminds

___________________________________________________________________________

Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

A Deadly Custody Battle

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Muriel Pfeil

Neil Mackay was ruthless in both his personal and business dealings, and associates learned not to cross him. When a car bomb instantly killed his ex-wife, Muriel Pfeil, police knew Mackay had planned her murder, but they could not find enough evidence to charge him with the crime. Muriel’s brother, Bob, believed Mackay murdered his sister, and he fought Mackay for custody over Neil and Muriel’s son. Mackay became enraged and obsessed with Bob Pfeil and plotted how to destroy his nemesis.

Bob Pfeil

 

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I have a special treat for you this week. My friend and fellow author and podcaster, Mary Ann Poll, and I are doing cross-over podcasts. Mary Ann hosts the popular podcast, Real Ghost Chatter, and I am a guest on her podcast this week.

In this episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, I tell you the story about the brutal murder of a woman in downtown Anchorage. Then, on Real Ghost Chatter, Mary Ann and I discuss the ghost of this woman who reportedly haunts the Anchorage café where she once had her travel agency. Mary Ann and I also explore some other Anchorage hauntings.

You can find Real Ghost Chatter with Mary Ann Poll at https://anchor.fm/mary-ann-poll

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Sources

An Angry Man. Cold Crime: Brennan, Tom. 2005. Cold Crime. Epicenter Press. https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Crime-Detectives-Alaskas-Sensational/dp/0974501441/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Cold+Crime%2C+Tom+Brennan&qid=1574108038&s=books&sr=1-1

10-19-1976. Dynamite Expected in Car Bomb Killing. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=17887295&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjMxODI2MDE1LCJpYXQiOjE1ODczNDQzNjEsImV4cCI6MTU4NzQzMDc2MX0.mlirb-0MYcf3fN2U6TKpbTm4O59gtNdcfb0BNvDMFYY

Jenkins, Paul. 11-12-1985. Alleged Contract Shooting Victim Dies. AP Press.
https://apnews.com/31a0160ee34f2987548f678d7358cb99

Turner, Walace. 6-30-1987.Alaskan Murder: Enigma Within an Enigma. New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/30/us/alaskan-murder-enigma-within-an-enigma.html

2-7-1988. Jury Acquits MacKay of Murder. AP Press.
https://apnews.com/3a33ee9d7d1837d298e5930405c7d10d

Mroch, Courtney. 10-27-2019. The Ghost of the Snow City Café. Haunt Jaunts.
https://www.hauntjaunts.net/the-ghost-of-the-snow-city-cafe/

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Would you like to help support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.
Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members.

· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
· Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska
· Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry

Follow the link and join the club now!

Become a Patron!

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Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter.

Join me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com

Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

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I am excited to have my novel, Karluk Bones included in the Battle of the Books. Enter the Battle of the Books, and you could win a  $500 Amazon Gift Card!

Double Murder at a Kodiak Fish Site

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:46 — 20.0MB) | Embed

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During the summer of 1988, I remember the whispers spreading across the island, first about two missing brothers who were fishermen in Uganik Bay, and later, about the mother of those two men discovering their bodies buried in a shallow grave near their fish site. It was the first double homicide in recorded history on Kodiak Island. Uganik Bay, where the murders occurred, is only 30 air miles from where I live, but it’s fifty miles by boat, a world away on Kodiak Island.

Forty-four fishermen died at sea near Kodiak, Alaska in 1988; it is the deadliest fishing year on record. 1988 was also the year fishermen earned $2.40 per pound for sockeye salmon; the highest price ever paid for sockeyes before or since; commercial fishing proved lucrative but dangerous in 1988.
Alaska fishermen know their jobs involve risk. They work on the North Pacific, often in big seas and brutal weather, but no fisherman expects to be murdered by his crewman.

Sources

Sullivan, Toby. 2016. Sea Stories: Missing brothers turn up dead in Uganik. Kodiak Daily Mirror.
http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/community/article_37f0be0c-485a-11e6-a26e-6ba696185b1e.html

Shepard v. State (2/19/93) ap-1283
http://touchngo.com/ap/html/ap-1283.htm

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Would you like to help support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club.

Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members.
· An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members.
· Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness.
· Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska
· Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry
Follow the link and join the club now!
Become a Patron!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter.

Join me on:
Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

LinkedIn

Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com

Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. Sign up to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

I am excited to have my novel, Karluk Bones included in the Battle of the Books. Enter the Battle of the Books, and you could win a win a $500 Amazon Gift Card!