George Remus (photo source: Wikipedia)

Two weeks ago, I wrote about a goofy aspect of my experience doing historical research–diving down a research rabbit hole about, of all things, egg beaters!

But of course I do a lot of serious background research for each of my novels.

For THE STILLS (available for pre-order now!), I brought Prohibition and the Volstead Act to the foreground. These topics had been in the background of my first two novels, THE WIDOWS and THE HOLLOWS. However, 1927–the year in which THE STILLS is set–is a fascinating year for Prohibition for many reasons. (Yes, you’ll need to read the novel, due out March 9, 2021, to find out why!)

I also decided it was time to put more focus on a recurring ‘villain’ in my series:

George Vogel, who is based on real-life bootlegging mastermind/gangster George Remus, who operated out of Cincinnati.

I greatly enjoyed reading these books as background:

• “Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition,” by Daniel Okrent.
• “The Ghosts of Eden Park,” by Karen Abbott.
• “The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius,” by Bob Batchelor.

If you’re a history buff, I hope you’ll take a look at these books while awaiting THE STILLS. Of course, you don’t have to have read these nonfiction books for my novel to make sense, but if you want more insight into Prohibition, these offer a fascinating deep dive into the past.

Stay well!

Warmly,