Posts by MELISSA COFFMAN
Forgotten Murders from Alaska’s Capital, by Betsy Longenbaugh
Forgotten Murders from Alaska’s Capital, by Betsy Longenbaugh Former Alaska newspaper reporter Betsy Longenbaugh brings to life 10 stories of murder that occurred between 1902 and statehood in 1959. Learn about Alaska’s first serial killer, a Polish Jewish prostitute who met her end in the town of Douglas, and a World War I vet whose…
Read MoreThe Ravenstone Chronicle, by J. Harper Haines
Dreamers of the American Dream
Dreamers of the American Dream, by Stewart H. Holbrook Visionaries, crackpots, fanatics, dreamers, suffragettes, temperance workers, be-sloganned devotees of betterment in marriage, religion, sex, alcohol, labor relations, penal codes & the treatment of mental illness rub shoulders in a book which encompasses the American dream of Utopia, sobriety & the pursuit of happiness. The shouting…
Read MoreWe Live in the Arctic
We Live in the Arctic, by Constance Helmericks In June 1944, Constance Helmericks and her husband, Bud Helmericks, commenced a twenty-six-month trek across northern Alaska. Equipped only with rifles, fishnet, and a few supplies, the young couple paddled their homemade canoe downriver onto the Yukon River. Reaching the Koyukuk drainage, they turned north and pulled…
Read MoreSitting at Their Feet, by Matt Gilbert
Sitting at Their Feet, by Matt Gilbert A Gwich’in Athabascan man’s coming-of-age story in the mountains of northern Alaska, during his people’s shift into the modern world. Starting with his childhood, where he sits at the feet of the last traditional Elders tribe tell old stories. They raise and inspire him, as he enters his…
Read MoreAlaska Heritage Seafood Cookbook, by Ann Chandonnet
Alaska Heritage Seafood Cookbook, by Ann Chandonnet KING CRAB, SALMON, HALIBUT, FLOUNDER, SPOT SHRIMP, CLAMS, STEELHEAD, COD, ARCTIC CHAR, MUSSELS, SQUID, SCALLOPS, ROCKFISH, DOLLY VARDEN . . . . . . any seafood lover knows this incantation usually means Alaska! In The Alaska Heritage Cookbook, author Ann Chandonner gathers recipes for almost 100 species of Northern sea life—freshwater fish,…
Read MoreSuspension of the Rules, by Don Stuart
Suspension of the Rules, by Don Stuart Politically active Yakima Valley dairy farmer, Fortis Henry, is found floating face down in his brand-new livestock waste lagoon. All six of the visitors present at the Henry Dairy on the day of the man’s death had intensely disliked him. All of them had powerful motives to see…
Read MoreGrave Disturbance, by Martha Crites
Grave Disturbance, by Martha Crites It is the rainiest year in memory when a homeless man, and a filmmaker are found murdered on the banks of the Snoqualmie River. Mental Health Evaluator, Grace Vaccaro, determines when a person is a danger to self or others and needs hospitalization. She just assessed the first man and…
Read MoreNotes from Hell, by Rachel Bukey
Notes from Hell, by Rachel Bukey Seattle Times Reporter Ann Dexter’s interview with Franco Albanese, internationally renowned superstar, begins like most interviews but turns into something much more. While Ann leads Franco on a tour of Seattle, she becomes charmed by him even as she scoffs at his notorious reputation. Don Giovanni in art, Don…
Read MoreLeap of Faith, by Rachel Bukey
Leap of Faith, by Rachel Bukey When Seattle Times reporter Ann Dexter investigates the suspicious death of a wealthy widow, she is determined to expose the woman’s relationship with a psychic medium who stands to inherit everything. Ultimately Ann’s search for the truth reveals the killer while challenging her core beliefs about love, life and…
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