This is the brightest and most cheerful room in the saltbox. Salem and I often sit here and unwind after a long day of writing or conjuring. It's a more formal room but still a comfortable one. On the octagon table, you will find 25 stories to read when you want to kick your shoes off and relax.
Belsnickel - (December 2005) A little boy enjoys his father's bedtime stories about Belsnickel who rewards good children and punishes the bad. The Black Orchid - (April 2006) While entertaining a group of senior citizens, a hypnotist triggers a hidden memory in a wealthy Salem woman. The Case of the Lost Wife - (March 2006) When an unmarried man moves into a new town, his single neighbor becomes interested. But when questions arise concerning the loss of his wife and his business, she becomes concerned. The Castle by the Sea - (November 2005) A boy from Newport, Rhode Island, becomes fascinated by a mysterious artist who painted her Newport mansion black upon the death of her father. Cat-and-Mouse Game - (October 2005) The owner of a mall bookstore feels harassed by a group of teenagers whom she believes murdered a vagrant near the mall dumpster. |
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The Catacombs - (September 2005) An American student studying in Italy gets a job as a tour guide at the Capuchin Catacombs where he meets a beautiful Italian actress. Chateau Reynaud - (December 2005) At the opening of her husband's latest restaurant, a wife is swept back in time to a chateau in occupied France. The Enemy - (September 2005) A wounded Union soldier is nursed back to health by a Southern woman. He soon fears there is a dark motive behind her kindness. A Face in the Crowd - (February 2006) When she sees the same man's face in several different locations, a woman begins to fear that she is being stalked. The Founding Father - (March 2006) Only a descendant of an accused witch can save Puritan Falls from a deadly disease brought on by an old curse. |
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Full-Service Station - (February 2006) Threatened by self-service gas stations with convenience stores, an old-fashioned mechanic resorts to desperate measures to keep his business afloat. Gas, Food and Lodging - (April 2006) A man traveling through rural Maine stops for gas and food. He discovers dead bodies and a terrified young girl. Good Cop, Bad Cop - (February 2006) Two cops, who differ in their methods and outlooks on law enforcement, wait in an abandoned building for a suspect to appear. The Handprint - (December 2005) A coal miner accused of a murder he didn't commit leaves tangible proof of his innocence: a handprint on the prison wall. In the Cards - (March 2006) A female detective investigates a string of murders where the killer leaves behind a calling card in the form of a tarot card. |
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Into the Mist - (October 2005) A Hollywood screenwriter returns home to New England for the holidays and gets the idea of writing a movie about an accused witch who vanished from the gallows. The Intruder - (March 2006) A new mother is convinced there is an intruder in her house, but her husband and her doctor attribute her fears to post-partum depression. The Marionettes - (October 2005) When a woodcarver makes a marionette for his partner's daughter, he begins a chain of events that ends in death. Paparazzi - (January 2006) When a writer marries a rock and roll star, she can't handle the constant attention of the paparazzi. Perfect Pets - (October 2005) A scientist finds a way to genetically alter cats to create the perfect pet. But then Mother Nature has a few surprises of her own. |
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Poison Ivy - (March 2006) The local children nickname an eccentric old woman Poison Ivy and tell tales that she murdered her husband. The Quilting Bees - (November 2005) When her marriage begins to fall apart, a woman leans on the friendship of a group of women from the local quilting bee. The Spy at Tarlton House - (February 2006) A servant girl aids colonial patriots and angers a British officer being quartered in her master's home. The Usurper - (January 2006) An orphan finds happiness with a sea Captain and his wife who raise her. But when the wife's sister pays a visit, that happiness is threatened. Woody Fowler's Shadow - (November 2005) A meek computer science teacher is afraid of his own shadow—with good reason. |