Join us for a True Crime Book Discussion on Wednesday, Mar. 20 from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Reading Room in the Timothy C. Hauenstein Reynolds Township Library. The March book selection is Michigan's Strychnine Saint by Tobin T. Buhk. Copies are available for checkout.

About the Author

Tobin T. Buhk, an aficionado of dark history with a twist, specializes in historic true crime. To research his first book, he spent a year volunteering in a real-life morgue. Find his speaking schedule at www.tobinbuhk.com, or take a walk on the dark side of history at his blog, www.darkcornersofhistory.com.

Book Summary

The spring of 1903 proved disastrous for the Murphy family. On April 22, the infant Ruth Murphy died in her crib. Within an hour, her mother, Gertrude, experienced a violent spasm before she, too, died. Ten days later, John Murphy followed his wife and child to the grave after suffering from a crippling convulsion. While neighbors whispered about a curse and physicians feared a contagious disease, Kalkaska County sheriff John W. Creighton and prosecuting attorney Ernest C. Smith searched for answers. As they probed deeper into the suspicious deaths, they uncovered a wicked web of intrigue. And at the center stood a widow in a black taffeta dress.