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Murder, New England: A Historical Collection Of Killer True-Crime Tales by M. William Phelps
Bestselling true-crime author M. William Phelps, star of the new investigative television series “Dark Minds,” takes readers to his own backyard in these eight bloodcurdling murder cases. Think New England is all bucolic landscapes and Robert Frost poems? Think again. In Murder, New England , Phelps explores different motives, themes, and community reactions to horrific ** Murder by The Strange Death of Rebecca Cornwell (1673, Narragansset Bay, RI). A 73-year-old widow burned to death in front of her bedroom fireplace… ** William Husband, Father, Murderer (1782, Wethersfield, CT). A man murders his wife and kids before taking his own life... ** The Angry Murder in Manchester (1821, Manchester, NH). A poor widow killed in her home by a “ruffian” looking for food and drink... ** Better Off in John Kemmler Kills His Three Children (1879, Holyoke, MA). After losing his mill job, a man kills his daughters because he fears they will become prostitutes... ** Birth of the “Big Seven”: Gaspare Messina’s Mafioso (1917, Boston). An ol’ fashioned Mafia murder tale... ** Electronic Kill “Forensic Files” Murder (2001, Somerville, MA). Teenage slackers, the show “Forensic Files,” and the murder of a grandmother blamed on TV, youth, drugs, sex, money, and rock-n-roll... ** Sings of Life (2006, Lanesborough, MA). A woman employs the help of her cocaine-snorting daughter and Goth son to help her get rid of their step-father. ** Sesame Street Death on Big Bird’s Estate (2008, Woodstock, CT). A young woman out for a jog murdered by the groundskeeper of an estate owned by the puppeteer who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. [Page Two of spread] A chilling scene unfolds on the Woodstock, Connecticut, estate of the Sesame Street puppeteer who played Big Bird and Oscar the Near the end of the access road was a picnic area with a large pagoda-like structure topped by an A-framed roof. Two paddle boats were stored under the ceiling of the open-air building. The pagoda had that sacred, spiritual look one would expect of a place to relax and meditate. Here was a haven separated from the main living space where one could retreat and disconnect from the world. What upset the serenity of the scene was the trail of blood. It lead from the roadway directly to the pagoda—and yet stopped in the center of the ground under the ceiling. The paddle boats, investigators noticed, had blood spatter and smudge marks on them. But what did it mean that the trail of blood just stopped? As they continued to search, troopers looked above them and spied a set of pull-down stairs. There was a storage area or attic within the pagoda’s A-frame. The blood trail had stopped directly beneath the pull-down stairs.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
M. William Phelps
89 books1,162 followersCrime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Discovery series DARK MINDS, acclaimed, award-winning investigative journalist M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 30 books and winner of the 2013 Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award and the 2008 New England Book Festival Award. A highly sought-after pundit, Phelps has made over 100 media-related television appearances: Early Show, The Today Show, The View, Fox & Friends, truTV, Discovery Channel, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America, TLC, BIO, History, Oxygen, OWN, on top of over 100 additional media appearances: USA Radio Network, Catholic Radio, Mancow, Wall Street Journal Radio, Zac Daniel, Ave Maria Radio, Catholic Channel, EWTN Radio, ABC News Radio, and many more.
Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.
Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.
Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.
Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.
Phelps is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative on Sexual Crime and Violence (MCSCV), also known as the Atypical Homicide Research Group (AHRG) at Northeastern University, maintained by NU alumni Enzo Yaksic.
Phelps is one of the regular and recurring experts frequently appearing on two long-running series, Deadly Women and Snapped. Radio America calls Phelps “the nation’s leading authority on the mind of the female murderer,” and TV Rage says, “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” A respected journalist, beyond his book writing Phelps has written for numerous publications—including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant—and consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter.
Phelps grew up in East Hartford, CT, moved to Vernon, CT, at age 12, where he lived for 25 years. He now lives in a reclusive Connecticut farming community north of Hartford.
Beyond crime, Phelps has also written several history books, including the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling NATHAN HALE: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy, THE DEVIL’S ROOMING HOUSE, THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND, MURDER, NEW ENGLAND, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 18, 2017
Mechanically, Phelps is not a great writer, but he has a way with words and an eye for an interesting story. I have to return this to the library, but I'm going to look for two of the books mentioned in the back pages of this one.
February 15, 2025
This book was ok. Very disturbing on some chapters, but that’s to be expected when the book is about murder
October 24, 2023
I enjoyed reading true crime stories from New England because I live here. I just wish there were more of them. I found the older crimes interesting- probably because we really don't know all the details and reasons for the murders. I will look for other books by this author.
December 5, 2020
What a great collection of some lesser known true crime stories. I hadn't heard of any of these and they were really interesting. The writing itself isn't the best but it was easy to follow along. These stories were brutal! The grammar errors and one story about the mafia that didn't really interest me are the only reasons I didn't give this a perfect rating. If you are a true crime fan, you definitely need to pick this one up.
July 5, 2023
I know what you are thinking- I read a book. Not a graphic novel. Not a comic book. And not just a book about super heroes, cooking or culinary, I read an honest-to-god true crime anthology!
Now, I've read these types of books before. But I'm not like the average true crime buff. The story has got to really pique my interest. I like Sherlock Holmes, Victorian Era, serial killer stuff. Erik Larson's Devil In The White City was a perfect combination of those macabre interests.
This previous father's day, I took a day trip to Bald Head Island. While we waited for our golf cart reservation to come up, my wife and I perused the island library, which is a tiny single room building with no A/C. There's not even a full-time staff. The idea is to give a book/take a book. Or make a donation, which is what my wife and I decided to do.
As we were about to leave, I saw this book in the window. My wife, being from New England, would really enjoy this I thought. So I showed it to her. My bride was very interested and upon reading about some of the tales, which take place around that Victorian Era, I wanted this book too!
Since my wife had a bunch of other things on her list and I didn't bring a book to read at the beach, I drove into this collection of 8 true crime stories.
Stories include:
Pre-Colonial Times: What could be the first recorded event of spontaneous combustion. Or it could be one of the first times that an accusation from a ghost (during someone else's dreams) doomed a man to death by hanging.
Post-War of 1812: A he said/she said tale of a murdered single mother. The teenage victim who survived the assault isn't a very good witness. But the man accused isn't a very nice person when he drinks. Who was telling the truth?
The Mafia in New England. Not really a true crime tale as much as a historical account of how the Irish mafia went from being the #1 crime family in Boston, dropping to #2 after the rise of the Italians and then coming back into control of Beantown thanks to the demented Whitey Bulger.
Modern Times- A trio of teens who get high and enjoy true crime TV shows plan the perfect murder; only to really make a giant mess of things!
More Modern Times- A woman brings her husband breakfast one morning. She found him lying in a terrible pool of blood. And she blames the family horse on the crime!
And From This Sure Ain't Sesame Street File- the landscaper and handyman for TV's Big Bird, Carol Spinney, is the prime suspect in the disappearance of a respected school employee.
M. William Phelps is an engrossing writer. He does seem to put his opinions into the story. But Phelps isn't the first such writer of true crime to do this. I think it would be kinda hard to write about these types of grisly tales and not need to express some of your disgust at these repulsive acts. Plus, the author isn't a journalist per say. As long as he wasn't on the 11 o'clock news doing a report on a recent killing, I don't think Phelps is in a situation here where he must keep his opinions to himself and just relate to facts.
Now I do think something is seriously wrong with the editors at Lyons Press because I found several inaccuracies that just didn't make sense. On the back cover, when talking about the trio who plan the perfect crime, it says they murdered a grandmother. Yet in the segment about them, it's plainly mentioned that the woman killed was one of the guy's aunts and that she had never married or bore children. There's no way this woman could have been a grandmother!
There's also an instance during the segment where the lady accuses her horse of killing her husband. That murder occurred in 2006. According to Phelps, the last murder in that community was in 1980. But about a paragraph later, it's mentioned that there was 'that murder in 1983'. So which is it 1980 or 1983? Really, I think the editors should have caught this.
Another issue I had, and I really don't think it is the author's fault, is the spacing of the sentences. There's several sentences where there's no space between the period and the start of the next sentence. Several words are done like this as well. I understand that Phelps uses quotes from the time periods. And sometimes the letter S looked like a F. People omitted letters and used commas in their place. That kind of stuff I overlook. It's the errors that are riddled throughout the author's commentary that are hard to forgive. And yes, I checked. This was not an advanced reader copy that I got my hands on.
I would love to read another book by M. William Phelps. The two books advertised on the last page of this one look interesting. The Devil's Rooming House, about the first female serial killer and The Devil's Right Hand about the tragic life of the Colt family. Hopefully, the editing is better in them.
Now, I've read these types of books before. But I'm not like the average true crime buff. The story has got to really pique my interest. I like Sherlock Holmes, Victorian Era, serial killer stuff. Erik Larson's Devil In The White City was a perfect combination of those macabre interests.
This previous father's day, I took a day trip to Bald Head Island. While we waited for our golf cart reservation to come up, my wife and I perused the island library, which is a tiny single room building with no A/C. There's not even a full-time staff. The idea is to give a book/take a book. Or make a donation, which is what my wife and I decided to do.
As we were about to leave, I saw this book in the window. My wife, being from New England, would really enjoy this I thought. So I showed it to her. My bride was very interested and upon reading about some of the tales, which take place around that Victorian Era, I wanted this book too!
Since my wife had a bunch of other things on her list and I didn't bring a book to read at the beach, I drove into this collection of 8 true crime stories.
Stories include:
Pre-Colonial Times: What could be the first recorded event of spontaneous combustion. Or it could be one of the first times that an accusation from a ghost (during someone else's dreams) doomed a man to death by hanging.
Post-War of 1812: A he said/she said tale of a murdered single mother. The teenage victim who survived the assault isn't a very good witness. But the man accused isn't a very nice person when he drinks. Who was telling the truth?
The Mafia in New England. Not really a true crime tale as much as a historical account of how the Irish mafia went from being the #1 crime family in Boston, dropping to #2 after the rise of the Italians and then coming back into control of Beantown thanks to the demented Whitey Bulger.
Modern Times- A trio of teens who get high and enjoy true crime TV shows plan the perfect murder; only to really make a giant mess of things!
More Modern Times- A woman brings her husband breakfast one morning. She found him lying in a terrible pool of blood. And she blames the family horse on the crime!
And From This Sure Ain't Sesame Street File- the landscaper and handyman for TV's Big Bird, Carol Spinney, is the prime suspect in the disappearance of a respected school employee.
M. William Phelps is an engrossing writer. He does seem to put his opinions into the story. But Phelps isn't the first such writer of true crime to do this. I think it would be kinda hard to write about these types of grisly tales and not need to express some of your disgust at these repulsive acts. Plus, the author isn't a journalist per say. As long as he wasn't on the 11 o'clock news doing a report on a recent killing, I don't think Phelps is in a situation here where he must keep his opinions to himself and just relate to facts.
Now I do think something is seriously wrong with the editors at Lyons Press because I found several inaccuracies that just didn't make sense. On the back cover, when talking about the trio who plan the perfect crime, it says they murdered a grandmother. Yet in the segment about them, it's plainly mentioned that the woman killed was one of the guy's aunts and that she had never married or bore children. There's no way this woman could have been a grandmother!
There's also an instance during the segment where the lady accuses her horse of killing her husband. That murder occurred in 2006. According to Phelps, the last murder in that community was in 1980. But about a paragraph later, it's mentioned that there was 'that murder in 1983'. So which is it 1980 or 1983? Really, I think the editors should have caught this.
Another issue I had, and I really don't think it is the author's fault, is the spacing of the sentences. There's several sentences where there's no space between the period and the start of the next sentence. Several words are done like this as well. I understand that Phelps uses quotes from the time periods. And sometimes the letter S looked like a F. People omitted letters and used commas in their place. That kind of stuff I overlook. It's the errors that are riddled throughout the author's commentary that are hard to forgive. And yes, I checked. This was not an advanced reader copy that I got my hands on.
I would love to read another book by M. William Phelps. The two books advertised on the last page of this one look interesting. The Devil's Rooming House, about the first female serial killer and The Devil's Right Hand about the tragic life of the Colt family. Hopefully, the editing is better in them.
February 28, 2021
Audible version:
As someone who was born and brought up in the New England State of new Hampshire it is intriguing to hear about or read about the history. Does not have to be just crimes committed, but Mr Phelps is definitely the go to guy for that. IMO the narrator Kevin Pierce could make a book on ROCKET SCIENCE sound great.
Definitely worth the read or listen, especially if you are a New England resident or was at some point in your life.
As someone who was born and brought up in the New England State of new Hampshire it is intriguing to hear about or read about the history. Does not have to be just crimes committed, but Mr Phelps is definitely the go to guy for that. IMO the narrator Kevin Pierce could make a book on ROCKET SCIENCE sound great.
Definitely worth the read or listen, especially if you are a New England resident or was at some point in your life.
November 22, 2022
This book is composed of 5 multiple short stories. The book recounts murders committed in the 1700's, 1800's, and it is about the crime and the people who murdered them. Although it was good to read about living in those centuries, I found something was lacking in the telling of these story’s by Michael, so I was very disappointed.
I have read a lot of M. William Phelp books and I love his writing style but sadly I am disappointed with this book.
I have read a lot of M. William Phelp books and I love his writing style but sadly I am disappointed with this book.
June 17, 2022
The greatest fucking Mysteries with real people from Audiobooks on CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Based in all 6 New England states in the Northeastern United States of America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2023
True Crime
This is the story of 8 cases of true crime tales from the 1600s to the current time. The stories were shocking and interesting. The book was well edited and really enlightening. The story of Judy Nilan was the hardest story to read about and really made me reflect.
This is the story of 8 cases of true crime tales from the 1600s to the current time. The stories were shocking and interesting. The book was well edited and really enlightening. The story of Judy Nilan was the hardest story to read about and really made me reflect.
October 7, 2025
Got this book while on a road trip through New England and thought it would be an interesting read. it was not... granted this is not my usual genre to reach. However, the story telling felt very disjointed.
April 7, 2018
Quality collection and analysis of chilling crime stories.
February 14, 2019
I devoured this book best true crime anthology I've read in decades mr. Phelps knocks it out of the park again bravo
February 22, 2021
Not Phelps' best book, but a decent collection of cases. In my opinion the longer, more recent accounts worked best.
July 20, 2021
The writing is disjointed, but overall an okay read.
December 29, 2021
Pretty entertaining read! It goes chronologically from oldest to newest stories.
May 31, 2022
3.5 stars. Interesting short stories on true crime throughout the centuries in New England.
November 10, 2022
Pretty good short stories of New England murders
I enjoyed the abbreviated stories of 5 murder and the people who caused them. I recommend to anyone who enjoys true crime.
I enjoyed the abbreviated stories of 5 murder and the people who caused them. I recommend to anyone who enjoys true crime.
January 9, 2023
it was ok
I really enjoyed the first few events. When the stories became more current i lost interest. I'm certain true crime fans will enjoy it.
I really enjoyed the first few events. When the stories became more current i lost interest. I'm certain true crime fans will enjoy it.
January 18, 2026
Never heard of any these cases however I just felt some cases went on longer than they should’ve in the book
July 28, 2013
An interesting, yet disturbing read. I chose this book for two reasons. First, it's a true crime book and that is my passion right now. Second, all the stories were set in an area I was familiar with, growing up so close to New England, and having visited on several occasions.
The murders presented in the book were well researched and covered well. There was a description of the crime, motive, punishment and more. Even great background information on the parties involved. Quite interesting! I liked that Phelps includes cases from centuries earlier. It was interesting to see how the judicial system has evolved since the 1600 or 1700s. Murder, however, was still murder.
The more recent cases were more disturbing. I think mainly because of how fresh they are in history. It's hard to believe that there are the sick people in this world that can do those things. And, while the victims can't come back, at least justice prevailed in these instances. Overall, a good read for the true crime buffs!
The murders presented in the book were well researched and covered well. There was a description of the crime, motive, punishment and more. Even great background information on the parties involved. Quite interesting! I liked that Phelps includes cases from centuries earlier. It was interesting to see how the judicial system has evolved since the 1600 or 1700s. Murder, however, was still murder.
The more recent cases were more disturbing. I think mainly because of how fresh they are in history. It's hard to believe that there are the sick people in this world that can do those things. And, while the victims can't come back, at least justice prevailed in these instances. Overall, a good read for the true crime buffs!
July 1, 2017
The author did a great job in getting this collection gathered and put together. Each crime seems to catch your attention, makes you gasp with the unbelief of it and to continue to wonder as to what can drive some of the beliefs in people.
The author brings the historical crimes to light by showing the similarities of them with those from the modern times and also the differences. A ghost's appearance could re-open a request, families supped with monsters that bided their time and communities could abuse the corpse of the deceased in futile need for vengeance.
And the modern stories make you uneasy and question those that may be close to count your hairs.
If you are into real crime novels or reading on monsters that prowl in clothes of human then I suggest this is just the book for you. Just as the author mentioned a few times my heart goes out to the victims and their families whether in the past, the future or those suffering now
The author brings the historical crimes to light by showing the similarities of them with those from the modern times and also the differences. A ghost's appearance could re-open a request, families supped with monsters that bided their time and communities could abuse the corpse of the deceased in futile need for vengeance.
And the modern stories make you uneasy and question those that may be close to count your hairs.
If you are into real crime novels or reading on monsters that prowl in clothes of human then I suggest this is just the book for you. Just as the author mentioned a few times my heart goes out to the victims and their families whether in the past, the future or those suffering now
October 7, 2016
This a nice collection of lesser-known crimes that all take place in New England. They span a large part of the US history of the region, with the earliest murder taking place in the eighteenth century. That's the thing that makes the book exceptionally interesting, really. The later cases have a lot more details, since the author can look at police reports and investigators are much better at analyzing evidence.
But it's intriguing to put those murders in context with the earlier murders, such as one where a fairly wealthy widow was thought to have died in a fire...until a visit from her ghost to her son made the authorities re-open the case. (This vision was part of the testimony at the trial.) In some ways, crime is always crime, but society's understanding and the way we talk about it changes over time.
But it's intriguing to put those murders in context with the earlier murders, such as one where a fairly wealthy widow was thought to have died in a fire...until a visit from her ghost to her son made the authorities re-open the case. (This vision was part of the testimony at the trial.) In some ways, crime is always crime, but society's understanding and the way we talk about it changes over time.
October 10, 2015
good, easy read. true crime stories/novels are always one of my favourite to read, so it was no surprise I found this set of stories enjoyable. the first part of the book takes place before the turn of the century, so there isn't much information about the murders out there, yet the author writes very well and engages you into each one.
the second half is a bit more involved as there is a plethora of information rearsing them, so the stories are longer. I found myself looking up each story for pictures and articles, to put a face to the names he writes about.
all in all a very enjoyable read. I will be sure to check out more of his novels.
the second half is a bit more involved as there is a plethora of information rearsing them, so the stories are longer. I found myself looking up each story for pictures and articles, to put a face to the names he writes about.
all in all a very enjoyable read. I will be sure to check out more of his novels.
August 4, 2016
This was kind of a fun one. I really enjoyed the historical re-telling of some pretty horrific true crime, but the book started to lose me the closer we got to modern crimes. Yes, the kids in Quincy killing the old woman, that was messed up. But Whitey Bulger? We didn't need to spend ANY time on him. Other books, magazines, MOVIES have taken care of that. And unfortunately we spent so much time on it it knocked the rating down a bit.
January 6, 2013
Finished the book, it was okay, but guess short stories are not really my thing...I had never heard of these crimes before so they were enlightening. Being from Fall River, I guess I was looking for Matt to be writing about Lizzy Borden and some other more local murder. Love all of Matt's stories...Great writer.
March 6, 2016
A collection of short stories of murders that happen from the 1600's through the 2000's. Some are more gruesome than others. All have very little background, setup or must history to go with the stories. I made myself finish the book but had a very hard time getting into any of the stories. Not his best work.
January 28, 2013
I loved this. If you saw my profile, I love crime shows so this whetted my appetite. I didn't really like the old ones but the Murder on Big Bird's Estate scared me all night. Yup, I was an idiot and read it at night.
March 11, 2013
Great book of short true crime stories.
April 11, 2013
Just a few short chapters but very interesting. I am looking forward to reading more of his titles.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews