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Hazel was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder that Inspired Twin Peaks
The tragic and mysterious death of Hazel Drew that inspired the cult hit TV show Twin Peaks, is finally solved by Dr. Jerry C. Drake.
The legend of Hazel Drew spread through stories of her ghost haunting the woods where her body was found. It was a hot summer day in July 1908 when the body of a young woman was found floating in a mill pond in Upstate New York. Hazel Irene Drew was murdered. Her death captured headlines across the nation and around the world, but after a whirlwind investigation lasting less than thirty days, the District Attorney abruptly closed the case.
Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, with clippings and photographs from local Troy and Albany newspapers from 1908, Dr. Jerry C. Drake parses out the facts from the legend through back alleys and dark mountain forests, in pursuit of Hazel Drew’s killer, in this engaging, historical investigation of a tragic American story.
With firsthand accounts from locals dreaming of clues, tabloid journalists, railroad Robber Barons and political bosses, psychic investigators, and even a mysterious hypnotist, the tabloid sensation is debunked and the real woman is finally revealed. This is the definitive story of Hazel Drew, whose ghost can finally rest, knowing that her killer has been exposed.
The legend of Hazel Drew spread through stories of her ghost haunting the woods where her body was found. It was a hot summer day in July 1908 when the body of a young woman was found floating in a mill pond in Upstate New York. Hazel Irene Drew was murdered. Her death captured headlines across the nation and around the world, but after a whirlwind investigation lasting less than thirty days, the District Attorney abruptly closed the case.
Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, with clippings and photographs from local Troy and Albany newspapers from 1908, Dr. Jerry C. Drake parses out the facts from the legend through back alleys and dark mountain forests, in pursuit of Hazel Drew’s killer, in this engaging, historical investigation of a tragic American story.
With firsthand accounts from locals dreaming of clues, tabloid journalists, railroad Robber Barons and political bosses, psychic investigators, and even a mysterious hypnotist, the tabloid sensation is debunked and the real woman is finally revealed. This is the definitive story of Hazel Drew, whose ghost can finally rest, knowing that her killer has been exposed.
258 pages, Paperback
Published June 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 6, 2025
Updated November 2025, after reading Who Killed Hazel Drew? by Ron Hughes
There are two sides to this book. One the one side, I think Drake does a good job of clearly setting out the evidence, and his theory is, at the very least, plausible. (I'm now curious to read Ron Hughes' Who Killed Hazel Drew?, not to find out Hughes' theory since Drake has already mentioned it, but to see how he treats the evidence and if there is anything that Drake omitted or mischaracterized.) For me personally, as a local, it's fascinating to sift the evidence in a historical murder mystery from the perspective of knowing so many of the places mentioned (my mother grew up just a few blocks from the neighborhood where Hazel and her aunt worked, and by sheer coincidence I was at Sliter's Corners the very day I finished this book).
The other side is a litany of faults that regularly plague current historical nonfiction: a semi-sneering, jokey tone toward The Past and its antiquated ways, the jarring use of extremely informal language and modern slang, the apparent necessity of sticking a wholly gratuitous f-word in the opening paragraphs, some downright poor English ("trolley" consistently misspelled as "trolly," and "imminent" repeatedly used in place of "eminent," for a couple of examples), and especially the determination to interpret the behavior of early 19th-century people through a contemporary lens—notably the repeated suggestion that different women in the case (including Hazel herself) might have been lesbian, on no better grounds that that they were not promiscuous and not married. (!?) There's particular contempt for The Rich, who are portrayed as callous snobs who would not give a snap of the fingers for the death of "a domestic" (we're talking about a governess here, not a kitchen maid)—even though it's frankly admitted that Hazel was on friendly terms with her employers, and Drake perhaps even goes a bit far in assuming her close involvement in the daily life of the Cary household.
(All of this is not even to mention the author's recounting of having dreams and paranormal experiences involving some kind of contact with Hazel Drew herself.)
As stated, I do think Drake's ultimate theory is solid. I think it hinges most on the necessity of the murder's having to arrive in an automobile, and the apparent lie told by Hazel's aunt about their return home on the night of July 5th. [ Update 1: Regarding the first of those two clues, Hughes' Who Killed Hazel Drew? (see pages 45 and 257) appears to state clearly that Minnie Taylor testified at the inquest that Hazel returned the clothes Minnie had packed in her suitcase when she visited her aunt on the morning of July 6th. Hughes makes no mention of Minnie having earlier told reporters that Hazel had walked with her to the Harrison house to return the clothes on the night of July 5th. Is this a bit of evidence Hughes missed—or is Drake mixing up two events here? One would imagine that if Minnie revised her original story while under oath, somebody would have noticed. (Drake cites Minnie's incorrect statement about the contents of Hazel's suitcase as confirmation that she lied about Sunday night—but overlooks the fact that she must have seen inside it either during their trip or during Hazel's visit on Monday morning. She still clearly lied about where they left the trolley, but her statement about the suitcase may simply have been a mistake.) It's impossible to clarify this since neither author has source footnotes for specific facts or statements (a flaw of both books).]
But there are a few points that need more elucidation to be convincing. Drake's claim is that District Attorney O'Brien saw the automobile tracks, knew who the killer was, and covered it up—but was that so easy to do simply by never investigating the tracks, when their finding was public knowledge? [ Update 2: Hughes makes no mention of tire tracks, and Drake admits that the clue was definitely mentioned in only one newspaper and "barely carried in any other outlets." What exactly that phrase means, I'm not sure. I found the actual newspaper item cited—and it doesn't specifically attribute the finding of the tracks to Gilbert Miller, as Drake claims it did; besides making the totally inaccurate statements that Miller was the first to find the body, and that he had first seen something in the water a week before, rather than a day before. I don't think this negates the strength of the theory that the killer arrived in an automobile, because the car didn't necessarily have to leave the road—but it does cast some doubt on the way Drake derives and presents his evidence.]
Second, and less convincing, is his suggestion that Hazel's family knew who the killer was but kept quiet out of fear. While I think it's clear that her aunt knew something, and it's plausible that others of her family might have suspected, fear doesn't seem to me to be a strong enough reason for a cover-up. What exactly could "rich and powerful people" do to them that would be terrible enough to make them cover up the murder of their own daughter? My own speculation: Drake's theory does involve some sort of illicit relationship between Hazel and her killer, and if Aunt Minnie had connived at a meeting between them, she might well have preferred to hide that fact. And if the revelation of the true killer had also involved damage to Hazel's reputation, by the mores of the time her family might well have been willing to keep silent to posthumously shield her.
Which brings me back to the central conceit of the book, the effort to redeem Hazel's reputation. Consideration of the evidence does suggest that the sensational newspaper stories of the time depicting her as wild and promiscuous were greatly exaggerated. Yet Drake, while theorizing that Hazel may indeed have had an affair with her murderer, clearly thinks that merely because she was not serially promiscuous, she did nothing wrong. In his own words, she was simply "a woman operating within her own agency." It seems less a vindication of Hazel Drew than an interpretation of her life through a new, and not improved, moral framework.
[Update 3: After reading Hughes' book, I am not at all keen on the way Drake completely omits mentioning several things that go against his opinion of Hazel—the letters purporting to be from her friends, which support the abortion theory, and the autopsy doctors' disagreement about the state of her reproductive organs. I agree that both of those pieces of evidence are very doubtful or inconclusive, but if that's so, you argue the case against them: you don't suppress them.]
(One small local nitpick: the reference Hazel and Minnie leaving the trolley "at Whitman Court" and "at Pawling Ave" respectively doesn't really give an accurate idea of the streets' relative position to each other. Whitman is a short dead end/cul-de-sac off of Pawling, so Minnie must have left the car at another intersection a few blocks further on.)
There are two sides to this book. One the one side, I think Drake does a good job of clearly setting out the evidence, and his theory is, at the very least, plausible. (I'm now curious to read Ron Hughes' Who Killed Hazel Drew?, not to find out Hughes' theory since Drake has already mentioned it, but to see how he treats the evidence and if there is anything that Drake omitted or mischaracterized.) For me personally, as a local, it's fascinating to sift the evidence in a historical murder mystery from the perspective of knowing so many of the places mentioned (my mother grew up just a few blocks from the neighborhood where Hazel and her aunt worked, and by sheer coincidence I was at Sliter's Corners the very day I finished this book).
The other side is a litany of faults that regularly plague current historical nonfiction: a semi-sneering, jokey tone toward The Past and its antiquated ways, the jarring use of extremely informal language and modern slang, the apparent necessity of sticking a wholly gratuitous f-word in the opening paragraphs, some downright poor English ("trolley" consistently misspelled as "trolly," and "imminent" repeatedly used in place of "eminent," for a couple of examples), and especially the determination to interpret the behavior of early 19th-century people through a contemporary lens—notably the repeated suggestion that different women in the case (including Hazel herself) might have been lesbian, on no better grounds that that they were not promiscuous and not married. (!?) There's particular contempt for The Rich, who are portrayed as callous snobs who would not give a snap of the fingers for the death of "a domestic" (we're talking about a governess here, not a kitchen maid)—even though it's frankly admitted that Hazel was on friendly terms with her employers, and Drake perhaps even goes a bit far in assuming her close involvement in the daily life of the Cary household.
(All of this is not even to mention the author's recounting of having dreams and paranormal experiences involving some kind of contact with Hazel Drew herself.)
As stated, I do think Drake's ultimate theory is solid. I think it hinges most on the necessity of the murder's having to arrive in an automobile, and the apparent lie told by Hazel's aunt about their return home on the night of July 5th. [ Update 1: Regarding the first of those two clues, Hughes' Who Killed Hazel Drew? (see pages 45 and 257) appears to state clearly that Minnie Taylor testified at the inquest that Hazel returned the clothes Minnie had packed in her suitcase when she visited her aunt on the morning of July 6th. Hughes makes no mention of Minnie having earlier told reporters that Hazel had walked with her to the Harrison house to return the clothes on the night of July 5th. Is this a bit of evidence Hughes missed—or is Drake mixing up two events here? One would imagine that if Minnie revised her original story while under oath, somebody would have noticed. (Drake cites Minnie's incorrect statement about the contents of Hazel's suitcase as confirmation that she lied about Sunday night—but overlooks the fact that she must have seen inside it either during their trip or during Hazel's visit on Monday morning. She still clearly lied about where they left the trolley, but her statement about the suitcase may simply have been a mistake.) It's impossible to clarify this since neither author has source footnotes for specific facts or statements (a flaw of both books).]
But there are a few points that need more elucidation to be convincing. Drake's claim is that District Attorney O'Brien saw the automobile tracks, knew who the killer was, and covered it up—but was that so easy to do simply by never investigating the tracks, when their finding was public knowledge? [ Update 2: Hughes makes no mention of tire tracks, and Drake admits that the clue was definitely mentioned in only one newspaper and "barely carried in any other outlets." What exactly that phrase means, I'm not sure. I found the actual newspaper item cited—and it doesn't specifically attribute the finding of the tracks to Gilbert Miller, as Drake claims it did; besides making the totally inaccurate statements that Miller was the first to find the body, and that he had first seen something in the water a week before, rather than a day before. I don't think this negates the strength of the theory that the killer arrived in an automobile, because the car didn't necessarily have to leave the road—but it does cast some doubt on the way Drake derives and presents his evidence.]
Second, and less convincing, is his suggestion that Hazel's family knew who the killer was but kept quiet out of fear. While I think it's clear that her aunt knew something, and it's plausible that others of her family might have suspected, fear doesn't seem to me to be a strong enough reason for a cover-up. What exactly could "rich and powerful people" do to them that would be terrible enough to make them cover up the murder of their own daughter? My own speculation: Drake's theory does involve some sort of illicit relationship between Hazel and her killer, and if Aunt Minnie had connived at a meeting between them, she might well have preferred to hide that fact. And if the revelation of the true killer had also involved damage to Hazel's reputation, by the mores of the time her family might well have been willing to keep silent to posthumously shield her.
Which brings me back to the central conceit of the book, the effort to redeem Hazel's reputation. Consideration of the evidence does suggest that the sensational newspaper stories of the time depicting her as wild and promiscuous were greatly exaggerated. Yet Drake, while theorizing that Hazel may indeed have had an affair with her murderer, clearly thinks that merely because she was not serially promiscuous, she did nothing wrong. In his own words, she was simply "a woman operating within her own agency." It seems less a vindication of Hazel Drew than an interpretation of her life through a new, and not improved, moral framework.
[Update 3: After reading Hughes' book, I am not at all keen on the way Drake completely omits mentioning several things that go against his opinion of Hazel—the letters purporting to be from her friends, which support the abortion theory, and the autopsy doctors' disagreement about the state of her reproductive organs. I agree that both of those pieces of evidence are very doubtful or inconclusive, but if that's so, you argue the case against them: you don't suppress them.]
(One small local nitpick: the reference Hazel and Minnie leaving the trolley "at Whitman Court" and "at Pawling Ave" respectively doesn't really give an accurate idea of the streets' relative position to each other. Whitman is a short dead end/cul-de-sac off of Pawling, so Minnie must have left the car at another intersection a few blocks further on.)
December 4, 2024
*The publisher has provided me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.*
Jerry Drake really, really wants you to know that Hazel Drew inspired Twin Peaks.
It if were just brought up once or twice, I'd understand - but no, he mentions it CONSTANTLY. Hazel Drew, like Laura Palmer, was a "sexy blonde woman" (the phrase you're looking for there is "abused teenager," Jerry). Hazel Drew's case bears some similarities to that of Grace Brown, whose murderer wrote a letter to a woman named Hazel just before his execution - synchronicity! Just like in Twin Peaks! It's "eerily coincidental" that self-proclaimed psychics at the time of Hazel's death claimed to see the murder in dreams, just like Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks! Hazel's ghost led Drake to her grave via an oak tree in the cemetery, which when you think about it is kind of like something that might happen in Twin Peaks, and also the root of "Drew" is the same as the Celtic word for "oak," which means that Hazel came from a "druidic lineage," which when you think about it is the kind of thing that might come up in - say it with me now - Twin Peaks. (No it's not. Twin Peaks is full of Tibetan Buddhist mysticism, but it has no interest in druids.)
There is a subset of true crime books out there where the author is as fascinated with themself and their process as they are by the murder they're covering: I'd call it the James Renner special, but frankly, I don't want to give James Renner that much credit. Either way, that's very much the attitude on display here. In fairness, however, at least part of Drake's insistence on his own presence in the narrative is simply down to the fact that there's not much to write about Hazel herself: there's such a dearth of information on her life and death, Drake is left writing whole chapters about the layout of the hotel where she was last seen alive just to bump up the word count. He cautions against "supposition and speculation which, if we are not careful, could become irresponsible," and then immediately spins off into accusing Hazel's aunt of covering up for her murderer and getting rewarded with a rich husband. ("The D.A. and the investigators could never get a middle-aged domestic to say a damn word -" oh, okay, cool to get this glimpse into how you view middle-aged women and the working class.) Maybe Hazel was having a lesbian affair with Mina Jones! This suggestion comes directly before Drake looks down his nose as Will Clemens as a man who "liked to write about the deaths of pretty girls, introducing some grandiose mystery man into the mix as the murderer," a fairly rich accusation coming from a guy who's writing a book claiming that Hazel Drew was (spoilers?) murdered by the married employer who she was having an affair with, and that said murder was covered up by her aunt, the district attorney, and half a dozen railroad tycoons. The "solution" in this book is pure uncut speculation.
The murder of Hazel Drew is never going to be solved. It's been over a hundred years; witnesses are dead, evidence is gone, and the truth of the matter has long since been lost. So I don't want to come down too hard on someone for speculating; at this point, it's all we can do. But I can and will come down hard on him for writing this nonsensical ramble where he casts himself as Dale Cooper and drags a bunch of dead people through the mud so that he can play detective. Hazel Drew was not Laura Palmer, and this book isn't about either girl. It's a book about Jerry Drake.
Also: frankly, this book is really badly edited. "Presumptuous, then, to assume they were all written by men, then?" Come on.
Jerry Drake really, really wants you to know that Hazel Drew inspired Twin Peaks.
It if were just brought up once or twice, I'd understand - but no, he mentions it CONSTANTLY. Hazel Drew, like Laura Palmer, was a "sexy blonde woman" (the phrase you're looking for there is "abused teenager," Jerry). Hazel Drew's case bears some similarities to that of Grace Brown, whose murderer wrote a letter to a woman named Hazel just before his execution - synchronicity! Just like in Twin Peaks! It's "eerily coincidental" that self-proclaimed psychics at the time of Hazel's death claimed to see the murder in dreams, just like Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks! Hazel's ghost led Drake to her grave via an oak tree in the cemetery, which when you think about it is kind of like something that might happen in Twin Peaks, and also the root of "Drew" is the same as the Celtic word for "oak," which means that Hazel came from a "druidic lineage," which when you think about it is the kind of thing that might come up in - say it with me now - Twin Peaks. (No it's not. Twin Peaks is full of Tibetan Buddhist mysticism, but it has no interest in druids.)
There is a subset of true crime books out there where the author is as fascinated with themself and their process as they are by the murder they're covering: I'd call it the James Renner special, but frankly, I don't want to give James Renner that much credit. Either way, that's very much the attitude on display here. In fairness, however, at least part of Drake's insistence on his own presence in the narrative is simply down to the fact that there's not much to write about Hazel herself: there's such a dearth of information on her life and death, Drake is left writing whole chapters about the layout of the hotel where she was last seen alive just to bump up the word count. He cautions against "supposition and speculation which, if we are not careful, could become irresponsible," and then immediately spins off into accusing Hazel's aunt of covering up for her murderer and getting rewarded with a rich husband. ("The D.A. and the investigators could never get a middle-aged domestic to say a damn word -" oh, okay, cool to get this glimpse into how you view middle-aged women and the working class.) Maybe Hazel was having a lesbian affair with Mina Jones! This suggestion comes directly before Drake looks down his nose as Will Clemens as a man who "liked to write about the deaths of pretty girls, introducing some grandiose mystery man into the mix as the murderer," a fairly rich accusation coming from a guy who's writing a book claiming that Hazel Drew was (spoilers?) murdered by the married employer who she was having an affair with, and that said murder was covered up by her aunt, the district attorney, and half a dozen railroad tycoons. The "solution" in this book is pure uncut speculation.
The murder of Hazel Drew is never going to be solved. It's been over a hundred years; witnesses are dead, evidence is gone, and the truth of the matter has long since been lost. So I don't want to come down too hard on someone for speculating; at this point, it's all we can do. But I can and will come down hard on him for writing this nonsensical ramble where he casts himself as Dale Cooper and drags a bunch of dead people through the mud so that he can play detective. Hazel Drew was not Laura Palmer, and this book isn't about either girl. It's a book about Jerry Drake.
Also: frankly, this book is really badly edited. "Presumptuous, then, to assume they were all written by men, then?" Come on.
December 14, 2024
This is the perfect book for ANY Twin Peaks fan that loves true crime !!
The research the author Jerry poured into this investigation of who killed Hazel Drew does not go unnoticed!!
Hazel is a Good Girl is a labour of love and I loved reading this and dissecting along with the author and appreciated all the links and newspaper articles, it was a very hands on and unique experience!!
I loved it , and the Twin Peaks fan in me was taken down memory lane several times throughout the book !!
Thank you NetGalley , CLASH Books & Jerry C Drake for this amazing true crime cult classic inspired ARC !!
The research the author Jerry poured into this investigation of who killed Hazel Drew does not go unnoticed!!
Hazel is a Good Girl is a labour of love and I loved reading this and dissecting along with the author and appreciated all the links and newspaper articles, it was a very hands on and unique experience!!
I loved it , and the Twin Peaks fan in me was taken down memory lane several times throughout the book !!
Thank you NetGalley , CLASH Books & Jerry C Drake for this amazing true crime cult classic inspired ARC !!
February 6, 2025
*Digital Advanced Reader Copy Provided* I was really excited to read this book. I love true crime and was eager to learn more about this murder mystery! I’m sad to say I think the book fell flat. While the author’s passion was clear and fully present, it felt somewhat like reading a long college thesis. Parts were repetitive and i wasn’t gripped by the writing. This book may be for some, but it unfortunately wasn’t for me.
July 17, 2025
I wasn’t familiar with the crime before reading this book but the author had me hooked early on. I enjoyed the deep research on the Troy area and its industries in the early 20th century. The author’s close attention to historical context shed light on seemingly innocuous details and led to a fascinating conclusion. The author makes a compelling case about who the culprit could be. Anyone interested in history, true crime, or Twin Peaks would enjoy this book!
July 14, 2025
He gives you a background and his take on who did what. It was interesting to read about areas of upstate New York I know so well in the time of1908. Hard-core true crime fans and Twin Peak enthusiasts will enjoy this.
March 13, 2025
I am incredibly grateful to both NetGalley and CLASH Books for the opportunity to read and review Hazel Was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder that Inspired Twin Peaks. Being selected to explore this captivating story before its official release has been such a treat, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on it with all of you. A huge thank you to the teams at NetGalley and CLASH Books for their generosity and for making this advanced reading experience possible.
Well, what to say...
That was an experience.
Jerry C. Drake REALLY wants you to know that Hazel Drew inspired Twin Peaks. This book could honestly double as a drinking game. Every time Twin Peaks is mentioned, take a shot.
I personally didn't find this a very good true crime book, or even just generally a good non-fiction book. And I will tell you why.
There was just so much theorising and so much speculation from the author. I appreciate that it's an unsolved case with limited evidence but you cannot just use that and warp it into your own theories.
There were also so many instances where the author says "we'll touch on this later". JUST SAY IT NOW! I don't want to have to wait several more chapters for you to finish making your initial point.
This book was so name and date heavy it was hard to follow. What I want is for a true crime case to be told to me as if it were fiction. Many podcasts achieve this so why can it not be achieved in a written format?
Now, I don't doubt that the author really put a lot of time and effort into this but I just found it quite boring and repetitive. It was more like a dissertation than it was a book. I think the storytelling could've been a lot better and perhaps the layout of the chapters so that we didn't have to keep coming back to things.
Well, what to say...
That was an experience.
Jerry C. Drake REALLY wants you to know that Hazel Drew inspired Twin Peaks. This book could honestly double as a drinking game. Every time Twin Peaks is mentioned, take a shot.
I personally didn't find this a very good true crime book, or even just generally a good non-fiction book. And I will tell you why.
There was just so much theorising and so much speculation from the author. I appreciate that it's an unsolved case with limited evidence but you cannot just use that and warp it into your own theories.
There were also so many instances where the author says "we'll touch on this later". JUST SAY IT NOW! I don't want to have to wait several more chapters for you to finish making your initial point.
This book was so name and date heavy it was hard to follow. What I want is for a true crime case to be told to me as if it were fiction. Many podcasts achieve this so why can it not be achieved in a written format?
Now, I don't doubt that the author really put a lot of time and effort into this but I just found it quite boring and repetitive. It was more like a dissertation than it was a book. I think the storytelling could've been a lot better and perhaps the layout of the chapters so that we didn't have to keep coming back to things.
April 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this book a lot. It’s so sad that Hazel never got justice. The authors used the archived evidence available in order to support his theory on the crime. I read some of the other reviews and I’m confused as to why they are so critical of the author. He made a clear and convincing argument of the crime that took place on that fateful night. I also appreciated the photos included throughout the book, they helped me connect with the people and scene of the events that occurred. I would recommend this book to my sister, I do worry, however, the number of people mentioned would confuse her.
A big thank you to NetGalley and CLASH books for an ARC of this ebook, in return for an honest review! ✝️🩵
A big thank you to NetGalley and CLASH books for an ARC of this ebook, in return for an honest review! ✝️🩵
June 12, 2025
In Hazel was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder that Inspired Twin Peaks, Dr. Jerry C. Drake separates fact from fiction in an effort to figure out who killed Hazel Drew, the woman who inspired the iconic Laura Palmer.
Twin Peaks is a cult TV show that ran for two seasons from 1990 to 1991, followed by a prequel movie (Fire Walk with Me, 1992), and received a revival in 2017 on Showtime. It also spawned a variety of companion novels. It was created by Mark Frost (based on the legend of a girl his grandmother told him about) and the esteemed David Lynch. Twin Peaks is quintessential television viewing, and its influence on all forms of art cannot be understated. Set in the Pacific Northwest, Special Agent Dale Cooper is investigating the murder of a local girl named Laura Palmer, who is found wrapped in plastic on the banks of the local mill lake. While Agent Cooper thinks her death may tie into another case, the town of Twin Peaks learn their Homecoming Queen lived a double life.
The woman in Frost’s legend? That was Hazel Drew. Her body was found in July of 1908 floating in a mill pond in Upstate New York. Her death captured headlines across the nation and around the world, but in less than thirty days, the District Attorney abruptly closed the case. What everyone knew was that Hazel lived above her means as a service girl. While she was alive, she went to church, but once she died, correspondence with the gentlemen she visited was made public, and it seemed she had been doing sex work. In fact, this “good girl” had been living a double life.
But Drake will tell you this is not the case. Drake set out to show you the true Hazel Drew in this mystery, and even comes to a sensible conclusion about who the killer is. Drake includes photos of Hazel, including one done up and used for the media, and the original it was based on. There are pictures of newspaper clippings instead of just quotes, like a lot of true crime books, and they include local, national, and tabloid rags. He gathers information from locals, railroad Robber barons, political bosses, and, in true Twin Peaks fashion, psyches and hypnotists. He researched the books that came before him, creating as close to a true picture of Hazel as we will ever get.
Drake organizes the book well. He sets out the accepted story of Drew and then breaks it down, presenting the actual facts instead of the tabloid fodder that many people believed. He also sets out a clear timeline of events, allowing readers to truly understand her movements. Then the author goes through each suspect logically coming to the conclusion that she was accidentally killed and who was responsible for it. His theory is logical and well thought out. He even includes some supernatural creepiness in true Twin Peaks fashion.
The title and assumption of the book is misogynistic. I had assumed the title was ironic, knowing what I did about Twin Peaks. I didn’t realize the author still proscribes an archaic idea. While I can understand trying to set her legacy straight, a man continuing to push the “good girl” narrative is demeaning and continues to put down women who are involved in sex work or women who just enjoy sex. I get that the early 1900s were different times, and the fact that the legend the show is based on is untrue, but the 19-year-old was far from a little girl and had secrets her aunt refused to share. She was a complex woman. Also, this same man also refers to the Twin Peaks high school student, Laura Palmer, as a “sexy blonde woman.” Somehow, it’s ok to lust after a 17-year-old girl and turn her into a woman since she is fictitious. In 2025, the double standard of saint/sinner is still very much alive.
Overall, Hazel Was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder that Inspired Twin Peaks is an interesting read that draws a logical conclusion about who her accidental killer probably was. I read this book because it was attached to a show I love; I have no interest in reading anything else by the misogynistic author.
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
December 23, 2024
📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚
Hazel Was A Good Girl By Jerry C. Drake
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Publisher: CLASH Books
📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐✨
(3.5 ⭐ - Rounded Up To 4⭐)
📚MY REVIEW:
As a die-hard fan of all things Twin Peaks, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Hazel Was A Good Girl. I never knew that Twin Peaks' main plot, the murder of Laura Palmer, was actually based on the real-life killing of Hazel Drew in upstate New York in 1908. I was so excited to be approved for this ARC through NetGalley and the publisher.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was so much more than just a connection to Twin Peaks! Drake really researched not just this unsolved murder, but also the history of the local community, the history of each person associated with the case, and how everyone connected with the victim. This was cold case research and a review of a questionable police investigation, combined with what read like historical non-fiction too.
At times, though, the writing became frustratingly dry, seemingly redundant and repetitive. The first half of the book began to feel really long-winded after the first few chapters, and I found myself skimming the minutia that didn't seem important to the true crime case at hand. It almost felt as if I were reading a bullet-pointed list of facts, in short and staccato sentences. I realize Drake was trying to get across a whole lot of facts and history he'd learned in his research, but there was a lack of storytelling prose which made it difficult to keep my interest. As a result, I found myself able to read only a handful of chapters in each sitting. Some reviewers were bothered by grammatical errors, but those didn't bother me as much as I know this was an advanced copy and not the final book.
The second half of the book piqued my interest again, as Drake presented his logical and pragmatic layout of the timeline of Hazel's life and movements in her last few days. I really enjoyed the systematic way Drake went through each potential explanation and/or suspect for Hazel's death, eliminating theories which simply did not make sense or did not match the facts. And I really loved his theory about the potential killer, as his rationale made a lot of sense and tied so many things together that had been presented earlier in the book. My biggest gripe was that I wished the logic, rationale, and easier-to-follow presentation of information had arrived sooner than the second half of the book.
Fans of true crime, cold cases, murder mysteries, or Twin Peaks are likely to really enjoy this book! It was fun to learn about this cold case and the way it inspired Twin Peaks. Thank you so much to NetGalley and CLASH Books for this advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.
#HazelWasAGoodGirl #JerryCDrake #CLASHBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #SolvingTheMurderThatInspiredTwinPeaks #ARC #truecrime #coldcases #HazelDrew #LauraPalmer #twinpeaks #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations
Hazel Was A Good Girl By Jerry C. Drake
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Publisher: CLASH Books
📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐✨
(3.5 ⭐ - Rounded Up To 4⭐)
📚MY REVIEW:
As a die-hard fan of all things Twin Peaks, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Hazel Was A Good Girl. I never knew that Twin Peaks' main plot, the murder of Laura Palmer, was actually based on the real-life killing of Hazel Drew in upstate New York in 1908. I was so excited to be approved for this ARC through NetGalley and the publisher.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was so much more than just a connection to Twin Peaks! Drake really researched not just this unsolved murder, but also the history of the local community, the history of each person associated with the case, and how everyone connected with the victim. This was cold case research and a review of a questionable police investigation, combined with what read like historical non-fiction too.
At times, though, the writing became frustratingly dry, seemingly redundant and repetitive. The first half of the book began to feel really long-winded after the first few chapters, and I found myself skimming the minutia that didn't seem important to the true crime case at hand. It almost felt as if I were reading a bullet-pointed list of facts, in short and staccato sentences. I realize Drake was trying to get across a whole lot of facts and history he'd learned in his research, but there was a lack of storytelling prose which made it difficult to keep my interest. As a result, I found myself able to read only a handful of chapters in each sitting. Some reviewers were bothered by grammatical errors, but those didn't bother me as much as I know this was an advanced copy and not the final book.
The second half of the book piqued my interest again, as Drake presented his logical and pragmatic layout of the timeline of Hazel's life and movements in her last few days. I really enjoyed the systematic way Drake went through each potential explanation and/or suspect for Hazel's death, eliminating theories which simply did not make sense or did not match the facts. And I really loved his theory about the potential killer, as his rationale made a lot of sense and tied so many things together that had been presented earlier in the book. My biggest gripe was that I wished the logic, rationale, and easier-to-follow presentation of information had arrived sooner than the second half of the book.
Fans of true crime, cold cases, murder mysteries, or Twin Peaks are likely to really enjoy this book! It was fun to learn about this cold case and the way it inspired Twin Peaks. Thank you so much to NetGalley and CLASH Books for this advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.
#HazelWasAGoodGirl #JerryCDrake #CLASHBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #SolvingTheMurderThatInspiredTwinPeaks #ARC #truecrime #coldcases #HazelDrew #LauraPalmer #twinpeaks #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations
June 20, 2025
I appreciated this detailed research project that took the author 5+ years to complete. I don't mind dry, informational nonfiction books. I know absolutely nothing about this case, so I needed a detailed outline of the era, the city, the people, and the victim's background. It is very obvious a lot of work went into this book. And I must say, I was quite impressed by the deductions that led him to his conclusion on who he believes the murderer was.
I had a few issues with the book though. Who cares if Hazel was a good girl or not? A person is a person regardless of their background or what their personal life entailed. Everyone that would remember the bogus tabloid stories about her are all dead! I didn't even know Twin Peaks was based on a real case.
Also, a 20 year old woman is very much still trying to figure out the trajectory of their life. I am not surprised she spent every penny she earned on luxuries, most 20 yr old girls (women) do. It's not till our 30s that we wisen up! Or is that just me? Ha, no I think it's always been like that. I have friends who bought Rolex watches on credit in their 20s.
Another thing, I still don't know what this has to do with Twin Peaks, ha. There is not much of a correlation to Laura Palmer, is there? But that's the tv show peoples story, not the author's doing. I just thought it was funny he kept mentioning Twin Peaks and I kept thinking "but you're trying too hard to tie the two together!"
What I really had a hard time getting into though, and I did roll my eyes over, was the story of Hazel's ghost guiding the researcher from beyond the grave. Please, no.....I can't with that stuff. If you're going to write about a true crime, nonfiction please leave the fantastical stuff out of it. I felt like it was the author's way of trying to draw the reader in, but honestly, it made me almost stop reading!
I read a lot of true crime and nonfiction. I sort of remember the original Twin Peaks show from when I binged it about 10 years ago. I am just being honest in my review. All in all, when he stopped trying to convince me of the correlation to Laura Palmer and stopped with the hocus pocus stuff, it wasn't bad. A bit dry but not terrible. I'd read more from this author.
I had a few issues with the book though. Who cares if Hazel was a good girl or not? A person is a person regardless of their background or what their personal life entailed. Everyone that would remember the bogus tabloid stories about her are all dead! I didn't even know Twin Peaks was based on a real case.
Also, a 20 year old woman is very much still trying to figure out the trajectory of their life. I am not surprised she spent every penny she earned on luxuries, most 20 yr old girls (women) do. It's not till our 30s that we wisen up! Or is that just me? Ha, no I think it's always been like that. I have friends who bought Rolex watches on credit in their 20s.
Another thing, I still don't know what this has to do with Twin Peaks, ha. There is not much of a correlation to Laura Palmer, is there? But that's the tv show peoples story, not the author's doing. I just thought it was funny he kept mentioning Twin Peaks and I kept thinking "but you're trying too hard to tie the two together!"
What I really had a hard time getting into though, and I did roll my eyes over, was the story of Hazel's ghost guiding the researcher from beyond the grave. Please, no.....I can't with that stuff. If you're going to write about a true crime, nonfiction please leave the fantastical stuff out of it. I felt like it was the author's way of trying to draw the reader in, but honestly, it made me almost stop reading!
I read a lot of true crime and nonfiction. I sort of remember the original Twin Peaks show from when I binged it about 10 years ago. I am just being honest in my review. All in all, when he stopped trying to convince me of the correlation to Laura Palmer and stopped with the hocus pocus stuff, it wasn't bad. A bit dry but not terrible. I'd read more from this author.
July 29, 2025
“I don’t believe in ghosts, but I’ve seen a ghost and her name is Hazel Drew.” - Jerry C. Drake
More than a hundred years have passed since the body of 20-year-old Hazel Drew was discovered in Teal’s Pond, near the bottom of Taborton Mountain in Sand Lake, New York. Her life cut short by blunt force trauma. In Hazel Was a Good Girl, Drake presents a thoroughly researched account of the young woman’s mysterious death in 1908, pulling from historical records, local folklore, and whatever scraps time has left behind.
Drake’s effort is thoughtful and clearly born of deep dedication, but for me, it fell slightly short of its full potential. As someone who reads a lot of true crime, (including cases from this era) I found the storytelling lacked the atmospheric depth that typically transports readers to the past. Despite the rich potential of the period setting, I struggled to feel transported back to 1908.
Additionally, and through no fault of the author, the case itself doesn’t quite deliver the dramatic punch true crime readers might expect. Hazel’s death, while officially a murder, seems more likely to have been accidental in nature, with the real crime buried in the cover-up. This subtlety makes for a different kind of mystery, less about whodunit and more about what really happened.
That said, Drake’s meticulous research shines. The book takes the reader down the same rabbit hole the author must have followed, one lined with conflicting stories, lost details, and faded headlines. And in that sense, it succeeds: by the end, I felt as though I’d joined him in the investigation, sifting through the clues and wondering about Hazel’s fate.
More than a hundred years have passed since the body of 20-year-old Hazel Drew was discovered in Teal’s Pond, near the bottom of Taborton Mountain in Sand Lake, New York. Her life cut short by blunt force trauma. In Hazel Was a Good Girl, Drake presents a thoroughly researched account of the young woman’s mysterious death in 1908, pulling from historical records, local folklore, and whatever scraps time has left behind.
Drake’s effort is thoughtful and clearly born of deep dedication, but for me, it fell slightly short of its full potential. As someone who reads a lot of true crime, (including cases from this era) I found the storytelling lacked the atmospheric depth that typically transports readers to the past. Despite the rich potential of the period setting, I struggled to feel transported back to 1908.
Additionally, and through no fault of the author, the case itself doesn’t quite deliver the dramatic punch true crime readers might expect. Hazel’s death, while officially a murder, seems more likely to have been accidental in nature, with the real crime buried in the cover-up. This subtlety makes for a different kind of mystery, less about whodunit and more about what really happened.
That said, Drake’s meticulous research shines. The book takes the reader down the same rabbit hole the author must have followed, one lined with conflicting stories, lost details, and faded headlines. And in that sense, it succeeds: by the end, I felt as though I’d joined him in the investigation, sifting through the clues and wondering about Hazel’s fate.
June 26, 2025
Hazel Drew was a good girl. The tabloids at the time decried her as living a double life, being a sex worker, and even getting an illegal abortion. Jerry Drake has thoroughly disproven those claims, as well as the patently absurd notion that she caused the fatal blow to the back of the head that killed her in a despondent suicidal haze. No, Hazel was a good girl. While the sensationalistic stories were the inspiration behind Twin Peaks and the national fervor to discover who killed Laura Palmer, the story of what happened to Hazel Drew all those years ago is in some ways stranger. Did Drake solve the mystery? He makes a damn fine case for who he thinks did it. Give the book a shot, and share your thoughts. A lot of people out there knew something, and someone out there likely has the smoking gun in a trunk in their attic to this day - just waiting to be found.
Full review and interview with the author forthcoming.
Full review and interview with the author forthcoming.
June 13, 2025
Just finished it! Great read. I was working through it while waiting for medical appointments and on the gym massage chairs to help with my ancient back. I found myself looking for more and more excuses to sit down and read it. This is a true crime book for people who aren't into true crime. It's a study in how to approach an old, old case, cut through the hype generated by decades of self-styled experts, and come to quite reasonable conclusions. Also, it's a fantastic journey into the Gilded Age, which "for reasons" seems to be back in the public consciousness. Anyway, if Hazel Drew has any living family, I hope they invite Jerry to their annual luau or clam digs or whatever it is American folks do every July 4.
July 9, 2025
While I did find this book to be enjoyable overall, it was a bit overly dramatic in the author's perception of the original detective work. It reads a little like a Netflix crime documentary that's dragged on a little longer than it needs to be in order to meet a minimum length.
I did enjoy the history of the city of Troy, NY and the thoroughness of his investigation. It was also interesting to learn about how Twin Peaks got their inspiration off of this case as well. I do think that his theory of the identity of Hazel's killer is the most likely based on the facts presented, but could do without the little supernatural nods he includes. Those cheapen the hard investigative work he's done here in my perspective.
I did enjoy the history of the city of Troy, NY and the thoroughness of his investigation. It was also interesting to learn about how Twin Peaks got their inspiration off of this case as well. I do think that his theory of the identity of Hazel's killer is the most likely based on the facts presented, but could do without the little supernatural nods he includes. Those cheapen the hard investigative work he's done here in my perspective.
December 31, 2024
This was an interesting read, but there was a lot of conjecture within the book. While some of the circumstantial evidence does seem to point in a certain direction, there is not enough to say one way or another for sure.
I was also really mixed on Hazel. Was she truly a good girl, or is that just what the author wants to believe. Again, without concrete evidence, we will never know.
With some proper editing, this book could be very decent. It also needs to have an addendum stating that all views within the book are those of the author.
I was also really mixed on Hazel. Was she truly a good girl, or is that just what the author wants to believe. Again, without concrete evidence, we will never know.
With some proper editing, this book could be very decent. It also needs to have an addendum stating that all views within the book are those of the author.
June 19, 2025
“Hazel Drew for who she really was, not a character, but a daughter, a niece, a sister, a friend, and, at heart, a good girl.”
For 1908, Hazel had a great deal going for her. Unfortunately, I don’t think the author has solved her murder beca there is just too many unknowns and speculations. Hazel will never be forgotten though.
As for the writing of this book, I had a difficult time following the author’s thought process most times. Very disjointed and chaotic for me, jumping around from this to that.
For 1908, Hazel had a great deal going for her. Unfortunately, I don’t think the author has solved her murder beca there is just too many unknowns and speculations. Hazel will never be forgotten though.
As for the writing of this book, I had a difficult time following the author’s thought process most times. Very disjointed and chaotic for me, jumping around from this to that.
June 26, 2025
All you have to hear about Hazel Drew to know what happened to her is that she worked for the upper crust as a domestic in their private homes. It is easy to coclude she was having an affair with one of the powerful men she worked for and thereby came to her demise. We won’t know how, ever. It’s been over 100 years since she died, and there are no witnesses and no evidence remaining. This book didn’t have a lot to go on, but it was a moderately fun read if only to be entertained by the author is insistence on writing an overblown vanity novel. This is not true crime.
January 26, 2025
This book was good if you are a die-hard Twin Peaks fan.
Jerry Drake will tell you not once or twice but about 60 times that Hazel Drew inspired Twin Peaks. However, the murder of Hazel is too old to be solved, and this book just drags a bunch of dead people through the dirt with no hard evidence, just Jerry’s opinions. The book is readable and did a good job of explaining how the murder inspired Twin Peaks but, this wasn’t for me…
Jerry Drake will tell you not once or twice but about 60 times that Hazel Drew inspired Twin Peaks. However, the murder of Hazel is too old to be solved, and this book just drags a bunch of dead people through the dirt with no hard evidence, just Jerry’s opinions. The book is readable and did a good job of explaining how the murder inspired Twin Peaks but, this wasn’t for me…
August 4, 2025
True crime goes full historical here in this account detailing the real life mystery that inspired Twin Peaks, with compelling analysis of the various theories and possible hypotheses of what really happened to Hazel Drew. Never gruesome but intricate and detailed, this is just as much for history buffs who love the early 20th century and the times of Plunkett of Tamany Hall as much as those who want to find out "whodunnit".
October 22, 2025
Honestly, I’m not really a true crime person, but I am a mysteries and ghosts person. I really was enthralled by the book and I actually appreciated the empathy extended to Hazel, as I find the true crime genre at times seems to sensationalize its victims. I felt I finished this book personally affected by her loss, and I do believe - based on the evidence & the way its significance is laid out - that her killer has been identified.
It’s a good story, and a good case.
It’s a good story, and a good case.
April 10, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fine true crime book. It was interesting and well researched (with what research could be done). I just think that maybe there was just not enough "there" there for a full fledged book. I feel there was a lot of speculation in this book.
This was a fine true crime book. It was interesting and well researched (with what research could be done). I just think that maybe there was just not enough "there" there for a full fledged book. I feel there was a lot of speculation in this book.
January 22, 2025
I have read the other book about Hazel Drew's murder, Murder at Teal's Pond, I think this book was more readable and did a better job of explaining how the murder inspired Twin Peaks. I received an ARC of this work from Netgalley for my honest review.
November 17, 2025
I regretfully could not get through this book. The writing was terrible. It was filled with unnecessary information that dragged the story down. Life is too short filled with amazing books to settle for dull.
January 24, 2025
amateur hour
October 4, 2025
not my usual genre but I enjoyed reading about some local history
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