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Dead Move: Kate Morgan & the Haunting Mystery of Coronado
Dead Move is a compelling, but detailed, scholarly analysis, of a famous San Diego/Coronado cold case that has baffled investigators for over a century.
John T. Cullen has published two books about this true story. For a rousing, 1892 noirish period thriller, based on this true story, please see the novel (fiction) Lethal Journey.
For a compelling, detailed read that challenges the reader’s puzzle-solving interest, read this book--Dead Move: Kate Morgan and the Haunting Mystery of Coronado (over 120 end notes). Most of the detail comes from a combination of the hotel Heritage Department’s official book about the ghost and her demise, and the author’s own original research. Most readers will be content to race through the gripping, atmospheric period thriller that is Lethal Journey. Some readers will be compelled by curiosity to dig deeper, and follow John T. Cullen’s painstaking scholarly analysis in Dead Move.
It was a story of love and betrayal, of twisted motives and crime gone wrong. It had far-reaching implications nationally. But it was far more. It was that grand Victorian classic came to life, over which so many great authors and painters labored ceaselessly—the Fallen Angel, a woman of inner purity and goodness, laid low because of callous people in an evil world. The fictional ideal is probably best remembered in Thomas Hardy’s Tess D’Urberville. But the dead beauty in San Diego was that Fallen Angel in life and death, and millions mourned her around the nation.
Her death was a rousing 1892 crime story, and it has become one of America’s premier ghost stories. Known as ‘the Beautiful Stranger,’ she is the ghost who haunts the U.S. National Landmark Hotel del Coronado to this very day.
The story instantly mushroomed into a national scandal in November 1892. It was filled with rumors of sexual liaisons and misbehavior involving men in the highest orders of society. The real truth, revealed by the author, is even more remarkable, since loose ends at the periphery actually lead to the White House, to the court of Queen Victoria, and to the Iolani Palace in Honolulu.
This scholarly analysis investigates a baffling cold case that has puzzled investigators for well over a century. It was the most stunning and scandalous story of 1892, causing a national sensation in the Yellow Press, when it broke from coast to coast. Daily, even hourly dispatches were sent breathlessly, via telegraph—the Internet of its day—from San Diego to newspapers around the country.
A young woman of remarkable poise and beauty checked into the fabulous Hotel del Coronado resort near San Diego, under a false name, and died inexplicably. She waited for an even more mysterious man who never did show up. In five days, she turned from a vibrant and healthy beauty into a trembling soul who could barely walk. On the night of a thundering sea storm, she died violently by the beach stairs. Did she commit suicide in despair over a love affair gone bad, or was she murdered? It must be one of the two, and either case has strong, possible reasons. Some parts of the legend say her husband, Tom Morgan, a gambler and a murderer, did away with her. The coverup angle poses yet more possibilities. One thing the author demonstrates with convincing clarity: she was not just a poor young woman at the end of her rope. She was part of a conspiracy that is clarified in this book.
For nearly two weeks, her body lay on display in a San Diego mortuary, a morbid Victorian spectacle for thousands to view. Hour by hour, the press reported new, stunning, contradictory details that have not been resolved even today. Her proposed identity changed almost daily as puzzled police across the nation searched for her brother, her doctor, her husband, her lover...to no avail.
Her story rubs elbows with kings, queens, tycoons, presidents, and other high and mighty. Her dark shadow haunts the hotel even today.
For the record, a story like this naturally attracts lurid and baseless speculation. Books and the Internet continue to relate versions at best garbled, all all too often simply untrue. The author recommends only two publications on the subject. Both are responsible nonfiction books of a scholarly (but entertaining and readable) nature: the author’s own Dead Move (print and digital), and the hotel’s official Heritage Department print book, titled Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Hotel del Coronado.
John T. Cullen has published two books about this true story. For a rousing, 1892 noirish period thriller, based on this true story, please see the novel (fiction) Lethal Journey.
For a compelling, detailed read that challenges the reader’s puzzle-solving interest, read this book--Dead Move: Kate Morgan and the Haunting Mystery of Coronado (over 120 end notes). Most of the detail comes from a combination of the hotel Heritage Department’s official book about the ghost and her demise, and the author’s own original research. Most readers will be content to race through the gripping, atmospheric period thriller that is Lethal Journey. Some readers will be compelled by curiosity to dig deeper, and follow John T. Cullen’s painstaking scholarly analysis in Dead Move.
It was a story of love and betrayal, of twisted motives and crime gone wrong. It had far-reaching implications nationally. But it was far more. It was that grand Victorian classic came to life, over which so many great authors and painters labored ceaselessly—the Fallen Angel, a woman of inner purity and goodness, laid low because of callous people in an evil world. The fictional ideal is probably best remembered in Thomas Hardy’s Tess D’Urberville. But the dead beauty in San Diego was that Fallen Angel in life and death, and millions mourned her around the nation.
Her death was a rousing 1892 crime story, and it has become one of America’s premier ghost stories. Known as ‘the Beautiful Stranger,’ she is the ghost who haunts the U.S. National Landmark Hotel del Coronado to this very day.
The story instantly mushroomed into a national scandal in November 1892. It was filled with rumors of sexual liaisons and misbehavior involving men in the highest orders of society. The real truth, revealed by the author, is even more remarkable, since loose ends at the periphery actually lead to the White House, to the court of Queen Victoria, and to the Iolani Palace in Honolulu.
This scholarly analysis investigates a baffling cold case that has puzzled investigators for well over a century. It was the most stunning and scandalous story of 1892, causing a national sensation in the Yellow Press, when it broke from coast to coast. Daily, even hourly dispatches were sent breathlessly, via telegraph—the Internet of its day—from San Diego to newspapers around the country.
A young woman of remarkable poise and beauty checked into the fabulous Hotel del Coronado resort near San Diego, under a false name, and died inexplicably. She waited for an even more mysterious man who never did show up. In five days, she turned from a vibrant and healthy beauty into a trembling soul who could barely walk. On the night of a thundering sea storm, she died violently by the beach stairs. Did she commit suicide in despair over a love affair gone bad, or was she murdered? It must be one of the two, and either case has strong, possible reasons. Some parts of the legend say her husband, Tom Morgan, a gambler and a murderer, did away with her. The coverup angle poses yet more possibilities. One thing the author demonstrates with convincing clarity: she was not just a poor young woman at the end of her rope. She was part of a conspiracy that is clarified in this book.
For nearly two weeks, her body lay on display in a San Diego mortuary, a morbid Victorian spectacle for thousands to view. Hour by hour, the press reported new, stunning, contradictory details that have not been resolved even today. Her proposed identity changed almost daily as puzzled police across the nation searched for her brother, her doctor, her husband, her lover...to no avail.
Her story rubs elbows with kings, queens, tycoons, presidents, and other high and mighty. Her dark shadow haunts the hotel even today.
For the record, a story like this naturally attracts lurid and baseless speculation. Books and the Internet continue to relate versions at best garbled, all all too often simply untrue. The author recommends only two publications on the subject. Both are responsible nonfiction books of a scholarly (but entertaining and readable) nature: the author’s own Dead Move (print and digital), and the hotel’s official Heritage Department print book, titled Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Hotel del Coronado.
212 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2007
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41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 14, 2021
Overall an interesting book about the Del and the woman who supposedly haunts it. Had many shortcomings though; the authors theory is never really proven to any extent, he continuously states that he's solved the mystery and then he doesn't.
There are some inconsistencies as well that, in a non-fiction work are troubling. One that jumped out was the last time anyone in the hotel saw Kate before she was discovered dead. First the author states that an employee saw her on a balcony watching the approaching storm with other guests at around 6:30 pm. Then she was at the front desk at around 8:30 pm and, states the author, this was the last time anyone saw her alive. Just one page later he again mentions her being seen on the balcony but now the time is given at around 9 pm...?
Another error; in discussing the amount of money she had in her possession and an amount that was going to be wired to the hotel to pay her expenses the author translates the sums into 21st century money and while both sums are very similar ($20 and $25) the authors estimates of their value now is very different to the tune of over $100 dollars.
Errors like this make me wonder what other things in the book are wrong. The time when Kate was last seen alive is especially important, that mistake is very troubling.
Overall the book is worth a read if you're interested in this subject though. I've been to the Del though I've never stayed there and I've always been interested in this story. This book does contain a lot of historical information and while the writing style is a bit over the top it's an easy book to get through. Don't expect an solution to the mystery though because it's not here.
There are some inconsistencies as well that, in a non-fiction work are troubling. One that jumped out was the last time anyone in the hotel saw Kate before she was discovered dead. First the author states that an employee saw her on a balcony watching the approaching storm with other guests at around 6:30 pm. Then she was at the front desk at around 8:30 pm and, states the author, this was the last time anyone saw her alive. Just one page later he again mentions her being seen on the balcony but now the time is given at around 9 pm...?
Another error; in discussing the amount of money she had in her possession and an amount that was going to be wired to the hotel to pay her expenses the author translates the sums into 21st century money and while both sums are very similar ($20 and $25) the authors estimates of their value now is very different to the tune of over $100 dollars.
Errors like this make me wonder what other things in the book are wrong. The time when Kate was last seen alive is especially important, that mistake is very troubling.
Overall the book is worth a read if you're interested in this subject though. I've been to the Del though I've never stayed there and I've always been interested in this story. This book does contain a lot of historical information and while the writing style is a bit over the top it's an easy book to get through. Don't expect an solution to the mystery though because it's not here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2020
Would I recommend this as a novel or even a historical dramatization? No.
However, as a bit of local lore, involving our neighborhood ghost here on the island at the Hotel Del Coronado, I enjoyed the local tie-in. The writing was engaging, if a bit over-the-top (which works with this noir type novel). It was a quick read. However, there were scenes that were unnecessarily pornographic. Once we got to the second half of the novel though, those disappeared.
The author has done his own research and has his own view of who the ghost is in the Hotel Del and the events that led to her death in Coronado. Fun as a local read.
However, as a bit of local lore, involving our neighborhood ghost here on the island at the Hotel Del Coronado, I enjoyed the local tie-in. The writing was engaging, if a bit over-the-top (which works with this noir type novel). It was a quick read. However, there were scenes that were unnecessarily pornographic. Once we got to the second half of the novel though, those disappeared.
The author has done his own research and has his own view of who the ghost is in the Hotel Del and the events that led to her death in Coronado. Fun as a local read.
August 12, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book. Dead Move has a lot of redundancies. Which drove me a little bit crazy. You basically memorize the facts. I really enjoyed the historical information. John T. Cullen really put a lot into the end notes and his story line. I'm going to look up the history behind the story. I believe his story. I'm from San Diego. I worked in the flower shop at the Hotel Del Coranado. I never saw any ghosts. I can see where John Spreckle's wouldn't want his family knowing what had happened. It's pretty hard to solve a murder/suicide mystery from 1892 in the present day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2019
Lots of questions
This book is very history loaded, a little too much for me. I am fascinated with the story of the Beautiful Stranger. This book left me utterly confused. There is no smoking gun. This book brought up a lot of great points. Unfortunately, I am even more confused though.
This book is very history loaded, a little too much for me. I am fascinated with the story of the Beautiful Stranger. This book left me utterly confused. There is no smoking gun. This book brought up a lot of great points. Unfortunately, I am even more confused though.
March 19, 2023
I thought this was going to be more about the haunting of the Del. I found this to be very poorly written, and extremely repetitive.
July 12, 2016
As my husband and I stayed at the Del, I can attest to the fact that it is, indeed, haunted. We stayed in the room next to 3327 and my husband, who never believed in the supernatural, was rattled to his core. This book delves deeper into the mystery of Kate and Lizzie. It's a must read for history and supernatural buffs.
August 3, 2012
A fun look at the Hotel Del Coronado ghost story but the author spends most of the book repeating the same hypothesis without much supporting evidence. Also some offensive portrayl of women as sex crazed and hormonal.
January 6, 2012
This was actually about a another ghost in San Diego, California
February 7, 2017
Love history and ghost sightings!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews