ODD COUPLE: Pat Clark, of Palermo, snapped this photo of a rose breasted grosbeak and an indigo bunting together at the feeder.
ORANGE AND BLACK…: but not a Baltimore Oriole, is what Diane Rawson, of China, photographed in June.
SOAKING IN THE SUN: That was what this pine warbler was doing when Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, photographed it.
by Roland D. HalleeYou catch a fast-moving, swooping bird navigate through the thick forest of trees. It looks more like a shadow. What was that? It lands on the trunk of a nearby tree, and begins a slow, rolling whacking sound against the bark of that dead tree. You look closer, it’s a pileated woodpecker.
Although very common in the eastern United States, it can sometimes be quite elusive. You don’t generally see them often, because they prefer the protection of dense deciduous or coniferous forests.
Pileated woodpecker photographed by Michael Bilinsky, of China Village.
The pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus, lives in Canada from British Columbia east to Nova Scotia. It can be found in most areas of the eastern United States, and west from Washington state south to California and east to Idaho and North Dakota.
Their numbers have increased from 1966 to 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding popultion of 1.9 million with 67 percent living in the U.S. and 33 percent in Canada.
The reason for the subject of this bird this week is the numerous photos that readers have been sending to this newspaper.
I have seen several of these birds around camp, and even saw one, once, sitting on an apple tree stump in my backyard, in the middle of Waterville.
The pileated woodpecker is one of the biggest forest birds on the continent. It is close in size to the crow.
A pair of Pileated woodpeckers photographed by Pat Clark, of Palermo.
They drill distinctive retangular-shaped holes in rotten wood to get at carpenter ants and other insects. They are loud with whinnying calls. They also drum on dead trees. There flight is undulated (a bounding motion) as opposed to other birds straight flight paths.
Besides carpenter ants, pileated woodpeckers like woodboring beetle larvae, termites and other insects such as flies, spruce budworm, caterpillars, cockroaches and grasshoppers. They will also eat wild fruits and nuts. However, ants comprise 40 percent of their diet. Occasionally, you will find a pileated woodpecker at backyard feeders for seeds or suet.
Building a nest is quite a construction project that can last up to six weeks. The male begins excavating the nest cavity and does most of the work. The entrance hole is oblong rather than the circular shape of most woodpecker holes. For the finishing touches, the bird climbs all the way into the hole and chips away at it from the inside. The female begins to contribute as the nest nears completion. The cavity depth can be from 10 to 24 inches.
Of course, then you have the disagreement on how to pronounce the name. Well, in actuality, it can be pronounced two ways. You can use he soft “i” as in pill-ee-ated, or the hard “i” in pile-ee-ated. So, now we should have no arguments about that subject.
Pileated woodpeckers photographed by John Brown, of Waterville.
Many people, though, confuse the pileated woodpecker with the ivory-billed woodpecker. The ivory-billed woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America, other than the imperial woodpecker of Mexico, which is feared to be extinct. The pileated is the second largest. Because of habitat destruction and, to a lesser extent, hunting, the numbers of ivory-billed woodpeckers, Campephilus principalis, have dwindled to the point where it is uncertain whether any remain, though there have been reports that they have been seen again, in Florida and Arkansas, although nothing has been substantiated. According to various sources, including the Cornell University Lab on Ornithology, almost no forests today can maintain an ivory-billed woodpecker population. Ivory-billed woodpeckers were most prominent in the southeastern U.S.
So, if you see that large woodpecker in Maine woods, you are most probably seeing a pileated woodpecker.
by Katie OuiletteWell, here you are! Yes, your accolades to Karen Lambke for doing such a superb job in making the Kneading Conference and Bread Fair so successful again this year, and certainly the many who attended the Run of River’s many activities deserve so many thanks for the organizing and hard work to bring fun to the many who attended. Speaking of ‘attending,’ many thanks to the many supporters, as well.
Next, we shall welcome those who have planned another Skowhegan State Fair for us. Imagine it, faithful readers, our Skowhegan State Fair is the oldest continually operating fair in our U.S.A.! WALLS, much has changed over the years with our wonderful fair. Goodness, I remember when women and little girls got all dressed up and the men wore their Fedora hats. What’s more, the walk through the Exhibition Hall brought new and exciting things for folks to learn about, as they met friends and talked-the-talk during the walk. Those were also the days of fish swimming in the water that had been prepared for them under the grandstand. Oh, yes, the ‘back gate’ became a reality as we drove past the sign for Joe and Katherine Cayoette’s Somerset Motor Lodge, The Roxiettes danced to entertain and the Banana Man did likewise every night. Yes, and we had fireworks after each night show. WALLS, have you ever wondered why those animals kept their cool and didn’t stampede through it all? Oh, yes, the horses will race, but only at night, this year! Well, as Judy Garland once sang: “Hi-ho, come to the fair.” Oh, lest you forget, WALLS, the Allan Karns Building is now showing floral displays….but, when we were young, we could ride by or bike past the magnificent display of gladiolas that Allan planted on Greenwood Avenue, in Skowhegan.
Y’know, WALLS, you made some promises to Vi Ferland, of the Skowhegan Garden Club, and you should tell folks about it. Yes, yes, when she was asked how to ‘let folks know,’ she quickly told them about WALLS.
First, Vi told you about Amanda Black’s creating a beautiful wedding spot for those who prefer to plan an outdoor event. She is a hair stylist, but she and her husband have purchased a home on Norridgewock Avenue, in Skowhegan, and hope they will have many brides-to-be calling them with a preferred wedding date. They have also done over the historic barn, in case the couple prefers to not worry about our ‘sometimes’ unpredictable weather.
Secondly, Vi told you about the Skowhegan Garden Club’s planting a tree in honor of Charlotte Tripp, at Coburn Park, on August 16. 10 a.m. is the gathering time. Yes, Vi told of the many good deeds that Charlotte did when a member of the garden club, and that ‘doing good for people young and old’ was her life’s work. And WALLS adds (Surprise to Vi and Edna) that Edna Marshall and Vi Ferland are the ‘eldest’ members of the Skowhegan Garden Club. Y’all invited!
In ‘signing off’ for this issue of The Town Line……….we hear about ‘older’ folks, but we are truly lucky to have folks who remember the goodness of days past.
by Peter CatesA Mighty Wind – starring Bob Balaban, Parker Posey, Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard, Christopher Guest, etc.; directed by Christopher Guest; Warner Borthers, DVD, 2003, 92 minutes.
A Mighty Wind
A very good comedy.
A Mighty Wind is a satire or mockumentary, done in the style of a real documentary, on the folk music business as it transpired during its major heyday between roughly 1957 and 1968. The story details the efforts of the son of a recently deceased record producer/ impresario to re-unite the three leading groups whose careers flourished during the previously mentioned period under the old man, for a live concert, to be broadcast by a public TV network across the nation. The two reasons are a memorial concert and the earlier mentioned 40th anniversary reunion.
The three groups are patterned after such ensembles as the Kingston Trio, the Limelighters, the Mitchell Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, and the New Christy Minstrels. The songs were composed for the film, sound much like the folk music of the earlier groups but are still first class and very enjoyable, instead of merely derivative. In documentary style, the interviews, flashbacks, rehearsals and other so-called background material ring true with context.
I have viewed the film several times, mainly because it is hilarious. And that is the main reason I highly recommend this dvd.
Franz Haydn
Haydn String Quartets, Opus 77, No. 2 and Opus 103 – the Schneider Quartet; The Haydn Society, Inc.- HSQ-38, 12-inch LP, recorded early ‘50s.
A beautifully played pair of Haydn Quartets.
In addition to composing 104 symphonies and piles of piano sonatas, masses, oratorios, operas, songs, and pieces for other combinations, Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) left upwards of 82 string quartets, each of which is reputedly musically charming for both listening and background purposes. During the very early ‘50s, the Haydn Society record label in Boston was established for the exclusive purpose of recording as much of his music as possible, with most of the works appearing on lp for the first time.
The Schneider Quartet was engaged to tape as many of the quartets as possible but, after 53 were completed, the label ran out of money. It was, in the opinion of myself and others, the finest foursome to have done these works and has been rarely equalled in the 60 or more years since, although some formidable groups have emerged, the Hagen Quartet from the ‘80s being a personal favorite. The players – leader and first violinist Alexander Schneider, second violinist Isidore Cohen, violist Karen Tuttle and cellist Madeline Foley – poured such passion, heart-stopping beauty, and searing virtuosity into every note.
During the last year, a set of 15 CDs has made available all of the LPs in this series and it is listed with various Internet vendors.
by Milt HuntingtonFifty percent of the many responses I received from my newspaper articles come from senior citizens over 65 years of age. I know this for a fact because one of them told me so. Both responders agreed that they love all the mushy stuff from years gone by.
So, let us reminisce. Flipping back through the dog-eared pages of time, I found a piece about the home front in World War II. I told of air raid wardens, rationing of butter and gas, patriotic movies and buying savings stamps at school. Yes, there were no bananas, and we ate sherbet instead of ice cream. Contributing to the war effort by helping mother squish red dye into white margarine to make it yellow was a genuine source of pride.
Growing up in Augusta was a priceless chunk of my young life, so I described the beauty of early Western Avenue and the bustle of Downtown Water Street. Western Avenue was lined with shade trees back in the good old days, and it had a skating pond. It didn’t have a federal building or a shopping mall. You could actually cross the street without taking your life in your hands. Heck, you could even watch soap box derbies there or ride down the hill on your bike with your feet on the handlebars.
There was no traffic circle at the bottom of Western Avenue – just the intersections of State Street, Grove Street and Grove Street Extension. There was, however, an elegant yellow brick building – The Augusta House. The historic old meeting place played host to the rich and famous and was the site where many legislative measures were lobbied to death but often revived by mouth-to-ear resuscitation. Gone now – all gone.
To our young eyes, Water Street was the Broadway of the Capital City. There were Class “A” movies at the Colonial Theater featuring musicals with new Technicolor technology. The Capital Theater drew us in with the Class “B” westerns, vaudeville and cliff-hanging serials. The names of a lot of the flicks are beginning to fade from memory, but I remember well, and always will, the nickel candy bars, the Ju-Jy fruits and buttered popcorn. I also remember the 11-cent price of admission.
Thoughts of the old American Legion building by the little park stir memories of teen-age dances, football on the lawn, post-war suppers and playing pool with friends in that old front room. Those, indeed, were the good old days.
Still there at the top of Rines Hill is the Hartford Fire Station with all of its history and its bellowing 9 o’clock whistle. The beautiful train station at the bottom of the hill was replaced by a parking lot. Arlene’s Bakery and the aroma of doughnuts and pastries is still a tantalizing memory. You can’t get your shoes repaired or shined anymore at Turcotte’s.
The shop is long gone along with Augusta’s shoe factories – R.P. Hazzard and Taylor Shoe.
You want to talk about change? Just take a look at Bangor Street. Whatever became of Hussey Hardware, Doc’s Lunch, Mike’s Lunch, Williams School, The A&P, Charlie’s Market and the Esso gasoline station?
I can still remember, with delight, the taste of a good steak at Hazel Green’s, a shrimp scampi at Al Biondi’s 89 Winthrop or First Tee on Water Street. I remember well how great the meals were at Ray Lammer’s Pioneer House. Nobody served up cheeseburgers like John McAuley did at his place on Outer Western Avenue. Then, of course, we salivated over the fare at the Roseland Restaurant on the Waterville Road and McNamara’s in Winthrop. The beer was also pretty good over a hamburger and fries at the Oxbow hangout in Winthrop.
Don’t even get me started about Island Park. Suffice it to say, the memories are many. All I need to resuscitate recollections of your own is to casually mention the revolving ball that left colorful squares on the dance floor below and the 21 Club that got us high on a bottle of beer. It was the site of my first date with the girl that I married.
For the beer drinkers in the crowd, I would be remiss in failing to mention Ray’s Dine and Dance in the lower end of Water Street and Duffy’s Tavern on the Bond Brook Road. Don’t talk to me about inflation. I remember when “dimies” went to 20 cents a glass. In some of those places and in most cafeterias, juke boxes were mounted on the walls over the tables. For the drop of a nickel, you could listen to Sinatra, the Chairman of the Board; Mel Torme, The Velvet Fog; Vaughn Monroe, Frankie Laine, Perry Como, Patti Page, Jo Stafford, Joni James and Doris Day. If you’ve read this far, you can easily recall the names of all the others who helped promote romances of the teenage years.
OK! That’s it for now. I’m beginning to tear up. I just hope that all my fans, (both of them), will think back on all the things that they remember if I’ve been successful in jump starting their memories again.
Milt Huntington is the author of A Lifetime of Laughter and Things That Make You Grin.
by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercyGood morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!
The 7th annual barbeque to support the Kennebec River Picnic Area on Wednesday, August 17, at the Kennebec Banks Picnic Area on Route 2 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
As many of you know the state of Maine is no longer maintaining the Route 2 picnic area. The trustees of Somerset Woods stepped up to protect this important and historic community asset. This fundraiser is to help raise funds for SWT’s ontinued maintenance. You can purchase a ticket at the event for only $5 and get a great lunch provided by the trustees.You will be served either a hamburger, chips and drink or two hotdogs, chips and drink.
For more information you may contact Jack Gibson at 474-0057, Davida Barter at 474-3324, or Greg Dore at 431-5021.
Lief and I joined several members of the Franklin County Aircraft Modelers at the Carrabassett Valley Summerfest – Display and Demo Flights at the airport on Saturday. It was a perfectly beautiful, clear day but a breeze came up after a little while which made it rather hard to fly some of the model planes…but some of the more experienced flyers gave some great breathtaking examples of their talents. There were several small real planes at the airport that day, and they were taking off and landing also, which we all enjoyed. There was also much visting and talk of flying their model planes which I find fun to listen to. At noon, member Dick LeHay cooked hot dogs with buns and all the fixings, and chips in one of the sections at the airport. It was very tasty and a fun day.
On Sunday, Lief and I retraced our steps up to Eustis to the little replica of the church in Flagstaff for the annual Old Home Days service. Each year there are a few missing former residents who have died . Was very pleased that my class mate, Isabelle (Burbank) Millbank was there. Betty Wing who lived in Flagstaff, was there and Nancy McLean who lived in Dead River came up from Embden to attend. It is always a great joy for me to sit on the old, old pews, sing the hymns from the old Flagstaff Church hymn books and remember walking the half mile to the little church in my days of youth. There was no way of heating the building, so in the winter time we worshiped in the gym of the school house.
Now for Percy’s memoir: “Not what we have, but what we use: Not what we see, but what we choose – These are the things that mar or bless The sum of human happiness.”
TIME TO GO HOME: Tina Richard, of Clinton, photographed the release of a young eagle near the dam, in Benton.
THIS WAY, KIDS: Michael Bilinski, of China Village, snapped this mother duck with her one-day old ducklings..
CRASHING THE PARTY: Emily Poulin, of China, caught this grackle eating at a feeder this past spring, without a reservation.
I had a differet subject in mind for my column this week, but circumstances over the weekend have changed my mind and peaked my interest. I also received an education.
Sitting with friends around a camp fire on Friday night, one of the neighbors said, that while kayaking that afternoon, she had seen a Golden eagle. I immediately chimed in that they were an endangered species, and were not known to exist in Maine (according to something I had read years ago).
The following day, while taking a boat ride around Webber Pond with some dear friends who are year-round residents on the pond, he asked if we had seen the Golden eagles. That did it.
Was it possible for Golden eagles to exist on Webber Pond. My friend went on to say he had witnessed them on the ice during the winter, actually devouring some fish that had been left on the ice by fishermen.
In this presentation at the Gidwitz Field Museum, Hall of Birds, in Chicago, Illinois, a golden eagle, left, and bald eagle are appropriately displayed.
To prove his point, he steered the party boat toward the west shore of Webber Pond, where, high in the top of a tree, was this large nest, occupied by some rather large birds. We were not able to discern what was occupying the nest from that distance. Bald eagles were circling in the area. I was still not sold.
Well, research taught me that Golden eagles, one of the largest and fastest of raptors in North America, do exist in Maine, although a rarity, mainly to the west and north of Moosehead Lake. So, now are they moving east in our state?
Golden eagles, Equila chrysaetos, can be found throughout the northern hemisphere. A large population exists in the western Rockies and north into Alaska. In the east, a small breeding population occurs in Maine, Labrador and Québec Province, although its range is greatly reduced from its former extent down the Appalachians to North Carolina.
According to Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, Golden eagle populations appear to have been stable between 1966 and 2014. Partners in Flight estimates their global breeding population to be 300,000, with 35 percent spending some part of the year in the U.S.
Golden eagles are listed as an endangered species in Maine. The decline in their numbers is directly attributed to environmental contaminants, especially DDT, that caused reproductive impairment during the post World War II era. Although these contaminants are now banned, they still persist in the birds’ bodies. Maine’s golden eagles depend heavily on wading birds as prey, which had high levels of contaminants. Five dead golden eagles have been found since 1985. Golden eagle eggs recovered from a nest in 1996 showed high levels of DDE, a variant of DDT.
Golden eagle populations have declined in the east throughout the 20th century, and were extirpated 20-40 years ago in the eastern states. Only 10 nesting territories have been documented with certainty, but at least 18 more locations are suspected. Six successful nesting attempts were recorded at three Maine eyries [nests of birds of prey] from 1955-1967. Goldens disappeared from Oxford, Franklin and Somerset counties during the 1980s. The last known nesting pair in Maine existed until 1999, then disappeared completely. That pair was heavily contaminanted and had not produced young since 1986.
Today, Golden eagles can fall prey to collisions with automobiles, wind turbines, and other structures or from electrocution at power poles. Urbanization, agricultural development and changes in wildfire regimes have compromised nesting and hunting grounds.
There have been sporadic sightings of Golden eagles in recent years, and it is hoped that individual eagles from Canada may be moving into previously unoccupied eyries. Counts at hawk watch sites seem to indicate the Eastern population is slowly recovering.
Adults may live 15 – 20 years in the wild, although they have been known to live 46 years in captivity. The oldest recorded Golden eagle in the wild was at least 31 years, 8 months old when it was found in Utah in 2012.
Once I was almost convinced the two friends thought they had seen golden eagles, I asked if they had misidentified immature bald eagles, which resemble each other. Both told me the birds they saw were much larger than bald eagles. My skepticism continues. Golden eagle wingspans can extend up to six feet, with a 40-inch body, and can weigh 8 – 13 pounds. Bald eagles have a body length of up to 40 inches, with wingspans of 6 – 7.5 feet, and a body weight of between 6.5 – 14 pounds. Many sources say the bald eagle has sometimes been considered the largest true raptor in North America, outsizing the Golden eagle.
Golden eagles are uniformly brown throughout their lives. They get their name from amber or golden highlights on the head and neck. Golden eagles have shorter hawk-like bills, their lower legs are feathered to the ankles, and they soar with slightly uplifted wings, whereas a bald eagle flies with its wings stretched straight out so you can see their “fingers.” Golden eagles remain with the same mate for life. The female is larger than the male, otherwise, they look identical.
Sightseers and photographers should stay away from the nest during the nesting season, which is February through August. Like bald eagles, golden eagles are disturbed by human activities near the nests. Humans should avoid the nests during the nesting period.
Wintering areas for Maine golden eagles can stretch to the Maritime Provinces, depending on the availability of food. Their normal diet consists of ground squirrels, marmots, ptarmigan and seabirds.
My goal, at this point, is to photograph these “Golden eagles” before the summer ends, to correctly identify them as such. From a distance, of course.
Be careful what you wish for.
The other night, while watching a Red Sox game, the Sox were down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, Xander Bogaerts singled, bringing up David Ortiz. I said, “Come on, Ortiz, end it right here!” He did, grounding into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game. I meant for him to hit a two-run homer for the walk-off win. Sox lost. Be careful what you wish for.
Do you remember when “everyone was having their colors done”? You know, were you summer, winter, spring, etc. It was rather a big deal for a while. It was probably when I was still going by the standard rule book for big woman of wearing black, brown and navy.
I don’t really remember when exactly I decided to burn that book, but believe me it’s not in my library anymore.
The latest “styles” and “colors” for the year aren’t of much interest to me either. Fortunately, for me I am an Amazon woman and the clothing manufacturers are still trying to figure us out, not that I’d pay attention anyway.
I can’t say that I actually remember when I decided to break the rules but at some point I did. I decided that with my size people could see me coming anyway, might as well give them some happy colors! Now usually my colors get to them before I do! Between the clothing colors and my matching big gaudy earrings and watches, and ohhh thank whoever came up with those wonderful crocs (I wear knock offs) in all the wild colors. They help complete me and are so comfortable on my big, bunion cursed feet!
It would be hard for some people to believe that for a lot of years I was very shy. I didn’t want to stand out in a crowd; I preferred blending into the walls whenever possible. Walking down a street I’d be looking at my feet, never looking to see anyone’s face. Luckily for me a friend, Patsy, came into my life who really started working on me. “Pick your head up! Stand up straight! Pick your head up!” Bet she wishes she had a dollar for every time she said that!
I’ve been going down a few rabbit trails here before getting to my big point!
Recently my “half the size of me” daughter-in-law made the comment that she wears a lot of black to hide her imperfections.” Imperfections, oh please, I should be so imperfect!
Now if my brother Blake was still alive I could call him to ask how to spell: apithany – epiphany, he was always having them but I believe it means something like an amazing wakening to something. When Laurie said she wears black to hide her imperfections I realized that I wear colors for the same reason. I wear the colors so people will look at the colors and not pay attention to my imperfections!
I know people have to wear the colors and styles they are comfortable in, that’s the important thing. My mom said a while ago, “I must be boring; my closet is full of tan and browns.” Well not anymore! She’s a red hat lady now and somehow besides the red and purple, a whole lot of colors have snuck into her closet. Mom looks absolutely beautiful in colors, like a flower that has blossomed.
If this article sneaks into that little corner of your mind where you mull things over I’d like to add that I think Color and Attitude are related.
You can reach me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com Sub line Colors.
In the meantime I’ll just stay curious.
P.S. This is going to be one where mom says, “That girl has way too much time on her hands.”
by Peter CatesDvorak Cello Concerto: two different renditions. A. Anja Thauer, cellist, with Zdenek Macal conducting the Czech Philharmonic; Australian Eloquence, CD, recorded 1968.
Anja Thauer
Anja Thauer (1945-1973) was an extraordinarily talented cellist who left only two LPs, one of the Dvorak and another containing short works by Max Reger and Jean Francaix; all three are included on this one CD.
The Dvorak is considered by many, including myself, to be the most beautiful cello concerto ever composed. It has had numerous very fine recordings by just about every player in the profession since the earliest ‘20s and ‘30s breakable 78s by Emannuel Feuermann and Pablo Casals. I own a number of prized ones – Leonard Rose, Mstislav Rostropovich – six times, Anne Gustinel, Gregor Piatagorsky – twice, Edmund Kurz, Pierre Fournier – twice, Maurice Gendron, Zara Nelsova, Andre Navarra, Lyn Harrell – twice, Casals, Feuermann, Yo Yo Ma, Enrico Mainardi, etc.
Thauer delivered a most extraordinarily beautiful performance, one of the top three or four, while Macal provided powerful, rugged support. Her accomplished playing of the Max Reger searing Suite in A Minor and the Jean Francaix charming Fantasy for Cello and Piano, with the composer at the piano, add up to a generously filled cd very much in print.
Thauer committed suicide at the age of 28 after the breakup of an affair with a doctor who later did the same.
B. Andre Navarra, cellist, with Rudolf Schwarz conducting the New Symphony Orchestra of London; Capitol P-8301, mono LP, recorded approximately mid-to-late ‘50s.
André Navarra
Anja Thauer’s principal teacher was the French born Andre Navarra (1916-1993). Therefore I decided to pair these two different performances of the Dvorak. And now I am finding the comparison experience most enjoyable and enlightening.
Navarra had a similar elegant and enlivening style of playing to Thauer’s in which every note is given the most expressive feeling that is appropriate. But he and Maestro Schwarz use faster tempos, while Navarra is more flamboyant and pours on the fireworks in a most colorful, brisk manner. Still, I wouldn’t be without either recording.
The LP is long out of print but the performance was reissued on a Testament CD that may be still available through Amazon and its vendors.
A compellingly creepy thriller of a novel.
Lisa Miscione – Smoke; St. Martin’s Press, 2005.
Lisa Miscione
The main character, Lydia, is an author of true crime books, while her husband, Jeffrey is a licensed P.I. A former writing student of Lydia’s has disappeared while trying to investigate the suicide of her brother, thus intriguing the couple enough to get interested. The trail eventually leads to a New Age church which focusses on addiction problems in a most unorthodox and, unfortunately, ominous manner with tentacles everywhere.
I bought this at a yard sale because of an attention getting blurb on the front cover by a favorite writer, Lee Child. Highly recommended.