10 Mind-Bending Novels That Ask

"What If Things Happened Differently?"

For those who aren’t familiar with the “alternate history” genre, think of it as fiction that explores what might have happened if certain historical events, figures, etc., had been different. As conjecture based upon historical fact, alternate history stories offer scenarios about crucial events in human history, and then present outcomes very different from the historical record. Since the 1950s, it also has served as a subgenre of science fiction, featuring the tropes of time travel between histories, the psychic awareness of the existence of an alternative universe, and time travel that divides history into various timestreams. A classic example would be MacKinlay Kantor’s 1961 novel If The South Had Won the Civil War, written in the manner of a history text published in the alternate reality of the early '60s and describing the development of the confederacy over the past century. A more recent instance would be (spoiler alert) Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood [or, for that matter, his 2009 movie Inglorious Basterds, pictured.] Of course, there’s always debate about what actually counts as an historical event, and what exactly does “different” mean? In any event, Publishers Weekly’s Sylvain Neuvel compiled a list of ten very different books, old and new, that mess with the past in unique and interesting ways.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Role In

One Of History's Most Famous Hoaxes

Over a century ago, two English schoolgirls played a practical joke on their parents that became an international sensation, thanks in part to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—the creator of Sherlock Holmes. In 1917, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright were cousins who lived in the village of Cottingley in West Yorkshire. One wet and muddy afternoon they returned to their respective mothers, who soundly scolded them for spoiling their clothes. Feeling slighted—after all, they’d just been playing and having fun—they both explained that neither of them was to blame. In fact, they claimed that they’d gotten dirty while following the “woodland fairies.” Unsurprisingly, the adults laughed and told the pair not to make such silly excuses, but the cousins wouldn’t back down. Elsie’s father Arthur was an amateur photographer, and she begged him to lend her his camera so the two girls could return to the woods and take a picture of their fairy friends. Less than an hour later they were back with a photo that showed a smiling Frances gazing at a group of fairies dancing among the woodland flowers. Arthur knew his daughter was smart and mischievous, and the photo was clearly a clever fake. The fairy was likely painted onto paper, cut out and held in place with pins. prank might have ended there, but two years later Elsie’s mother took that photo and others to a Theosophical Society, where they created an immediate sensation. Continue reading to see how Sir Doyle figures into the story….

DNA COLD CASE

Daughter Unravels Decades-Old

Mystery Of Disabled Mom’s Rape

Magdalena Cruz grew up knowing she owed her very existence to a horrid crime. She was born in 1986 to a woman who was unable to care for her, or even for herself. For a decade, Cruz’s mother (the two are pictured left) had been a resident of a state facility for severely disabled people in Rochester, New York. At age 30 she was nonverbal and had had the mental acuity of a 2-year-old, wore diapers around the clock, and needed constant care. She couldn’t consent to sex, so when she was discovered to be pregnant, it was obvious she must have been raped. Facility administrators told the woman’s family that another resident was likely responsible and said they would file a police report and undertake an internal investigation. Now, nearly four decades later, Magdalena says she has solved the mystery of her father’s identity, partly by using a mail-order DNA test and a popular genealogy database. As the Associated Press reported last month, the father turned out not to be a resident but an employee of the facility, and no police report had ever been filed. Cruz’s search for her birth story began about four years ago, when she started requesting records from municipalities and the state regarding her mother’s care. Infuriated by what she found—and didn’t find—she undertook genetic testing through Ancestry.com that identified biological relatives living in Virginia. Further investigation led to the discovery of the man she believes is her father, who had lived near Rochester at the time of her mother’s rape. In 2019 she brought her findings to the police, who confirmed the man had worked at the facility but said too much time had passed to bring charges. While criminal charges are no longer possible because of legal deadlines that long ago expired, Cruz has filed a lawsuit made possible because New York enacted a law last year temporarily setting aside the statute of limitations for litigation over sexual assaults from long ago.

19 Of The Scruffiest Detectives

In Crime Film And Television Shows

From Columbo to The Dude, the scruffy detective is one of the purest, most persistent tropes in the crime genre. They might not be able to find their keys and definitely don't own an iron, but their uncluttered minds can sort out the most disjointed bits of evidence and solve a murder that leaves others puzzled and mystified. As Olivia Rutigliano wrote last week in Crime Reads, “I’m not talking about the trope of the incompetent cop, but the detective who is very adept at solving crimes and less so at looking presentable/caring about other things. [It’s fun] to watch someone roll out of bed at noon and stagger off to follow a lead while wearing a trench coat that hasn’t been dry-cleaned in a decade.” With that in mind she compiled a list—admittedly neither comprehensive nor all-inclusive—of some very memorable men and women known for their practical nonchalance, unpretentious airs, and bedraggled appearances. Note: This list is about rumpled detectives and not rumpled regular-cops, so you won’t find Brian Keith’s Police Chief Link Mattocks from The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming, nor will you find any FBI or CIA agents, ruling out Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality and Walter Matthau in Hopscotch.

12 Of The Best Movies About Con

Artists, Hustlers, And Swindlers

For viewers who love to outsmart the characters on screen, no experience is quite like that of figuring out a swindler’s plan...only to fall into their trap. Films featuring con artists partially succeed by challenging the audience to a battle of the wits—or, just as much fun—sitting back and falling under the spell of the con. As 2023 is the 50th anniversary of Paper Moon, arguably one of the most engaging con movies ever made, I can’t help but recall just how intrigued I was by this tale of Addie Loggins, a 9-year-old orphan with nowhere to go to and no one to turn to. Living in drab and dusty Kansas in the 1930s, she is taken in by scam artist Moses Pray (Ryan O’Neal), who uses her charm and innocence to con his victims from one end of the state to the other. After some initial distrust, they become a successful pair of grifters, and their "take-your-daughter-to-work" relationship grows stronger with each job. They don’t always trust each other, and when they do, nothing can stop them from moving on to the next mark. But…I digress. From timeless classics to modern hits, the 12 movies on this list from Collider—including Paper Moon—showcase some of the best hustlers, thieves, and swindlers on the big screen, whether their cons occur in a casino, a dream, or an overly complicated string of stings.

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Greenwich Mean Time

“A globe-spanning, mind-spinning thriller that will delight fans of Jason Bourne. Rōnin Phythian, an assassin with extraordinary powers and a code of his own, deserves a sequel. Make that sequels.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire

“Greenwich Mean Time is a rollicking good time of thrills and skills.” —New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

"Over-the-top action..." —Publishers Weekly

"Original, riveting, and with more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster, Greenwich Mean Time is a fun read for anyone with an interest in assassination and conspiracy psychic thriller novels."

—Midwest Book Review

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