A Henry David Thoreau Mystery Series

Henry David Thoreau leaves the seclusion of Walden Pond to help investigate a series of murders in the first in B. B. Oak's fascinating new historical mystery series, set against the bucolic backdrop of 19th century New England. The lush, overgrown banks of Massachusetts's Assabet river are the ideal place for Dr. Adam Walker to find coveted medicinal plants for his remedies. But on one balmy August morning he finds something very different. A stranger, identifying himself as Henry David Thoreau of nearby Walden Pond, approaches and entreats Adam to accompany him upriver. He has discovered the body of a young black man at the base of the cliff known as Devil's Perch. As they examine the broken corpse and the surrounding scene, both men become convinced that the unfortunate victim was dead long before he fell. Yet the coroner's jury insists otherwise, dismissing the matter as an accident. Angered by the injustice, Adam and his lovely cousin Julia Bell agree to assist Thoreau in investigating. Adam notes in his new friend all the makings of a great detective—an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world, uncanny observational skills, a sharp instinct for detecting human foibles. As the case progresses, the mysteries only deepen and there is no mistaking the brutal slaying of a womanizing army captain as anything other than the coldest murder. Journeying from their tranquil village to Boston's most disreputable district, they gradually uncover the monstrous truth—even while a vicious killer prepares to end their inquiry for good. . . Advance Praise For Thoreau At Devil's Perch! "A favorite literary figure shows an unexpected flair for detection in this historical mystery.  Original and charming." —Laura Joh Rowland, author of The Incense Game "Well researched, captivating and compelling until the very end, Thoreau at Devil's Perch is both mystery and love story during a time that appeared deceptively simple. Through their diaries, the main characters, Adam and Julia become to feel like old friends you want to revisit again and again. I've never been a fan of using historical figures in fiction—B.B. Oak has changed my mind. Well done!" —Anna Loan-Wilsey, author of Anything But Civil "B. B. Oak brings Thoreau's nineteenth-century world to vivid life in this intriguing puzzler that will keep you guessing to the terrifying end." —Victoria Thompson, author of Murder in Chelsea

Far from the tranquility of Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau confronts the chilling reality of an epidemic. . .as well as cold-blooded murder. The winter of 1847 has brought a consumption epidemic which is devastating the village of Plumford, Massachusetts. In an atmosphere of increasing hysteria and superstition, country doctor Adam Walker and philosopher Henry David Thoreau seem the only voices of reason. The winter also brings two visitors to Plumford. Solomon Wiley hails from Rhode Island and offers his services as a vampyre hunter, insisting that the scourge is supernatural in origin. At the same time, Adam's cousin Julia has returned home from France, mysteriously without her new husband. When a former student of Thoreau's is found mutilated and drained of blood in the woods, Wiley insists that a legendary Indian vampyre has arisen. Dismissing the blustering fearmonger, Thoreau and Adam follow clues to the backstage world of a Boston theater, the smoky decadence of an opium den, and an Indian burial ground. Both men will need to keep their wits about them--or risk ending up in coffins of their own. . . Praise for Thoreau at Devil's Perch "A promising debut. . .Thoreau is just as you'd expect him: erudite, eccentric, waxing philosophical about his love of nature, and a natural detective." --Publishers Weekly "Ambitious. . .the research and fresh take on Thoreau make for an admirable start." --Library Journal

Henry David Thoreau’s impassioned activism in the Underground Railroad leads him away from the banks of Walden Pond into a morass of murder… In the spring of 1848, Thoreau returns to Plumford, Massachusetts, in search of a fellow conductor on the Underground Railroad, who has gone missing along with the escaped female slave he was assigned to transport. With the help of his good friend, Dr. Adam Walker, Thoreau finds the conductor—shot to death on a back road. When the two men discover that Adam’s beloved cousin Julia has given the slave safe harbor, their relief is counterbalanced by concern for Julia, who has put herself in grave danger. Another conductor has been murdered in a neighboring town and a letter has been found from someone claiming to have been hired to assassinate anyone harboring fugitive slaves. With all of them now potential targets, the need for Thoreau and Adam to apprehend the killer is more urgent than ever…