Maine Books

Liss MacCrimmon is one of the few people who are ecstatically happy with her career. She is a professional dancer in the touring how Strathsprey and she knows every Scottish dance and each number in the show to perfection. Tragedy strikes when she injures a leg and the doctor tells her she can never dance again. She is depressed because her leg will work normally only as long she puts no extraordinary stress like dancing on it.

She returns to her child home of Moosetookalook, Maine where her aunt owns a store selling Scottish products. On the day she arrives, her aunt leaves for Scotland and Liss in charge during the Maine Highland Games. When Liss returns home from the fair, she finds the dead body of her third grade teacher, Amanda Norris in the stock room. The autopsy shows she was killed and state police officer LaVerdiere thinks Liss is the only suspect. Refusing to wait around to be arrested, Liss looks for other possible suspects, not knowing her actions could get her killed.

KILT DEAD is a delightful cozy, the first in what this reviewer hopes is a long running series. The heroine is feisty, determined, and strong-willed; when she believes she is right, she obstinately goes her own way and doesn't listen to the advice of others. The setting is a small quaint town in Maine (capital of American cozies) with a support cost of wonderful quaint characters. Mystery readers will welcome Kaitlyn Dunnett as a fresh author whose protagonist provides the audience with a delightful opening act.

Harriet Klausner

Liss MacCrimmon is devastated when a knee injury ends her dream job as a Scottish dancer. With her future up in the air, she returns to her hometown, the small Moosetookalook, Maine. Her aunt has asked her to take care of her business while she is gone, a Scottish store. But instead of the relaxing refuge she hoped to find, Liss is caught up in murder. She discovers the body of her elderly neighbor in the storage room of the shop. It is hard to imagine who would want to kill the retired third grade teacher, even if she is by far the nosiest woman in town. Liss is drawn into the investigation to clear her name by finding the real killer.

Ms Dunnett is an experienced, professional author. She weaves the tartan plaid of suspense into a bolt of solid mystery bound by a strong character thread. Her setting is detailed and realistic (as makes sense since she she just has to step outside her door to see matching surroundings.) The small world of rural Maine lends itself well to the cozy genre. This is the first of what should prove to be a long running Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries. Ms Dunnett has created Liss as a character that can develop over time; she lays the foundation for Liss to grow and progress without skimping on her character's strength in this debut. First books in a planned series can often feel like just an advertisement for the future. Ms Dunnett has not done that, she has written a solid mystery that could stand alone if desired. She paces the action with a structured rhythm that draws the reader into the story from the introduction to the truly surprise ending without pause.

The second and third books in the series will be Scone Cold Dead in August, 2008 and A Wee Christmas Homicide in October, 2009. It will be interesting to see what is planned for Liss in the future. The character is clearly enough defined in Kilt Dead that readers will care what happens to her. There is also enough romance left hanging to leave the curious reader dangling and coming back for more.

Kaitlyn Dunnett is best knows as Kathy Lynn Emerson, the author of the successful series of "Face Down in' historical mystery series, and many other works of fiction.

I especially enjoyed Maine Charm String because the story was about going to Maine and trying to make it through the long winter months. The main character started button collecting, which I collect also. That is why the book was so appealing to me. It's a quick, fun read.

Who among us hasn't collected something at some time? I'd venture to guess that most folks have experienced the thrill of the hunt and the delight upon finally having that treasure in hand. From baseball cards to butterflies, there's a story behind each acquisition.
Elinor Graham's delightful (and true) story of how she came to Maine as a young bride, fell into button-collecting, of all things, as a hobby is funny and poignant. Her button stories are a charming account of how an "outsider" became a vital member of her community. Along the way she meets all sorts of characters who are just as entertaining (and button-obsessed) as she.
Forget reading these self-help books! Instead, read Maine Charm String and laugh with Elinor at her self discovery through buttons!

I grew up in the great state of Maine, and I try to get back every few years. This book contains some of the most beautiful images of the coastline that I have ever seen. Taken from a perspective that few of us ever get to enjoy, they provide a unique look into the beauty and the harshness of the coastline. I am very happy to have this book on my coffee table, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever visite Maine, or lived there. If you haven't visited, check it out to give you some good ideas of places to check out, and then GO! You'll be glad you did.

Highly recommended if you're a photo buff like mylelf, or if you are into pictures of the Maine coastline. Would make an especially nice gift as a coffee table book. Not much narrative, but there are 112 pages of beautiful pictures, with a little explanation about each one. The photos were taken by Charles Feil from an ultralite airplane, and encompass all 4 seasons; really illustrating the ruggedness of the land.

The New England's tradition of hauntings dates back to the earliest settlers of America and in his book "Maine Ghosts & Legends", author Thomas Verde concentrates specifically on Maine's ghostly traditions with 26 chilling tales. The book is sectioned into four parts: Ghost Legends, Haunted Houses, Haunted Places & Objects, and Haunted Inns and Taverns.

In Ghost Legends, we'll find out that Maine has their own version of the Flying Dutchman. During the War of 1812, a ship called "Dash" was commissioned to detain & seize vessels and goods under powers of war. Its larger mast gave it more sail and thus extremely fast. The Dash performed its duties very well but in 1815 it disappeared in a storm. Months later Maine fisherman began seeing the phantom ship, always when it was foggy out, sail swiftly by, even when there was little or no wind. These sightings continued right through WWII when both naval and coast guard ships quickly armed themselves after a blip appeared on their radar screens, but then the bewildered sailors caught sight of the phantom ship...

Maine's Jewell Island is filled with legends of pirates, buried treasure and ghosts. The ghost of a man, allegedly murdered by his partner while they sought the buried treasure of Captain Kidd, is said to haunt the island. Witnesses are said to have seen strange lights and heard shrieks and screams. In the 1960's several unmarked gravestones were found on the island. Some believe that these were victims of female pirate Ann Bonney who were killed to keep the location of her treasure a secret.

In Norway, Maine, a young couple with a baby moved into a 200 year old home and began experiencing strange phenomena in the baby's room, such as the baby somehow getting out of his crib and sitting on the floor, windows closing, etc. A psychic revealed that a three year old boy had died in that room and was now protecting the baby by closing the window what it was cold or rainy and helping the baby from the crib so he didn't fall.

A Victorian home in Cape Elizabeth is said to be haunted by the resident's great-grandfather who built the home. One resident, Ellen, was terrified when she encountered the wraith as it seemed to scream at her but no sound was made. Other residents reported sensations of being choked while they slept.

Besides the tales you'll read about Ghostly nuns and priests that linger at a home in Portland; the theater in Skohegan, haunted by a rather violent spirit; and a haunted tavern in Freeport where the ghost of an Indian haunts the spot where he was murdered by a man seeking revenge for his family's massacre at the hands of Indians many years earlier.

Maine certainly can boast a tradition of hauntings as strong as any New England state and Thomas Verde relates these tales in very conversational way, not dry like so many similar books. My only wish is that they had put in exact locations to some of the spots, at least the commercial spots where ghost-hunters could visit if they take a trip to Maine. That aside, this is a fascinating book.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Well if you are, don't be. It's really not that kind of book. Although, there are some spots that might make your imagination get a little over excited given the right atmosphere. Never the less this book is built on a good foundation of story telling, and locations. Here's a little note: just in case you were looking for a book to tell you the exact directions to the haunts in it. You won't really find that here, but if you read a little bit into the locations given along with some of the facts around the stories. You can find most of the places on your own. Back to the review. There are a lot of good stories in this book. They were well written, and re-searched. If your looking for a fairly through guide to the supernatural happenings in Maine. This book would be a good place to start. I found it to be a great aid to me while I was searching for local legends. The book is an easy read, but a good one. I hope you enjoy it.

We recently had travelled from Maine, USA to Wales, UK having a marvelous, picuresque journey on the Rheilfford and Pfestiniog railway out of Porthmadog. In many ways the Wales countryside resembles that of Maine in terms of topograghy. In showing some co-workers a couple of photos we had taken of this magnificent little Welsh 2 footer which began business in the 1830's and still runs a successful tourist line, one of them asked if the Maine Narrow guages weren't also built on two foot guage. I believed they must have been 3 foot like the Western US narrow guage roads, such as the Durango and Silverton, but this question made me curious. I found the intriguing answer to that question in this little book. Not only were the Maine Roads built to the 2 foot guage, but they were actually modelled after the sucessful Rheilfford railway. Since we live in Maine, we are interested in Maine history as well as Railroading, and found through this book that it truly is a small world after all.

I recommend this pictorial book to any Railfan or Maine History buff, or any combination thereof.

This is primarily a picture book - filled with great old pictures of Maine's famous 2-foot-gauge railroads (there were also a couple of 3-foot-gauge railroads in Maine; these are not mentioned).
Each railroad gets a chapter of photos with a short introductory text with a basic outline of its life and death. I wish someone with skills at grammar and editing had given the text and captions a quick once-over. But the pictures are the "Maine" feature of the book, and I was happy to see a few I'd never seen before. People who own all the "Big" (expensive) books about the Maine narrow gauge railroads may not find much new here, but it's a great introduction and overview for the general reader.
I was interested in the pictures showing the equipment that still exists (and even runs) today - some of the pieces are over 100 years old, and their survival is almost miraculous!

This edited history of Maine is a true masterpiece that explores many facets of this history of the state. The examinations of the lives of Native-Americans, the Wabnaki and others, the role of the French in Acadia and other stories are brought to life here in a series of chronological essays, that are neither obscure nor inundated with academic jargon. The later essays examine the role of Maine in the abolition of slavery, the civil war and the economy. Others discuss Maine's freedom from Massachusetts and the settling of the countryside. Separate sections detailing `further reading' are sometimes helpful, although sometimes they merely direct the reader to hard to find primary sources. The diversity of the essays and the thought that went into them is a joy. The inclusion of numerous maps is also very helpful. A very interesting book, designed initially as a reader or textbook, it is much more than that. It is a scholarly attempt to write the history of Maine and the use of essays in this case does not take away from the general subject.

Seth J. Frantzman

Judd and his colleagues have produced the first full scholarly history of the State of Maine in almost a century. The book is really a series of integrated essays that focus on individual themes, such as pre-European history, statehood, industry and agriculture, tourism, and economics. The list of contributors is impressive. Most are faculty at Maine colleges and universities or are associated with cultural and historical institutions. The book is intended for use as a text; the breakdown of chapters along thematic lines allows a reader interested in a particular aspect of Maine history to focus on relevant topics. I recommend it for anyone who has an interest in Maine or New England history

this is a very good set of poems spanning years of the poets thoughts and feelings it is done with style

The descriptions of scenery and places is unbelievable. The meaning behind the poems is even more amazing. If you like poetry, you must buy this book. If you can attend a reading by Karen Balch that is a BONUS!!

If you are interested in Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont history,then this book is for you. It was fun to see some of the places listed and know where the name came from.

This is a spare but informative little volume that will inform you about the origin of many place names in the nation's three northeasternmost states. Originally published in 1909, the book begins with a preface respectful of the region's aborigines and an introduction that discusses the principal tribes of the area; these are articulate and thoughtful, and a real pleasure to read. There are chapters for each state (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) with brief, alphabetically-arranged entries of Native American names, many translated, for cities, towns, rivers, streams, lakes, waterfalls and islands.

The book concludes with a list and short descriptions of the regional tribes, a list of Abnaki words and a bibliography.

Nellie is a good little dog and tells a pleasant story about her life in Port Clyde. Young children can enjoy the story. Adults who have been to Maine will revel in the illustrations. Robert Ensor has created some lovely watercolors. It's a charming book.

Nellie, a wiry dog with a flaggy-waggy tail, is a wonderful guide as you explore a peninsula along the Maine coast that juts far into the sea. Nellie takes you to the general store, post office, and, of course, the Marshall Point lighthouse. Robert Ensor's illustrations beautifully capture the rockbound coast, Maine architecture (big house, little house, backhouse, barn -- all attached), lobsterboats, and the open sea. Year-round residents and summer people (cottagers, as we're known hereabouts) will recognize and adore each and every landmark. Look for the other three books in the series. They're treasures.

Sample introduced me to Maine humor which includes a chapter on choosing the proper lawn ornaments for in front of your trailer and how to give directions to uppity tourists. Think of Larry the Cable Guy with a Maine accent.
The jokes are often one-liners, but the descriptions of the local settings and characters sure are fun as he sets the scene for the punch line.
Stephen King wrote the intro for the book. Fun reading while vacationing in Maine or if you live there.

This book was wonderful from beginning to end. The stories were great, hilarious, and fun! I read the book for a book report, and as far as I know, my teacher is reading it right now! The pictures were great, and being from Maine myself, made this book much more enjoyible and fun!