From Resurrection Mary and Al Capone to the funeral train of Abraham Lincoln, the spine-tingling sights and sounds of Chicago's yesteryear are still with us-- and so are its ghosts. Selzer pieces together the truth behind Chicago's ghosts, and brings to light dozens of never-before-told firsthand accounts. Take a historical tour of the famous and not-so-famous haunts around town. Sometimes the real story is far different from the urban legend ... and most of the time it's even gorier ...

An organized and comprehensive guide to Illinois' haunted and legendary places, Haunting the prairie contains 130 mystery sites and 60 individual illustrations and maps, plus a bibliographic timeline of paranormal and folklore research in Illinois. The author examines the sites and the history, as well as the hobbyists and professionals who explore the strange and unusual in the state. Divided among eight distinct regions and listed by county, each location features a description, directions, and information drawn from a diverse variety of books and articles.

Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Prairie State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Troy Taylor shines a light in the dark corners of Illinois and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From a gallows tree in Greene County where an apparition can still be seen hanging, to the lingering spirits of warring mobsters at the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, these stories of strange occurrences will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

Return again to the scene of the crime and visit the secret hideouts of Nazi saboteurs, anarchist plotters, charlatans, fakers, gangsters, and even a love-sick matron dubbed the "Torso Killer." See up close the murdering matrimonial bluebeard Johann Hoch and probe the unsolved mysteries surrounding the disappearance of candy heiress Helen Brach, the sinking of the "Christmas Tree Ship," and dozens of famous gangland "rubouts." This sequel to the best-selling Return to the Scene of the Crime is a provocative travel guide and road map pointing toward more dark and unexplored corners of the Windy City and its surrounding suburbs. The bizarre, the unexpected, and the offbeat are viewed through a kaleidoscope of colorful Chicago neighborhoods populated by outrageous characters. Crime scenes are presented in "then-and-now" perspective with running commentary on the history of the city. Included in the neighborhood tours is a unique collection of side trips--shorter, lighter historical vignettes that spirit out-of-towners to places of interest in Chicago that are not necessarily infamous. Once you have read this guidebook, you will want to return to the scene of the crime, again and again.

I do not know or pretend to know what happens when we die. Still, I hear the ghost scream. I hear the screaming and am compelled to write the stories of those whose lives were snatched away. They are the murder victims, the ones who roam restlessly. They are the headliners of this book." --Leslie Rule Hauntings--the word conjures up immediate and insatiable curiosity. Paranormal author Leslie Rule explores a new twist on this strange phenomenon when she explores brutal deaths--and subsequent hauntings--all over America in When the Ghost Screams. No sector of the country is left untouched by these mystical happenings. The Midwest, Northeast, Southwest, and, of course, Salem, Massachusetts (to which the author has her own bizarre connection), all have unique and gruesome cases of their own ghostly incidents. Furthermore, Leslie's hometown of Seattle, Wash., is rumored to be haunted and has a violent history of its own that is explored. Prominent theory suggests that whether homicide or accidental, a violent death may cause the soul to linger behind on earth. The author's own research leads her to believe unsolved violent deaths may be the cause of the most-observed paranormal activity. Leslie has visited each site and interviewed reliable witnesses who have actually encountered ghosts. Accompanied by the author's own dramatic black-and-white photographs, When the Ghost Screams also introduces sidebar articles on notorious crimes and trials featuring ghosts. Best-selling crime author Ann Rule writes the foreword.

Hauntings are believed to be created from violence and bloodshed. And from the beginning, the Prairie State was a place where death thrived, and mysteries became commonplace. Illinois was the home of ancient peoples know as Moundbuilders whose only legacy is silent graves and many unsolved mysteries. The French left behind their own ghostly stories after their displacement by the Americans in the 1700s and countless slaughters such as the Dearborn Massacre gave birth to tales of horror that live on in the history of Illinois. Eerie occurrences, spooky events, unsolved mysteries, and terrifying specters haunt Illinois. Tales of headless horsemen, haunted castles and a penitentiary occupied by ghosts chill the spines of visitors. Haunted Illinois explores the Prairie State’s paranormal side and serves as a guide to its haunted places.

Ah, vacations. There's nothing like getting away from it all, taking in a change of scenery, and maybe visiting a museum. Or enjoying animal antics at a zoo. Or scaring yourself silly on a rollercoaster at an amusement park. But the unseen can linger even in these pleasant places. Join award-winning paranormal reporter Sylvia Shults for a look at the darker side of your summer vacation.

The subject of an afterlife and ghosts has a universal appeal that transcends time and culture. This book sheds light on the topic, while simultaneously offering some practical advice for living in this world with its limited number of hours we have left. The author's journey through his own personal experiences will help others who are also seeking to understand the supernatural. It is hoped that it may be helpful to those who believe they see or hear something beyond our physical reality. In addition - perhaps more importantly - there is no better way than reading about someone else's experience to gain perspective from another angle. If you are experiencing paranormal activity in your life, please know that it is not always due to evil spirits or malicious intent. Some things simply cannot be explained by science alone.