As I look back on my life, eventful enough in spots, but placid, even monotonous in the long stretches between spots, I think the greatest thrill I ever experienced was when I saw the dead body of Sampson Tracy. Imagine to yourself a man, dead in his own bed, with no sign of violence or maltreatment. Eyes partly closed, as he might be peacefully thinking, and no expression of fear or horror on his calm face. Now add to your mental picture the fact that he had round his brow a few flowers arranged as a wreath. More flowers diagonally across his breast, like a garland. Clasped in his right hand, against his heart, an ivory crucifix, and in his left hand an orange. Sticking up from behind his head showed the plume of a red feather duster! And draped round all this, like a frame, was a red chiffon scarf, a filmy but voluminous affair, deftly tucked in here and there, and encircling all the strange and bizarre details I have enumerated.

AS I LOOK back on my life, eventful enough in spots, but placid, even monotonous in the long stretches between spots, I think the greatest thrill I ever experienced was when I saw the dead body of Sampson Tracy. Imagine to yourself a man, dead in his own bed, with no sign of violence or maltreatment. Eyes partly closed, as he might be peacefully thinking, and no expression of fear or horror on his calm face.

Deep Lake, in Wisconsin, had a curious and sinister charm. By day it was a charming resort for summer visitors, but by night its character took on a darkness like the swirl of its own waters. The death of Sampson Tracy was purely the strangest of all murders. He died of a nail driven into his skull, and round his body were found flowers, fruit, a feather duster, and other seemingly meaningless articles. Find the motive and you find the criminal. But several people have motives which may have led them to the deed. Which one did it? Why did the murderer decorate his victim with those gruesome inanities? And how was the crime committed in a sealed room? Keeley Moore investigates.

Dan Sharp, a gay missing persons investigator, accepts an invitation to a wedding on a yacht in Ontario's Prince Edward County. But the event doesn't go as planned. A member of the wedding party is swept overboard and Dan finds himself deep in troubled waters as he searches for possible killers not only in the present but also 20 years earlier.

From the serpentine "Champie" of Lake Champlain to the venerable "Nessie" of Loch Ness, extraordinary-and un-explained-creatures of the deep have been reported in sightings throughout the twentieth century. Now, two of the world's leading cryptozoological investigators provide a globetrotting field guide to when, where, and what kind of mysterious aquatic beasts have gripped the public—and sometimes the scientific—imagination. Filled with comprehensive drawings, classifications, and maps, their book offers an invaluable and unusual resource for the intrepidly curious to investigate these sightings firsthand or to simply enjoy the fascinating accounts that others have given.

A missing federal agent, suitcases full of cash, a secluded cabin in the woods. Spider Lake is no longer the peaceful retreat John Cabrelli needs to recover from gunshot wounds and start a new life. Knowing Cabrelli is a former law enforcement officer, the new chief of police recruits him to help untangle a string of strange events in the little town of Musky Falls. Cabrelli and a colorful team of local residents land in the center of a fast-paced action thriller with a surprise ending that’s sure to make your head spin. Winner of the 2021 IPPY Awards for mysteries. Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist for best second novel. Winner of the 2021 Midwest Book Awards for cover design. Spider Lake is the second book in the Northern Lakes Mystery series. "Nania (again) weaves a plot that is both believable and complex, reflecting real-world scenarios where bad guys ply their criminal trade wherever they can." — Valerie Biel, award-winning author

A shattered career. A crooked lawyer. An unsolved murder. Seeking peace in the Northwoods is fraught with danger. 2020 Midwest Book Awards Mystery/Thriller Winner Every night John Cabrelli relives the tragic events that ended his career. While struggling to find himself again, John inherits his uncle's cabin and returns to the lake where he spent much of his youth. Little does John know that danger waits for him when he uncovers suspicious circumstances of his uncle's death. Few people will talk about it as John unravels a mystery that could forever change the landscape. Award-winning author, conservationist, and retired decorated law enforcement officer Jeff Nania weaves a thrilling tale of murder and deceit, family and traditions, redemption and second chances. John Cabrelli’s story continues in book two, Spider Lake: A Northern Lakes Mystery. C. J. Box, William Kent Krueger, Dana Stabenow, Louise Penny, and Victoria Houston fans love this new mystery series set in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. "Jeff Nania’s Figure Eight features a spellbinding storyline with more twists and turns than the number in its title. Nania writes with power and precision, humor and grace about land, legacy, loss, love, and the mysteries of (human) nature." — Joel Pace, Ph.D. Professor of English, University of Wisconsin "Nania presents us with well-developed and at times quirky characters, a fast-paced plot line, and some of the best twists in anything I've read this year." — Valerie Biel, Author

The promise of Spring in Deep Lakes, Wisconsin brings the community out of hibernation to plan the annual Roots Festival. Bubble and Bake owner Frankie Champagne just wants to help the Granite Mansion quarry heiress plan the keynote presentation. So, why does she find herself in the middle of the legendary and deadly Quarry Curse?

"The Deep Lake Mystery" is a locked-room mystery set in a lake-house in rural North America. Mr. Norris is invited to join his old friend, the detective Keeley Moore at Deep Lake, for a vacation. Their holiday is ruined when one of Moore's neighbors is killed in his own bed under strange circumstances. The only door in or out is locked, all the windows open into a lake too dangerous to dive into, and the dead man is surrounded by an odd assortment of items carefully staged around him. Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was an American writer and poet. Among the most famous of her mystery novels were the Fleming Stone Detective Stories, and Pennington Wise series. She also wrote several Sherlock Holmes stories.