The John Lovejoy Murray collection of letters contains insights into the experiences of an African American soldier and his regiment during the Civil War. John Lovejoy Murray, a private in Company E, 102nd USCT, died of disease in a Charleston hospital on April 12, 1865. Through John Murray’s letters, readers can experience the war through the eyes of a literate northern Black soldier. His is the story of the soldiers who did not receive accolades for their heroic actions in battle, the ones who spent more time on picket and fatigue duty than on the front lines, the ones who died from disease more than they did of battle-related wounds. Murray’s letters are significant because they are ordinary in some respects yet extraordinary in others. Some of the activities and sentiments portrayed in the letters are hardly distinguishable from those described in letters written by White soldiers. In other ways, the letters represent a perspective distinctly from a Black soldier in the Union army. Although many of his experiences may have been typical, John Lovejoy Murray himself, a literate, freeborn, northern Black man, was atypical among Union Black soldiers.

Calamity's Claws is a story about a cat and his owner, a young woman Dannette Harney, whose grandparents had come to Australia as refugees from the Chilean coup d'eìtat in 1973, and a scandalous secret the family had kept from her. Due to unavoidable circumstances she becomes caught up in uncovering the family secret which drags her into life threatening contact with desperate criminals and child kidnappers. Yet in the midst of this she finds love, and is confronted by the reality of God and her fragmented family miraculously discover each other in very confronting circumstances.

Many Words Press-and imprint of Able Muse Press-is proud to introduce Murder in Times Square, a Deirdre Mystery, initiating a new series by the author of the popular Jack Colt mystery series: When a young woman in a red designer dress falls twenty-five stories from the roof of Times Square One, the well-known New York fashion model known as Deirdre resolves to unravel the mystery. Capable and determined, Deirdre is relentless in her drive to unravel the mystery and find justice for the victim, while protecting those she loves from looming threats. Baer, who has worked in the New York City's fashion district, showcases not only his depth of knowledge of the fashion industry, but also of New York City and its landmarks and history. He weaves an intricate, fast-paced, and spellbinding narrative that takes us through New York City, Atlantic City, the Jersey Shore, and the Caribbean. In Murder in Times Square, Baer once again proves he is a master of suspense and intrigue. PRAISE FOR WILLIAM BAER'S JACK COLT MURDER MYSTERY SERIES: "William Baer brilliantly mixes all the human emotions. . . . The layers, the depth, the characters, the intrigue, and the references to local settings all captivate and draw the reader in. I love books like this! A rarity! Five stars!" - Robert Leon Davis, Reader Views (Five-star review) "A brilliant debut novel . . . precise prose, perfect pacing, stunning imagery, complex characterization, grand historical and cultural contexts, and a superb sense of place." - Hollis Seamon, author of Somebody Up There Hates You "Not since Donna Tartt's The Secret History have I read a novel as mesmerizing, engrossing, and delectable as William Baer's New Jersey Noir. In prose as fast-moving as a bullet, Baer compels the reader to keep flipping pages more and more rapidly. The writing is taut and gut-wrenching." - Terri Brown-Davidson, author of Marie, Marie, Hold On Tight "With a head for crime and his own set of scruples, Jack moves effortlessly through the seamy underbelly of the state he loves. . . . [T]his is a can't-put-it-down thrill ride." - Publishers Weekly (Starred review) Writing is crisp, sarcastic, and wryly funny. . . . Characters are authentic and realistic. Dialogue is brisk and to the point. - Robin Farrell Edmunds, Forward Reviews (Five-star review) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: William Baer worked briefly in New York City's fashion district after high school. He's now the award-winning author of twenty-five books, including the first three novels in the popular New Jersey Noir mystery series. He's a graduate of NYU, Rutgers, South Carolina, Johns Hopkins, and USC's School of Cinema, where he received the Jack Nicholson Screenwriting Award. He's also been the recipient of a Fulbright, a Guggenheim, and a Creative Writing Fellowship in fiction from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Heartsick and Astonished features twenty-seven divorce cases from mid-nineteenth century America. More than dry legal documents, these cases provide a captivating window into marital life-and strife-in the border South during the tumultuous years before, during, and after the Civil War. Allison Dorothy Fredette has brought these primary documents to light, revealing the inner thoughts, legal hardships, and day-to-day struggles of these average citizens. In Wheeling, West Virginia, the seat of Ohio County, courtrooms bore witness to men and women from various ethnic, racial, and class backgrounds who shared shockingly intimate details of their lives and relationships. Some tried desperately to defend their masculinity or femininity; others hoped to restore their reputations to the legal system and to their community. In an era of uncertainty-when the country was torn in two, when the Wheeling community became the capital of a new state, and when activists across the country began to push for women's rights in the household and family-the divorce cases of ordinary couples reveal changing attitudes toward marriage, gender, and legal separation in a booming border city perched on the edge of the South.

Captain Amos "Coop" Cooper of Wichita, now retired from the Wichita Police Department, isn't surprised when he is asked to investigate a case; he is shocked, however, to learn he has been personally requested by Judge Elmo Wells. Coop and the judge never liked each other or got along, so why is Wells asking for him after so many years off the force? It turns out that Wells' wife, Marilou, is missing, having boarded a plane in Wichita without arriving in Boston to meet her mother as planned. Coop sees this as an open-and-shut case: Marilou must have changed planes and arrived at another destination via a connecting flight. The only problem is that Marilou's flight to Boston was nonstop. As Coop looks more closely at the disappearance, he discovers that there are plenty of people who might be angry at the judge, giving him numerous suspects but few leads. What's more, secrets seem to surround Marilou. How did the judge's wife disappear, and who's behind the caper that brought Coop out of retirement?

As head of California’s task force on narcotics and organized crime, Brock Andrews has earned his reputation as a tough, no-nonsense law enforcement agent. With his hardball tactics and skillful handling of informants, his team has successfully brought down some of the country’s most violent and powerful criminals. But it’s Brock’s superior who’s about to become his greatest adversary. Her name: Alison Andrews, First Assistant United States Attorney . . . and Brock’s wife. Publicly, Alison and Brock Andrews are a dynamic power couple at the pinnacle of federal law enforcement. Privately, their marriage is on the rocks. And the growing tension between them has only worsened with Alison’s release of Edward Nelson, the disgraced CIA employee and international arms dealer Brock arrested months earlier in the biggest bust of his career. What Brock doesn’t know is that Alison has recruited Nelson as her most important undercover operator in a plot to ensnare a ring of domestic terrorists smuggling arms overseas. Nelson, a master manipulator skilled at deadly games, has a plan of his own—to turn Alison’s undercover operation inside out, unleash a secret army of heavily armed militiamen, and target Washington’s high-powered political arena for a terrorist act of unparalleled proportions. Nelson is once again number one on Brock’s most wanted list. But with Alison protecting him from arrest, the only way to get to him is through an informant Brock has taken into custody. And while crucial information from this secret source helps Brock put together the pieces of Nelson’s insidious plan, it lays open more questions—and even more disturbing possibilities, including Alison’s complicity in criminal activity. Soon, Brock finds himself deep in a morass of shifting loyalties, outright betrayals, and hidden agendas that leave him running out of trust—and time. One thing is certain. Each hour matters, as Brock sets a dramatic trap to capture Nelson . . . and stop a terrifying attack on the heart of the nation. But first, he has to uncover the most dangerous truth of all . . .

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1951.